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How to save yourself from hackers on Facebook 

Facebook has become part of many individuals daily lives, as the social networking site has made interactions among friends, colleagues and family members easier. Having your account hacked can be so annoying, embarrassing and even painful in an event of being duped or being used as a bait for scamming.

Here are 10 preventive tips to protect your account from hackers as revealed by social times of Ad week and an anonymous facebook user.
Tip 1. Use Strong Passwords:
Always use passwords that are hard to guess (Mix of digits + letters in Upper case and lower case both) for your all accounts. The longer your password, the better.
Never use any common word, your name, spouse, parents, birthdate etc.
Week Passwords and be easily hacked using a Brute Force method which do combination of numbers and letters until the real password comes.
Common passwords containing name, birthdate can be easily guessed by your friends, or anyone known to you.
Tip 2. Carefully Click on Links:
Always Check the links carefully before clicking on them. If you click on a status update that a “friend” posted on your wall and it looks fishy, don’t assume they actually did it. Their account could be compromised. If your clicking takes you to a Facebook application that you’re unsure of, there’s no obligation to click through.
Tip 3: Never Open Email Attachments without scanning:
Don’t open any email attachment from any unknown person. And if the person is known, then also first scan the email attachment before open or download it. Don’t forget that honest web services will never ask you to do certain things in an email. For example, Facebook will NEVER send you an email asking you to change your password or enter personal details. If they need you to do that, they will tell you where in your account settings you can go to do that.
Email Attachments can contain Executable Virus files, that can harm your system. These files usually comes with extension .vbs, .bat, .exe.
image files with extension .Jpeg or .gif can also contain virus. Beware, Virus can be integrated with those jpeg files that are also auto executable. As soon as you open the virus infected picture, the virus will be install into your system.
Word files, Excel Files can also contain macro viruses, that are very harmful.
Tip 4. Never get Trapped in Honey pots
Download only from reputed Sites. 
Here are some ex. of honey Pots.
Jackpot….”You have won $100000″ , “You are the lucky member today”, “Free recharge”,
Don’t download any software or anything else from just anywhere. Always check for reputed sites then download.
HONEY POTS, a way to attract you to steal your identity and personal information. As soon as you click on it, the stealers get into your computer.
 Stealers are that which store all the matter you type including your username, password and send the information to the Hacker. The worst thing is these stealers may not come into notice by your antivirus.  
Tip 5: Surf Internet From a limited User Account.
Create a limited user account on your system that does not have administrator rights. and surf web only from that limited account.
As limited Account does not have administrators right. So if anything does get into your system, will cannot change any main functions of your system. 
Tip 6: Don’t tell Your IP to unknowns.
If you tell your IP to anyone then there may be chance that they can see Files in your system.
Tip 7: Turn off all java and java scripting by default
Turn of java scripting for your browser by default and only enable it for sites that you know you can trust.
This can change your account details, passwords, and can simply hack you.
Recently “Free Recharge Trick” on orkut is an Example of java script. It changes the victims complete profile, join unnecessary communities, leave scrap and comments on pictures of friends, and start a new community topic in forums congaing the Free Recharge trick’s link, to get more people into this trap
Tip 8: Never read an unsolicited e-mail
 Do spam unsolicited emails immediately without opening.
Because just by opening mail, the sender can know your IP and probably can hack you!!!
Tip 9: Always use different passwords
 Keep Password different for some important account like paypal or any online banking account, other then your social account’s passwords
Try to use different passwords for your all accounts.
Tip 10: Keep your Antivirus Up to date.
Antivirus updates contains the definitions of Viruses till date. So if you don’t Update it regularly, then there can be chance to get infected your system from a latest coming Virus.
Tip 11: Change your password regularly.
By regularly I mean monthly or even weekly, not yearly. Facebook’s “Forgot password?” option is one way, or you can go to your account’s settings.
-Olalekan Olonilua for encomium.ng

Encomium

Written by Encomium

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