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How secure is your Facebook or LinkedIn profile?

How do you balance the need for social sharing with the need for privacy and professionalism?

It may be that privacy on the Internet is a losing battle, but if you follow a few simple tips, you can reduce the chances of an embarrassing social media blunder.

Choose a strong password and consider enabling two-factor authentication

Ask anyone who has been the victim of a hacked social media account: Keeping your password safe is vital. Do not share passwords across accounts. Use a password manager and update your password regularly.

For extra protection, consider enabling your platform’s version of two-factor authentication to protect your account from unauthorized logins. Along with a strong password, two-factor authentication is your best defense against social media miscreants.

Check your personal privacy settings

Make certain that your posts go to the right audiences. For example, to view and adjust your Facebook privacy settings, click the drop-down menu in the upper right corner of any Facebook page and select Settings. On the left side of the page, select Privacy. Then click to edit your settings.

You can also quickly view and adjust some of the most used privacy settings and tools from the Privacy Shortcuts icon at the top right of any Facebook page. Finally, to control the privacy for posts, photos and other things you share on your Timeline, choose your audience when you post.

Separate your online personal life from your professional life

If you are a real power user, you might use tools like Hootsuite to post across multiple social media accounts. But be careful. Miami’s social media policies and guidelines remind employees that balancing a social media presence across your personal and professional life can be tricky. If you are responsible for your department’s social media accounts, be sure to separate them from your personal accounts. Always verify which account you are using before you post.

Stay informed

To cope with the rapid rate of change in social media privacy, here are a few ideas to stay ahead of the game: