Half of social networkers post risky information, study finds

More than half of all users of social networks in the U.S. are posting information that could put them at risk of being targeted by cybercriminals, according to a Consumer Reports study.

The magazine, which released its State of the Net survey today, noted that 52% of adults who use social networks, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, have posted personal information like their full birth dates and other revealing facts that criminals could use to victimize them.

Consumer Reports, which publishes product reviews and ratings, also noted that the number of U.S. households that use social networks has doubled in the past year.

"Many people use social networking sites to share personal information and photos with their friends quickly and easily," said Jeff Fox, technology editor at Consumer Reports, in a statement. "However there are serious risks involved, which can be lessened by using privacy controls offered by the sites."

:story: Computerworld