Social Media Security: How secure are your accounts & those you monitor?
On a regular basis, we hear about people or companies’ social media accounts being hacked. You might know of someone who this has happened to, or you could have been a victim of this invasion of privacy yourself.
Social media security is something that’s becoming more and more prevalent today and for those of us who not only use social media for personal use, but who manage social accounts for business, it’s imperative that we ensure information is protected.
It is critical to implement practices to protect the business and personal accounts you manage. The following are five key tips that may sound simple but go a long way in keeping your social accounts safe and secure.
- Change personal and client passwords frequently
Did you know the 50 most common passwords include: birthdays, names, pet names, profanity, unassuming number combinations, etc.? Most of us don’t change our passwords as frequently as we should, but one regularly used password could allow access to so much information you don’t even realize you provided.
Many of us find changing passwords a hassle as we tend to forget them and it’s easier to keep what we already know. However, make a conscious effort to change your passwords every six months and recommend this to your clients – they will thank you in the long run.
- Never use the same password twice
We all tend to use the same passwords, but it’s important to change them. Create a completely new one or if you find it difficult to remember passwords, try adding a number, capitalize a letter, or symbol to an old password.
- Use a secure password generator
Password generators, such as LastPass and KeePass re great tools to help you create secure passwords.
- Never click on links that don’t look familiar to you
If you are unsure about a link or if it looks odd to you, DO NOT OPEN IT. Some links may contain a virus or may enable a hacker to get access to your account(s). It’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Stay informed
Read the news, stay up-to-date on anything related to social media and potential security breaches. The largest social media platforms have security blogs to help battle and prevent cyberattacks and can be great resources to reference. Being aware and up-to-date on what’s happening in the social media world can help you advise your clients on best practices.
Social media platforms use security protection practices and companies do their best to protect the information you provide. Security shouldn’t be a deterrent for you to use social media – simply make a conscious effort to be aware of what’s out there, stay up-to-date on the news, and change your passwords – frequently. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make all the difference.
