There is no denying that Twitter is a social phenomenon.  More than 190 million people use Twitter—a social media site that lets you share your thoughts in the form of “tweets”—140 character posts.  The Library of Congress has even started collecting all tweets as a way to capture a glimpse of life in the early part of this century. 

But like all online social media, there are dangers lurking for Twitter users.  Here are three things to think about before you “tweet”:

Tweets Can Get You Fired

A CNN reporter, Octavia Nasir, was recently fired for a controversial Twitter update.  A waiter in Beverly Hills was fired for tweeting about an actress whose agent had to pay her bill after she skipped out without paying.

There have been people fired for blogging about work, blogging while at work, fired for calling in sick and then surfing on Facebook.  One woman was fired for badmouthing the boss on Facebook because she forgot she had “friended” her boss and he could see everything she was saying. 

If you are using any social network, assume your boss is watching everything you say and do!

Let’s Go Phishing on Twitter

Twitter users are repeatedly the target of phishing scams.  Scammers send direct messages (DMs) or Tweets that included a generic message such as “You’re on this video” or “I think I see you here” in order to get people to click on a link.

The link took you to a fake Twitter page that asked you to log in with your username and password…which the scammer then used to hijack your account.

Twitter Can be Infectious

Fake twitter profiles have been used to spread malicious software (known as malware).  Many times, scammers use fake celebrity profiles or fake news about celebrities to lure you in.

These profiles and tweets look legit, but are created to infect your computer with malware that lets the scammer use your computer to send spam, install spyware, steal your identity or launch attacks on other computers. 

We’re not suggesting you don’t tweet—we use Twitter too (you can follow us by clicking here)!  We just want you to be aware of the dangers so you can protect yourself from the dark side of Twitter.  And we’re not picking on Twitter—there are hidden dangers in all social media sites, including Facebook, MySpace and many others.