We have at our disposal many social networks that we can use to be in contact with friends and family, upload photographs or videos, as well as simply give our opinion. They are widely used platforms and have millions of users worldwide. Some of the most used in Spain are Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. However, something that cannot be missed is security and privacy. In this article we will give a series of interesting tips to maintain security and privacy when using social networks .
The importance of maintaining security and privacy in social networks
Both factors are very important for users. Today there are many threats that are present on the network . Many types of malware that can put our computers at risk. Luckily we also have a number of security tools that can help us avoid these problems.
It is important to note that maintaining security and privacy in social networks is essential. It is a way to protect our equipment, but also prevent our personal information from leaking into the network.
In many cases users make mistakes when using this type of platform. Simply by using common sense we can improve some essential aspects so as not to compromise our data when using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, among other social networks that we have at our disposal.
How to improve security in social networks
Encrypt accounts correctly
Something basic to maintain security in social networks is to correctly encrypt accounts . This means that we will need to have really reliable passwords and that protect us against possible intruders.
A good key is one that has letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols. We must avoid putting our name, personal data or figures that relate to us. It also has to be a unique key, totally random and have an adequate length.
Be careful when logging in
This point is important. Care must be taken when logging in and avoid doing so from networks that may be insecure. We must avoid public networks such as shopping centers or airports. If you log in to these places, our personal information may be filtered.
If necessary, in case we are going to log in to public places, an interesting tip is to use VPN services. In this way we can encrypt our connection and prevent the entry of intruders.
Do not accept invitations without confirming the origin
Many of the attacks through social networks come from fake profiles or bots . It is important to know how to identify them and prevent them from sending us malicious content. To avoid this it is important that we do not accept friend invitation from profiles that do not really know their origin. Simply having us in their contacts could collect personal information.
Beware of the links we receive
Through the links we receive on social networks we can be victims of multiple attacks. An example is Phishing, which is very present today. It is a method that hackers use to steal our personal information and passwords.
You have to be careful with the links we receive through these platforms. Always make sure the address is correct and also avoid logging in through third-party links.
Use security tools
You can not miss the security tools to protect our systems when using social networks. A good antivirus can prevent the entry of malware that compromises our computers and may affect our privacy. It is essential to have security software and this must be applied regardless of the type of device or operating system we use.
Keep the equipment updated
Finally, another vital measure to maintain security in social networks is to have the equipment updated correctly. Sometimes vulnerabilities arise that can be exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks. We need to correct vulnerabilities and security errors.
How to maintain privacy in social networks
Beyond security, which is a fundamental factor as we have seen, privacy is also important. It is convenient to always preserve our personal data and information and prevent them from leaking. We will give a series of interesting tips.
Make accounts private
Something basic to improve privacy on social networks is to make accounts private . In this way we can prevent anyone from accessing our profile and can see what we share. We can configure it so that only the contacts we have added can enter our profile.
Do not give more information than necessary
Of course a good idea is to not give more data than necessary . In social networks we can share a lot of content. We can give a lot of data and information regarding our name, email, interests, where we move … If we want to preserve privacy we should not give more data than is necessary.
Configure privacy settings
In many occasions social networks allow you to configure a series of parameters to improve privacy . For example on Facebook we can avoid being automatically tagged and appear on our profile. We can configure it to be we who accept that label before it is displayed.
