Staying secure on Facebook


Social media website Facebook has changed the way we communicate online. With more than half the Australian population using Facebook each day, it’s a case of ‘if you can’t beat 'em, it might be time to join ‘em’. So what do you need to know to say safe while enjoying the benefits of this social media community?

The success of Facebook has also made it a popular target for cyber crime. Personal details and information, your employment record, your geographic location and possibly even your bank details can be harvested. So it pays to keep that information secure. Here are the best ways to secure your Facebook account and keep the cybercriminals at bay.

Use a strong password

This is obvious, but all too often ignored. Make if different from all your other ones. You can read this article for best password practices, or find out how to use LastPass – a secure online password manager.

Think before you click

Be mindful of suspicious links, including those in your newsfeed, messenger window or other links or advertisements, even if they come from your friends or other pages that you follow. It only takes one bad tag within a post for the wrong people to infiltrate your computer. You should also be wary of downloading files of which you’re unsure, such as .exe or .rar files.

Only ‘friend’ people who you know

It may seem obvious, but if you’re receiving a friend request from a stranger, it’s probably best to keep them a stranger. Spammers often create fake accounts to lure in unsuspecting Facebook users, to try to gain access to personal account details. This not only endangers your own information, but also that of your friends.

Keep your login info to yourself

Never give your login details to anyone – including your friends and family and ignore all those ‘amazing’ offers via Facebook if you share your login details.

If you are using a public computer, or even your friend’s laptop or smartphone, always be careful to log out of Facebook so that your login details are deleted.

Update your browser

The newest versions of the web browser you use will have the latest security measures and built-in protection from all the most recent viruses and hacks. Some will even have the ability to warn you of any sites that may not be what they initially appear. Keeping your browser up to date will provide you with the most up-to-date protection.

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This article was supplied by Australia’s leading retirement website YourLifeChoices www.yourlifechoices.com.au.