Securing and hardening your Facebook account and controlling fraudulent game and friend activity involves a combination of privacy settings, activity monitoring, and reporting mechanisms. Here’s an eight-step guide to Facebook Safety.
Basic Security Measures
- Use a Strong Password: Ensure your password is complex and unique. Don’t reuse passwords from other sites. Use a password manager to create and store your passwords.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Go to Settings > Security and Login > Use two-factor authentication.
Control Game and App Permissions
- Review Game/App Permissions: Go to Settings > Apps and Websites. Review the apps/games you’ve allowed and remove any you don’t recognize or no longer use.
- Turn Off Game/App Notifications: Navigate to Settings > Notifications > Apps and adjust the settings to your preference.
Friend Activity & Requests
- Review Friend Requests Carefully: Only accept friend requests from people you know. Scammers often create fake profiles to gain access to information.
- Normally, if you receive a friend request from someone that you’re already FB friends with, it means their account has been compromised, and you should alert them and, to be safe, unfriend their main account until remediated. There are exceptions to this, such as someone wanting to create a new account for keeping interests and friends separate, like separating your band’s posts from cybersecurity posts in subpages.
- Limit Who Can Send Friend Requests: Go to Settings > Privacy > Who can send you friend requests? Select Friends of Friends.
Monitor Your Activity Log
- Regularly review your activity log to identify any unfamiliar activity. Go to your profile and click on Activity Log.
Be Careful about What Information You Share
- Facebook is a great way to stay connected with friends and family, but be careful about what information you share on the platform. Avoid sharing personal information like your address, phone number, or date of birth. You should also be careful about what photos and videos you share.
Reporting Suspicious Activity
- Report Fake Accounts: Go to the profile of the account you want to report, click on the … on their cover photo, and select Find support or report profile.
- Report Game/App Issues: Go to the game or app’s page, click … under the cover photo, and choose Find support or report page. Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Use the Report Tool: For specific posts, comments, or other content that seems fraudulent or malicious, click on the … in the top right corner of the content and choose the appropriate reporting option.
Shore Up the Human Risk
- Beware of Phishing Attempts: Don’t click on suspicious links, even from friends. Always verify with them through another channel.
- Educate Yourself: Periodically, check Facebook’s Help Center and Security Tips page for updates on security best practices.
Additional Hardening
- Regularly Review Login Locations: In Settings > Security and Login, check Where You’re Logged In and log out of unfamiliar locations.
- Limit Profile Visibility: In Privacy Settings, adjust who can see your profile info, friends list, and posts to Friends or custom settings to increase privacy.
- Ensure your computer and mobile devices are running the latest operating systems and security software versions. This will help to protect you from known vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may try to exploit.
By being proactive with these measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent activity and ensure a safer Facebook experience. You can read more about this topic on Facebook. Our article on avoiding social engineer attacks may also be of interest.
