Help! My Facebook Account Got Hacked!
This is a common refrain on the comments of the Facebook Security page. Most of the time, Facebook users are careless with their account. They choose poor passwords, forget to logout when using someone else’s computer, are fooled by something their Friends post, use malicious Facebook Apps, and friend the wrong people. Had they taken a few basic steps, they might not have to suffer the pain of knowing someone else had access to their account and cleaning up the mess.
How do I avoid getting my Facebook Account Hacked?
Well, there are several things you can do. All of them are pretty easy. Start with the following tips:
- Only Friend people you know.
- Create a good password and use it only for Facebook.
- Don’t share your password with anyone, including potential employers.
- Change your password on a regular basis.
- Share your personal information only with people and companies that need it.
- Log into Facebook only ONCE each session. If it looks like Facebook is asking you to log in a second time, skip the links and directly type http://www.facebook.com into your browser address bar.
- Log out of Facebook after using someone else’s computer or mobile device.
- Use Secure Browsing whenever possible.
- Keep your anti-virus software updated.
- Keep your web browser and other Internet-based applications up to date.
- Don’t paste script (code) in your browser address bar.
- Use browser add-ons like Web of Trust and Firefox’s NoScript to keep your account from being hijacked.
- Beware of “goofy” posts from anyone—even Friends. If it looks like something your Friend wouldn’t post, don’t click on it.
- Scammers might hack your Friends’ accounts and send links from their accounts. Beware of enticing links coming from your Friends.
A Guide to Facebook Security
Linda McCarthy, Denise Weldon-Siviy, and I wrote “A Guide to Facebook Security”. This fourteen page booklet describes the risks associated with Facebook, protecting your Facebook account, and using some of the advanced security features provided by Facebook. And, best of all, it’s Free! It’s also, thanks to Facebook, available in multiple languages.
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