In the past, words like “cybersecurity” belonged to the vocabulary of James Bond and supervillains. In the present day, everything has changed. In fact, cybersecurity is something for which we all need to take responsibility.
That’s the clear message coming from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Throughout October, it is promoting cybersecurity awareness. How to prevent hackers from stealing your social media accounts is an excellent way to do your part in the fight.
In this article, you’ll learn some of the basic and effective things you can do that will make a big difference. Time spent reading this article could save you years of grief.
Table of Contents
Activate MFA
MFA, better known as multi-factor authentication, is a security algorithm that requires the user to pass at least two stages of security every time they log in. This often involves sending an OTP (one-time-password) to your mobile device. You then have to type that into your login process.
This is an effective security measure because even though hackers can try and guess your password, they cannot hijack your phone messages at the same time. If you receive an MFA notification and you are not the one who initiated it, then it stands to reason someone is trying to hack your account. You can change your password and keep your account protected.
Use Unique Passwords
Most of the passwords we use are not unique. Instead, they are connected to us in some way, such as birth date or pet’s name. That’s the problem.
Hackers can surf your social media and learn personal details about you that they then can use to try and guess your passwords. You cannot know who’s checking out some of your social media, so this is part of the risk. Unique passwords have no connection to you at all.
The best passwords are randomly generated and involve a variety of characters. Of course, remembering these is impossible, so you should consider using some form of a password manager. This will enable you to remember only one password, which is manageable for most people.
Good Old Anti-Virus
During COVID-19, you wouldn’t dream of going without a face mask. Why not? Because to do that would inevitably lead to getting infected.
The same basic principle applies to using your computer on the internet highway without any “face mask” or “anti-virus.” Basic anti-virus software can make a big difference in preventing you from downloading something harmful to your computer or isolating a harmful file that’s gotten onto your computer.
You Can Prevent Hackers
In this article, you’ve read about how to prevent hackers from stealing your social media accounts. It does not require the NSA or any other elite spy agency. But it does require you to do your part.
Follow the advice in this article and you will save yourself from becoming the next victim of online fraud. Upload to your brain other tech-related articles on our site.
