The biggest threats to your social media accounts in 2018

Social media security is more important in 2018 than ever before. Almost every living person today has one or several social media accounts on the most popular platforms online. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and many other services have enjoyed a boom over the last several years, with an unexpected growth and reach, and these social media services are now part of our everyday life in many aspects.

However, social networks are also an increasing target of malicious parties such as hackers or phishing information thieves, looking for victims with new ways of approaching users. If you want to stay safe during 2018 on social media, then you have to know some of the biggest threats to your accounts.

Weak passwords

This is one of the biggest issues and causes of social media problems: having a weak, easy to guess password on a personal account makes it easy for other people to steal your information and use the social media as if they were you. Always strive to use a long and secure password only you know, with a mix of upper and lowercase, as well as symbols and numbers. Try not to use the same password more than once across your social media accounts, to stay more protected online. For more advice see our guide on how to make a strong password for 2018.

Fake profiles

It’s extremely easy to create an account on social networks, just as it’s easy to create a fake profile within them in order to trick unwary users. One trending threat in 2018 is to approach users using a profile filled with false information, claiming to be somebody else, and asking for personal information. Be wary of people who claim to work for the social media platform but show no official identification, for example, because you might be in presence of a fake profile.

Site breaches and leaks

A latent threat that can affect you is a site breach or an information leak. Unfortunately, this is the one threat you can’t be prepared for, as it tends to happen without any notice. Be sure to only trust secure websites and services with your personal and sensitive information, and in case a security breach happens, change your password immediately and pay attention to any other connected service that might have been breached as well.

Public information

Social media websites and apps let you share bits of your life with people you know as well as online strangers. Be careful if you’re sharing more than you should: remember that anything public can be used as a basis to hack you if it falls into the wrong hands. Consider restricting your profile or your individual posts if they contain sensitive information about you, like location, addresses, numbers, e-mails and anything else that might be used to properly identify you.

Suspicious links and clickbait

Finally, be careful with the content other users share because it might link you to a virus download or a phishing website, even if the user that posted it is unaware. Pay attention to shortened links and also to shocking or pompous headlines that might be written to lure users.