Facebook Hacking – How to Keep Your Account Safe

There are more than 600,000 Facebook hacks a day – don’t fall victim to one of them! Social media sites are some of the most vulnerable targets for those with ill intentions. Here are some of the top tips from Reclamere, the data security experts, to help keep your Facebook secure. There are several ways hackers can access your information. The keys to protecting your privacy are knowledge and awareness.

Keylogging is the easiest type of hacking. A keylogger is a small program that, once installed on the victim’s computer, records everything the victim types on his computer. These logs are then sent back to the attacker via email for their records. While this is the easiest method, another form of hacking, phishing, is the most popular. Phishing is the attempt of a hacker to acquire sensitive information such as a username or password. Oftentimes, the hacker creates a fake login page and then asks the victim to log in. The information gets stored in a data file and then downloaded later with all of the victims secure information.

How can you avoid being hacked?

One of the best prevention methods is to enable “secure browsing” on your Facebook account. This can be done through the settings option on the user’s main Facebook page.  Additionally, never click on suspicious links. Compare the URL to others and make sure it follows proper formatting. The simplest way to avoid hackers is to change your password. Be creative using a combination of letters and numbers.

When downloading or accessing certain links, make sure they are fully reliable and represent known websites and apps. Try to avoid downloading 3^rd party toolbars! Finally, use a security question. There are many login methods that can help prevent Facebook hackers.

Some other ways you could be hacked?

The list is essentially endless, but there are a two more that Facebook users should be aware of – engineering and cookies. Cookies are small files stored in a computer to track history and data. These should be cleared out at least every few months to avoid tracking. Social engineering is psychological manipulation attackers use to extract personal information. So the most important lesson is to not give into temptation.

What should I take away from this?

Above all, be aware and stay informed. Just because they are your friends, doesn’t mean they haven’t been hacked. Look for red flags. For example, Facebook will never send you an email asking for your login information.

As data security experts, the Reclamere team knows how easily social media accounts can be hacked. Review the tips above and protect your privacy!

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