Skip to content

Best Security Practices When Using Social Networking Sites in 2023

Social media is a great way to promote your business. It can be very effective in reaching people who are interested in your products or services. However, social media marketing can also be quite time-consuming and costly to implement.

The good news is that there are many ways you can use social networking sites to make your business more visible and reach more people. You will then be able to grow your business faster and more effectively.

With that being said, here are some tips for you to consider when using social media for your business.

Make Sure To Find The Best Social Media Platforms For Your Business Before you begin your social media marketing campaign, do your research and find the perfect platform to offer your products and services.

Social media provides a kingdom of opportunities for a business or person to promote and develop a brand.

A dominant form of communication that uses the internet, social media can offer any organization a strong worldwide presence.

Most organizations believe they should have a social media presence because these platforms & apps have billions of users and spectators that could have millions of possible prospects, clients, partners, employees, & advocates.

Social media platforms allow an organization’s representatives and its followers to have connections that involve sharing information, exchanging feedback, & creating content. 

List of Best Security Practices When Using Social Networking Sites.

Enable multi-factor authentication i.e. 2FA. 

This must be standard security practice for everybody online today. Multi-factor authentication forces anybody logging into an account to supply a code sent to an external device or use other 3rd party software such as Google Authenticator and more.

Adjust Privacy Settings

Almost all social networking sites have a standard or default privacy settings. People frequently feel that these settings are sufficient enough & never put forth the effort to make changes.

Altering one’s privacy settings can let the account holder block strangers & people who are not in contact with them from viewing his or her personal information. 

Go only with safe social networking sites

Obviously, the craze of social networking sites is very high today, in which there are many types of dating and friendship sites, but do you know that many times the result of choosing the wrong site can prove to be very bad? So always be alert and create your account only on trusted websites.

Not all social networks are made equal when it comes to safety & security. Social media security policies must allow employees to have access only to sites that are safe and reliable.

Always check and verify with whom you’re interacting 

There are many reasons why an individual may put up a false account. If there is ever insecurity about the authenticity of an account that claims to belong to a friend, is significant to check with the specifications for verification.

These accounts might be set up in an attempt to misrepresent themselves as another individual to make untruthful statements. 

This might be done to embarrass somebody or to create problems that are either of a legal or private nature. False accounts can also be set up for the purpose of sending people to malicious sites or with the intent of committing scams.

Keep Your Private Information Secure

Be careful how much personal info you deliver on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it can be for somebody to use that information to steal your identity, access your data, or commit other crimes such as stalking.

Be Alert Before Posting Anything

Although, it sounds inoffensive to post your pet’s picture & name on your Facebook profile. But, did you just forget that you have a similar detail saved a security question or the password to your online banking account?

Equally, almost the whole thing you post online may not look significant to you. But, for a criminal hacker, they’re a box of gold.

Be careful about what you share. Don’t disclose sensitive personal information i.e.: home address, monetary information, phone number. The more you post the simpler it is to have your identity stolen.

Avoid password reuse at all cost 

We know it can be hard currently, when everybody has several dozen logins, to generate and remember unique, strong passwords. We recommend a password manager, which can automatically generate & store passwords.

Beware of phishing messages

Just like emails, phishing attacks are also performed via personal messages on your social profiles. So, do not trust everything reaching your inbox from a stranger.

Whereas, for families too, avoid clicking on any links to games or websites, unless you’re certain about them.

Stick With log out Habit

Leaving your Instagram, Facebook, or other social media accounts logged in is a major security risk. You never know when somebody would access your device, either physically or distantly, and access your account.

For strong social media security, ensure to log out of all your accounts before leaving your computer or smartphone unattended.

Don’t forget to use that ‘Block’ button

Is somebody in your social network annoying you, doesn’t look legit, sending spam messages, or interfering with your confidentiality? The ‘Block’ option is all yours. Use it to get rid of such people immediately. 

Be Careful of Over-Friending

As a fellow of a social networking group, it can be exciting to get new “friends” or followers. Looking through the network it is simple to find members with high numbers of friends, which can stimulate a competitive streak in some.

A high number of friends, but, is not constantly positive. Some “friends” can be problematic by introducing spam into one’s timeline or some might even have criminal intentions. When accepting friends, select people who are actual friends.

Social media security issues aren’t new. But, they have considerably increased as more and more people join these forums.

Since most such users aren’t conscious of how these platforms work, they do not understand how they risk their own security & those linked with them.

Social Media Cybersecurity Tips According To CISA

  • Remember, there is no ‘Delete’ button on the Internet
  • Update your privacy settings
  • Connect only with people you trust
  • Never click and tell
  • Speak up if you’re uncomfortable
  • Report suspicious or harassing activity
Social Media Cybersecurity Tips

Conclusion

Social networking sites are one of the most popular ways to stay in touch with your friends and family. But they also have their share of vulnerabilities.

If you are not careful, you can end up on a site where everything is illegal or where your private information is being shared for malicious purposes.

There is no shortage of sites where you can get into trouble that could seriously damage your reputation and cause problems for you.

Even those who act responsibly use these sites to do business, and the temptation to comply with peer pressure can be strong. Not caring about the consequences can be a bad thing.

Kevin James

Kevin James

I'm Kevin James, and I'm passionate about writing on Security and cybersecurity topics. Here, I'd like to share a bit more about myself. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from Utica College, New York, which has been the foundation of my career in cybersecurity. As a writer, I have the privilege of sharing my insights and knowledge on a wide range of cybersecurity topics. You'll find my articles here at Cybersecurityforme.com, covering the latest trends, threats, and solutions in the field.