DrJBHL DrJBHL

6 ways to protect yourself on Facebook

6 ways to protect yourself on Facebook

Seems as though a new scam is coming out for every new member that joins the site. While it’s best to stay vigilant and read up on the latest scams to avoid, there are a few other tips that will keep you ahead of the game, protecting your profile 24 hours a day.

With all of your personal information and photographs posted on Facebook, the last thing you want is to find that your account has been hacked or accessed without your permission. We’ve put together a list of ways that you can protect yourself from the latest scams, making sure that your Facebook account is never compromised.

Follow The Sophos Blog

Antivirus developers, Sophos, report on the latest Facebook phishing scams practically on a daily basis on their blog, Naked Security. There seems to be no limit to the rogue applications preying on people’s curiosity, or the desire to activate certain features on their Facebook profiles through these apps. Sophos is one of the best sources today when it comes to Facebook scams.

ie 9

See my article posted today here. Turns out it’s the safest browser to use for Social Networking sites!

SafeGo

BitDefender’s SafeGo is a Facebook application designed to keep users aware and protected from spam and any kind of threat that might be floating around Facebook. SafeGo scans your profile for any suspicious links, and you also have the option of allowing the app to automatically post a comment to your wall when a threat is detected.

Facebook Security

Another place to find tips and tricks to stay safe on Facebook comes directly from the source. Facebook’s Security page is constantly being updated with ways to protect your account.

Look For The Signs

Aside from all of these tips and tricks, the most important thing that any person can do is use common sense. See who it was that posted the link and ask yourself how likely it is that they would share something that begins with OMG You won’t believe this! or would they really write to you, through Facebook of all means, if they were stranded in a strange city?

If you receive emails that claim to be from Facebook, always analyze the email address they came from and the link they want you to click. Facebook notifications always come from Facebookmail.com.

What To Do If You Unwittingly Clicked That Link?

If you feel that you may have been the victim of a Facebook phishing scam, the first thing you should do is change your Facebook password. If you’ve linked your Facebook account to other online services, it would probably be best to change the passwords to those services as well.

If you’ve granted permission to an application, you can revoke permission through your privacy settings. Navigate to your Privacy Settings, and at the bottom of the page, click ‘Edit your settings‘ under Apps and Websites.

You will be taken to a page featuring the latest apps you’ve authorized. Click the ‘Edit settings‘ button.

From there you can delete any apps that you have mistakenly authorized by clicking the small ‘x’ next to the app.

How do you keep your Facebook profile safe? Have you been the victim of any phishing attacks? How did you deal with it?

Let me know in your responses.

129,335 views 63 replies
Reply #51 Top

unless they enter into an explicit agreement
End of quote

you have to click "I agree" when you sign up, don't you?  There's your agreement.

Reply #53 Top

I deleted my fb account after my fiasco with the Trojan.  Actually, fb would not allow me to delete my account -but only make it inactive for  a time.  At the end of the wait / inactive period, IF I  haven't logged back on, THEN the account will be deleted.  However, since I suspended my acount - waiting out the time until it is really deleted, i have received several generic emails from face book...   LOL.

 

Reply #54 Top

Aah yes. That would be cuz your in a new list.

Reply #55 Top

For me, the best way to protect myself with regard to Facebook is not to have an account there or to go there.... PERIOD.

I have a niece who used to go there, though not for long.  She got chatting with a member because of similar interests, next thing she knew he was on her doorstep and stalking her.... and NO, she gave him no personal details or encouragement.  It seems he hacked into her account and accessed details that eventually led him to discover her address, phone numbers, place of employment, childrens schools, etc.

He soon got sorted out, though!  Not only was he dealt with in the courts, her father has considerable influence in quarters that matter, and his life will be a misery for several years to come... deservedly so.

Reply #56 Top

She got chatting with a member because of similar interests
End of quote

There's the problem right there.  I'm not friends with anyone on Facebook that I don't know in real life.  I don't use it to make new friends, I use it to keep in touch with everyone I already know around the world.

Reply #57 Top

Best way to protect yourself from facebook is not to use the site.

 

Period.

 

Facebook is a phishing scam.

 

Period.

Reply #58 Top

After the latest huge malware attack on FB, I discontinued my account as well, but reactivated since the https option, and neede to get stuff dor articles here.

Reply #59 Top

Hmmm

The best way to protect from face book is not to use it. }:)

But thats just me a minority representative, someone who doesn't like fuckbook sorry face book and actually doesn't have an account there. 

What I'm reading about it, it is slowly turning into one big commercial venue where advertisers know exactly what you like and dislike and that knowledge enables them to place ads that 90% of people are hard to turn down and therefore go and spend even more of their hard earned money for crap that they don't really need.

Aka GOOGLE that doesn't need search words but just your description to know everything about you.

k6  for corporations and businesses 

Reply #60 Top

I am still on facebook, I am still using a fast computer and I still have all my money in my account. Why? Because of common sense and the built in privacy and securtity settings found under your account. Do people bother to set these and if you do not then you are looking for trouble. Along with choosing who can even view your account make sure to check these 2 boxes.

Set up secure browsing (https) and login alerts.

Secure Browsing (https)

 

When a new computer or mobile device logs into this account:

Only friends can view my profile, I disabled certain links and never click an external even if it is sent from a friend. I change my password often and I spend little time on the site. I log onto facebook for updates of my sick sister and to check messages and that is it. Am I saying facebook is safe?, certainly not!  Tell me please a site you can log onto that is 100% safe? Even this site is not. If you want a 100% guarantee of never receiving an attack there is only one thing you can do, stay off the internet.

Reply #61 Top

Set up secure browsing (https) and login alerts.
Secure Browsing (https)
Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible


When a new computer or mobile device logs into this account:
Send me an email
End of quote

Yow might consider a browser app which will "sandbox" facebook, JC.

http://www.ghacks.net/2010/08/18/spoon-adds-browser-sandbox-to-desktop-apps-web-launcher/

http://www.sandboxie.com/

http://google-chrome-browser.com/new-approach-browser-security-google-chrome-sandbox

 

 

Reply #62 Top

Doc I thought sandboxing was more for testing apps. How does sandboxing facebook make it more secure? You are after all going through a 3rd party application. I guess I need to know more about it but if it works I will certainly do it.

Reply #63 Top

Hi DrJBHL! These tips you got are of really great help! Intruders/attackers do make Facebook as a way to get in through their victims. It's important that we'd all be *spam removed* to the information we've shared online.