4 Ways to Secure your Facebook Account Today
Facebook has revolutionized our ability to stay in touch with family and friends, but it has also granted scammers, hackers, and marketing teams unparalleled access to our photos, likes, and intimate conversations. Here are 4 ways to secure your Facebook account to take control of the information on your profile.
- Let’s be real, does anybody actually take the time to read an application’s Security and Privacy Contract?
If not, then you have DEFINITELY enabled several apps to tap into your Facebook data without even realizing it. We are talking access to your contact info, emotionally charged status updates, and photos that you would not want getting into the wrong hands. Fear not, here’s how to audit the apps creeping on your data and take control of your privacy.
On your computer desktop, login to your Facebook account.
- > Locate the 4 buttons on the top right corner of your Home Page [insert pic] and left-click the drop down arrow at the top right of your screen
- > Select “Settings and Privacy” > Select “Settings”
- > Scroll down the left column to find the “Apps and Websites” and click
You can now check the box for apps you no longer want to receive information from your Facebook Account! Check out the “View Details” to see what information the application has access to and modify it’s access. You can also completely remove an applications access to your Facebook data by selecting the box next to the app and clicking the “Remove” button at the top of the column. Let us know below if you found any surprising applications tapping into your data.
2. We all hope our passwords are top-secret, totally undecipherable, and secure, but when 14% of the population uses theirs or a loved ones name as part of the password, it makes more sense why so many people are suspect to easy cyber hacks.
A healthy practice is to change your password every 6 months for complete security. Here are some tips when making a new, secure password.
- Keep it random, but memorable: Pick a song or movie title that comes readily to your mind and just abbreviate the letters of the lyrics!
For example: For the song “Fade” by Mexico City Blondes, the chorus goes “Fade left, fade right. Fade out completely”, we can abbreviate that into “fLfRfOC” with a few capitalizations thrown in for good measure. Avoid using full words or sentances.
- To avoid using the same password for all your login needs, consider using a free password manager, like LastPass or Chrome Passwords, so you can generate an absolute garbage combination of letters, numbers, and symbols and forget about it, every time! The password manager will save the password with your login to that website. All you have to do is remember the Master Password, which you can get tattooed to the inside of your brain, just in case.
- Here’s how to change your Facebook Password to start:
> Click the down arrow at the top right corner of Facebook.
> Select “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings”.
> Click “Security and Login”.
> Click “Edit” next to Change password.
> Enter your current password and new password.
> Click “Save Changes”.
3. We want to post the pictures of that fabulous bachelor party in Vegas, but Grandma doesn’t know we like to slap wine bags and drink straight out of the nozzle… right?
Create a list to group your friends on Facebook so you can avoid awkward conversations with your family, work associates and acquaintances about your weekend rituals. Here’s how:
> From your Facebook Home Page, click “See More” and select “Friend Lists”.
> Click the button in the center of the page that reads “+ Create List”.
> Name your list (ie Work, Family, “Creeps”) and add your friends.
From here on out, whenever you post a picture or status update, you can select which friend list you want to share your information with!
4. Facebook Ads can give us the herby-jeebies when those pair of Teva’s you looked into yesterday all of a sudden show up on your feed.
Facebook tracks your every move online to present you with targeted ads that aim to personalize your experience. Remove these ads by disabling “Ads based on my websites and apps”:
> Head back to your “Settings” (see #1 on our list)
> Scroll down (even further down) the left column and left-click “Ads”.
Here you can see what websites are using your information for marketing purposes and tracking your off-facebook website use. Go ahead and change the settings for “Your Information” and “Ad Settings” to disallow Facebook from providing other websites with your information to build you personalized ads.
There you have it! These simple steps can help protect your data on Facebook from targeted ads, unwanted hackers, and the long-distant cousin who likes to repost your weekend adventures. Ciao!
