5 Tips To Ensure Security Of Your Facebook Account

Gone are the days when you had to ask your friends how they were doing; now their ‘status updates’ are enough to keep you ‘updated’. 
In this digital era, social networking has become inevitable. Whether you like it or not, there is no escape. Keeping in touch with family and friends or staying up-to-date about the latest stuff happening around the globe, Facebook has made the world seems much smaller.  
I still remember making an account on Facebook when I was first introduced to this new cool social networking site everyone was talking about. Initially, I was a bit reluctant; nonetheless, I couldn’t help but see what all the hype was about. It’s been almost a decade now, and here I am (we are), still hooked!
Interestingly, Facebook will be forgotten just like its predecessors. But it hasn’t and it won’t, which brings us to our privacy and security concerns regarding the world’s biggest social media network.
Every good in the world comes with its share of bad, and the digital world is no different. Spammers and hackers target Facebook more often than we think. Although FB claims to do its best to provide its users with ‘top-rated security measures’ to help protect them, it is also our responsibility to ensure the security of our social network accounts on our end. If you’re wondering why it is important when Facebook is already doing enough, well, keep reading and you’ll get your answer shortly.
In today’s world, our biggest nightmare is: forgetting the password, being unable to log in or our Facebook or Instagram being hacked. So, what should you do? Below we’ll discuss a few simple tips to help you strengthen your Facebook account security.

1.    Update Your Password

Want to keep your Facebook login details safe? You must never share your password with anyone or keep a password that is too easy to guess. A weak password is an invitation to hackers. Anyone trying to hack your account can do it effortlessly if your password is easy peasy. On the contrary, having a password that will give malicious hackers quite a tough time stealing your Facebook login details.
Here’s the thing: To secure your Facebook login, go for alphanumeric passwords.
Alphanumeric passwords are numbers and special symbols in combination with alphabets in upper and lower case. But that doesn’t mean you have to make them complicated for yourself to remember. Just go for a password that is random, relatable, and easy to remember. Furthermore, you should regularly update your password.
To change your password: Click the drop-down menu on the top right of your profile > Settings > Security and Login > Change password.

2.    Two-Factor Authentication

Popularly known as 2FA, Two Factor Authentication has significantly reduced the risks of identity theft on the internet. It makes it less likely for someone to steal your Facebook login and pretend to be you. It is a security method that works by adding a layer of security to your account by double verification. With 2FA, in addition to your password, you will also need to enter a code from your phone. This means that even if someone succeeds in getting your password, it will be useless unless they have access to your phone. 
To enable Two-Factor Authentication: Log in to Facebook > Select Settings from the drop-down menu on the top right > Security and Login > Use two-factor authentication.
After that, Facebook will walk you through the steps. Once 2FA is enabled, you must enter the 2FA code after your password whenever you log in on a new device.

3.    Unrecognized Login Alerts

Facebook offered email and text notifications for important dates and events that proved extremely helpful. Because of our modern (and needless to say, busy) lifestyle, it is very much likely to forget about important life details. 
Now if you’re thinking Facebook only lets you know about the birthday of your best friend that you totally forgot due to a busy schedule, that’s not all. Facebook notifications also play an essential role in keeping your FB account safe and secure. 
For the security of its users, Facebook offers notifications and alerts for login details. If there is some suspicious login activity on your account, like someone trying to log in to your account through a different IP that doesn’t match your current one, you will get an alert. This notification alert can save your account from being hacked and data getting into the wrong hands.
To activate login alerts: Click the drop-down menu on the top right of your profile > Security and Login > Setting Up Extra Security > get alerts about unrecognized login > Edit. When in Edit, check “Get Notifications” for “Notifications”, “Messenger”, and “Email”, to enable notification alerts. 

4.    Add Trusted Friends 

Above mentioned are all the steps you can take to enhance your account security. However, if you still feel that’s not enough and your account might be at risk of getting hacked, then there is something else you can do as well. What if you forget your own Facebook login details? Don't roll your eyes, I can tell from my personal experience that can totally happen. 
Not long ago, Facebook introduced this feature that allows you to add trusted friends from your friend list. These trusted friends can help you in any unfortunate events such as locking out of your account. In case your account is hacked and you fail to log in to your account, the chosen ones will help you to log in to your account and secure your account data and privacy without much trouble.
In order to choose trusted friends: Click the drop-down menu on the top right of your profile > Settings > Security and Login > Setting Up Extra Security > Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if you get locked out. Clicking “Choose friends” enable you to add 3-5 trusted people from your network.

5.    Disable Access To Applications/Websites

If you are an active user, you must already know what I’m talking about here. There are countless Facebook applications, and if you use FB, then there is a possibility that you will end up granting access to one of these applications at some point. Even if you are someone who is not at all interested to know when you are going to die or who the love of your life is, you might get tricked into playing one of these games. 
These applications are not malicious, but they can redirect you to pages asking you for some malicious download or installation. This can lead to your system getting infected. So, what can you do about that? Try not to use or give access to any FB application if you are unsure about its authenticity. Simple.
If you have already been tricked into allowing access to many such applications, don’t worry. Go to Facebook “Settings” and click “Apps and Websites”. There you can see all the apps and websites that have access to your Facebook account; you can choose to disable/remove the apps and sites that you are no longer using or feel suspicious about.

Tip: Have you posted a video on your profile but it’s deleted from your gallery now? You can save your video again to your device without facing any hassle by using the Facebook video downloader. However, your profile should be public in order to make this Facebook video download tool work and fetch videos for you.

Concluding Thoughts
Social networking makes it easier but also dangerous for us in so many ways. The most straightforward rule is that if you don’t want people to know about it, don’t post about it. On the web in general and social media in particular, whenever you put something out there, it becomes available for public consumption. 
Facebook has added many tools and features to help us protect our data and identities, but it is up to us whether we use them or not.