Staying Safe Online: Securing Your Facebook Account
As part of our ongoing Staying Safe Online series, we want to provide a clear guide for those looking to make their online presence a little more secure. As people continue to share more information about their lives online, these pieces of information can be exactly what a hacker or scammer is looking for. From providing helpful clues during Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) gathering expedition, or giving a list of your friends and family right to a scammer, insecure Facebook profiles can be a treasure trove of information.
Our friends over at Studio Sec put together a quick walkthrough on how to improve your Facebook profile security right from your mobile device.
Securing Your Facebook Account from Your Desktop/Laptop
1. Login into your Facebook account
2. Select your profile picture from the top right corner and select the Settings &Privacy option from the drop-down list.
3. From the Settings & Privacy menu, select the Privacy Checkup
4. Within the Checkup you can run through a quick customization of who is able to see the information you’ve provided to Facebook, as well as who can see the things you post.
The Audience options for your profile information and posts include the following (listed from least limited to most):
Public - Anyone logged in or out of Facebook.
Friends - Only people that are your added friends on Facebook.
Friends except…. - Only people that are your added friends on Facebook except for those you specifically choose not to view your posts/information.
Specific friends - Only people that are your added friends on Facebook that you have specifically chosen can view your posts/information.
Only me - Only you will be able to see the information/posts.
Custom - A customizable list of friends and groups that can either be included or excluded in seeing your post or shared information.
Securing Your Facebook Account from a Mobile Device
Launch the Facebook app on your mobile device and select the Menu option from the bottom navigation bar
2. From the Menu select the Settings gear icon
4. Scroll through the settings menu until you find the Security area and select the Security and Login option.
5. Within the Security and Login area you can find various security options including the following:
Recommended - A quick security checkup guide to ensure your current Facebook security options are secure.
Where you’re logged in - A list of all devices currently logged into your Facebook account and their approximate physical location. This can help you identify if there is any current unauthorized access to your account, and log them out.
Login - The option to change your password to something that is strong and not easily guessable (it is recommended that you use a password manager to ensure that you don’t reuse the same password across multiple websites and accounts)
Two-Factor Authentication - The ability to setup a secondary form of login approval that will be requested if an unrecognized device or browser tries to access your account.
Setting Up Extra Security - The ability to configure text or email notifications if an unknown device or browser logs into your account.
Now What?
After walking through the steps to secure your Facebook account, it is still important that you remain aware of what you’re posting and who you are connected with. Malicious actors such as scammers and hackers will often create fake profiles and try to connect with you in order to learn as much as they can about you and your friends. By following the guide above as well as being more aware of what information you put online, you can stay safe online and limit your chances of falling victim or an online attacker.
If you have other social media accounts, make sure to check out our other Staying Safe Online guides as we walk through how to secure your accounts on sites like Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, Pinterest, and more!