Instagram ‘Get To Know Me’ Trend Might Be An Open Invitation To Hackers
Photo 267214643 © Aleksandr Potashev | Dreamstime.com
The “Get to Know Me” craze sweeping Instagram, wherein users reveal personal tidbits about themselves, might not only catch the eye of just your friends and followers but also of potential cyber predators, a cybersecurity analyst warns.
The trend involves users answering a series of questions—like their birth date, pet names, favorite color, favorite food, and places they’ve traveled to—on eye-catching, often colorful templates and sharing them on their Instagram stories.
— ðŸ‰louie (@aodnwyx) December 18, 2023
However, these pieces of information, while seemingly trivial, might unwittingly lay out a welcome mat for criminals as they often overlap with security questions used to protect personal accounts.
Love a good Instagram story template but this one feels a little too "share some sensitive PII" for my liking. pic.twitter.com/FXAcIZ5P42
— Richard Cook (@cookywook) March 29, 2020
Eliana Shiloh, a cybersecurity and strategic risk analyst from Deloitte, took to TikTok to voice her concerns about this trend. She admitted to nearly participating herself before realizing that such information sharing could leave her vulnerable to unwanted online activity.
“I’m not gonna lie, I almost fell victim to it,” Shiloh recounted. “I literally started filling it out and then I was, like, wait a damn minute—these are the answers to a lot of my security questions.”
@elshiloh literally delete rn save yourself!! #cybersecurity #hackers #instagramtrend
♬ original sound - eliana shiloh
With a stark warning, she urged users to reconsider their participation: “This is hacker nation right here… They’re gonna have a field day with this trend.”
Shiloh’s message has struck a chord, with her video amassing over 1.6 million views. Since her line of work is all about ensuring the digital safety of clients and assessing risks, she insists that her concerns are not a stretch and that these details could end up in the wrong hands.
“We’re inching pretty close to the iceberg on sharing our social security numbers,” Shiloh added.
On the bright side, most login systems no longer use security questions as a gateway to accounts with forgotten passwords. Many have moved on to more secure methods like two-factor authentication and one-time passwords.
Still, having direct access to personal anecdotes makes it much easier for bad actors to impersonate users through fake accounts and trick their friends, Shiloh further warned.
These uploads are wired by Instagram to include a button that people can tap on to fill out the same template, or see what others have added.
Shiloh’s caution is echoed by the Department of Justice and numerous cybersecurity experts who consistently advise against the public posting of personal details.
While sharing and socializing are core aspects of the digital experience, this trend serves as a critical reminder of the importance of erring on the side of caution. The key is to enjoy social media’s connectivity while safeguarding against the vulnerabilities such open sharing can create. Users need to be aware that what’s shared online can be exploited for identity theft, account hijacking, or more nefarious purposes.
[via Business Insider and New York Post, images via various sources]
