Tips For A Safer Facebook Account.

The spate of Account Hijacking these days is more rampant than ever, one out of every four Facebook Users has been reportedly hacked in the last couple of year. Hence a way forward is essential to ensure privacy remains what it ought to be.

A Brief Overview ( Can Be Skipped)

Please know that it is virtually impossible to hack Facebook directly, but it is very easy to hack Facebook users as a result of certain loopholes on the side of the users.

This section gives a brief introduction to certain terms which may be used in the body of this article, such as:

1. Hacking: the process of invading/entering a system, device without due permission.
2. Tools: Set of Devices, programs, scripts or codes an attacker uses to perform an assault.
3. 2FA: Two Factor Authentication, is a system of securing devices, online accounts, networks with two different types of security of which both must be accurate before access is given. eg. Pin + Fingerprint, Password + OTP codes...
4. Password Strength: this deals with the complexity of the password, for example, a password which includes special characters like @#$%&*!? Will be harder to break compared to someone who uses his Lastname, pet name, or spouse name as a password for his online activities.

How Hackers Hack Your Account And Countermeasures

Weak/Same Password: Remember I said its virtually impossible to hack Facebook directly, but accounts still got hacked on daily basis, in most cases, a significant volume of the victims make use of Weak Passwords. Let's consider this instance.

Tom Ford is a Facebook user, born on 1st January 1985, He lives in Lagos, Married to Elena Ford. His Facebook password is 'ford1985' and so Tom was hacked.

Of course, Tom used a password but the password was as weak as Tom himself, using birthday, Lastname isn't just bad it also makes you vulnerable to hacks and this exposes your private pieces of stuff.

The Worst Part...

Tom didn't just use 'ford1985' for his Facebook account alone, he uses it for his Internet Banking, Email, LinkedIn and other pieces of stuff online... 

This implies that a successful hack on any other aforementioned Social Network could lead to the tragic fall of Tom.

Countermeasure

Always make sure you make use of special characters while setting up passwords, try including symbols like !, #, $, %, & or @ in your password, also mixing up cases could be of help, try FoRd instead of ford, you may also try using what's called leet (1337) codes. Finally, never make use of the same password for all accounts, set up different passwords for a different account, never click save the password on browsers, avoid writing down password carelessly if possible don't write it down at all.

If that isn't enough, let's take a look at something else.

Phishing: This is one of the most common methods of hacking generally, where a hacker makes a clone copy of a website (In this case, a fake Copy of Facebook Website, it will look exactly like Facebook, but it isn't Facebook) and send out a link to the webpage to potential victims, once the victim gets to the cloned webpage, they will be asked to log in just like the actual website will do, once the login credentials are entered and submitted for processing the hacker now has your login credentials and He may even redirect you to the real website (In this Case the real Facebook) after you've submitted your login details to avoid suspicions. All these could occur in less than 5-6 minutes and your entire account may be compromised.

Countermeasures

Avoid clicking on unnecessary links from both people you know and the ones you don't.

Make Sure you're checking on the URL of the site you're on to verify of it is the actual website of a cloned version. ( eg. facebook.com.evilsite.com/login isn't the same as facebook.com/login )

Always look for a green coloured padlock at the top of your browser indicating that your connection is encrypted. 

Further Study: HTTPS vs HTTP

Note: Hackers can hack your account with over 50 different methods, This article is limited to just two (2), Take your time to research others and stay informed.

Additional Security Tips For Safer Facebook.

1. Using 2FA, Facebook is committed to securing your account and online activities lest the third party get involved, 2FA security measure once setup will request you or intruder to confirm an additional security check to ensure its really you. One would ask how is this really helpful... Imagine if someone actually got your password from a Phishing Attack or Weak Passwording, they won't still have access to your account unless they got to have your secondary security credential (In most cases OTP codes) which is nearly impossible except the person is in your reach. 2FA can be set up from your account settings, under security as Two (2) Factor Authentication.
2. Remember to always logout on public Computers and clear both cookies and cache. Public computers such Cyber Cafe, E-Library, and the likes can be really dangerous to use, in case one has no alternative, you're advised to logout, clear cookies, caches, and history after use. To do this make use of Ctrl+H to view your browsing history and get them cleared.
3. While logging in to accounts, beware of people watching your passwords, don't write passwords down in papers in case you have to write down complex passwords or sensitive details, always shred the paper after use or burn it up if possible.
4. Be mindful of software and packages you install on your machine, always install apps and software from their official stores, most third-party applications come with worms and viruses that can capture your sensitive data and forward them to their respective makers.

Finally, security can never be too much, though man tends to forget and write down every complex thing they can't remember easily. Always check https://32info.blogspot.com for more security tips and stay safe.

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