Oversharing: what is it and why can it be dangerous?

What is oversharing?

According to the REA association, the term refers to the uncontrolled sharing of everything that has to do with our lives on the internet and social networks. The problem with this phenomenon is when this type of activity is carried out by children or adolescents, since they are more vulnerable users, although it is also dangerous for adults.

For example, the IT management company Tessian noted in a report that by 2022, 93% of workers in the United States update their employment status on social media, while 36% share information about their work and 26% post. about your co-workers or customers. This may seem like a harmless practice, but in some workplaces, this could pose a security risk.

The report also revealed that a lack of cybersecurity awareness could influence the success of email social engineering attacks.

What are the risks of oversharing?

Among the main risks of putting this information on social networks is the possibility that cybercriminals identify where your children study, what are your main activities during the day and how they can violate you. In addition, being published in real time the activities you are doing gives your exact location, which puts you at risk of being a victim of a crime.

Providing information to people you may not know could lead to other types of violations, such as possible fraud or identity theft. In addition, according to Tessian, one of the biggest problems is the addiction and social anxiety of users regarding social networks, since the reward that comes with a like or an interaction can create dependency on this type of platform.

It should be noted that social networks are not the only cyber space where you can expose information. It can also be done through video games, when you are interacting with other players and you are providing information about yourself.