Is it risky to post pictures of one's children?

[Stuarte]

I've made it a firm policy not to post pictures of my kids on publicly-accessible parts of the Internet.  In fact I don't even post pictures of my family or identifiable friends.  This may be partly because of the climate of anxiety in the UK at the moment, and may be partly a consequence of dealings I had with a German security expert who warned me (with examples) of how bad guys can gather personal information for all sorts of nefarious ends.

However, looking at various people's web galleries I see a lot of personal pictures, including kids.  And I'm wondering whether my caution is justified, or may merely be mild paranoia.

[Tim Gray]

I'd suggest that it's far riskier to get into a car or simply step outside than what you are describing.

I suspect that the security expert you spoke to makes a decent living off of people being afraid of the wrong things.  Have the same conversation with a statistician or economist.

If you're interested in the concept of Risk and Fear I strongly recommend the book
Risk, the Science and Politics of Fear.  

http://www.amazon.ca/Risk-Science-Politics...19946609&sr=8-1

[Stuarte]

I suspect that the security expert you spoke to makes a decent living off of people being afraid of the wrong things.  Have the same conversation with a statistician or economist.

Thanks Tim.  My security expert actually alerted me to the activities of a fraudster who was trying to scam my network.  Over a period of a couple of weeks I was able (with this guy's help) to see what the fraudster was up to in real time.  

I'm pretty easy-going about security generally and often make similar comments to you about real levels of risk.

[Tim Gray]

Ahhh....   I thought he might be advising you as to the risks you were describing.  If I lived in Bogota I would certainly avail myself of an expert in the matter of personal security

[Stuarte]

Ahhh....   I thought he might be advising you as to the risks you were describing.  If I lived in Bogota I would certainly avail myself of an expert in the matter of personal security
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He was.  He advised my not to put personal details on the web because fraudsters can use them for identity theft, i.e. family member names, DOB, pet names, place of birth etc.

BTW I was in Bogota a few times in the early 1990s and had a wonderful time.  The first time I even went wondering around in the Candelara (sp?) part of town, although I wouldn't be so nonchalant now.

[Jonathan Wienke]

However, looking at various people's web galleries I see a lot of personal pictures, including kids.  And I'm wondering whether my caution is justified, or may merely be mild paranoia.

Definitely paranoia, unless you post your real-world address, phone number, etc to go along with them. Posting a photo of your child is fine. But I wouldn't post a map of your house showing where his bedroom is along with GPS coordinates. Posting a photo by itself doesn't really help a would-be molester or kidnapper, unless it is accompanied by additional information that would enable them to locate your child. THAT is what you should be paranoid about--posting vacation or travel plans in advance, your residential address, information about your household security precautions, daily schedule, routine travel routes.

As an educational exercise, try playing the role of someone who wishes to harm you, and research yourself online to see what information would be helpful if you wanted to break into your house and kidnap or kill a family member. Odds are that family photos would be one of the less useful tools for an attacker.