People often ask me, Do you use Facebook? Is it safe? I have only one answer to that, of course, I use Facebook as do 2.6 billion other people. As for the second question, the answer is No. Nothing is safe if you are online. Each time we log on to Facebook or any of our other numerous accounts we agree to potential risk. For each social media account, you choose to use, do the ‘Risk vs. Reward’ test. Is my reward (staying connected with family and friends) worth the risk (possibility of my account being breached)? If the reward outweighs the risk then choose to minimize that risk by being safe and smart when you are using the app.
We can minimize that risk by how we use our online accounts. For Facebook here are five to stay safe while online.
1. Change your password often.
I’ve met many people manifesting indolence to change the password, and then, they cry and dread when someone hacks their Facebook account. But changing a password is as simple as making a cheeseburger. Select a time length and change your password. As those who follow my blogs know I use a password manager for all my accounts including Facebook. If you don’t be consistent with changing your password. I recommend you change your password every three to four months.
2. Keep track of suspicious activities.
If you created an account and it’s inactive your chance the account will be hacked greatly increases. Why is that? Hackers are always in search of unutilized accounts. The solution is, stop by your Facebook every two to three days. If you find any suspicious activity, don’t panic. Swiftly change your password and click “log out of other devices” when Facebook asks you. Then, delete all the suspicious activities.
3. Choose your friends wisely.
Never accept friend requests from people you don’t know. If you use your account for reasons other than personal connections be wary of friend requests that contain blurry images, a name that seems fictional or you recognize a celebrity picture as the profile picture. For friend requests of people, you don’t know, review their ‘About’ section to see if anything seems off. If a Facebook friends account keeps sending you suspicious links, don’t open any of them, notify your friend it never hurts to just unfriend him/her. If you haven’t done so for a while, take time and review your friend list, then unfriend with people you don’t know at all.
4. Adjust your privacy setting.
Make sure to review the privacy checkup. Verify if you have the option selected not to have a friend request from everyone, and your login alerts are on. When you update your “About” or “Contact” information, confirm it multiple times if the information is only visible to you or your friends with whom you want to share. Do not provide any personal information on Facebook (e.g., bank information)
5. Use two-factor authentication.
Using Two-factor authentication is always a yes in my book. Here’s a quick overview of how it works. Let’s say you have a two-factor authentication option selected. Then what? If anyone tries to break into your account, you will instantly receive an alert notification on your cellphone, email, and text message. This notification will ask you, “if you’re trying to log in to your account from approximate XYZ location and XYZ device.” If you click NO, the hacker will fail to log in.
You can never be completely safe while online but you can certainly do your part to minimize risk.
For continued advice and learnings on how to help your family stay safe and smart with the technology you use, follow
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Learn more about the why behind my journey of helping families stay safe and smart with the technology they use at https://www.daledumbsitdown.com/
