Think twice before you accept that ‘friend’ request

Have you ever received a request to connect on a social network from somebody you don’t know? If you’ve been using social networks for more than a few weeks, the answer is most likely, “Yes”. How you respond to such requests could expand your social network and open new horizons and opportunities for you, or it could expose you, and others connected to you to a malicious social engineering threat.

What do you do when you receive a request from somebody you don’t know? Some people dismiss such requests immediately without a second thought. However, most people do a little digging before determining how to handle the request. People like to be liked, so rather than rejecting this potential new “friend” out of hand, they do some research to find out how they know each other other, or why this unknown person wants to connect with them.

If you click on the profile of the unknown individual, and you don’t find anything in common or any shared interests that might be a reason for camaraderie, you deny the request. But, if the person in question happens to share other connections with you–like having mutual friends in common, or working for the same company–most people are much more likely to accept the request to connect…and that’s how they get you…

Read the full article at CSOOnline.com: Think twice before you accept that ‘friend’ request.