How To Secure Your Social Media Accounts

Keeping your social media accounts safe is crucial to keeping your sensitive data protected. In this blog, you’ll learn how to strengthen your accounts by using strong and unique passwords, setting up MFA, adjusting your privacy settings and keeping an eye on your account activity. 

Continue reading to learn more ways you can secure your social media accounts and the common threats social media accounts face. 

1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords

You can secure your social media accounts by using strong and unique passwords. A strong password contains a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Your passwords should be at least 16 characters long and should never be reused for multiple accounts. Reusing passwords places multiple accounts at risk of being compromised if only one account is leaked in a data breach. 

To simplify managing multiple complex passwords, consider using a password manager. A password manager helps you generate, manage and securely store all of your passwords so you never forget them. 

2. Enable MFA Whenever Possible

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is a security measure that helps prevent unauthorized access to accounts since it requires one or more forms of authentication. MFA requires an additional verification step after entering your username and password, such as a Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) code from an authenticator app. This means even if someone is able to crack your password, they won’t be able to access your account without the second factor of authentication, which they won’t have.

Almost all social media platforms support MFA including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, to name a few. 

3. Adjust Your Privacy Settings

Many social media platforms offer customizable privacy settings that determine who can see your posts and personal information, as well as who can send you friend requests. Regularly review and adjust these settings to align with your comfort level and prevent oversharing. For instance, on Instagram you can ensure that only your close friends can see your stories, while others can only view your posts. By limiting access to your content, you reduce the risk of sharing sensitive information with strangers, which can then be used in targeted social engineering attacks.

4. Monitor Your Account Activity

It’s essential to keep an eye on your social media account activity. By regularly reviewing the log of actions associated with your accounts, you can quickly spot any unusual or unauthorized behavior. For example, if you notice login attempts from unfamiliar locations, it could be an indicator of a compromised account. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide these logs, enabling you to take prompt action if you detect any suspicious activity. You can usually find these logs in your account settings. 

5. Secure Your Email Account

Your email account serves as a central hub for password resets and communication from various services, including social media. If a cybercriminal gains access to your email account, they can essentially get into any of your online accounts, since that’s where password resets take place. 

To enhance your email account security, make sure you’re using a unique, strong password and enable MFA. Since email is often a target for cybercriminals, taking these measures can prevent unauthorized access and also protect your online accounts from being compromised. 

6. Learn How To Spot Phishing Attempts

Phishing attacks involve malicious attempts to deceive you into revealing sensitive information like passwords or financial details. These often come disguised as legitimate emails or text messages. Learning to recognize the red flags of phishing attempts, such as suspicious sender addresses, typos, and unexpected attachments or links, is crucial to keeping yourself safe. 

Some other phishing attempt indicators include the following:

• Urgent language 
• Too-good-to-be-true offers
• Sudden requests for personal information

7. Avoid Sharing Personal Information

Refrain from sharing personal information on your social media profiles, such as your home address, phone number and financial details. This information can be exploited by cybercriminals for various purposes, including identity theft or targeted attacks. For example, avoid posting vacation plans in real time as it can indicate that your home is vacant and make it a potential target for burglars.

8. Report Suspicious Activity

If you notice any activity on your account that you didn’t initiate or if you receive messages from friends that seem unusual, it’s important to take action. Report such incidents to the social media platform’s support team so they can investigate and take appropriate measures. Reporting promptly can help prevent the activity from escalating and prevent anyone from falling victim to it. 

9. Be Wary of Geo-Tagging

When sharing photos on social media, be cautious about enabling location services or geo-tagging features. These can reveal your exact location to anyone who views your posts. For example, posting a picture at a restaurant might inadvertently disclose your whereabouts to strangers. To maintain your privacy, consider disabling location sharing for social media apps, especially when posting from sensitive or private locations. Also, avoid sharing where you are while you’re still at that location to ensure that no one knows your whereabouts. 

10. Keep Your Apps and Devices Up to Date

Regularly updating your social media apps, as well as your devices’ operating systems and software, is crucial for security. Developers release updates that often include patches for known vulnerabilities. Neglecting these updates could leave your accounts susceptible to hacking attempts. Set your apps to update automatically or check for updates frequently to ensure you’re benefiting from the latest security enhancements.

Common Threats to Social Media Accounts

Some common threats social media accounts face include account hacking, phishing and financial scams. 

Account hacking

Account hacking is a prevalent threat to social media users. Malicious hackers exploit vulnerabilities in weak passwords to gain unauthorized access to accounts. Once breached, hackers can misuse the compromised accounts for various purposes, such as spreading malicious content, scamming followers and friends, or stealing personal information.

According to Gitnux, 1.4 billion accounts are hacked monthly on social media platforms, making it crucial to take steps to protect these accounts. 

Phishing

Phishing is a cyber attack in which cybercriminals pose as trustworthy individuals or companies to trick users into revealing sensitive information like passwords and credit card details. They often use fake emails, messages or websites that closely resemble legitimate ones to convince victims they’re someone they know. 

Phishing can take place anywhere online–including on social media platforms–so it’s important to learn how to spot them so you don’t fall victim. 

Financial scams

Financial scams include a wide range of fraudulent activities aimed at deceiving users into giving away their money. Scammers might impersonate friends or trusted organizations, promising prizes, services or opportunities in exchange for payment. Financial scams on social media platforms can appear as fake giveaways and fake advertisements.

As social media platforms like Facebook have turned into places where people can buy and sell items, the risk of falling for online scams has increased. This is because scammers take advantage of these platforms to trick people into purchasing items, but never send them or send something completely different. It’s important to learn how to spot financial scams before choosing to make a purchase through social media platforms or anywhere else on the internet. Here are a few tips:

• Be cautious of too-good-to-be-true offers: Scammers often lure buyers in with unbelievably attractive deals to create a sense of urgency. If an offer seems too good to be true, take a step back and research the product’s average market value. Compare prices from different sources to ensure that you’re not being duped by a scammer’s bait.
• Use secure payment methods: Opt for secure and trusted payment methods when making purchases. Credit cards and reputable online payment platforms like PayPal often provide buyer protection, which can be extremely helpful in case the transaction goes amiss. Be wary of sellers who insist on unconventional payment methods or ask for personal financial information directly.
• Trust your instincts: If something feels off about a transaction or the seller’s behavior, trust your instincts and proceed with caution. Scammers often employ tactics that create pressure or urgency to make a quick decision. Take time to research, ask questions and verify details before finalizing any online purchase.

Keep Your Social Media Accounts Protected

Securing your social media accounts is crucial. By taking proactive measures like using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and being cautious about sharing personal information, you can significantly reduce the risks of unauthorized access and potential breaches to your social media accounts. 

Remember, your online presence is valuable, and these measures will help ensure that your social media experience remains safe and enjoyable.Take the first step in protecting your social media accounts by using a password manager. You can start a free 30-day trial of Keeper Password Manager today.