Social media is used by everyone these days, even hackers. Hackers often try to steal your information from social media sites.
Even though social media is a useful tool for businesses, it’s important to know what security risks it poses. We’ll show you how to keep your business safe and use social media in a way that doesn’t hurt your business.
Why Hackers Target Social Media Accounts
Cybercriminals still use phishing emails with malware to attack users. But comments on social media are much more appealing for several reasons.
Think about how many people follow a well-known brand. Hackers want to take over the account because they think they can use it to trick many people. The more people who follow a company, the more likely a hacker will steal information from innocent users.
Other malicious reasons hackers target social media accounts include:
- Attempting to tarnish a brand’s reputation
- Taking advantage of users who lack security awareness
- Making money from selling personal information
How Cybercriminals Attack Social Media Accounts
What do these hackers do when they access a business’s social media account? Account takeover is one of the most common threats. The hacker gets your login information and then uses your account to pretend to be you or spread dangerous content.
Social media users who are easy to trick are at risk of phishing scams, malware like NodeStealer that targets social networks, and clickbait posts that lead to dangerous websites.
Best Ways To Protect Your Business and Make Social Media Safe for Your Company
If you’re careful, you don’t have to worry about hackers getting into the social media accounts of your business. These tips can help you protect your business without giving up your use of social media:
- Be careful when posting pictures: Hackers don’t care about your privacy online, so be careful when posting to a photo-sharing app. It’s best not to let the photo show where you are and to use filters that hide any private information that might be in the photo.
- Use multi-factor authentication: Experts recommend turning on multi-factor authentication to stop hackers from getting into your account. This is a great way to verify the account owner’s identity by asking you to answer security questions or enter a one-time verification password.
- Be aware of strange phone calls: Businesses often post their phone number on social media. If someone calls you and says they are from your bank, tell them you need to check the information and will call them back. To avoid a scam, check to see if the caller’s number is the same as the bank’s.
It is important to take steps to make sure your business’s social media accounts are safe from hackers to prevent cyber attacks.
