COLUMBIA, Mo. – Everyone loves seeing social media posts of smiling farm kids with their animals at local fairs.

But no one enjoys seeing these photos more than criminals who could put your family’s safety and property at risk, says Brenda Schreck, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in livestock.

Wait until you return home to post photos, Schreck says. Posting photos right away can let criminals know that you are not home and that your house and barns may be unguarded.

MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch says tagged photos can also tell criminals where you are, which gives them an idea of the amount of time before you return home, especially if your social media indicates where you live. Even with security cameras, response times in rural areas can be delayed.

Fair exhibitors, 4-H and FFA campers and convention attendees might eagerly share their networking names with others they meet, unknowingly putting themselves at risk. It’s normal for teens to want to pursue friendships with others with common interests, says Funkenbusch. But they should take precautions to avoid online adult predators and be aware of the perils of identity theft.

“In these rural social settings, teens might let their guard down,” says Schreck. “Before going to fairs or other events, have a conversation with family members about alerting trusted adults if teens feel uneasy about shared social media interactions.”

MU Extension’s Small Business Development Center offers these suggestions to improve the online environment on and off the farm:

• Keep software and operating systems up to date, and never install apps or software from unknown sources.

• Use multifactor authentication. A few seconds can save you hours and days in the future.

• Educate members of your household about phishing and the danger of opening attachments from unknown sources.

• Use antivirus protection on all devices.

• Don’t log into personal accounts on public computers when on vacation or even at the local coffee shop.

• Don’t use the same password for all accounts, and never share your password.

• Wipe all data on devices before selling or discarding.

• Don’t scan random QR codes or accept random AirDrops.

Go to https://sbdc.missouri.edu/ for more information on cybersecurity.