Don't Post That Pic!

A little advice on oversharing sensitive personal information this week. Ah, summertime. It's a time for relaxation and fun, but for some, it is that time of year their teenage driver FINALLY gets their learner’s permit or restricted driver’s license. There were likely many stressful hours in the car earning this coveted piece of freedom, not to mention the countless brake checks, the thumping of a parent’s foot on the imaginary brake pedal in the passenger floorboard, or maybe just the sheer number of times that little handle above the passenger’s seat was grabbed.

But now the young driver has their license! Not only does this open a new world of possibilities to them, but the parent also unlocked a parenting achievement, someone to run errands for them! This achievement can make a parent (or kid!) want to boast proudly with a picture of a young driver with their newly acquired driver’s license on social media.

There is some risk here! Phone cameras are pretty good today, and it’s not hard at all to zoom in and clearly see the driver’s license number, legal name, date of birth, and signature! If you want to post that picture, do the responsible thing, and blur or obfuscate that info before you post it. It is obvious what they are holding (with the DMV in the background), don’t give the bad actors of the world that personal information so easily.

Authored by: Dave Kelly, PenTest+, CEH