Social sites are the medium for connecting us to the entire world and letting us share our experiences with a diverse population. But with this, we are also exposed to cybercriminals and hackers. That’s why social media security has become a major concern for cyber security experts.
Social media makes us vulnerable to cyber-attacks and scams. If you are ill-informed about the tactics cyber attackers use, you become the victim of a phishing scam, ransomware, or identity theft which would lead to both financial and reputational losses.
If you want to avoid that, here are 9 social media security tips and best practices that will help you make a solid defense against cybercriminals!
1. Create Strong Passwords
Creating strong passwords is your first line of defense against cyber attackers and it needs to be solid. Unfortunately, most people fail to see its importance and fall prey to cybercrimes. That’s why you should set up strong and unique passwords for each socializing platform.
Redundant and easy to guess passwords mean your social accounts are always at the risk of a cyber attack. Therefore, it’s critical to use a random word that is unrelated to yourself and check all the boxes instructed by the site.
2. Alter Privacy & Security Settings
Privacy and security in social media are two main things for making your accounts secure. That’s why you have to make some tweaks to the privacy and security settings of each social site. The foremost thing you should consider here is who has the access to view your social media activities.
Through these settings, you can choose whether you want to be private or public with social media posts. Besides that, you can also restrict people from your socials by blocking them.
3. Ignore Spam Messages in Your Inbox
The spam folder in your social networking site’s account is one of the biggest sources through which users become victims of phishing scams and ransomware. Cyber attackers sent out enticing messages to users, compelling them to click on spammy links. If you click on it a virus might get transferred to your device and destroy your data.
Also, hackers can impersonate someone else and ask for your personal information. That’s why you need to be vigilant and should avoid responding to any of such messages.
4. Use Two-Factor Authentication
The two-factor authentication for login is another useful way of ensuring social media security. After the password, 2FA makes up the second layer of protection. It verifies every login to your account by sending a PIN, code, or asking you a secret question.
So, if you have 2FA enabled you will be notified every time someone else tries to sign in to your account. With this information, you will be able to block their attempts and secure your social accounts.
5. Employ a Reliable VPN
Using a reliable VPN can also enhance your social media security. With direct browsing, your IP address and current location are exposed to several parties including internet service providers, the websites you visit, and any institutional account you will use. For that, a VPN provides a secure way of browsing by hiding your IP address and location.
In addition, VPNs make browsing through public wi-fi much safer as you won’t be exposed to the masses. Also, you can unblock certain restricted sites like WhatsApp through VPN. So, you will be able to enjoy networking from any location in the world even if the site is not available in your country.
6. Only Use Trusted Third-party Tools
The third-party tools can also be the source of data leakage and viruses. That’s why it is necessary that you use only trusted ones. Also, you should check the permission each tool has for accessing your account or your device.
Some third-party tools unnecessarily ask permission for the camera, microphone, your current location, etc. putting you at the risk of cyberattacks. If you allow permission for these things, hackers can reach you easily through these third-party tools.
📌 Tip: You can hire an agency or a social media virtual assistant to help you build your marketing strategy without using third-party tools and help you with the execution.
7. Report Scammers & Imposters
Unfortunately, it has become quite easier for people to create duplicate accounts of others and start impersonating them. They become imposters and can trick others into revealing their personal and sensitive information. Reporting these scammers and imposters is also an effective way of maintaining social media security.
That’s why you should always report them to the concerned social site’s administrator. It will not only be beneficial for you but will also protect other people too from becoming cybercrime victims.
8. Install Antivirus Software and Firewall
Another necessary step towards making social networking safer is to protect your computer. For this reason, you must install antivirus software that will detect malware in your devices. Antivirus software will scan your device regularly and ensure its security. Also, it helps in identifying vulnerabilities, so that you can take measures beforehand.
On the other hand, the installation of a Firewall would allow you to monitor the traffic from inside to outside and vice versa. A firewall has predefined security rules through which it monitors the network traffic.
9. Avoid Sharing Personal Information
Lastly, another important way of protecting personal data on social media accounts is to avoid oversharing personal information. Before you make any post on a social site, consider the sensitivity of the information and with whom it will be shared.
The reason for this is, that once you make a post on any social platform it remains there forever. Even if you delete it, it becomes part of the internet. Therefore, you should be careful about what you share on social sites.
Final Thoughts
How do you ensure social media security? This is one of the most asked questions for cyber security experts. Since social sites have become part of every individual’s life, it has also attracted scammers and cybercriminals. Therefore, most people are concerned about how they can keep their social accounts safe.
So, to assist you with that, here we enlisted 9 social media security best practices that can keep your social accounts safe and secure. However, the most crucial thing here is to stay vigilant and understand all the tactics that cybercriminals use to scam users.
About the Author
Mohammad Abid loves exploring the city, business, books, and the Internet. He works in marketing, more specifically SEO, and has done quite a few things in his short career. He also has an incredible family and prefers running his own website over a social media profile.
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