In April, the world was rocked by the news that over half a billion users’ data, including their phone numbers, names, dates of birth and e-mail addresses, had been leaked from Facebook. The investigation showed that there was no leak as such, but rather a mass automatic collection of data from open profiles. Nevertheless, once again there was the question of protecting your account from hacking. Hackers, once they have a database of this size, are likely to use it for social engineering and password brute-forcing attempts.
Hijacking a social network account is fraught with the following dangerous consequences:
Loss of access to important data, personal correspondence
● risk of fraudsters gaining access to other services if you have the same password to access them
Risk of blackmail, extortion, or spamming on your behalf.
In order to secure your account, you need to follow 5 recommendations from Roskatchestvo Digital Expertise Center that are appropriate not only for Facebook, but for other social networks as well.
1. Check your logins and logins
In the login settings FB Security and Login, VK Security you can always check when and from where your account was last logged in. As a rule, the social network itself tracks suspicious activity for example, sudden login to the account from the other side of the world , but if you see that there was a login from a device that you don’t know, and it obviously wasn’t you – it’s time to change your password, and then – log out to all accounts and re-enter your accounts again with a new password.
2. Make your password secure!
Hackers use special software to guess simple or even moderately complex passwords. A strong password, which they will not be able to crack, should be 8 or more characters long, contain upper and lower case letters with numbers and special symbols dash, question mark, etc , and not be related to your personal information, i.e. not contain any combinations of names, surnames, year of birth, etc.
Ideally, do not use the same password for different services, which, combined with the requirements of password strength, can be quite difficult. Roskatchestvo recommends using password manager software to help you generate and remember complex passwords for all occasions, and only remember the master password.
3. Set up two-factor authentication
In today’s environment, this is practically a requirement if you want to keep your devices secure. Provide a phone number or an optional verification option in addition to your password. This will make it much harder for someone who tries to hack into your account.
4. Set alerts on account logins
When you log in from which browser or location, Facebook should start sounding the alarm and send you an alert? Configure this feature. Another great feature is the ability to select 3 to 5 friends who will send you a security code if you have trouble signing in.
5. Follow general anti-phishing rules
Don’t enter your account information on third-party sites, especially if you clicked on them from a link in an ad-supported email. Try to minimize your social network logins on third-party sites that you’re not sure about. Do not install suspicious applications and regularly check your phone and computer with an antivirus to detect a malicious password stealer.
By the way, in order to keep your social media profile out of a database like April’s Facebook “leak,” you just need to keep it private, i.e
Allow access only to friends or only logged in users. Then robots will not be able to automatically read the information from the page and enter it into their directory. You can turn your page into a private mode in the profile settings of any social network. Facebook’s “Privacy” section is responsible for this.
To protect your Facebook account from being stolen, there are a few simple steps you can take. First, regularly update your password and ensure it’s strong by using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. Be cautious of suspicious links or messages, as they may lead to phishing attempts. Avoid sharing personal information publicly and review your privacy settings to control who can see your posts. Lastly, regularly check your login activity to identify any unauthorized access.
One effective way to protect your Facebook account from being stolen is by enabling two-factor authentication. Have you tried this security feature? What other steps do you take to safeguard your account?
What are some effective ways to safeguard our Facebook accounts and prevent them from being compromised by hackers or scammers? Any specific steps or security measures that we should be aware of, besides a strong password?