How to Prevent Getting Hacked on Social Media

It seems like every day someone I follow has their account hacked or a security scare. Seriously, is anyone else noticing an increase of strange DMs or bot comments on their posts? It’s getting out of control.

Your security is of the utmost importance, so you need to make sure you’re keeping your social media accounts safe! Not only can someone hacking into your social media account cause a huge headache and jeopardize all your hard work…but they could also potentially gain access to private information.

To ensure your accounts are secure, implement these 8 tips for social media security!

1. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication: Turning on two-factor authentication is the very minimum security you should have for all of your accounts (whether it’s for social media or anything else). This means that when you sign in, the app or site will require an email or text message to be sent with a unique code or link to verify your identity.
2. Be Skeptical: Refrain from collecting any link on any links that that seems suspicious. This includes links in emails, DMs, or any social post. These may look authentic, but they are often phishing scams to collect your information. Air on the side of caution, and if you’re not 100% sure do NOT click. If the message looks like it came from someone you know, reach out to them to confirm.
3. Use Unique Passwords: Create a strong and unique password for every one of your social media accounts. Refrain from using simple passwords, like your last name followed by “123”. It may sound like a lot of work, but it certainly won’t cause you as much of a headache as trying to get your account back if it has been hacked!
4. Check Third Party Apps: Often times when you download a new app or sign-up for something, you grant third-party access to your social media accounts. Get in the habit of periodically checking your phone settings to see which apps have access to your social media accounts. You can view this in the settings section of your phone.
5. Remove Previous Users: If you’ve ever made someone else an editor on your Facebook account or shared your login details for a social media profile, make sure the permissions are current. Any time someone no longer needs to be logged into your account, remove them as a manager and change your password.
6. Invest in a Password Manager: A password manager is a computer program that allows users to store, generate, and manage passwords for apps and online accounts. This manager assists in generating and retrieving complex passwords. Sites like LastPass and Keeper are great options and typically cost just a few dollars a month.
7. Verify Emails with Instagram: Did you know that Instagram actually has an area that shows you any emails that were sent to you? You can use this to confirm validity of any email you receive. Go to settings, then select “emails from Instagram” and any email that came directly from Instagram in the last 14 days will appear.
8. Block then Bots: Never click on links that bots send you, and do not purchase followers! Messages promoting a boost in followers or guaranteed engagement are always scams. I have heard of accounts being completely banned from advertising or even posting altogether. Please never do this! Simply delete these messages and block the account to avoid any future spam mail.

Consider implementing a few (or all) of these tips today to ensure

Bonus: Check out this post on Instagram and share it to your story to help save someone else from getting hacked!