5 Essential Tips for Securing Your Social Media Accounts

Social media has become such a huge part of our everyday lives, it's almost like it's woven into the very fabric of how we interact and connect with others. It's a way for us to keep in touch with friends and family, share our experiences, and stay informed about what's going on in the world. It’s almost like a digital extension of who we are as people. We share our thoughts and experiences with our loved ones, have conversations with them, and exchange information. It's just like how we would in real life, only it's all done online.

It's incredible to think that almost half of the entire world population uses social media in some way. People throughout the world spend an average of 145 minutes every day on social media.

Why do you need to protect your social media accounts?

Everyone is quite active on social media in this Digital Era. However, few people are concerned about their safety. Given how much we like and rely on social media, now is a good time to take a deeper look at your social media settings and habits so that you can get the most out of it while still staying secure online.

Consider this: if someone obtained access to any of your social media accounts, they could change your account name, password, and recovery data to lock you out and assume complete control. They could even appear to be you and send hacked communications to your contacts, and the list goes on and on.

Here is a list of things you should take to protect yourself from hackers and secure your social media accounts.

1. Create Strong and Unique Passwords

Creating a secure password is the first step in securing your social media account. Passwords are the first line of defense in your security, with strong and unique passwords across all your accounts serving as the primary line of defense. With all the accounts we have, juggling dozens of strong and unique passwords might feel daunting. So, the temptation to use and reuse simpler passwords is high.

Hackers appreciate this since a single password can unlock multiple accounts. Instead, use a password manager to generate and securely store such passwords for you.

2. Be wary of phishing scams

We've grown accustomed to warnings about phishing emails, but phishing attacks on social media are common. The same guidelines apply. Don't click on any links sent to you by strangers over instant or direct messages. Also, keep your sensitive details near at hand. Don't give out your email address or any other personal information. Even "quiz" posts and websites can be ruses aimed to steal bits and pieces of personal information that can be used as the foundation of an attack.

3. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Enabling two-factor authentication is one of the most dependable ways to secure your social media accounts (2FA). This is most likely the best and most secure method of logging in and protecting your social media accounts. This function is now available and recommended by many social media platforms to help protect your account. Setting up Two-Factor Authentication with Google Authenticator App, which creates a unique code for each account every time you try to log in, is an alternative to utilizing a phone number.

4. Use only trusted third-party programs

You must first grant a third-party app access to your account before using it to administer any of your social network accounts. Third-party apps can frequently perform various tasks on your behalf, including posting on your behalf. As a result, it is ESSENTIAL that you investigate such apps and only provide access to trusted third-party apps. It is also critical to read and understands what information you are providing such an app access to.

5. Invest in a VPN

A virtual private network (VPN) provides online privacy and anonymity by converting a public internet connection into a private network. VPNs conceal your internet protocol (IP) address, rendering your online activities almost untraceable. Most importantly, VPN services provide more privacy than even a secure Wi-Fi hotspot. Multi-factor authentication and encryption are the most difficult barriers for hackers to overcome.

The Bottom Line

Social networking is a great way to interact with like-minded people and stay in contact with friends and family, but it comes at a cost. What you share with the world may jeopardize your privacy, reputation, and safety if you do not take adequate precautions.

But it's not all unfortunate, simply exercise your best judgment and remain cautious.