Cybersecurity expert warns the latest Instagram trend is a 'field day' for password-stealing hackers

In the digital age, people are all for sharing where and what they are doing step by step.

That's become the latest trend on Instagram: users share answers to 11 questions, ranging from age, height and birthday to more obscure questions such as their favorite foods and phobias.

While it may seem harmless, a cyber security expert has warned that the 'Get to Know Me' trend is having a 'field day' for hackers.

That's because many people use these exact answers as passwords for everything from online banking to email and credit card sites.

Cyber ​​and strategic risk analyst Eliana Shiloh posted a TikTok video alerting her followers to the “Get to Know Me” trend and warning them to immediately delete posts and videos from the trend.

“I'm not going to lie, I almost fell victim to it. I literally started filling it out, and then I was like, 'Wait a minute,'” she said in the video.

While deciding which phobias to list, Shiloh said she paused and realized that some of the questions were the answers to many of her security questions.

She quickly posted a video on TikTok warning everyone to “delete that stuff right now” and saying that “the creeps of the cyber web are going to have a field day with this trend.”

Shiloh was accused of making a mountain out of a molehill by her followers, who dismissed her concerns and said their answers had nothing to do with their passwords or security questions.

Shiloh posted a follow-up video and said, “If I have to sit here and explain why distributing a list of your personal information online is dangerous, then…” she began.

“Clearly, no one's security question is, 'What's your birthday?' But they can learn a lot about you from your birthday and use that information to gain access to some of your accounts,” she added.

Eliana Shiloh is a cyber and strategic risk analyst who warned against joining the “Get to Know Me” trend.

Although the trend was initially posted to Instagram stories, which disappeared after 24 hours, many people have reposted them to TikTok with the hashtag “Get to Know Me,” making it a quick and easy way for hackers and scammers to steal individual personal find data.

The Department of Justice supports Shiloh's warning and advises everyone to 'think before you post anything online or share information in emails', keeping in mind that sharing information with people you don't know is one of the biggest online risks is.

Sensitive information includes your date of birth, family members' names, work history, and school names, yet people are answering some of these questions in the “Meet Me” trend.

Other more obvious warnings include not sharing your social security numbers, bank account details and passport details online.

Likewise, the National Cybersecurity Alliance warns against sharing personal information with anyone.

“Many people take internet security lightly. They share their private information willingly and without any concern,” the NCA said place shared.

“The first line of your personal data defense is you,” it adds. “If you share your personal information online, you run the risk of it leaking if the company you shared it with is hacked.”