Although Facebook account hackings and security concerns are nothing new, a recent spate of nasty posts (including pornographic and violent images) has affected more Facebook users than normal.
According to a Facebook statement published by ZDnet.com, “In other words, this is the type of spam we’ve seen before, but it’s coming in at a much faster pace, as if it was something planned in advance. It’s currently unclear if users are required to click on something to start spreading the spam, or if this is an actual attack leveraging some kind of vulnerability in the service’s code.”
If your Facebook account has been compromised, consider these tips from ZDnet to help clean up your news feed and restore your account’s security.
*Change your password. This is the easiest and most common fix for a compromised account. Change your password to a combination of letters and numbers. And get in the habit of frequently changing your password to help minimize account attacks. To be on the safe side, you may also want to change your password to other online sites, especially if it’s the same as or similar to your Facebook password.
*Clean up your apps. You’re likely no stranger to app requests. Aside from being entertaining (or annoying), apps can also be downright dangerous. ZDnet suggests removing any Facebook app that looks suspicious. You’ll revoke any previous permissions and help safeguard your account from hackers or other malicious parties.
*Check for viruses. Your Facebook woes may have originated from another virus or malware that was unknowingly installed on your computer. If you don’t already have anti-virus software, pick up a copy and run a check on your computer. The software will pinpoint suspicious and/or dangerous files, and will take you through a step-by-step process to quarantine and destroy the culprits.
Have you been a victim of this latest Facebook hacking? If so, what safeguards have you taken to help protect your account?
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”