FBI Academy: Cyber security

 A warning from the FBI on cyber crime vulnerability.

It's in our report from the FBI citizens academy...it's a story you will only see on News 2.

What do online dating, facebook, cell phones have in common?

Your personal information. Vulnerable to hackers.

We start with online dating sites. FBI experts say an app called Picfind-contains facial recognition software.. That software will give away your identity… if that picture is already published on the internet.

FBI experts say a picture can be worth a thousand words literally, if you don't protect yourself, they say if you are going to do a dating website or social media, take a new picture of yourself that is not published anywhere and can't be recognized by facial recognition apps.

David Thomas/ Special Agent in Charge, FBI Columbia, “It makes you very very vulnerable… if you are using it for dating sites, or any other type of social media…. Where you don't want anyone to know who you are until you are ready to identify yourself to them.”

And when sending a picture, experts say you need to turn off your GPS in your privacy settings for the camera.

“Depending on your phone setting, every time you take a picture on the phone and if you don't specifically set it, it embeds a GPS of exactly where you are, and if you took if from your house, I'll know exactly where you live.”

Here are some tips from the FBI for making your computer less vulnerable to hackers.

Make sure you read before accepting window pop ups, or opening email attachments, always run the latest updates on your computer, make sure to have anti-virus software.. and get it from a reliable source.. and make sure to open a new page to access an account, never click on a link from email  and don't pirate software as this is how many viruses get into your computer.

FBI experts say to use a middle name and general occupation for social media or dating sites, so people can't identify you, before you are ready…

Other ways to protect yourself: think before handing your cell phone over in a store, (most cell phones contain your personal information) have the store associates do the work in front of you, and with job applications and buying a house.. be careful to whom who you are giving your bank accounts and Social Security numbers

The FBI recommends checking your credit every 3 months or so. It is free, and they recommend checking a different service, Experian, etc… every few months.