If your Facebook account is hacked, your life might turn into a nightmare. Fortunately, it’s not that easy to hack Facebook. In this article, you’ll find useful advice on how to enhance your password security with simple and accessible measures.
If your Facebook account is hacked, your life might turn into a nightmare. Strangers will get hold of your private content. They will be able to post offensive or misleading information on your behalf. While the people from your closest circle will guest that something went wrong, you might lose some business contacts who won’t tolerate such type of behavior. Unpleasant consequences might be diverse and numerous — but fortunately, it’s not that easy to hack your Facebook account. In this article, you’ll find a few useful tips on how to enhance your protection against violators.
Invent a long and complicated password
It should contain a minimum of 12 characters, including numbers, small and capital letters. The password should not be linked to your personal data such as your pet’s birthday, the name of your favorite song, etc. Ideally, it should be a random combination that has no meaning. You shouldn’t use the same password for any other app or system.
Consider installing an app that will generate long complicated passwords for you and store them safely. You can use it not only for your socknet passwords but also for other platforms and services. 1Password can serve as a good example of such software. Thousands of users from all over the world entrust their passwords to it and enjoy top-notch security.
Install dual-factor authentication
In Facebook settings, this option is called Login Approvals. When you try to introduce your password to Facebook, the system will send you an OTP (one-time password). You’ll receive it on your email or smartphone. Unless you introduce it immediately after your regular password, the system won’t let you in. It’s impossible to guess or to brute-force the OTP because it is generated each time from scratch, and the number of attempts to introduce it will be limited.
Enable login alerts
This feature won’t stop hackers from using your account, but at least you’ll receive a timely notification and will be able to take measures. After you enable this option in your Facebook settings, you will receive notifications each time someone enters your account from a new device or browser. You may choose whether you want to get these notifications on your smartphone or email.
Add only trusted friends
When you add random people, some of them might have nefarious intentions. If you don’t want to become a victim of a blackmailer or an extortionist, you should go to your Facebook settings and allow the system to recommend only those people to you with whom you have at least 3 friends in common.
Check the settings of your apps
You might be surprised to get to know how many apps on your computer or smartphone have access to your Facebook account. They don’t post anything there, and you shouldn’t be frantically afraid of them spying on you — but once they are hacked, hackers might reach your Facebook as well. Not so popular apps by lesser-known developers pose greater risks than technologically advanced and widespread ones.
Go to the inventory of your apps and check them manually one by one. When you see that an app is linked to your Facebook but you don’t quite understand why, disable this link. The process of checking might take some time, but your security is worth it.
Never download suspicious apps or click suspicious links
If you download a random app from an unknown source, it might automatically link itself to your Facebook account, which will lead to unpredictable consequences.
When you receive a link in an email or messenger, don’t hurry to click on it unless it was sent by a close friend or a colleague. This might be a phishing attack arranged with the aim of stealing your private data, including your logins and passwords.
Keep vigilant when signing up for new platforms
Many projects allow newcomers to skip the traditional process of filling in the registration form. You can link your Facebook account to these platforms and use it instead of a typical “login + password” combination.
However, you need to make sure that you don’t give this platform too many rights in relation to your Facebook account. Normally, a platform will show you a notification promising not to post anything on your account. If it doesn’t, please disable this feature manually in your Facebook settings.
Install security software
Earlier, we mentioned the software that was specifically designed for generating and storing passwords — but it’s not the only possible option. Some programs offer passwords storage as their additional feature and other numerous valuable functions as well.
One of such programs is MacKeeper: it contains an antivirus, empties space on the hard disk, includes an ad blocker and a VPN, etc. It’s a versatile program that will considerably enhance the security of your device and will help to protect your privacy online.
The best thing about such programs is that they detect threats and hackers long before they attack you and prevent them from doing so. Once a threat is detected, you’ll immediately receive a notification. Please keep your antivirus always enabled and scan your device regularly.
Protect your gadgets with a password
And never leave them unattended. This might sound like obvious and excessive advice, but in fact, many users neglect the basic principles of security. If your laptop, tablet, or smartphone is stolen, you should be able to deactivate it from a distance so that it turns into a useless piece of hardware. And of course, it should be protected by a complicated password so that the thief won’t access your apps and files before you disable the gadget.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article came in handy and now you know what to do to prevent your Facebook account from being hacked. You don’t need to be a geek to follow these pieces of advice, and it won’t take you too much effort. Your reputation will remain impeccable, and you’ll feel more confident when browsing the web.
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