Leave nothing to chance is prudent advice. Social media opens exciting new doors for communication. Yet, as is always the case, people have found a way to exploit this new technology and wreak havoc in their wake.

Social media identity theft is a new and ever growing menace in our online society and having real life offline consequences.

Cybercriminals are tricking you into clicking links, divulging personal information they can use to hurt you, setting up fake accounts to spread malicious content about you, and more.

You shred important documents so personal information is not stolen from trash bins, but how can you protect yourself from social media infiltration?

Here are a few suggestions I’ve found online that are based on Robert Siciliano’s recommendations. Siciliano is CEO of IDtheftsecurity and a respected expert on the topic.

1. Use a policy. If your company uses social media, make sure you have a strong social media policy that you enforce and instruct employees on the proper way to use it.

2. Lengthen URLs. Never click on a shortened URL before pasting it into a lengthening service like TinyURL Decoder or Untiny. This takes a bit more time, but will help you avoid someone directing you to a harmful Web site.

3. Own your name. Claim your identity online. Grab your first and last name on every social media site you can find, not just the biggies. If you own your identity it is more difficult for someone else to claim it. If you run social media for your business, make sure you grab your company name, trademarked product names, president’s name, etc. There are hundreds of social media sites and this is a huge undertaking. A company called Knowem can help. According to Siciliano it costs about $65 and the company helps you register for up to 120 social media sites.

4. Security. Make sure you stay up to date on your Internet and hardware security by downloading security patches, using Web application software, firewall protection, and more. Plus, set your social media security preferences to protect against outsiders. And of course, watch what you post. Don’t tell the world your boss is driving to the local bank to make the nightly deposit or that your house is empty while you travel across Europe. Think before you post!

5. Report problems. If someone uses social media to hijack your identity, report it to the social media company immediately. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and all the others want to maintain their reputation and protect their companies from cybercriminals, but how can they when you neglect to report your problems?

6. Monitor your identity. The best way to keep on top of your identity is to watch it online. Google Alerts, StepRep, and Twitter Search are a few means to see who’s talking about you or your company.

There are always additional precautions you can take online. Please add your own and help us all learn to protect our social media identities. Good luck and be safe!