Tips to protect social media accounts

Tips to protect your social media accounts

1. Use strong passwords.
Sounds basic but so many people ignore of forget the basics for passwords.
Don’t use obvious combinations such as birthdays, initials, pet names or other information which is available elsewhere.
Mix it up – use a combination alpha and numeric characters but don’t stop there, include special characters such as !£$&@~# and use them throughout the password.
Make it longer – the longer the better. Strong passwords are those that are random and difficult to predict. Use pieces of text or even song lyrics using a mixture of lower case and caps or the initials of each word
Keep them separate – use separate passwords for key accounts such as bank and credit card and keep them in a safe place

2. Check your privacy settings.
Take a look at each of your social media account and clean up the security settings. Limit access to your information and photos to those you know only. Eliminate Apps that you no longer use and block permissions where possible. Each permission has its own set of requirements and suggested use cases

3. Opt for two-factor authentication.
Two-factor authentication, or two-step authentication ( 2FA) as it is known adds an extra layer to your log-in procedure.  Most sites have this now including Apple,Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. 

Two-factor authentication requires not only a password and username but also something that only the user has on them, i.e. a piece of information only they should know or have immediately to hand - such as a code that the system will send to a landline phone or cellphone, via SMS or call
By choosing the two-factor or two-step authentication you can protect user logins from remote attacks that may exploit stolen credentials.
4. Avoid clicking on unknown sites
Clicking on seemingly attractive articles or sites can lead to a bogus site where malware is instantly downloaded to your computer. Do not do not click links from unknown sources. Frequently, an innocuous-looking link can, when clicked, hack personal information including usernames and passwords. Always exercise caution when clicking on shortened links.

5. Sign Out after use
Lastly and most important of all never forget to log out from your social media account or any account which contains sensitive information. Clear your cache regularly

For more information or for help with your IT Support please contact Cloudscape IT Support London