All over the world there are millions of users who are accessing social media platforms on a daily basis. Therefore, using social media is often one of the best marketing strategies and approaches that businesses can use to reach a broad audience online.
Unfortunately, social media accounts can also be a popular target for hackers. The results could be disastrous for a company if a profile is hacked or sensitive information is leaked.
Scammers recently hijacked high-profile accounts on Twitter, including accounts for Apple, Uber, Barack Obama, and Elon Musk, proving that no matter who you are, online security is a serious issue. It’s now more important than ever for businesses to be wary of their own social media activity and look for ways to increase cyber security and protection for their company.
As there are many types of cyberattacks that happen across the world every year, it’s important to be aware of common threats but also new developments too.
According to Norton, just one of the emerging cyber threats for 2020 include AI-powered cyberattacks. This is where hackers are able to create programs that mimic human behavior through artificial intelligence. Hackers will use these believable programs to trick users into providing personal and financial information. With such hacks becoming harder to spot nowadays, here are just some useful security tips for businesses to consider for their social media accounts:
Always use strong passwords
When creating social media accounts, it is crucial to ensure your login information is always secure. Make sure your password is both strong and unique as using only letters or numbers might not be enough anymore.
You can easily make your accounts secure by using special characters and symbols in your passwords. It’s also crucial that the combination used should not have any relationship with your business like location, date of establishment, or zip code. It would be best if you also refrained from using the same password for all of your social media profiles too as this can make them more vulnerable.
Secure your business computers
Whether you are a design agency using social media to showcase your latest work, a fashion retailer promoting new clothing lines, or an online slot game provider featuring the latest titles, every business should have a highly secured internal network.
Your business computers can make your accounts or those of users who manage your social media channels vulnerable to external threats if systems are not updated regularly. Most hackers infect your computer with a virus to access your information. You can protect your computers by installing antivirus software and using the latest encryption technologies to ensure access can’t be intercepted. The antivirus will beef up your computer security by alerting you of external threats. You can also block employee access to sites that may pose a risk of infecting their computer with a virus.
Limit employee access
It is also a good business practice to restrict employee access to social media accounts. It can be challenging to track down who has access at a particular time if all employees have access to the profiles from different devices. Unrestricted access gives hackers multiple points of entry through your employees’ devices.
Having very few members of staff handling social media management can help reduce account vulnerability. When changing passwords for accounts, you should also avoid emailing the staff about the change. If the email falls into the wrong hands, your accounts could be hacked. Instead, call them or inform them of the password change in person.
Be wary of unknown & suspicious Links
To help protect the security of your social media accounts, it’s important to be wary of any links that you come across online. This could be through user comments or through direct messages. Most links posted on social media platforms are quite eye-catching for you to click without a second thought. However, it could lead you to insecure sites and put your social media account at risk.
Some unknown links can lead to malware or give hackers access to your personal information. Before you click on a link, take a second to look at it. If it looks suspicious or you haven’t heard of the website before, it’s best to think twice before you click on it.
Be mindful of third-party applications
Some of the best tips for protecting your social media accounts from hackers include using strong passwords and two-factor authentication. But you should also be wary of using third-party applications for your social media accounts too.
While there are many reputable apps to use, there are also plenty of unverified ones too. Ensure the applications on your computer are from legitimate sources and verified to protect your business computer and accounts from hackers.
Only log into secure Wi-Fi networks
When managing your business social media pages, you need a secure private network that is password protected. While public Wi-Fi found in restaurants and libraries is cheap, it does not have any layer of protection to secure your information. For example, accessing personal banking information should never be done using public Wi-Fi.
While it can be tempting to use nearby free wifi, cyber criminals often take advantage of public networks to steal people’s private information. For business use, make sure that you use a secure and private internet connection for only employees to use.
