Did you know that McDonald’s, the BBC, CNN, or PlayStation were prime targets of hackers last year? That shouldn’t be a surprise when Facebook superstar, Mark Zuckerberg, was also subject to a breach in his security. And that’s Facebook.
Before you panic, you should know that there are active measures you can take to protect yourself and your business’s social media accounts from hackers. Below is a guide on how to tighten your security and fortify your social media accounts from cyberattacks.
Use strong passwords
Don’t just use a strong password, but make it long, too. Experts suggest that using alphanumeric characters is the key, but a lot more people have also argued that it’s much better to use phrases as your passwords. Here are some important guidelines when creating a good password for your social media accounts:
● Use ten characters or more. The lengthier, the better.
● Use different characters including punctuation marks and numbers.
● It shouldn’t be similar to your log-in name, username, or email address.
● Try to avoid common dictionary words.
● Never use personal information such as pet name, birthday, anniversary, and names.
● Never reuse the same passwords. If your password for your Facebook account is 12345, then your Twitter password better be 678910.
Minimize access to the account
The fewer people who have access to the account, the safer it’s going to be. Limit the number of employees who have access to the account. It’ll save you the confusion, too. With fewer employees handling the account, you won’t have to keep wondering who posted what, and if there are mistakes, they’re easier to locate, too. Doing so will secure your account and significantly decrease the chances of getting targeted by hackers.
Prepare yourself and your staff
Human error is something that is unavoidable. Even though you’ve put up all the necessary measures to protect yourself and your business, sometimes it just isn’t enough.
If you’re someone who’s inexperienced in information technology, it’s best that you take up supplemental courses, like those that are offered in Upskilled IT Courses. Online courses like these teach you how you can effectively protect your business from hacks and data breach.
Moreover, it’s also crucial that you train your staff into being extremely cautious about the things that they may come across on the Internet.
Follow these simple steps to increase network security:
● Use a different device for social media and financial activity. Keeping it separate helps avoid compromising your financial security.
● Employ a secured browser when logging in to your social media accounts.
● Hide your router’s SSID to prevent malicious hackers from intercepting your data.
● Keep an eye out on shortened links and e-mail attachments. Just one wrong click will be enough to destroy your entire security protocol.
Secure your business computers
Whether you’re a big or a small company, it doesn’t matter. You still have to secure all of your accounts. There are two ways you can go about it:
- Install an antivirus software – Hackers will lure you into traps by having you click links or open suspicious e-mails. If your computers aren’t equipped with reliable and up-to-date antivirus software, then you’re prone to these attacks.
- Limit site access – By blocking certain websites, not only are you securing your privacy, but you’re increasing employee productivity, too. Employees are known to browse the web during office hours, and while their intentions are harmless, sometimes the websites are not.
Alternatively, you can also explore some express VPN review Australia when you want to mask your geo-location for security purposes.
Employ two-factor authentication
You might think that this is too much work, that surely nobody is after your account like this, right? Wrong. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
A two-factor authentication process amps up the security because it requires the user to login to the account first and then show evidence that they’re the owner of the account. The evidence is sent either through a text message or an email. This is a vital step and advisable for every business owners to follow.
Conclusion
Making sure your accounts are safe from the threat of hackers should be your number one concern. Follow these active measures and breathe better knowing your accounts are safe and protected.
Yes, I always use LastPass, NordVPN and two factor authenticator. I like to think that I’m as safe as I can be. Nothing bad has happened so far so I think it might be working.