Don’t Let Your Twitter or Facebook Play You
Early Monday morning you may have had to check another news outlet if you saw FoxNews.com’s tweet that the president was dead.
A tweet read, “BREAKING NEWS: President @BarackObama assassinated, 2 gunshot wounds have proved too much. It’s a sad 4th for #america. #obamadead RIP.”
The post has since been removed, but not before it was sent to the feeds of the account’s over 34,000 followers.
The following precautions can help to ensure that your social media site does not get hacked:
1. Always check the URL of the Login Page.
Making sure that the site says https:// instead of http:// (without the s) secures the website connection.
2. Make sure you type the correct URL.
A lot of fraudulent websites mimic that of Facebook and Twitter. Make sure that you type in the correct URL before entering your username and password. For example, don’t type https://www.facebookk.com (with two k’s) or something similar. These pages could run malicious scripts that can copy your username and password.
3. Avoid Twitter and Facebook Apps that ask for your password.
If a website or application is asking for your login to a site that is not owned by them, then that should be a red flag. When entering your password on a third party’s site, they can then save it to their database. Don’t do it!
4. Make your account private.
If you are weary of people getting your information, don’t give it out for easy access. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook alike have “private” modes in which you can hide your profile from people you may not know, or people who you may not want to have access to the information you supply to your network of friends and followers.
5. Beware of opening messages from users you don’t know.
Scammers can lure you in by saying, “Click here to win $1,000 instantly,” or “I have a gift for you, download it here for free.” Make sure to delete the direct messages that have similar sayings, and unfollow users who send you spam. Most of these links do not work like you think they do.
Though social media sites are a great way to connect, network and stay in touch, make sure to protect yourself first.
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(Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
