How to protect yourself from account theft

The surest way not to be deceived by scammers is to check all the information.

In order not to become an unwitting participant in fraud, it is important to protect your accounts and personal data.

Use a strong password

A strong password cannot be guessed by brute force, it must:

• consist of letters of different case, symbols and numbers;
• contain at least 12 characters, and preferably more;
• be unique for each platform where the user registers;
• change with a frequency of once every 2-3 months;
• be abstract: do not mean anything related to personal life.

In order not to remember a complex combination yourself, you can save it in a password manager - there are standard ones in a Google account and on Mac OS.

Turn on two-factor authentication

Many social networks and messengers offer users two-factor or two-step authentication. It is needed to confirm that it is the owner who enters the account, and not someone else. After entering the password, the service asks for confirmation using an SMS code, an in-app code, a QR code, and other options.

Don't store passwords in favorites

Keeping personal data in correspondence with yourself or in favorites is another security risk.

Don't click on suspicious links

It's important to be careful what links and files are sent to you, especially if you didn't ask for them. It is worth making it a rule not to go to sites from suspicious messages at all, and even more so not to enter your data on them. We recommend disabling auto-download in the settings, if there is such an option, and installing anti-virus software - it will help identify the threat.

Don't give permission to suspicious apps

Applications request access to a social network account, but not all provide a guarantee of security.

You need to trust only proven services with a strong reputation that have been on the market for a long time.

Update the app regularly

Update as often as possible.

Do not link bank cards to your profile

We recommend getting a separate card for payments in social networks - you can use a virtual one - and transfer the necessary amounts to it every month.

Do not log in through social networks on dubious sites

Many sites offer a simplified registration procedure - through social networks. This is convenient: you do not need to invent new logins and passwords, just press one button.

In fact, it also simplifies the work of crackers. Information about access to social networks appears on a third-party site, and if it is hacked, it will not be difficult to steal accounts.

It is especially dangerous to log in through social networks to which a bank card is linked. In the event of a third-party site being hacked, the attacker has a couple of steps to get to the payment data.

Only a set of measures and constant attention will protect your data from hacking. Be carefull!

Russian version