At least 9 in 10 individuals use social media regularly, both personally and professionally. However, your privacy should be a primary concern since hackers may exploit your private information to harass and abuse you, as well as transmit ransomware.
This article examines practical measures you may take to safeguard your privacy on social media.
Access with two-step verification
Secure your social media accounts with two-factor authentication. Use a lengthy, unique password that includes both upper and lowercase characters, punctuation, and digits. Install a password manager on your smartphone to keep track of the complicated passwords associated with your social media accounts. The next step requires you to enter a code given to your phone to gain access to the account.
Control posts reach
Avoid posting personal information on social media posts since one of your “friends” may use it to steal your identity or hurt you. Many social networking platforms now allow you to select which of your contacts may view your posts.
Enable private browsing
Ascertain that you are using a browser that supports private browsing. It deletes transient internet data such as location and cookie information, among others.
Avoid cyberbullies
If you are a victim of cyberbullying, avoid engaging the perpetrators but keep track of the assaults. This may come in handy if you need to contact the police or a social networking site.
Attempt to avoid using public Wi-Fi
Numerous public Wi-Fi networks are insecure. It is advisable to delay accessing your social media accounts until you have access to a secure system at home or at work. When using a public device, ensure that you log out of your account.
Protect your devices
Hackers may mislead you into installing malware in a variety of ways, one of which is via social media. Maintain an up-to-date antivirus program running at all times when on social media or browsing the web. A decent antivirus will include social media-specific capabilities for detecting and resolving social media threats.
Keep an eye out for scams
Social network fraudsters use applications to trick you into revealing personal information such as your phone number, email address, and so on. Some of them install viruses on your device, jeopardizing your privacy.
Acquaint yourself with the network’s privacy settings
Each social media network has its own set of privacy settings that detail how you should safeguard your privacy. Educate yourself on how to defend yourself on each network.
To summarize, social media enables you to stay connected with friends and coworkers while also meeting new people. With the measures listed above, you will be protected against fraudsters that target personal information.