In a world where sharing has become second nature, it’s easy to forget that some information is better kept close to the chest. We’ve all had those moments where we’ve shared something and immediately thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” Your privacy is valuable, and once it’s compromised, it can be nearly impossible to reclaim. Here are fifteen things you should think twice about before sharing, even with people you trust.
1. The Exact Location Of Your Hidden Spare Key
We’ve all locked ourselves out at some point, and that hidden spare key can be a lifesaver. But telling others exactly where you keep it is basically handing over access to your home. Even casual conversations about it being “under the third flowerpot” or “inside the fake rock by the maple tree” can be overheard or remembered for years. According to Reolink, these common hiding spots are the first places intruders check, making them highly insecure.
Think instead about sharing this information only with your most trusted emergency contact. Better yet, consider alternatives like a smart lock or a lockbox with a combination that you can change periodically. Your future self will thank you when that spare key remains your secret backup plan rather than someone else’s easy access.
2. Your Complete Travel Itinerary On Social Media
Sharing your excitement about an upcoming vacation is natural, but as noted by Greg Morand, Director of Security at GXO Logistics, sharing detailed travel plans online can expose your home to potential burglary and other risks.. Those perfectly staged airport photos with visible boarding passes and captions about “two weeks away from home” are invitations for trouble. Even with tight privacy settings, information has a way of spreading beyond your intended audience.
Instead, consider sharing your amazing vacation photos after you’ve returned. If you must post during your trip, be vague about timing and avoid location tags that show exactly where you are—and aren’t. Your followers can still enjoy your beach photos without knowing you’ll be gone until next Tuesday, and that no one is watching your house.
3. When Your Home Will Be Empty For Extended Periods
Similar to travel plans, announcing when your home will be vacant for any reason is risky business. Whether it’s a vacation, a business trip, or even regular weekly activities that take you away from home, this information can be valuable to the wrong people. Even mentioning things like “empty house all weekend” in casual conversation can be overheard.
Consider asking a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your place during absences instead of broadcasting them. Use smart home devices that can simulate occupancy with lights and sounds, and be strategic about when you roll out garbage bins or allow mail to accumulate. Small precautions can make a big difference in keeping your empty home from becoming an obvious target.
4. The Fact That You Live Alone
As highlighted by EPS Security, advertising that you live alone can make you a target for malicious individuals. Living solo can be wonderful, but announcing it widely isn’t always wise. This seemingly innocent piece of information tells potential troublemakers that you don’t have the security of another person present. Even casual mentions in conversation or on dating profiles can be filed away by the wrong person.
If someone asks about your living situation and you’re not comfortable sharing, it’s perfectly fine to be vague or simply change the subject. For online profiles and social media, consider leaving this information out entirely. Your independence is something to be proud of, but it doesn’t need to be public knowledge.
5. Your Specific Work Schedule And Routine
Sharing exactly when you leave home, where you go for lunch, or when you’ll be working late might seem harmless, but it creates a predictable pattern others can exploit. Your consistent routine—leaving at 7:30 AM, taking lunch at the same café at noon, returning home at 6:15 PM—provides a roadmap of when you’ll be vulnerable or when your home will be empty.
Try to vary your routines when possible and be careful about sharing specific timing details. If you must discuss schedules, keep the information general rather than specific. Even small variations in your patterns can make a significant difference in unpredictability, which is ultimately better for your security.
6. The Real Reason You Called Out Sick
We all need mental health days or time to handle personal matters, but sharing the real reason you’re not at work can come back to haunt you. What seems like a confidential conversation with a coworker about taking time off for a job interview or because you’re just burned out can quickly reach management or HR. Even legitimate health issues can lead to workplace stigma or discrimination.
Keep your reasons vague when necessary, and remember that you’re entitled to privacy regarding your personal time. A simple “I’m not feeling well” or “I have a personal matter to attend to” is completely sufficient. Your genuine reasons are yours alone, and you don’t owe detailed explanations to anyone but your healthcare provider.
7. Your Full Birth Date, Year Included, On Public Profiles
Your complete birth date is a key piece of the identity puzzle that scammers and identity thieves work to solve. When combined with other pieces of information that are readily available, it can help someone impersonate you or gain access to your accounts. Even innocent birthday wishes on social media create a public record of this sensitive information.
If you want to receive those birthday messages, consider listing only the month and day, not the year. For accounts that require your full birth date, check privacy settings to ensure it’s not visible to others. Remember that keeping that information private is a small sacrifice for greater security.
8. How Much Money You Actually Make
Your income is personal information that can change how people perceive and interact with you. Sharing salary details might lead to judgment, jealousy, or even make you a target for scams or financial requests. Even close friends might view you differently or feel uncomfortable if they learn there’s a significant income gap between you.
Instead of specific figures, discuss finances in general terms if the topic arises. If someone asks directly, it’s perfectly acceptable to say, “I’m comfortable” or “I’m doing alright” without diving into numbers. Your financial standing is between you, the IRS, and perhaps your financial planner—not casual acquaintances or social media connections.
9. Medical Conditions That Could Impact Your Insurance
Your health information can have unexpected consequences beyond privacy concerns. Sharing details about medical conditions—even in seemingly innocent social media posts or casual conversations—could potentially affect your insurance rates or coverage eligibility. Insurance companies have ways of gathering information that might surprise you.
Be especially cautious with genetic testing results or family health history, which could impact not just you but your relatives as well. Share health information only with healthcare providers and trusted loved ones who need to know. For support with medical conditions, consider anonymous forums or private groups rather than public posts that create a permanent, searchable record.
10. The Apps You Use To Track Your Children
Parental monitoring tools help keep kids safe, but sharing which specific apps or methods you use undermines their effectiveness. When others know exactly how you’re monitoring, they can more easily help your children circumvent that protection. Even well-meaning friends might mention to your kids that you’re tracking their location or browsing history.
If you need to discuss parenting strategies, keep the conversation focused on general approaches rather than specific tools. This preserves the security of your monitoring methods while still allowing you to seek advice. Digital safety is an ongoing conversation with your children, balancing trust with appropriate oversight for their age and maturity.
11. Your Real Feelings About Your Boss On Any Platform
Venting about workplace frustrations might feel good in the moment, but digital complaints have a way of finding their way back to the subject. Even private messages or posts in “closed” groups can be screenshotted and shared. What seems like a harmless rant could impact your career advancement or even lead to termination.
Find safer outlets for workplace frustrations, like trusted friends in person or a therapist. If you must write down your thoughts, consider using a private journal that isn’t connected to the internet. Your professional reputation is valuable currency in your career, and rebuilding it after an inappropriate post surfaces is much harder than exercising restraint in the first place.
12. The Password Pattern You Use for Everything
Many of us have a system for creating passwords—maybe a favorite word followed by significant numbers, or a pattern of character substitutions you use consistently. Sharing this pattern, even casually, is essentially giving away the key to your digital life. Even mentioning “I always use my dog’s name and birth year” provides too much information.
Develop a password system that’s known only to you, and consider using a password manager that generates and stores unique passwords for each site. Change critical passwords regularly, especially after sharing access to accounts with others, even temporarily. Your digital security is only as strong as your password practices, and keeping those practices private is essential.
13. Which Family Members Have Access To Your Financial Accounts
The people who can access your money should be a closely guarded secret. Sharing that your sister is on your checking account or that your adult child has access to your investment portfolio creates potential security vulnerabilities. Even trusted family members might inadvertently mention this information to others who shouldn’t know.
Keep financial access information strictly between you and those who actually need it. Review regularly who has access to what, and update permissions if relationships change. Financial entanglements require extraordinary levels of trust, and the fewer people who know about these arrangements, the more secure they remain.
14. All The Medications You’re Currently Taking
Your medication list is deeply personal information that can reveal your health conditions, mental state, or even suggest your vulnerability to certain types of exploitation. Sharing this information broadly could lead to judgment, unwanted advice, or even theft of medications that have street value or are in high demand.
Keep your medication information between you, your healthcare providers, and perhaps one emergency contact. If you need to discuss side effects or experiences, consider using anonymous health forums rather than identifiable social accounts. Remember that even seemingly innocuous medications can reveal more about your health than you might intend.
15. The Recent Major Changes To Your Will Or Estate Plan
Estate planning decisions are both personal and potentially contentious among family members. Announcing that you’ve restructured your will or changed beneficiaries can create tension, expectations, or even opportunistic behavior from those who stand to gain or lose from your decisions.
Keep estate planning discussions limited to your attorney and perhaps your spouse or partner. If you feel the need to explain your decisions, consider writing letters to be delivered after your passing rather than having difficult conversations that might be misinterpreted or remembered selectively. Your legacy planning deserves thoughtful protection, just like any other aspect of your privacy.
