words Al Woods
It is impossible to imagine our lives without social networks, which is why their protection is so important in today’s society. Although we are warned to use strong passwords and turn on two-factor authentication, there are other measures one can take to enhance the security. Below are some unique 2ways of how to protect your social media accounts.
Understand and Utilize Privacy Settings
Each of the social networks has a set of options that allow you to adjust the level of privacy that you want for your page. These settings help you decide who can see your posts, who can send you messages, and who can find you on this site. It s recommended to spend some time to familiarise with these settings.
For instance, on Facebook it is possible to set restrictions on who can invite you to be their friend, who can see your list of friends, and even who can see the posts you have been tagged in and whether they will appear on your timeline or not. On the Instagram application, it is possible to make your profile private, this will only allow people who you have accepted to follow you to view your posts. Thus, adjusting these options, you can minimize the probability of unauthorized access to your personal information.
Privacy settings are not only to control the visibility of information; it also has options for security of the account. Features such as login alerts can help you know if there is any attempt made to log in to your account when you are not around to prevent such activities. Knowing and applying these settings properly can reinforce the protection of your social media profiles.
Regularly Monitor Account Activity
Another thing that can serve as a preventive measure is to monitor your account activity to see if there is something wrong. Almost all the social medial sites provide a feature that shows the last login and active sessions. For instance, Facebook has a feature known as “Where You’re Logged In” while on the other hand, Instagram has a feature that shows the login activity.
If you see something that you do not recognize as your device or location, then act to protect your account right away. It is recommended that you log out from all the sessions and change the password. It is recommended to check your account activity on a daily basis to prevent or at least notice the possible security issues and prevent them from getting worse.
As for the login activity, also pay attention to such factors as changes in your account settings or posts that you didn’t make. These are the symptoms of a hacked account. These anomalies are best reported and acted upon to avoid further breach and other possible damages.
Be Wary of Third-Party Apps
Third party apps are useful in the management of social media accounts but at the same time they are a security threat. These apps usually ask for your permission to access your social media profiles, post on your behalf or manage your accounts in one way or the other.
One should only authorise and link third-party apps that are essential and safe with his/her social media accounts. Occasionally check and deny access to applications that you do not use anymore. This practice helps to prevent your data from being leaked through the applications that have weak or malicious security.
Also, it is advisable to check for the authenticity of the third-party application that one wants to install and the reviews of other users. Make sure it is from a reliable source and know what information it will be collecting. This due diligence is useful in ensuring that you do not fall into a trap that may harm your social media safety.
Educate Yourself on Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are one of the most often used ways by cyber criminals to get into the target’s social media accounts. These scams usually take form of a message or an email from a credible source that would request you to click on a link or give out information.
Phishing attacks can be avoided by not responding to messages that ask for your login information or any other personal information. To establish the validity of such requests, one should get in touch with the supposed sender through the official channels. Prevention is the best defense against phishing; this is through education and awareness.
Also, it is recommended to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when accessing your accounts over public or non-secure Wi-Fi networks. A VPN such as Surfshark will protect your connection, and therefore it becomes difficult for hackers to easily steal your information. This extra step helps to protect your information from being accessed by unauthorized persons.
Secure Your Devices
Your social media accounts’ security depends a lot on the security of the devices that you use. Make sure that your mobile phone, tablet, and computer are password protected or use any other biometric identification. Make sure that you keep your operating system and all your applications up to date, to close security holes.
Another prevention measure is to install good antivirus and anti-malware software to prevent the devices from being attacked. These programs are capable of identifying threats and disengage them before they can affect your accounts. These are some of the tips that can help you protect your social media presence; it is advisable to perform maintenance checks on your devices and ensure that they are secure.
Limit Personal Information Sharing
It is also important to note that one of the simplest ways of protecting social media accounts is by reducing the information to be shared. They can easily obtain passwords from the information that is freely available in the public domain.
Censor what you post on the internet and limit the information that you share with people by changing your privacy settings. It is advised not to reveal your personal information including your home address, phone number, and other personal information. This is a very basic yet very efficient way of lessening the chances of your accounts being vulnerable to fraud.
It is advisable to check your social media accounts from time to time to check for information that you may be sharing unknowingly. One has to be very careful about what he or she posts on the social media platforms to ensure that he or she is safe from the online criminals.
