We all enjoy discussing our vacation plans with our social networking contacts, but when a potential thief gets wind of your extended departure, things can get much less enjoyable. According to security company Precreate Solutions, clients have reported a sharp spike in break-ins after announcing on Facebook that they'll be away from home for a long period of time. To combat this, the company is offering to keep your Facebook status updated while you're away, for a fee.
Using a list of pre-approved messages, the company will post periodic updates to your Facebook account to make it seem as though you're going about your daily routine. It's a bit like leaving your home's interior lights on a timer to make it appear that the house is occupied when you're away, but with a social networking twist. Of course, your cover will be completely blown if you accidentally post your own Facebook update bragging about how nice the scenery is in Hawaii, or how great the margaritas are on the cruise ship.
Precreate Solutions' director, Gary Jackson, says that insurance companies are beginning to take notice of the higher-than-average risk that social network buffs pose to their books, claiming "It's getting to the point now when insurance firms are going charge higher premiums for social media users." We're not quite sure about that, since it would mean sifting through literally hundreds of millions of users to match names with accounts. Still, the danger of posting your vacation plans is real, and it's always a good idea to be non-specific about when, and for how long, you'll be away from home.
Of course, you can use your Facebook and Twitter privacy settings to make sure that only certain people see your updates in the first place. So if you'd rather play your social networking cards a little closer to the chest, take a look at our guide to get started!
Telegraph via The Next Web
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