In this blog, we’ll be sharing our top tips on how to keep your business’s social media safe. Ensuring you don’t get hacked, lose your accounts or have your access restricted.
Social media pages are a highly valuable business asset. You must ensure you keep them safe.
Here are our top tips
Turn on two-factor authentication
This system adds an additional layer of security (on top of your strong password) through a second code. Without this code it’s impossible to log in to an account. That code is also only valid for a certain period of time, so the security that is achieved is even greater.
The codes for the two-step verification can be obtained in different ways:
- Text messages to your mobile phone
- Through an authentication application like Google Authenticator
Turning on two-step verification or authentication on Instagram is a quick and easy process. All you have to do is follow these steps:
- Open the Instagram app on your Android or iOS phone
- Go to the configuration settings Instagram
- Select the Security option
- Now choose Two-Step Authentication
- There you will see two options: text message and Authentication application
- Choose the option that interests you the most (you can choose both if you want) and follow the steps that they indicate.
With the first option what you do is enable the sending of text messages where a code will be included for each time you go to login. It is the most common two-step authentication method, although it is true that due to the risk of duplicate SIM cards, it is the least secure.
The second option makes use of some of the supported two-factor verification applications. For example, using Google Authenticator, so you only have to add a token that said app will provide you so that every time you want to start your Instagram account on a new device, you use that application to copy the temporary access code it generates.
So in a matter of seconds, you will have added an extra level of security to your account. This way you avoid possible scares and problems.
If you do one thing today – do this! Please!!!
Create a REALLY strong password
A strong password is one you can’t guess or crack
Hackers use computers to try various combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols in search of the right password.
Modern computers can crack short passwords consisting of only letters and numbers in seconds.
Strong passwords, therefore, consist of a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special symbols, such as punctuation.
They should be at least 12 characters long, although we’d recommend going for one that’s even longer.
Overall, here are the main features of a good, secure password:
- At least 12 characters long. The longer your password is – the better.
- Uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special symbols. Passwords that consist of mixed characters are harder to crack.
- Doesn’t contain memorable keyboard paths.
- Is not based on your personal information.
- Password is unique to other accounts you may have
Go and change that password now! Don’t leave it till later or add it to your to-do list! Do it now!
Use a good password manager to keep a track of your passwords.
Whether you’ve generated your own strong passwords or you’re looking for an online service to do it for you, we strongly recommend using a good password manager.
A secure password manager generates, stores and manages all your passwords in one safe online account. This is really useful because it allows you to use as many unique passwords as you like without ever having to worry about remembering them!
All you need to do is save all your passwords for every online account you have on your password manager and then protect them with one “master password”.
This means you only have to remember one strong password as opposed to every single one.
Once you’ve got your password manager set up, whenever you go to log in to one of your online accounts, you simply type your master password into your password manager and it’ll auto-fill in your login details for this account. You don’t even need to remember which email address or username you used. A secure password manager will fill all this in for you.
Most password managers work on desktops as well as mobile devices.
We use 1password to manage all of our passwords (we pay a small fee for this one) but others include Nordpass or Google Password Manager – both of which are free.
Great for both personal and business use too!
Don’t click on any links in emails or DM’s without verifying them first….
This is the easiest way for a hacker to access your accounts, take over your page and start running ads with your credit card.
NEVER click on any links sent to you out of the blue via email or DM even if they say they are from the platform.
Instagram will never DM you – worth remembering!
If an email seems too good to be true – then it is!
Inspect page roles and who has access to your social media accounts
Ensure you always know who has access to your social media accounts.
Periodically sweep your account to see who has access and make sure that all roles are correct and up to date.
Though we advise you to limit the number of people who have access to your accounts, more than one person should know the password. If only one person has access to an account and they leave it can be a real hassle trying to regain control of the account, sometimes with no success.
Again you can use a password manager to keep a track of your passwords. We use 1password to manage all of our passwords (we pay a small fee for this one) but others include Nordpass or Google Password Manager – both of which are free.
We hope you found this blog useful and hope that it means less of those panic-stricken moments when you realise your account has been compromised.
For more of our top social media tips head to our blog page.
Leave a Reply