A celebratory MPLS twibbon can expose enough personal details to make a scam sound credible. A face, full name, school, and home area posted together can help criminals build a profile of a new student.
The concern is not merely that the information becomes public. It is that the details can be reused to impersonate school staff, relatives, or people familiar to the student.
How scattered details become a profile
Pratama Persadha, chairman of the CISSReC Cyber Security Research Institute, said individual pieces of information do not always create an immediate threat. The risk rises when those details are openly available and can be found together online.
Criminals can use Open Source Intelligence, or OSINT, to collect and correlate publicly available information. This method can produce a digital profile without requiring them to hack the victim’s account.
“This technique allows various information scattered across the internet to be collected, correlated, and compiled into a person’s digital profile without having to hack their account,” Pratama said, as quoted by Antara. The more data people share voluntarily, the easier it becomes to map a student’s identity.
Risks extend beyond impersonation
Photos included in an MPLS Twibbon may also be vulnerable to AI manipulation or use in a false identity. What appears to be a simple school introduction can therefore become part of a student’s lasting digital footprint.
Location information and activity details can create both online and physical security concerns. Such data may support cyberbullying, stalking, or attempts to monitor a student’s daily movements.
| Risk | Information used | Potential impact |
|---|---|---|
| Scams and social engineering | School, parents, friends | Impersonation of school staff or relatives |
| Photo misuse | Facial image | AI manipulation or false identities |
| Security disruption | Location and activities | Cyberbullying, stalking, monitoring |
According to Liputan6.com, basic personal details can be used in social engineering schemes. Criminals can use the information to make their communication appear familiar and trustworthy to a potential victim.
Pratama warned that these risks are particularly serious for children and teenagers. New students may not yet have the ability to recognize different forms of digital manipulation.
Schools can reduce unnecessary exposure
MPLS twibbons do not need to be abandoned because they can still support introductions and a sense of shared enthusiasm. Schools can lower the risk by requesting only a first name or nickname rather than sensitive personal details.
Parents can also help students understand that public posts may be copied and reused by unknown parties. Limiting visible information reduces the material available for a more convincing deception.
Digital literacy education is needed from an early age so students understand the consequences of their online traces. The focus is not on preventing participation, but on encouraging safer ways to share information.
“MPLS twibbons are not something that should be avoided,” Pratama said. He stressed the need for better digital literacy so students can introduce themselves without sacrificing personal data security.