Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have made everyone feel more connected. This is why businesses are also using these channels to connect and humanize brands so that they can earn brand followers. They must also make these social media accounts more secured.
There’s no doubt that it revolutionized how people and business brands interact with one another. More and more people spend their time online, and therefore businesses are putting big investments to have the best social media channel.
However, as much as social media is a great way to stay connected and market products, security hazards are also currently on the rise.
In 2016 alone, social media scams increased on these different platforms by a staggering 150 percent. Many reports suggest recently that these types of attacks are getting more advanced. At times like these, digital security is vital ‒ identity thieves and cyber scammers can easily access peoples’ and business’ information.
As part of the implementation of social media strategies, here are nine fire-proof ways to improve the safety of social media accounts that you use for your business.
Customize privacy settings
According to a survey, as much as 67 percent of the respondents were concerned about privacy issues on their social media accounts, only 31 percent have necessary made changes by updating their privacy settings within 90 days.
This lack of attention to detail can be dangerous, especially to businesses and brands which can easily be a direct target for identity and data theft, social engineering, among others.
Another particular area of concern to those who have business pages is that they don’t know a large percent of fans and followers who “like” their page (unlike having a personal Facebook or Twitter account can).
While it’s virtually impossible for organizations to screen every person, they must take the necessary steps to make their social accounts and pages more secure, by choosing the right privacy settings that work well for their business.
Create strong passwords
Social media security best practices.
Data breaching and hacking have become far too familiar these days, and even giant social networks are not immune from it.
In fact, during this particular incident, hackers were able to collect the log-in info of at least 32 million users.
The following month before that, LinkedIn experienced the same problem. Because of these risks, 8 out of 10 people are worried about their security online.
Here’s the bottom line ‒ hacks are inevitable even in the places most people trust the most. That’s why at this point, thinking of a strong and secure password can be one of the most first-lines of defense to prevent hackers from breaking in accounts.
Set up two-factor authentication
Two-Factor authentication provides an extra layer of security. This two-step verification method uses two different ways to verify a particular user’s identity.
Although choosing a strong password certainly helps, one cannot entirely rule out the possibility of not getting hacked.
Instead of just using a password to log-in, individuals will also be asked to enter a specific code that’s sent via text message, email, or generated using an app.
This verification process helps make sure that only the real users can access their accounts.
Implement social media policy
For most business pages, owners and managers need to implement a strict social media policy.
Doing so protects them from security threats, legal trouble, and even lousy PR.
Ideally, social media policies should have:
Clear brand guidelines that explain how to talk about the company on social media
Rules regarding personal social media use and confidentiality
State which department or individuals in the company that is responsible for a specific social media account
Guidelines on creating clear, strong passwords (and how often they should be changed), copyright and confidentiality
An expectation of how devices and software should be regularly updated
Solutions on how to avoid and identify possible scams, security threats, and attacks
Guidelines on how to respond and who to reach out to in case a security concern happens
Assign someone to be in charge
For a business to go a long way towards mitigating risks, it helps to designate a person who can be the ears and eyes when it comes to the organization’s social media presence.
This individual is in-charge making sure the social media policy is implemented effectively, also monitoring the brand’s social media presence and determining who will have the publishing access.
This individual should also maintain good ties with the company’s IT department, ensuring that both the IT and marketing team works well in mitigating possible risks.
Moreover, they will likely be the person that most team members turn to, should members make mistakes on social media that puts the company at risk, and possibly damaging their reputation.
By assigning someone who’s in-charge, organizations can respond appropriately should such problems arise.
While most organizations are focused on warding off different threats, it’s also possible for employees to cause cyber security incidents.
Therefore, one of the best ways to keep everything secure and under control is to limit the access to social accounts to employees.
While different teams are responsible for customer service, content creation and social media messaging, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone on the team can post.
Not everyone must have a password to the company’s social media accounts, either.
Every organization must think about limiting the number of people who can post on these accounts.
Avoid common human error
As we discussed previously, employees can be a top risk when it comes to social media safety and security.
It’s possible for them to introduce problems to the company by clicking things they shouldn’t be clicking, showing poor judgment at times, and even being lazy about applications that can unload malware, viruses, and spyware on their computers.
Also, employees tend to overshare vital information about the company that can pose a risk if shared with the wrong people.
Critical bits of information can be dropped here and there, creating an opportunity for hackers to bring a company down to their knees.
Organizations need to train a select group of people to enforce a strict, standard operating procedure that everyone must follow to prevent these issues from happening.
Schedule regular audits
Different social media threats are continually evolving. As hackers are coming up with new strategies, a series of scams and viruses are expected all the time.
That’s why scheduling regularly audits on a company’s security measures on social media help bring down these threats.
Install an excellent antivirus software
Organizations must install excellent antivirus software that has the latest software updates to ward off different online risks.
Having software installed in mobile devices and computers can be one of the best lines of defense against malware and viruses.
The bottom line
With a sea of information constantly being shared and stored online, social media security has become increasingly important.
While the benefits of social media are staggering, hackers and scammers can quickly get involved, gaining access to peoples’ and businesses’ vital information.
Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure that all social media accounts are safe and secured, by knowing how to protect it from the most common social media threats out there.
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More reading on social media platforms from Digital Spark Marketing’s Library:
About Social Media … Ways to Use Social Media for Learning
Mike Schoultz is a digital marketing and customer service expert. With 48 years of business experience, he consults on and writes about topics to help improve the performance of small business. Find him on G+, Facebook, Twitter, Digital Spark Marketing, and LinkedIn.
