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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
John Bett

Hacking expert shares which social media posts to avoid to keep your data safe

A cybersecurity expert has shared advice on how to keep your data safe online - and it turns out there are some Facebook posts you should definitely avoid.

From asking for the name of your first pet to location-specific posts, there are plenty of sneaky ways for hackers to steal your info without your knowledge.

Now security expert Javvad Malik has spoken out and shared five posts that you should absolutely avoid, and some are more common than you might think.

Javvad, who runs security awareness at KnowBe4, said that if you give too much information away online then hackers could use it to extort you, or worse.

If you're not careful, hackers may steal your info (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

What do you think about Javvad's advice? Let us know in the comments...

Speaking to The Sun, Javvad said: "Any information publicly posted can be used by criminals.

"Even seemingly trivial information can be put together to build a better picture of the victim."

"Broadly speaking, the most dangerous information that you can put out there relates to password reset questions - so things like mother's maiden name, schools, street, etc."

Javvad said that posting about what you do, where you are, your family, or your history on social media could leave you in a tricky situation.

The five questions to avoid are -

One - any question that requests information about your personal identity, so this could be parts of your address, your date of birth, or your mothers maiden name.

Two - Anything that reveals your location - this could leave you dangerously exposed.

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Three - An invite to a third-party application or game, that may then take your data - you should be very careful with which apps you share your data with.

Four - Posts from someone you don't know, where you are specifically tagged. This could be a phishing scam, or something more sinister.

Five - Anything that reveals where you work, as hackers could use this information to target other members of staff and use your information as a way to get in.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

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