Social media is the best place to discover the latest trends online and share notable moments from our lives (like the impressive open-faced sandwich you had for lunch). Unfortunately, like anywhere online, it’s also vulnerable to cyber attacks.
With how much time we spend on social media, it’s only natural that we’ve formed habits when it comes to posting, sharing and staying secure. But did you know that certain online habits can be harmful to your cyber security? Here are some habits that might be compromising your cyber security and the tips to make them more cyber safe.
Habit: only relying on a password to secure your account
What you should do instead: enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
If you’re only relying on a password to protect your account, consider enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security. MFA requires another form of verification in addition to your password or passphrase to secure your accounts. MFA can be a pin sent to your phone, facial recognition or a fingerprint used to verify the user trying to access the account is the owner. MFA is a highly effective tool when it comes to protecting you from unauthorized account attacks. In a recent study, Microsoft discovered that MFA blocked out 99% of hacking attempts.
Habit: Sharing personal information on social media like your pet’s name or your phone number
What you should do instead: Avoid the use of personal information in your passwords and make your accounts private
You might not think twice about sharing pictures of your prized teacup yorkie, Eddy – or adding your phone number to your profile to connect with friends. Unfortunately, putting personal information online can be a major security risk, especially when it comes to passwords and security questions. Common account security questions like asking for the name of a family pet or an old home address can leave your account vulnerable if you’ve shared the answers in content online. Make sure you never use personal or sensitive information like your pet’s name, address or family names in your passwords. You should also consider using information that you wouldn’t expect to share online when creating security questions to recover your account.
For extra security, make your social media accounts private so you can approve who can see your content. This will also make it more challenging for people you don’t know to send you unsolicited messages.
Habit: Responding to direct messages (DM) from people you don’t know
What you should do instead: Learn how to spot phishing messages
Cyber criminals don’t only send phishing messages by emails or texts. They also send suspicious messages, links and other scams to your direct messages on social media. It may be tempting to respond to these messages, especially if it seems like they’re coming from someone that you know. Unfortunately, responding to a phishing message can lead to identity theft, financial loss or unintentionally downloading malware.
Learn how to spot phishing messages by recognizing the signs, including typos, urgent or threatening language, and offers that are too good to be true. If you receive a suspicious message from someone you may know, consider messaging them on a different platform to verify their identity. Avoid sending personal or sensitive information online and refrain from clicking on any links or downloading files before verifying with the sender. Make your friends or followers list private when the option is available to help prevent your connections from receiving phishing messages impersonating you.
Conclusion
Adopting strong passwords, enabling MFA and knowing how to spot phishing messages can reduce your risk of identity theft or being a victim of cyber crime. By understanding how our social media habits may be putting our cyber security at risk and by implementing simple changes, you can get cyber safe.