Social media hacks and attacks are nothing new, however, it’s more sophisticated these days and anyone can become a target (no matter how big or small your accounts may be). As a business, you definitely want to make sure you are protecting the brand you are building online! Therefore, digital security should become a top priority. So, where do you start? Well, today we are sharing 5 easy ways to improving your social media security!
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Use strong passwords: Never use something simple like “Admin123”. Passwords should include a mixture of numbers, symbols, and capital and lowercase letters. Also, whenever it is possible (and an available option), you should make sure to require two-factor authentication . Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security designed to ensure that you’re the only person who can access your account, even if someone knows your password.
Follow these guidelines to create a strong and secure password:
- Become mindful of what you “click” on: When you are on social media make sure you are paying attention to links before clicking on them. Cyber criminals are using social media platforms like Facebook to distribute malware via phishing campaigns. When you click on them, you are installing malware which then allows hackers to essentially hijack your account. This can also affect the device you are using (PC, tablet or phone). This can also affect your follower/friends list. If a link, ad, story etc seems too good to be true, it may be. Don’t click on it without using caution first (You can always jump onto Google and search for validity first)
Photo credit: http://www.hoax-slayer.net - Manually change your security and privacy settings: When you first sign up for any social media account the platform (i.e. Facebook, Twitter etc) will automatically have you using their default security and privacy settings, which are usually not maximum security settings. Make sure you manually go through the settings and make necessary changes.
- Limit your users: DO NOT give anyone and everyone in your company access to your social media accounts! Limit admin access to only employees who handle social media and therefore must use the platforms. If employees who have access are no longer working for you, make sure you are changing your passwords! (in fact – it’s actually a good idea to change them every 6 months at the very least)
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Think before you share: Always be careful as to what you are posting and when. For example, if you have taken your whole team on a company retreat – you may want to limit what you share in terms of posts, photos, videos etc of this trip until you return. Letting strangers online know that the office is empty can attract thieves. This has happened multiple times with celebrities for example – they post in real-time, which let thieves know they are not home and they are burglarized. There’s no harm in posting something live (like your retreat) just be careful to not let people know that no one is around.
Also – don’t give too much personal information! You may not realize that you are sharing the kind of information you might use for your security questions when you forget your password on a site. Information like where you were born, pet names, family names, etc. could be used by a hacker to try to falsely “recover” your password and log in to your accounts as if they are you.
By implementing these simple strategies, you can help keep your business’s social media profiles safe even as hackers escalate their attempts to break in. Develop a social media security policy and include it in your company’s acceptable use policy for computers – you can find a great example from Cisco, here.
Have you taken the time to review your social media security? Let us know if there is anything you would add to our list of tips!