Los Angeles — In an attempt to offer real peace of mind to its more than 750 million users around the globe, social media giant Facebook over the weekend launched several initiatives and has published a free, 20-page official “Guide to Facebook Security” aimed at teens, their parents and teachers that helps you protect your account and privacy on the site.
As the web is surrounded by spammers, and to help you understand the social media network’s security features and how to protect your account, a 14-page guide entitled “A Guide to Facebook Security,” which offers all kinds of tips on how to safeguard your account, including how to spot and avoid scam apps and clickjacking, can now be downloaded from the Facebook Safety Center, was co-authored by former Symantec Internet security experts Linda McCarthy and Keith Watson, and teacher/editor Denise Weldon-Siviy.
The introduction to the guide reads as follows:
“If there was any doubt on the incredible power of social networking, consider the more than one billion pieces of content shared each day with over half a billion users. Facebook connects over 500 million people in over 210 countries—indeed, its global population exceeds the size of most European countries, and counts among its members citizens from every single continent in the world.”
It also includes tips on how to:
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Protect Your Facebook Account
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Avoid Scammers
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Use Advanced Security Settings
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Recover A Hacked Facebook Account
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Stop Imposters
Moreover, McCarthy possess more than 20 years of experience in IT security sector and worked as Senior Director of Internet safety at Symantec, while Watson is an IT researcher at Purdue University.
Facebook states that the guide provides answers on typical questions parents, educators, and young adults might have about making Facebook more secure.
Particularly, the guide includes information on how to protect your Facebook account when accessing it in public; What should you do to recover your Facebook account if someone hijacks it, and how to use additional security features — such as one-time passwords and secure browsing — to make it more difficult for hackers and scammers to take over your account, keeping you and your friends safe and secure while online.
Furthermore, the guide delves into topics like securing access to Facebook accounts through proper password selection and use; avoiding falling prey to phishing and other scams; taking advantage of the site’s advanced security features, like HTTPS encryption, log-in notifications; recognizing impostors; and recovering a hacked account.
“This guide is all about entitling you to Own Your Space — to understand what Facebook is offering to make the site safe and secure and to take the actions that are needed in this new digital world to protect yourself and your account,” the authors wrote.
Having concern for its users, Facebook has also forged alliance with Web of Trust to help protect you from scam websites and recently added its social reporting tool to its mobile website. In addition, the company has launched a bug bounty program that rewards security researchers for finding flaws in the social media network’s security systems.
Walking a thin line, privacy and security have been a major issue for years for users of social networking sites, which are specifically attractive to scammers because of the amount of personal information that people post on their profiles.
Nevertheless, the matter is an essential one for Facebook, the world’s most popular social media humongous, whose continued success depends in part on providing a safe experience for users, especially minors, who sometimes are victimized by predators they meet online.
Security pundits stress that people need to become fully well-versed with the privacy-protection features offered by the social media sites they use, as well as be informed and savvy about security practices and tips.
Otherwise, they may wind up endangering their posts, photos, videos and other content to more people than they intend to, or become a victim of a scam in which their social networking account becomes compromised, leading potentially to ID theft and financial fraud.