The American (Burglar’s) Dream: 1/3 of Utahns Jeopardize Home Security with Social Media Updates on Vacation.
Those of us jetting off on late summer vacations should think twice before ‘checking in’ on social media - as doing so could result in a burglary.
Aware of the increased risk of break-ins during the summer period, security based review, comparison and news site Security Baron, conducted a survey of 2,000 Americans to find out how many people publicly announce on social media where and when they are going on vacation, or post online while they are away.
There are a lot of risks that come with sharing this information publicly, but despite this, over a third of Americans (33.5%) are quick to ‘check-in’ at a location, announce when they have booked a vacation, and share updates sipping cocktails on a sandy beach.
The ‘social media burglary’ problem is clearly a big one, with a significant proportion of vacationers unknowingly putting their homes at risk by advertising to the world that they are not at home.
But which state is most a risk of social media burglary?
When broken down by state, Security Baron’s survey revealed that Utahns are more likely to put their homes at risk of a break in, with a significant 31% confessing that they post on social media when they are on vacation. They clearly can’t resist showing off with a beach shot or five!
We are clearly oblivious to the risks of sharing this type of information on social media, as a huge 57.5% of respondents in the survey said they don’t worry about the security of their home while on vacation, and perhaps more concerning, it hadn’t even occurred to a substantial 39.9% of Americans that posting photos of their vacation might be a security risk for the home!
It seems as soon as Americans check-in to a hotel, they check out from their worries – but is that the same for both men and women?
Interestingly, when broken down by gender, Security Baron’s survey found that women are a little more cautious about their home’s security than men, with 44.5% stating they worry about break-ins while on vacation, compared to 42.5% of men.
Not all people are worry-free however; the survey revealed that over a quarter would consider not taking an extended vacation as they don’t like the idea of leaving their home vacant (27.6%).
But as the saying goes, ‘If you didn't post it on Instagram, did it even happen?’ Quite shockingly, a quarter (24.6%) of respondents admitted that they feel a social pressure to post updates of their vacation on social media.
But is the social pressure to get a like on Instagram worth jeopardizing the security of your home? The good people at Security Baron don’t think so...
Commenting on the survey results, Joe Auer, says: “When you’re checking in to your hotel or the airport on Facebook, or posting an Instagram shot of your vacation resort, it’s unlikely you’re thinking about your home security. But even a simple check-in is an advert to burglars that you’re not at home. Don't become a victim of social media burglary; there are a few simple measures you can take to reduce the risk of a break-in while you’re on vacation: Firstly, make sure to update your privacy settings regularly. Secondly, consider whether you really need locational data attached to your social posts. It’s a big no-no to tag yourself at home and reveal where you live, as this is an open invite to burglars.”
Security Baron have created an interactive tool which provides top tips for making sure your home is safe while you are on vacation: https://securitybaron.com/blog/home-security-tips-youre-vacation/
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With Americans working an average of almost 1,800 hours per year and 52% of workers not using all their available vacation time, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2018’s Hardest-Working States in America as well as accompanying videos.
In order to determine where Americans work the hardest, WalletHub compared the 50 states across ten key metrics. The data set ranges from average workweek hours to share of workers with multiple jobs to annual volunteer hours per resident.
How Hard Does Utah Work? (1=Best, 25=Avg.)
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/hardest-working-states-in-america/52400/
