You Can Prevent Facebook Hacks and Recover Hacked Accounts

It's heartbreaking to talk to a teen whose Facebook account has been hacked or taken over by someone else. I have some tips for you so this doesn't happen to you or anyone you love. And if you know someone with a hacked account, Facebook has great resources available to help them recover it.


1. Start with a strong, unique password – you have to use a different password for Facebook and your email. Otherwise, if a hacker gets control of one, they get control of both. Additionally your passwords should be longer than 6 characters, contains number or symbol, not include dictionary words or names, but still be something you can remember.


2. A technique that works is to create a special password phrase. Start with a sentence or phrase that means something to you. It could be a statement or a song lyric. Example: “I want to go to England”. Take the first letter of each word, exchange the word “to” with a number “2” and you have a password phrase: “Iw2g2E”. Then customize for each website as follows:
Facebook: FIw2g2Ek (put the “F” at the beginning and the last letter,” k”, at the end)
Symantec: SIw2g2Ec and so on.
Now each password is complex AND unique.
3. Never share your password with others. And if you have, change the password immediately.
4. When finished on a website, logout. Even if you are on your own laptop.
5. Don’t store passwords in your browser. You can use a password manager tool like Identity Safe in Norton 360 or Norton Internet Security.
6. Make sure you use a good internet security suite on your computer at all times. Secure your mobile devices and smart phones with a password and (if available) security software too.
7. Read Facebook’s Security advice at http://www.facebook.com/security.
8. Register multiple email address, telephone numbers on your Facebook account and select a security question and answer that only you know. Here’s a helpful Facebook tool to do this and rate your security level: https://www.facebook.com/update_security_info.php
9. On your Facebook account, go to “Account” (top right hand corner) and click the down arrow until more options appear. Click on “Account Settings”. Nearthe bottom of the page is “Account Security”. Click on “change.” Select “Secure Browsing (https) by clicking on the box. Then select both email and text message alerts for any new logins. Click “Save”.
10. Any evidence of hacked accounts should be reported to Facebook IMMEDIATELY by filling out the form available on this page: https://www.facebook.com/help/?page=420

Posted in: PC HACKS,TRICKS AND TIPS