Ever since Facebook has become an inevitable part of many of the Internet users, though not all, the cyber criminals are taking the advantage of Facebook users who does pay very little attention about the security of this giant social networking site. One of the most interesting thing is that many of the Face book users even has no knowledge about how much treats or what kind of attacks may occur in a Facebook profile and who is benefited and who is losing something very special due to unsecured setting s of a Facebook profile.Fortunately, only with little knowledge or even by following a few basic steps you can make your Facebook presence as protected and secure as any other conscientious Internet users.
Remember the FIVE basic rules of Facebook Security
1. Always choose a strong password with at least 7 characters long with the combination of capital and small
letter and numbers if possible use special characters.
2. Never respond to any request for your personal information.
3. Avoid as much as possible clicking on the links posted by friends or anyone. And of course be cautious
about opening any attached files. If you want to stay completely safe then before any click on the links,
shared by your friends, just ask them about it.
4. Learn the basics of computer security and web browser security (Firefox, Internet explorer).To learn the basics of computer and browsing security you can have a look at computer security essentials.
5. Use the Facebook account safeguard tool
Facebook Advanced Security
The best way to keep your Facebook traffic secure is to turn on the opt-in “https” option. When you open your Facebook account, your default browser transfers your traffic via the unencrypted protocol “http”. Once you turn on this https feature, all your traffic will be in encrypted format-thus making it difficult to snoop in your information even if they capture it. To enable https, click on the “Account” tab after log on to your Facebook account, and then click on “Account Settings”. Now under the “Account Security” box you will see “Secure Browsing (https)”, just select it and then save it. Now look at the address bar and you will see https://faceboook.com. Enabling https may give your error messages if you try to download any third party apps. But do not panic, just click “continue” to use this app and once you are done you will be automatically switch to https.
Active Sessions: how to Know if anyone else logging in to your Facebook account
If you have doubt that anyone else might be using your account. Then you can easily find a clue by looking at the “account activity” option under the “account security”. This option lists your most recent log on time and place to your faceboook account. If you see any log on activity from unknown location or the time you are sure that you did not log in then click on the “end activity”
What to do if your Facebook Account is compromised?
To regain control of your account, you need to contact Facebook team by going at http://www.facebook.com/hacked/
How to report abuse in Facebook?
If you see that any unknown person is annoying you by sending messages or spammy links and you want to report it to Facebook then go to that person’s profile and on the bottom of the left column, just under the friends list you will see “Report/Block This Person”-click on it. If you only report an unwanted message sent to your inbox, then you can click on the “report” link, next to the sender’s name.
Facebook Privacy Settings:
Another great tool to tight your Facebook security is using the privacy setting options. To set your customized privacy goes to the Account, top right on your profile and then click “privacy settings” and then select “custom settings”. Now you can choose who can post in your wall and who cannot.
Finally always read Facebook security pages for their latest security tips and warnings. And never forget to update your anti-virus and web browsers.
