The Absolute Best Security Practices for Social Media

Is your social media information safe from hackers? Here are the best security practices for social media that you should start doing today.

Hackers accessed over 7.9 billion consumer records in the year 2019.

Hackers force their way into accounts so they can gain personal information. Social security numbers, social media passwords, and bank information are some of the most common things hackers look for.

This information enables hackers to make purchases or forward invasive links to other victims. So, how can you protect yourself from these malicious attempts?

Keep reading to learn about the best security practices for social media!

The Best Security Practices for Social Media

When it comes to protecting your social media account, you can never be careful enough.

Here are some of the best security practices for social media:

1. Be Aware of Risks

Many people fail to take the necessary security measures because they don’t think they’re a target.

If you’re on social media in any capacity, you’re at risk. This is because hackers are often looking for personal information. Also, they may be looking for a list of friends to send malicious links to.

Even if you don’t think your social media account is big enough to be a target, the stakes are high if it gets hacked. If you are trying to build a brand or a business, a hacked account may ruin your reputation.

If the hacker is using your account to send links to other people, your followers may block you if they feel your account isn’t trustworthy. This will cause you to lose credibility, your audience, and clients.

Also, if a hacker learns your Mac IP address, they can not only hack your computer but pinpoint your location as well. This will put you and anyone living in your home in danger.

Being aware of the risks associated with being on the internet is the first step to staying secure online.

2. Use Unique Passwords

Many people use the same password for each social media account.

This is a dangerous habit to get into because if a hacker finds their way into one account, they now have the ability to access all of your accounts. It’s bad enough if a hacker can get into your business account on Instagram, but imagine if they hack your Twitter too!

This can cause you to lose everything that you’ve built online surrounding your business or brand. So, make sure you’re using a different password for each social media account as well as your email and website builder.

For an extra security measure, create passwords that can’t be easily guessed. For example, don’t use your birthday, school name, anniversary, or last name in your password. You can check out these weak passwords stats to understand how bad the real scenario is.

If someone spends a little bit of time looking through your social media accounts, it won’t be hard for them to piece this information together.

For the most secure password, use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. These can be acronyms for a phrase that means something to you, or just random numbers and letters that you keep written down in a safe place. Also, this takes us back to what we said about using different passwords for each account, especially when managing your social media, such as boosting your Instagram views from iDigic.

3. Keep a Close Eye on Your Mailbox

Even if your social media account is secure, you can still be hacked through your email.

In fact, hackers have become very good at making spam emails look like they’re real. The hacker will often learn about what apps or companies that you use for daily operations. Then, they’ll send an email telling you that your account has been suspended or something to cause you to panic.

They’ll ask you to enter your username and password so you can log into the website and remedy the issue. In reality, they’re just getting your login information from you so they can hack your email.

If you use your email to communicate with clients, this can be detrimental to your income and reputation. Also, this takes us back to what we said about using different passwords for each account.

If your email gets hacked, your hacker can potentially get into your bank account, social media accounts, and anything else you’ve used that password for.

How to Spot a Malicious Email

Luckily, there are ways to spot a phishing email when you get one. First, watch out for any spelling or grammatical errors. Successful companies are typically not going to have errors in the email they send you.

Next, take a look at the email address. A fake email address may have the name of the company with a variety of numbers and letters. You may need to click on the email to see the full name, which is why so many people fall for this phishing attempt.

If you notice something suspicious, close the email and go directly to the website. This way you’ll know that your activity is secure, but you can also check to make sure there is no issue. If you’re trying to be extra cautious, make it a habit to access your account from your web browser rather than your email each time.

4. Don’t Share Too Much Personal Information 

Try to be careful about the personal information that you’re sharing on social media.

On platforms like Facebook, there are often viral challenges in which you list your favorite color, first car, first pet, etc. The problem with this is that you’re hand-delivering the answers to your security questions to potential hackers.

For many social media accounts and even bank accounts, you’ll be asked to answer a series of personal questions. This is to verify your identity so hackers can’t access your account with just a password.

If you’re posting your personal information all over your social media, hackers can take note of these facts as they attempt to get into your account.

While many people make a living off of sharing their personal life on blogs, vlogs, or social media accounts, be careful about the specific answers you’re sharing.

If your job is to be open about your life, consider writing down your security questions and answers in a safe place. Before posting, make sure you’re not revealing any of that information in your post!

What Are You Doing to Protect Your Social Media Accounts?

Implementing the best security practices into your social media activity is essential for keeping private information from the wrong hands.

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