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Make your social media presence secure with these tips

BY READERS DIGEST

19th May 2021 Technology

Make your social media presence secure with these tips

Social media has probably become a necessity of our life cycle. It is the first thing in the morning we access and probably the last thing we check before going to our bed.

With such an indispensable role in our daily lives, social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also provide the perfect platform for identity thefts and data breaches.

While many social media users voluntarily use popular online security and privacy stools such as Virtual Private Network to protect their privacy and data, there are few other techniques that every social media user can implement to secure their social media presence further.

If you are new to the concept of a VPN, you can learn more about them in detail and find out the best VPNs for your social media applications at VPNRanks.

With over 3.96 billion social media users today, it is the responsibility of social media platforms and the users to join hands and work together to secure online privacy and personal information.

Make your social media presence secure with these helpful tips.

Strong Password

Setting up a solid or complex password is probably the most basic and widely advised strategy from security experts. If you are not using a strong password, your social media account security is compromised at the first step.

Always make sure to use complex and unique passwords for all of your social media accounts. In case a particular account gets hacked, then it won’t compromise your other account’s security.

A strong password includes numbers, lower case letters, upper case letters, special characters, and words. It is also suggested by security experts to change your password once every month, and if you are unable to keep track of multiple complex passwords, you can use a password manager.

Two-Factor authentication

This feature easily serves as an additional security layer on your social media account. When you enable this feature on your social media account, the platform will register a device with your particular account.

When you try to enter into your account, the social media platform will send a code or verification request on the device you registered with the account for the first time.

Only upon completing the verification process from that registered device, you’d be able to access your social media account. This is a vital security measure that will secure your account from any unauthorized log-in and indicate to you about any hacker’s login attempt.

Anti Virus

You must install antivirus software on your device and keep it updated with the latest security updates and patches.

Using the internet on your computer or phone without installing genuine antivirus software is highly unrecommended by different security experts.

While there are many premium and free antivirus software services, always ensure that you secure your device, online account, and privacy with the best in the business. These antiviruses are updated to fight against the latest cyber threats and keep your device and account secure.

Fake accounts and friends requests

Almost all of the social networking websites are filled with millions of fake accounts and fake requests. You mustn’t accept any friend request from an individual you don’t know.

There’s always a probability that these fake accounts can belong to hackers, third-party organizations, and other entities that hold ill intent towards you.

Suppose you find that someone is harassing you with multiple friend requests or accounts. In that case, it is better to report them to the social media authorities and block them immediately.

Checking your mailbox

Adopt the habit of checking your email mailbox whenever you get the opportunity to.

Many users ignore emails from social media platforms thinking they are notifications for their social media account activity. Sometimes, it could be an unauthorized login attempt notification as well.

If you were to receive such an email, it is best to change your social media account password immediately.

Even if you don’t receive unauthorized access email, it is still better to create a habit to check your mailbox from time to time to not miss out on any important notifications.

Virtual Private Network

A virtual private network is probably the most popular and commonly used security tool for securing your complete online presence.

It uses military-grade encryption to encrypt your online data so no one can read it, even if it does get intercepted by any hacker or third-party entity. It creates a secure encryption tunnel between your device and destination so that your data can follow through it without any fear of any cybersecurity threat.

Almost all of the major VPN providers offer official applications for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. It means you can download and install these applications and secure your social media presence on all of them together.

Activating a VPN before logging on to your social media account is the best way to ensure 100% anonymity, security, and online data protection.

If you are new to the concept of a VPN and require some assistance in getting to know them better, then we recommend reading the best VPN and what they offer for comprehensive knowledge about VPNs.

We are hopeful that our tips would be sufficient for protecting your social media presence. While there’s no denying that a VPN is the most popular tool for online privacy, you can also find some alternatives against your social media privacy at online tools for your complete privacy.

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