We use social media daily. As social creatures, we use it to communicate with friends and family. In addition, we share lots of information online about our lives, such as what we like to eat, what sports we play, favorite restaurants, and our pets’ names.
It is awesome that social media allows us to connect with others who share the same interests and keep family and friends updated. It seems harmless; however, it exposes us to a cyber security risk.
The risk comes from the reality that most people use the same credentials from multiple accounts, like using the same email and password for their Facebook and banking accounts.
There are three social media-related cyber threats you should be aware of to protect against.
Top Three Cyber Threats
A recent example of Smishing.
Social Media Engineering – Social engineering uses deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information to gain access to computer systems for fraudulent purposes. Another example is catfishing.
Phishing/Smishing – Cybercriminals use emails/texts with a malicious link in the hope someone clinks it, taking you to a false website to collect your information.
Malware – The malicious links promoted in social media lead to malware. Cybercriminals use malware to access devices and networks to steal data and take control of systems, create botnets, cryptojack, or damage systems.
Top Three Social Media Cyber Security Best Practices
There are some social media cyber security best practices to lessen the risks.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) – Multi-Factor Authentication is a measure that requires users to provide two or more authentication factors to access an application and account. MFA adds extra layers of security to combat more sophisticated cyberattacks even after credentials or identities have been stolen or exposed.
Passwords – Do not re-use passwords from other accounts. Use a different complex password for every account as by doing this helps other accounts from being accessed if one is hacked.
Update – It is vital to regularly update social media platform security settings and apps to ensure they are always current and set at the highest levels.
We can continue to enjoy social media, but we need to do it cyber safe by being aware and using the above best practices.
