Today, people use their social media accounts on a daily basis. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have infiltrated themselves into our lives and become a part of our daily routines. For some people, checking their social media is the first thing they do in the morning. What does this mean? Well, first of all, it means that those sites are a big part of their day and that they share a lot of personal information there. Secondly, this makes them exposed to hacker attacks.
It’s safe to say that protecting your home devices like routers and computers is one thing, but if you have social media accounts and you want to protect yourself from potential hacker attacks on those sites, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 5 ways you can protect your personal information while on social media.
This is definitely one of the best ways to protect the personal data you might have on those sites. Two-factor authentication is a good and recommended practice because even if a person with malicious intentions hacks your email or a social media account, they can’t log into the profile without the code that will be sent to your phone.
Therefore, if your phone is with you, there’s no way someone can log into your social media account and steal your personal information or your identity. This is why it’s smart to use two-factor authentication. If, by any chance, it happens that you get a code, but you didn’t log into your social media account, this means that someone is trying to hack you. This is when you have to change your password.
Suspicious links usually contain malware that will harm your computer or steal the personal information you keep on your social media account. Even if you get this link from a close friend, it doesn’t mean they sent it. They might be a victim of a hacker attack and the hacker is trying to infect your smartphone or computer with a virus. Check with your friend and if they didn’t send it, ignore the link.
Don’t Accept Every Friend Request You GetPeople these days have thousands of friends on Facebook and thousands of followers on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. At first glance, this might seem like a good thing. People love to be popular, it’s in their nature. Having thousands of friends is okay if you know those people somehow. Or, at the very least, you know that they are not fake accounts. One of the ways hackers target people is by creating fake accounts and trying to get in touch with them via social media.
If you want to protect yourself from potential hacker attacks, make sure to check every profile before you accept it. If the profile is fake, ignore it and delete the request. This way the hacker won’t be able to see your interests and you will make it difficult for them to hack your profile.
It’s safe to say that protecting your home devices like routers and computers is one thing, but if you have social media accounts and you want to protect yourself from potential hacker attacks on those sites, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 5 ways you can protect your personal information while on social media.
Beware Of The Public Wi-Fi Networks That Don’t Require Password
Sure, public Wi-Fi networks are great. They are free and easily accessible. You can find them at almost any restaurant or coffee shop in the city. But, are they safe? Some of them are, some of them are not. How to know the difference? For example, those public Wi-Fi networks that don’t require any kind of password might be at risk. Hackers can easily use these networks to intercept personal information like usernames and passwords, for example. This is exactly why you should be wary of using a public Wi-Fi network to browse social media sites.
Use Two-Factor Authentication When Logging Into Your Social Media Accounts
This is definitely one of the best ways to protect the personal data you might have on those sites. Two-factor authentication is a good and recommended practice because even if a person with malicious intentions hacks your email or a social media account, they can’t log into the profile without the code that will be sent to your phone.Therefore, if your phone is with you, there’s no way someone can log into your social media account and steal your personal information or your identity. This is why it’s smart to use two-factor authentication. If, by any chance, it happens that you get a code, but you didn’t log into your social media account, this means that someone is trying to hack you. This is when you have to change your password.
Don’t Open Suspicious Links
Every once in a while you might stumble upon a virus circulating the social media that sends out suspicious links in the name of your friends. When this happens, you will receive a message containing a suspicious link. You might get it from a friend or a stranger and it will probably have a sensationalistic title that says that you “have to see” something. Even if you feel tempted to open it, make sure you don’t.Suspicious links usually contain malware that will harm your computer or steal the personal information you keep on your social media account. Even if you get this link from a close friend, it doesn’t mean they sent it. They might be a victim of a hacker attack and the hacker is trying to infect your smartphone or computer with a virus. Check with your friend and if they didn’t send it, ignore the link.
Don’t Use A Password That Has Something To Do With Your Interests
If you are posting a lot of things that have to do with your interests, make sure you use a password that has nothing to do with the content you post. If a hacker is targeting you, they will first look at your posts and interests. This is where they’ll try to figure out your password. Make sure you don’t serve them your password on a silver platter. |
| Photo: Getty |
Don’t Accept Every Friend Request You GetPeople these days have thousands of friends on Facebook and thousands of followers on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. At first glance, this might seem like a good thing. People love to be popular, it’s in their nature. Having thousands of friends is okay if you know those people somehow. Or, at the very least, you know that they are not fake accounts. One of the ways hackers target people is by creating fake accounts and trying to get in touch with them via social media.
If you want to protect yourself from potential hacker attacks, make sure to check every profile before you accept it. If the profile is fake, ignore it and delete the request. This way the hacker won’t be able to see your interests and you will make it difficult for them to hack your profile.