7 Security Features You Can Use To Protect Your Facebook Account
Millions of people in the world consider Facebook as their number one website. Each day, they log in to this social networking site just to update their status or read their friends’ posts. If you’re like those millions out there, you log in each day using your mobile phone, laptop or office computer. Unfortunately, the timeline feature of this site makes it easier for most users to neglect privacy and security in favor of digital life.
Listed below are some of the things that you can do to add extra security to your Facebook account. By following them all, you can be sure that your account’s security and privacy settings are updated and your personal information remains in its secure mode.
1. Use a strong password
You may already have a password for your Facebook account. But is it unique? Experts advise to use a strong password that’s impossible to unveil by hackers.
If you think that your password’s weak, then log in to your account and change your password.
- Click Account Settings menu
- Choose General
- Click Password option
- Change your current password and make it impossible to be hacked. You may combine numbers, symbols, and small and capital letters.
2. Browse in a secure mode
When log in to Facebook, you need to make sure that you’ve turned on the Secure browsing option. It’s another security setting that limits activity of external applications that have been integrated with Facebook while you’re browsing your page. In this way, these third-party apps won’t do any harm to your account or computer. They can’t also take your personal information without your approval.
To browse in a secure mode, do these steps.
- Go to Account Settings menu
- Click the Security option from the left menu of Account Settings.
- Click Secure Browsing.
- Click the Edit link
- Check the box next to “Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https)…”
- Click the Save Changes button.
After you’re done following these steps, you’re browsing activity within your Facebook account are secured.
3. Confirm mobile number
Confirming your mobile number is another way to add security on your Facebook account. It’ll send you a message in case you forget your password through SMS. You can add your mobile number by following these steps.
- Go to the Account Settings tab
- Click the Mobile tab
- Click the Add a Phone button
- Click the country/region you’re currently living in.
- Choose your mobile carrier.
- Click the Next button.
- Follow the instructions on how to obtain a code through SMS.
- Wait for the code to appear on the mobile phone you’ve added.
- Enter the confirmation code when prompted.
Your mobile phone has now been registered with Facebook. If there’s a need for you to reactivate your Facebook account, the information you’ve provided will be used.
4. End previous active sessions.
Facebook has a way for its users to know their previous active sessions. The Active Sessions security setting lets you view where you’ve logged in from and what device you’ve used in order to access your account. To go to this setting, follow these steps:
- Go to Account Settings menu
- Click the Security tab
- Find the Active Sessions option
- Click the Edit link next to it
- Review the information provided
- Click the End Activity link
These steps will kill or end your Facebook activities from other devices.
5. Use the Login Approvals option
It’s another security option that you can activate to further secure your Facebook account. It requires entering of a security code every time you access your account using an unrecognized device. To activate this option, these are the steps:
- Go to Account Settings
- Choose Security option
- Click the Edit link next to Login Approvals option.
- Tick the check box.
- Click the Set Up Now button
- Enter the code you’ve received through the mobile number you’ve registered with Facebook.
- Click the Submit Code button.
- Click the Next button.
- Choose whether or not you want to set up a code generator. This is useful if you can’t access the Internet or receive SMS.
6. Uncheck the Keep me logged in option.
This option appears each time you log in to your account. To add security to your Facebook account, you must uncheck this option. This will cause you to input your email and password each time you want to use this social networking site.
7. Log out after each use
You should always sign out after you’re done using your Facebook account. This is especially important if you’re using a public computer. Even if you’re using your own laptop or computer, it’s still best to log out after every use in case your computer gets stolen.
With these extra security settings given by Facebook, you can browse your account with ease. You may not be the most popular individual in the world, but your online account can get hijacked. By following those tips above, you’re making it difficult for hackers to gain access to your sensitive information without your permission.