Do you know how to prevent getting hacked on Facebook? Do you know what steps to take if you do? Most of us use Facebook. It has been the most popular social media site on the Internet since it was first introduced back in 2004. The platform has millions of users across the globe. Many people utilize Facebook on a daily basis for entertainment, socializing, and shopping. However, the site tends to be vulnerable to hackers. That’s not surprising because computer hackers don’t need to break into Facebook directly. They can wreak havoc by gaining access to individual user accounts.
The good news is that there are things you can do to prevent getting hacked on Facebook (or any social media account for that matter). For example, you can create a super strong password. (and change it monthly) In fact, it’s one of the best forms of online security. The more difficult you make it for the hacker’s software to break the code, the better off you’ll be. The bottom line is that you need to insert characters into the mix that are unreadable by the hacker’s software programs. Characters such as @, $, ? and # are all good choices. In addition, longer passwords are better than shorter ones. A password that is 12 characters or more is best.
The next thing you should do in order to prevent getting hacked on Facebook is avoid clicking on links that friends send you unless you are 100% sure that the link is from a trusted source. Often times your friends get hacked and the hackers are sending you phishing links or links that contain viruses, malware, spyware or even give the hacker DIRECT access into your account or friends list. So, the next time that you receive a link for a game or news article from aunt Betty, think twice about opening it. Those fun games and posts that you see on Facebook, that will post a cute photo on your wall if you answer questions about the month and year you were born, those sites are not just playing games to show you a cute photo or what your spirit animal is, they are fishing for information, if they can gather enough info about you; your favorite color, your name, your birth month, year etc… then it’s much easier for them to hack into your password. Definitely do not provide any information such as your favorite color or number. It could very well be a hacker who’s attempting to gather enough information to discover your password and hack your account. Which is why it’s always best to use RANDOM characters for your password, not ones that contain personal information! Simply DO NOT post personal information on Facebook, no matter how much you really want to see what your spirit animal is! Here is a link to my FAVORITE random password generator.
Last but certainly not least, do not accept friend requests from people that you’re already friends with on Facebook. Hackers also gain access through links that you click from someone that you think you can trust. Keep in mind that it’s fairly easy for a professional hacker to impersonate your friends on Facebook. It’s a giant red flag because the vast majority of Facebook members use the same account for years on end. They may impersonate a friend by creating a FAKE profile that matches your friend to the T! But beware, if you are receiving a friend request and you are already their friend …investigate, see how long ago the profile was created it was a day ago and they have barely any posts, chances are they are a FAKE account. Report the account as spam …delete the request and tell your friend right away. In essence, they may have already hacked your friend and are now trying to hack you by sending what appears to be an innocent link. It’s basically a never-ending cycle. It’s easy to fall for, which is why scammers do this. When the hackers send a friend request, as soon as you click on the link, they’re already hacking your account and by then it’s too late.
If you have already been hacked into, recover your login password and change it to something secure right away! Infact please make sure to change your password monthly! Tell all of your friends NOT to click anything and that you have been hacked into. Hopefully it’s not too late and the hacker hasn’t done too much damage but understand that a hacker can change your email address on your account if they have access in and make it so that you cannot regain access. So please make sure to use these precautions and prevent them from getting in at all.
If you need help with your Facebook account, please contact us today. We look forward to helping you. Your Page Today LLC specializes in custom website design, custom website development, search engine optimization, monthly or weekly blog writing services, content management solutions and ongoing maintenance and support such as website security and data backups. Our company began its journey as an owner operated web Development Company in 2001.
Back when websites were just that, web pages. With well over 20 years of hands-on experience in the world of website design and development, we have the expertise to not only get your website up and running but get it visible to those ideal prospects who ARE your target audience.
