Everyone can be seen on social media discussing their sentiments or bringing them together with their friends while learning new things. This means that there are numerous people within a specific space, hence one has to also consider being defensive. Here are easy methods that you could follow to safeguard yourself especially when on social websites.
1. Incorporate Strong and Different Passwords
The best fan protective measure that most people adopt towards their social media profiles is to employ the use of strong passwords. Strong passwords can be defined as passwords that are at least eight characters long containing a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, figures, and symbols such as @ or #. Simple passwords such as “123456” or “password,” should never be used.
Additionally, you should have a password that is unique to each and every account. For if you make all your accounts have one password, a hacker breaks into one; s/he gets to have access to all.
Example of a Strong Password: T5e@R9nX!l
If it proves to be a challenge remembering all your passwords, you can opt for a password manager. A password manager will keep all your passwords secure and allow you to log in without having to recall every single one of them.
2. Enable 2FA
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extra control measure put in place. It is not enough to simply enter your password only i.e. to access the service. 2FA dictates that an additional password which is sent to your phone or E-mail should also be entered before the log in is successful. That way, even if one’s password is compromised, one would still not gain entry because the second step of authentication is well secured.
No social media account is complete without 2FA nowadays-Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook include these features. Make sure you switch one on in your account settings.
3. Review and Change Personal Privacy Settings For Social Networking Applications
Anytime people create accounts on social media, they should check the privacy settings. These include who should see your posts, who can follow you, and who can send you messages. If you want to prevent strangers from seeing your posts, turn your account to ‘Private’: which allows only friends to see your posts.
Steps to Take When Adjusting Privacy Settings
- Navigate through your account settings
- Find the section labeled “Privacy”
- Adjust the settings to “Friends only” or “Private.”
This will enable you to manage your personal information more effectively and also prevent any unwanted access to your posts.
4. Watch Out for What You Post In Network
You want to keep your loved ones updated with events in your life and that sounds good. But, be very careful of the information you decided to post. Over sharing information like home address, phone number and credit card details on social networks is a bad idea. Such information will help hackers in fraudulent activities such as identity theft.
If you have something to say, make sure that you do not say something that would be regrettable. There is the net, and once something goes in there, it is difficult to remove it completely. Photos or texts that you do not want the general public, including possible strangers and employers, to see, do not put them out there.
5. Be On The Lookout For Phishing Or Scam Activities
Often, people get scammed via social media because it is a platform that encourages the sharing of too much personal information. They may in fact be friendly messages or especially related to some leak frauds or product marketing. These can be links or requests for information. Such scams are known as phishing.
Phishing is a big issue, here is what you can do:
- Stay away from clicking harmless looking links.
- Exchanging sensitive details with a complete stranger is a big no.
- For every message or a link you have received, check the original site or the person and ask around if such a message is known.
Tip: If an offer or communication seems unrealistic, and incredible, it is most likely false.
6. Watch Out for Impostor Accounts
In social networking, there are extremely high chances of encountering fake accounts. Such accounts can assume the role of a friend, a star or even a firm. These kinds of profiles might be convincing enough to solicit private information or click on unsafe links. It is always advisable to investigating a person’s profile first before accepting any friend requests or even deciding to follow the person. Look out for verified badges (like the blue check mark) on contacts that are celebrities and normally avid social media users.
How to Detect Phony Profiles
- Their friends or followers count is not high.
- The content in their posts is mostly advertising and of no relevance.
- The tone in the communications address is overly marketing.
7. Resist the Vices of Third-Party Applications
Most social networks encourage other applications not limited to games, quizzes, among other applications to run on their accounts,treating it as their own. Nonetheless, most of these applications are capable of extracting and gathering different personal information even when the purpose is different. To avoid this:
- Use only applications that do not compromise the safety of your information.
- Check the list of application that are able to access your social media
- If there is an application that you do not use, simply delete it.
How You Can Delete Apps That You Do Not Want To Use
- Navigate to the application settings in that social media site.
- Find the option that contains the words “Applications and Websites” or “Apps in Connection.”
- Dismiss apps that you do not trust or that you do not need anymore.
8. Make Sure You Continue Your Social Media Application Upgrades
The social media management companies issue updates often to correct errors and enhance security. Failure to update the applications could hinder the user’s efforts in getting the latest security enhancement features. Make sure to always review the available updates on the play store for the application or make sure to set the phone in a manner that the applications get updated automatically.
Why Updates Matter: Updates fix vulnerabilities minimizing the chances of unauthorized access to your account.**
9. Avoid Sharing Your Location with Strangers
Almost every social network comes with an option to tag your location in your updates. While it can be thrilling to inform your friends about your arrival at a particular place, it possesses a greater risk of informing everyone else about your location, which can be unsafe at times especially the criminals. Disable location-sharing in your posts when you are away, especially when on a vacation.
How to Disable Sharing of Location
- Open the settings for the application.
- Search for either “Location” or “Location Sharing” function.
- Deactivate it or change the settings to display only to intimate friends.
10. Pay Attention to Your Online Presence
The digital footprint is the amount of data social media usage and engagement leaves on the user. It incorporates any posts made, remarks made, or likes given to something posted. Use restraint before you do anything in the cyberspace that would come back to haunt your reputation in the future. Social media profiling is a common practice among employers and institutions; therefore self-control is critical in all online activities.
Tip: From time to time, check your old posts and remove the ones that you do not wish to remain public any longer.
11. Refrain From Using Unsecured Wireless Networks
Connected devices through public Wi-fi can expose users to risks, such as the attacker scrapping sensitive data. Publicly accessible wifis should also be avoided for access to social network sites that have links to personal identification and those that require sensitive information, such as banks. Data protection can also be enhanced by the use of alphanumeric VPNs.
Why Use a VPN? A VPN blocks hackers by encrypting the users’ internet connection, therefore the user information is safe and cannot be reached by other individuals.
Conclusion
Maintaining safety while engaging on social media should not be complicated. If these measures are adopted, there is no way a user’s accounts, details and even identity will be compromised. Be mindful of the people you are communicating with and the things you are posting. This way, if you take precautions, the advantages of using social networks can be reaped without any safety concerns.
Do not forget – it is up to you to protect yourself on the internet. Continue to watch what you share and who you family with.