How to Stay Safe on Facebook and Other Social Networks

Social media is a great way to stay connected with the world and communicate with your friends and family. But, since there are so many people active on Facebook and other social media websites, it’s become a target for cyber criminals and hackers.

There is a lot of information available on your profile that the wrong person can use against you. Things like stealing your identity and opening up bank accounts to scamming your loved ones out of money by claiming to be you.

You need to take certain measures to protect yourself on social media and not put out too much information that anyone can access. Here are a few safety tips to consider.

Keep Your Account Private

There is no reason to have a public profile on Facebook. Do you really want the entire world to be able to peek into your life on a daily basis? Make sure you set your profile to private. That way only your friends can see what you post.

You also want to go into the settings and make sure that it’s set to not index your content in search engines like Google. There is no need for that. “The less easier you make it to see what you post the better,” says Henk Schipper of Jaloezieen Fabriek. The criminals are going to go after the easy targets, so make it hard for them to see anything about you.

Don’t Accept Friend Requests from People You Don’t Know

One way that the cyber criminals will try to get your information is by sending a friend request from a profile that looks real. They will then have access to see all of your information if you add them as a friend.

The easiest way to prevent this from happening is to only add friends that you know personally. “There is no need to add complete strangers to your Facebook friends list,” suggests the owner of this blog. Many people think social media is a popularity contest so they think the more “friends” you have the better. This way of thinking will just make your profile vulnerable to hackers.

Never Post When You Are on Vacation

One thing that people do that is crazy is post where they are at all times on social media. There is no need. Posting that you are taking a 2 week vacation is like posting a message welcoming criminals to break into your house and steal everything.

If your page is private and it’s just a few close friends and family members that can see it, then that is fine. But the people with public profiles that post this kind of information are just asking for trouble.

Be discreet and private as much as possible. You never know who is watching, looking for the perfect time to strike.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

“Two-factor authentication will require you to confirm your login with another device,” says Chris Dziak of Pure Nootropics. This is typically done via a text message or email. This way, if someone does get your login information they will still be kept out because they don’t have access to your phone or email.

This is a simple safety measure that you can setup within a couple minutes. This is one of the easiest things you can do to secure your Facebook profile.

Now that you’ve read the main tips on staying safe online, you know how to secure your accounts. However, it’s also essential to set personal boundaries in case you receive unwanted attention online. If you are looking for more advice when it comes to securing your information and yourself, check out this article on setting boundaries on social networks.