Security of Social Media Apps (ex. TikTok)

TikTok continues to be in the news recently as the relationship between its parent company and the government of China is being questioned.  There are security concerns that data may be collected by the Chinese without knowledge or consent of the user.  Although there does not appear to be a significant difference between TikTok and other social media apps, many governments have banned the use of TikTok on corporate mobile devices. The province of Ontario has banned the app on government devices, as has Quebec whose ban includes post secondary education.  Confederation College has not made any restrictions but this is a good time for all employees and students to review the security of all social media apps installed.  Here are some useful tips

1. Stay informed – Before deciding to use a social media app or service, carefully review its Terms of Use and privacy and data policies. Apple’s App Privacy Report provides insight into how apps access your data and Google Play has a similar feature for Android devices.
2. Adjust your privacy settings – Pay close attention to the privacy settings on your social media accounts. Make sure you know what data third party applications are accessing and how they are using it.
3. Limit your online “footprint” – Avoid oversharing personal information on social media, as this can be used by cyber criminals to steal your identity or provide tailored phishing messages.
4. Remove permissions for unused apps – Some devices support automatically removing permissions for unused apps. If your device doesn’t support this, periodically review app permissions and uninstall unused apps.
5. Use anti-virus/malware protection – Scan your apps periodically for malware, viruses and adware.
6. Use strong passwords – Secure your accounts by using strong passwords. Use a password manager tool to keep track of your passwords, and avoid using the same password for mulitple purposes (especially your College account).
7. Use Multi-factor authentication (MFA) – Use Multi-factor authentication for apps where available. College students are advised to use the Microsoft Authenticator for their College login account. Instructions are posted at Microsoft Authenticator installation instructions
8. Stay up to date – Routinely review apps, social media accounts, and their respective security and privacy settings.