Keeping social media accounts safe from frauds

The National Cyber Security Centre reminds people that not all networks are safe.

One successful hack of a social media account could cause considerable damage to a business, particularly if the company’s marketing efforts are almost dependent on social networks like Facebook. Criminals are constantly seeking new ways to access social media usernames and passwords. We recently reported on the author Petteri Järvinen’s warnings about scams.

The National Cyber Security Centre, part of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, has drawn up guidelines for protecting social media accounts.

The guidelines highlight the importance of using complex passwords. A password must be long and complex enough to prevent it being guessed or hacked easily. You should use a separate password for each app or website. So: make sure you do not use the same password in the same place twice.

In recent years, users have been urged to start using two factor authentication (2FA), where logging in requires a login app or entering a code sent by text message.

The National Cyber Security Centre says that social networks may alert users about suspicious sign-in attempts. Scammers may also try to phish for usernames using sign-in notifications, meaning you should always check the sender information before taking any further action. The Centre also points out that not all Wi-Fi connections are necessarily secure. That is why it does not recommend logging onto apps and websites when on free public Wi-Fi.

Be careful with sharing

The National Cyber Security Centre urges users to think about whom they share information and posts with when using social media accounts. Users can adjust privacy settings to make the account private and control visibility to other users. They can also adjust their settings to prevent other accounts from sending the messages. The higher the visibility of an account, the greater the opportunity for frauds and criminals to use visible information to fabricate frauds and social manipulation.

The Centre encourages people to limit visibility of personal information such as phone numbers and email addresses. If contact information is visible, it could lead to more scams, phishing attempts and spam messages. Social media account settings can be adjusted to allow only approved friends or followers to see posts. It is important to note that posts or images of other people may not be posted without their permission.

Turning off geolocation is recommended. In addition, social media users should ensure that photos and updates do not inadvertently reveal locations. Personal details should be hidden or made visible only to friends. If a user has social media accounts which they no longer use, they should delete them permanently.

Are you a Suomen Yrittäjät member yet? Read about member benefits and advantages