Why Bother Protecting Your Social Media Apps?

Almost everyone is connected on social media these days, and while these apps can help us communicate with anyone in the world from our mobile devices, there are some pitfalls associated with using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can ultimately choose who gets to look at your account and all your private information if you take the right steps, but even then, hackers are always on the prowl with phishing scams and other cons used to steal your data.

A good way to maintain your privacy is by using dfndr security, which has a social guardian feature that lets you create an additional password to keep snoops at bay. Best of all, you get to choose which apps to protect.

Read More: 5 Personal Details You Should Never Post on Social Media

Here are some reasons why you might want to consider specific protection for social media apps:

• Parents and ex-girlfriends/boyfriends: Social media apps such as Facebook share all of your personal and biographical information with anyone who sees your account, especially if you don’t enforce the right privacy protocols. Not everyone needs to see your pics and status updates, especially your parents, colleagues, exes, current partners, or acquaintances. It’s worth considering activating additional security to your account. The good thing about these apps is that you can choose how much of your profile each person gets to see. You can change your security settings by hitting the down arrow on the top-right corner and choosing Settings. You can then choose Privacy and you’ll be given a slew of options regarding the visibility of your timeline,  your public profile, and messaging options.
• Check your privacy settings: If you don’t implement your preferred privacy settings on social media, the default settings may expose you to outsiders. Before you post anything on social media, explore each app’s privacy settings in order to choose who views your status or timeline and who doesn’t — the same is true for your profile and your personal information. You can even protect your birth date, location, or other biographical information on your account.
• Social media security tips: Pick a strong password with numbers, capitalized letters and symbols for maximum security. It’s also important to use different passwords for different accounts that are not easily guessed. Plus, you should avoid accessing social media apps in public, but if you do, log out before you leave. Be wary of any links sent to you, even if they are from friends as these could be phishing scams or malware, and your friends’ accounts could have been hacked.
• Protect yourself from hackers: In addition to ensuring your privacy and choosing a strong password, change your password regularly to keep hackers guessing. You may also get a message that’s not grammatically correct from a friend, which may mean that it’s coming from a hacker or a bot. Social media apps also have help centers, so if you believe you’ve been hacked or your personal information has been compromised, don’t hesitate to contact support.

Taking the above steps to stay on top of social media security can allow you to enjoy them so much more.