Social Media is ever growing in its popularity and daily usage. This leads to a vast number of attacks on these social media websites or application. The attacks will pick targets that are easy to hack. Usually these are users. Cyber security has become a necessity that can no longer be overlooked. There are a number of ways that can be used to secure social media. The following tips will help keep accounts private and from being an easy target for hackers or just plain nosey people.
The first step to securing social media is to make a password for the accounts. It does not matter if you live alone, the only user on a computer, or use your phone or mobile device. It should have a password. It does not matter the type of password or passcode used as long as there is one is in place. No matter what device used, it should be configure to hibernate after a set period of time and require a password to wake up.
Passwords are a major hassle, even more so when you have to change them so often. This constant battle makes easy to remember passwords extremely appealing. However, if the password is easy to remember, then it is easy to hack. A secure password, you should include the following: random letters, capitalized and lower case, numbers, and symbols. Combine those with no order, the more randomized the password is the harder it is to crack. Words that are found in the dictionary, birthdates, and personal names should be avoided.
Logging out of the account may seem unimportant, often a hassle. However if the device is lost or left on when the user walks away someone could gain access to the social media. If the account is not logged out prying eyes could easily see private information. Worse yet, an attack could very easily change your password or do damaging acts on your social media account. Logging out when done with the social media ensure that gaining access is only done with the proper credentials.
Social media is popular and now has many applications that tie into social media account. Applications that are no longer being used and are tied to social media accounts should be removed. Why would this be important? These apps are third party and if their databases are not updated and maintained, it leaves gaps in the security of the account. Information from the apps could be accessed by someone hacking the apps database. This could leave the social media account exposed without the user ever knowing it. It is recommended to clean these applications out regularly in order to maintain a tight security net.
If an attacker gain access to the proper credentials to a social media account its over right? There are steps that can be taken that can add another layer of security. This would be two-step verification. With this in place, anyone with the proper credentials, will not have access to the social media without the proper code for the two-step verification. It may seem like a hassle to deal with two-step verification. It can prove to be invaluable. While the user may never know it, attacks could have been taken on the account, yet failed due to this secondary layer of protection. An example of this would be Facebook’s Trusted Contacts feature.
Phishing attacks often come from websites or email. When viewing the web or even checking emails, you have to practice extreme cation. Many attacks come from links that look safe to use or mimic a legitimate site. This type of attack is called “phishing”. In emails, you can protect yourself by never clicking on the links in the email. If a user has emailed you, send them a new email asking if they sent you a link or if a business sends a link in email, go to the company’s website and look from there. As we move forward in the digital age, more and more task are being completed online. Online banking or paying billings is becoming increasingly more popular. You should always make sure you are accessing these sites securely. Check this in the address bar and look for “HTTPS” if you see this, then you know the link you are on is encrypted and safe to use.
The final step is despite how proactive a user may have been, does not insure complete protect. It is possible to be hack, however if the tips above were followed, it will be difficult. Check each social media’s policies about recovering a hack account and activate them. An example of this would be Facebook’s Trusted Contacts feature.
