lead-forensics

Safeguarding your social media from hackers

Social media phishing is on the rise. Facebook is one of the most commonly impersonated brands in phishing attacks. Hackers now employ more sophisticated tactics, so you must strengthen your privacy settings to keep them away.

Lock screens exist for a reason

Lock all your computing devices as soon as you stop using them. This way, you are safe from the simplest hack of all: someone opening a browser on your computer that has your social media login saved.

Strong passwords are never out of fashion

Unlocking your phone may be limited to a six-digit passcode, but you’ll need something much more complicated for your account password. Create a password that you don’t use for any other account because with the regular occurrence of data breaches, hackers probably already have a long list of your favorite passwords from other websites and platforms.

It is best to use a password manager like an app or online service that allows you to generate and retrieve complex passwords.

You can also enable two-factor authentication, which requires a secondary verification step such as a code sent to your phone. Even if hackers have your password, they won’t be able to log in without your phone.

Make use of social media features

Facebook can help you keep tabs on who’s accessing your account and from where. Click on the down arrow located at the upper right corner of your Newsfeed and select Settings. Then click Security and Login to get more information. If you sense an imposter, click the right-hand icon so you can log out remotely or report the person.

From there, turn on Get alerts about unrecognized logins to get notifications via Facebook, Messenger, or email if someone is logged into your account from an unrecognized browser. Unfortunately, Twitter doesn’t have the same option (which makes two-factor authentication extremely necessary).

Hackers can also barge into your Facebook and Twitter accounts through third-party services that you’ve given access to your profiles, so make sure to double-check what you have approved.

  • Facebook: Go to Settings > Apps and Websites to view and manage outside service with access to your account
  • Twitter: Go to Settings and Privacy > Apps to check and edit the list

Lastly, be sure to check the permissions Facebook and Twitter have on your smartphone or tablet.

  • Android: Go to Settings > Apps > App permissions
  • iOS: Go to Settings > Privacy to manage which service can access which parts of your phone

Less personal info, fewer problems

These steps are just the beginning of what you should be doing. You should also limit the personal data you input into your social media accounts. Avoid oversharing.

By following these tips, you can prevent Facebook and Twitter hacking.

Cybersecurity is a sprawling issue and social media privacy is such a small sliver of what you need to stay on top of. For 24/7 support, call our team of experts today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
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Adam

Help Desk

Adam was in the Navy before he joined our team in 2015. He is cool under pressure and a calming influence on the help desk. Perhaps this is because, after staring down Somali pirates off the coast of Africa, printer and email problems don’t seem so intimidating! Adam likes to shoot things (not people – thought we should make that clear), play Xbox, and of course, shoot things on Xbox! A husband of fourteen years with two children, he has been all over the world and still calls Central Texas his home. His teammates say, “Adam has an incredible memory when it comes to our clients. He remembers names, Internet settings, applications and printers!”
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Tyler

Projects Team Lead
Tyler cut his technological teeth through four years both in part-time work and in working with one of our telephony partners. Tyler loves working and learning, and has built a larger network at his home than 90% of our clients have in their businesses! He is thoughtful with his own money, preferring to buy a home and drive an old truck rather than pay rent and car payments. His hobbies of woodworking and gardening dovetail nicely with home ownership! He’s been known to play a bit of electric guitar, he enjoys 3D modeling and printing, and drives a gray Mustang GT that he’s modded as completely as his computers! Several of our team were in the wedding party when he got married!
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Aaron Johnstone

Help Desk Manager
With more patience than Job and more experience than most people in IT today, Aaron is the go-to guy for challenging problems. He directs our team both in the maintenance and help-desk functions. Aaron has been in IT for over twenty years and has played nearly every role possible EXCEPT, he reminds us, Sales. We can test almost every system in our client base on Aaron’s home network because it’s extensive and complex. When he isn’t tinkering with computers, he loves to read, play video games with his kids, and run. Aaron’s been married to his wife for twenty-one years and they have two daughters and a son. His teammates say, “I can always count on him to have my back. If I can’t find the answer, Aaron knows where to look!”
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Eli Meier

COO | CTO
Eli is our jack-of-all-trades. His degree is in English, and he intended to teach before he discovered a natural aptitude for computers. He combines the two in his role at Lighthouse, as he has a unique ability to explain complex technology in relatable, understandable conversation. Over more than twenty years working in IT, he’s written e-commerce programs for a university, set up an email cluster for a major league baseball team, and managed/executed hundreds of IT projects. He enjoys classic Volkswagens, cooking and barbeque, and hiking and camping. He and his wife have been married twenty-one years and have nine kids. Though he is 6’1”, he is the SHORTEST male in his entire extended family. We all feel badly for him.
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Ray Wilson

Chief Executive Officer
Ray is our CEO and he is passionate about helping businesses – both ours and our clients’ – succeed. Except for Skip, he’s probably been involved with IT longer than anyone – he was troubleshooting computers and repairing them at his school when he was seven! As an intern while attending UMHB, he was involved with IT, but really started growing when he joined our team in 2005. When he transitioned most of our clients to managed services, our MSP business was truly born, and we then grew it from five to forty people between 2006 and 2016. In that time, he was a help desk tech, business processes consultant, account manager, salesperson, sales engineer, client services manager, sales manager, and COO. If you want to get his juices flowing, challenge him to any team sport or ask him to go snow skiing. He’s been married to his high school sweetheart fourteen years and they have three high-energy boys. Oh… and both of his parents are also small business entrepreneurs.

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