Privacy on the Web and social media was a hot topic at NHF's 61st Annual Meeting in San Francisco, October 29-31, 2009. As NHF's fan base on Facebook and Twitter continues to grow, we want everyone to be aware of the dangers of disclosing too much private information and also know how you can protect your privacy.

Some of the dangers of social media include:

·         Use of your personal information against you by insurance companies, employers, lawyers, IRS, schools, etc.

·         Identity theft via phishing scams (criminally fraudulent process of acquiring sensitive information, such as usernames or passwords) or spyware and malware (malicious software)

·         Becoming victims of burglars, sexual predators and other opportunists

Keeping these dangers in mind, we hope you use some common sense and follow some simple rules for protecting yourself on social media sites. Below is a list of some safety guides to get you started:

·         Facebook Privacy in under 10 Minutes

·         10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know

·         22 Ways to Adjust Privacy Settings In Facebook

·         How to Protect Your Privacy on Twitter