Here are 21 things you can do to keep your Facebook account safe from hackers and malicious activity.
Facebook is used by millions of us on a daily basis, happily uploading and sharing photographs of loved ones, especially for those living away from family and friends.
Businesses too are encouraged, by Facebook and marketing professionals, to share lots of information about the business and make regular posts to boost brand awareness, so it would be a disaster if your Facebook account was taken over by a malicious hacker intent on stealing your identity and destroying your reputation.
User awareness is the main defence against Facebook hackers so here are a few tips to keep your Facebook account secure.
www.Facebook.com
Firstly, always ensure you are logging into the correct Facebook url. Many hackers set up Fake Facebook urls to obtain your login details.
Passwords
Use a strong password that doesn’t include any personal information and don’t use this password for anything else, also keep it safe and do not share it. We recommend the password be at least 8 characters and include lower case, upper case, numbers and special characters.
Password Managers
You can use a password manager to store all your passwords in one safe location i.e. Keychain.
Passphrase
Alternatively, you can use a passphrase that will help you remember passwords.
Change passwords regularly
It is good practice to update your passwords regularly to ensure they are not compromised.
Remember password – not recommended
Browsers give users the ability to remember passwords making it easier to login as password will auto complete. This is a handy tool for busy professionals but not recommended if using a shared computer or work computer.
Trusted Computers
Only type your passwords into trusted computers. If you are in an internet cafe in Delhi then just be wary. If you do have to login then change your password immediately after.
Facebook Security Settings
Login Alerts
Select – get notifications – then select your email address.
This will alert you immediately someone has accessed your Facebook account. If a hackers accesses your account change your password immediately.
Login Approvals
Activate login approvals. If someone logins in from a different browser a security code will be sent to the mobile phone for access. This is an additional layer of security.
Trusted Contacts
If you ever get locked out of your Facebook account one of 3 Trusted Contacts could be the ones to get you back in. Select 3 people to be your trusted contacts.
See where you are logged in
This data gives uses information about where the user has logged into the account. Any suspicious activity will be logged in here.
Facebook Privacy Settings
Check the settings in Privacy. Facebook is only for friends to interact so most of the settings will be for friends only. Who can see my stuff should just be ‘friends’.
Read Facebook Guide to Privacy
Facebook is changing and evolving all the time so check the Facebook Guide to Privacy for the latest information about protecting your privacy.
Preview my profile
Check how your information is seen by others by clicking the Preview my profile button on the Privacy Settings page to ensure you are not giving anything away.
Only accept people you know as friends
Personal Profiles are sacred to us, they include lots of personal photos, videos and personal information so only accept friend requests from those you know, there are thousands of fake Facebook accounts set up to steal personal information so if you receive a ‘Friend Request’ from someone who is already a friend then do not accept.
If in doubt, you can always defriend them.
Educate your children to only accept friend requests from those they know. I heard of an incidence where a child accepted a friend request from man from South America, this caused no end of issues.
Change Password immediately
If you suspect someone has commandeered your Facebook Account change the password immediately.
Report Suspicious activity
If you see spam or suspicious content then please report this to Facebook using this facility. Facebook needs to be notified of hackers and spammers before they damage personal and professional reputations.
Do not click on suspicious links
Click Bait Quizzes
Security experts are seeing a rise in Click Baits being used by Hackers tricking people into downloading malware or stealing personal information.
If you love those quizzes we suggest only using those that do not ask you to sign into your Facebook Account or give your email address.
Sign out
It is good practice to sign out of any system not in use. You can sign out remotely if you do forget.
Have anti-virus software installed on your PC
In the event you do inadvertently click on a malicious link then run your anti-virus software such as MalwareBytes to clear items from your pc.
Make sure your e-mail accounts are secure
Keep browsers up to-date
Browsers are updated regularly by developers adding lots of security features making browsers ‘security aware’. Often you will receive a warning before you enter a suspicious website.
Conclusion
Keep up to date with all the latest scams and security best practice to keep safe online.
