10 Tips to Keep Your Privacy on Social Media

Strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and good cyber hygiene will keep your personal information safe when browsing popular social media accounts. 

Social media plays a vital role in our daily life. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the most common social channels used to connect with our loved ones. Today, over 2.77 billion social media users make these sites an ideal platform for identity theft. With a huge user base of personal information, the responsibility for the security of personal information lies with social media.

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Last year, news spread about the most used social networking website Facebook, which stored "hundreds of millions" of account passwords and left them unencrypted. All passwords were in plain text and viewable by thousands of employees. If companies like Facebook have these problems, how can we rely on other platforms? 

Every year, millions of people fall victim to data breaches and identity theft. If you become a victim, it can cost you the loss of personal data along with a lot of stress. This happens when you let your guard down and become dependent on the platform's built-in security services. Online safety is the most onerous task, but there are several ways to help you stay safe on social media. 

Here are ten ways to keep your personal information safe without giving up on social media use: 

1. Use a Strong Password and Use a Password Manager:

People use multiple social accounts for different purposes. However, if your password is weak, the security of your account will be compromised. In addition, if you use the same password for different accounts, all your accounts can be hacked by hackers. 

Make sure you use a unique and strong password for each social account. Your password must contain numbers, words, upper and lower case letters, and special characters. The more secure the password you use, the more difficult it is for a cracker to crack it. Change your password at least once a month. Try to keep different passwords for different social media accounts. If you have trouble managing your passwords, you can use password managers. 

2. Add Two-Factor Authentication For Each Social Account:

If you use two-factor authentication on your social accounts, it will add an extra layer of security to them. When someone logs into your account from a new location, device, or browser, they will send you a one-time password that you need to enter to log into your account. This means that every time you log in, you will also need to enter a unique code sent to your phone by the social media website. Many people think this is time-consuming, but if you are seriously concerned about your privacy, you need to apply two-factor authentication for every social media account.

3. Adjust Security and Update Privacy Settings:

All social media platforms give you the ability to limit your audience. But many are unaware of its importance. This is required for each user to explore, try, and review these settings. You can also set up security questions in your accounts. Instead of using general questions like "Mother's maiden name?" or “Favorite food?”, use questions that are impossible to guess or figure out. 

4. Be Careful What You Share:

Try not to divulge personal information on the Internet because your information, including your email address, telephone number, and social security number, is important to hackers and data mining companies. 

Take a look at your social media profiles and try to keep them sterile - people who need to know your date of birth, email almost and phone number already have them. 

5. Use a VPN:

If you want to protect your conversations, messages, and calls, you can use an encryption tool called VPN. VPN helps you keep your connection encrypted and secure. All of your information will be transferred through a secure tunnel between websites and your VPN service provider. 

If you are really concerned about your privacy, you might be wondering how does a VPN protect my data? As mentioned here: "Although all information going to and from the client to the VPN is encrypted, all information sent through the outbound VPN server obeys the usual rules of the wild internet." 

6. Update Your Antivirus: 

Protect your system with the latest antivirus. Never work with a computer connected to the Internet without installing antivirus software. There are many free and paid antivirus programs available. To keep your mobile devices safe, use antivirus apps to protect your online activity and sensitive data. 

7. Check Friend Requests and Block Fake Accounts: 

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are full of fake profiles. These fake accounts can be hackers, suspicious organizations, or even geeks looking to spy on your activities. 

Do not accept friend requests from someone you don't know. If someone bothers you, it is better to block such profiles. 

8. Check Your Inbox Regularly to See About Possible Suspicious Login Attempts:

Keep in the habit of checking your email regularly. Many people ignore social media emails. They might think this is a notification from their friends, but it might be a hacker trying to log in, and your social platform wants to inform you about it. 

If you receive a suspicious email or attempt to log into your account, change your password as soon as possible. 

9. Use an Updated Browser:

Use the updated browser for a pleasant browsing experience. Make sure you are using the latest browser version that is not vulnerable to hackers. Also, do not save your passwords in the browser, because if your system is compromised, hackers can easily read your saved passwords from the browser with just a few clicks. 

10. Sign out of your account: 

The last important and useful practice is to always log out when you're done using it.

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