Hey there! Are you scrolling through X? Maybe you’re on Facebook or sharing cute cat memes on Instagram? Or perhaps you’ve got a killer 1000+ streak going with your friend on Snapchat.
No matter what, you’re using social media, and since you’re here, I bet you want to keep your accounts safe, right? Let’s be real—social media is a fun escape from our daily grind.
But sometimes, whether we mean to or not, we end up storing sensitive info on our accounts that we need to keep secure. If you’re feeling a bit anxious about the safety of your social media profiles, hang tight!
This blog post provides some elemental methods to follow that will keep you safe during your scroll journey.
Let’s begin!
Key Takeaways
Understanding the impact of strong passwords
Decoding the avoidance of public Wi-Fi systems
Discovering the approaches of two-factor authentication
Looking how to avoid interaction with strangers
Become cautious while clicking on something.
Set Strong Passwords
It’s one of the evergreen tips in ensuring that your social media account doesn’t get hacked. However, I’ve met people who don’t take it seriously and set some of the most common and easily guessable passwords, like their birthday, pet name, or phone numbers.
Having said that, I believe a strong and impenetrable password meets certain criteria.
For example, it should have at least 12 characters (a mix of upper and lower case letters) and special characters. Most importantly, it should be unique and no one should be able to guess it.
Also, keep in mind that setting a strong password is just the first line of defense. Hackers may even hack a social media account with a strong password, but it would be difficult to crack it, as compared to a weaker one.
Intriguing Insights An average of 1.4 billion social media accounts are hacked per month, according to StationX.
Avoid Using Public WiFi
Public WiFi that we can easily find in parks, restaurants, airports, and even at local eateries is one of the biggest threats to the safety of our social media accounts.
The majority of these are open networks, which means they can be accessed by anyone, including bad actors. And, as an average internet user, you may never know which public WiFi is infected with viruses or malware. So, it’s better not to connect to public WiFi to keep your social media account safe.
Having said that, I rely on millions of free hotspot zones that come with all Spectrum Internet Plans. They’re high-speed, reliable, and importantly, secure, and one of the best alternatives to public WiFi.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Consider Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) as an extra protection layer to enhance your social media account’s security. An OTP (one-time password) is sent to your device when you enable 2FA on any social media account, and it is only valid for a short period of time.
You can log in to your account only when you enter that code. One of the major benefits of 2FA is that even if your social media account’s password is accidentally leaked, no one would be able to log in, since they won’t receive the code.
Intriguing Insights
This infographic shows numerous dangers of social media
Be Careful with Strangers
Social media platforms are one of those places where you can befriend people from all over the globe. It’s one reason why such platforms have truly made our Earth “A Global Village”.
That being said, it’s always recommended to be careful when you interact with and befriend strangers. Same as how you might never know if a public WiFi network is compromised or not, it’s the same with strangers. I believe there is no way to tell if they truly want to be your friends or if they are a hacker disguised as a friendly person who is only after your sensitive information.
Additionally, it’s not a great idea to overshare sensitive information like bank details, social security numbers, etc., on social media accounts.
You never know how they intend to use that information.
Don’t Click On Everything
Like hackers, spammers are everywhere on social media platforms. They might tempt you to click on links or redirect you to a malicious website. Keep in mind that clicking on it may reveal sensitive information.
Also, tighten your privacy settings on social media platforms so strangers don’t mention or tag you in malicious posts. It’s best to limit such factors that increase your profile’s exposure on the platform by reviewing the privacy settings on social media platforms.
In short, don’t click on everything you see on the internet, as it might be just another trick from bad actors to steal your data.
Before I wind up, let me share another crucial tip. You might receive a random text from a friend asking for money or to reveal some sensitive piece of information. In both cases, ignore such texts, even if you feel a sense of urgency in the text.
Frequently Asked Questions
This infographic shows numerous dangers of social media
They are: Child, Content, Calm, Crowding Out, and Communication.
What is the 5 5 5 rule on social media?
The 5-5-5 rule for social media is a content strategy that suggests balancing your posts by dedicating 5 posts to your own content, 5 posts to sharing or engaging with others’ content, and 5 replies/engagements with your audience.
What attacks do hackers use on social media?
Hackers use social media to launch various attacks, primarily leveraging social engineering techniques to deceive users and gain access to their accounts or information. Common attack methods include phishing, malware distribution, and account hijacking through password attacks or malicious software.
