The rise of the digital age has created increasing concerns about our online security, in particular the security of our very own Facebook accounts. We’re constantly bombarded with stories of accounts being compromised and mysterious messages being sent to our friends asking for personal information.
However, what many don’t consider is the impact this has for those running a Facebook Business account. These accounts are often linked to financial sources, contain confidential client information and most importantly, are the hub of the businesses public image.
The good news is, Facebook has just gotten a whole lot more secure. Meaning both your business and personal accounts are a lot safer than they once were. However, there are a few small steps that can be taken by users to increase their security.
3 Ways to Increase Facebook Business Manager Security
1. Turn on two-factor authentication.
Two factor authentication is an optional, yet highly recommended feature for Facebook Business Manager. It makes your business accounts a whole lot more secure.
Everytime a new device, or user, signs into your Facebook Business Manager account, the user will be required to enter a code before accessing the platform. This code will be sent to a recognised device or user via the Facebook app, SMS or email.
In fact, Facebook has now limited the functionality of accounts without two-factor authentication — it’s for our own safety we understand. For example, you may not be able to boost posts until you enable this security feature.
How to setup two-factor authentication on your Facebook Business Manager account:
- Go to Business Settings.
- Click Business Info and click Edit.
- Below Two-Factor Authentication, select ‘required for everyone’ or ‘required for admins only,’ depending on your preference. For those who wish to turn off the setting, simply select ‘not required.’
- Click save.
2. Add additional admin and manage account access.
Reviewing who has access to your Facebook Business Account regularly can have great security benefits. We recommend adding to your calendar every couple of months to check who has access to your Business Manager. If you find there are people who no longer require access to your account, remove them.
If you are the sole administrator on your business manager account, we recommend you add at least one other admin. Adding additional admins simply means someone else has access, so if something detrimental happens to your account there is still someone with access to your account. It also gives you the ability to log out all admins if there has been a breach.
3. Watch out for suspicious links and software.
Oftentimes, businesses are the target of scammers, especially on Facebook. One of the best ways to combat this is to not open anything suspicious looking, including messages from trusted contacts. Be especially careful with links to downloads as these are often scammers trying to install malicious software on your device.
Don’t be afraid to ban users from your page. If there is a particular user who continuously posts scam comments on your posts, report them to Facebook and ban them from your page. They are posing a risk to both yourself and your followers’ privacy.
4 Ways to Increase your Personal Facebook Security
1. Keep your password secure.
We all know we should be keeping our passwords safe, secure and hard to guess. But the reality is, many of us still don’t take the risks seriously, having easy to guess or the same password for everything. In fact some of the worlds most common passwords include, ‘iloveyou’ and ‘qwerty.’
Having a strong password is the easiest way to keep your Facebook secure in 2020.
What is a good password?
A good password should be changed once every three months and have the following:
- A combination of letters and numbers.
- At least one symbol.
- Not used on any other platform.
2. Turn on your two-factor authentication.
Two-factor authentication isn’t just available to those with Facebook Business Manager — it’s also an option for personal accounts. This is highly recommended if you have a large account with an extensive friends list, or personal information and images you don’t want shared.
Like Facebook Business Manager, two-factor authentication works by requesting a special code whenever your account has been signed in on a new device. The code will be sent via the Facebook app on a pre approved device or via email/sms.
Two-factor authentication can easily be turned on in your Facebook account settings on mobile devices or desktop.
3. Don’t engage with suspicious accounts and posts.
Engaging with suspicious accounts is always risky, we’ve all had a friend request from an obviously fake Facebook profile. What most people do not realise is this is a common way scammers get access to personal information.
Once you’ve accepted the friend/message request from a scam account, you’ll likely be bombarded with malicious messages. As always, don’t click on any links you don’t recognise.
4. Setup login alerts.
For those who wish to keep their account extra secure, Facebook has recently added some extra security measures, including login alerts. Login alerts are exactly what the name suggests; alerts for when your account has been logged into from an unknown device. From here you’ll be able to see the location of the device and opt to change your password and log all other users out of your account.
How to setup login alerts on Facebook:
- Go to your security and login settings on either the app or desktop.
- Select ‘Get alerts about unrecognised log ins.’
- Choose how you wish to receive your alerts, whether this be via email or the Facebook app.
- Save your changes.
What to Do if Your Facebook is Hacked
If your Facebook account has been hacked, the first thing you need to do is report it. Simply head to your settings to report a hacked account. Once selected you will be required to let Facebook know how you’ve been hacked, i.e. message etc. If you no longer have access to your account, get a friend or family member to report your account on your behalf.