Dr. Djuwari
Yesterday, I was invited by a friend of mine, a manager of a certain private company whose branches in some big cities in Indonesia. We discussed the next program of the research project. He doesn’t want his name to be exposed. In the middle of the conversation, I told him to have a Facebook account so that I could communicate with him easily and quickly. But, he doesn’t want to have a Facebook account with the reason of security.
Two weeks ago, I also chatted through a WhatsApp account with a close friend from Australia. We also discussed a collaboration for a research project. I also told him to have a Facebook account so that we can update any sharing together. He also said to me the same as my first friend above for the same reason.
A month ago, a close friend of mine from the Philippines announced it on the messenger group of the organization. She said that, if we got any message from her Facebook account she told us to ignore it. She told us that her Facebook account had been hacked. And, that is about security for using a Facebook account in a digital society.
From the three stories above, I am wondering if our Facebook accounts are being hacked and used for any bad purposes but we do not know it. If that is the case, it is important for us as Facebook users to be very careful. If there is any message or some tags that are not relevant, we must ignore it. We must consider whether that person is really to do that so deviating act as usual. If not, ignore it.
According to wearespcial.com, in 2023, the users of Facebook is about 2.958 billion people, followed by YouTube 2.514 billion people, and WhatsApp and Instagram 2.000 for both. And the rest of other social media. Less than the three platforms.
Based on the stories above, here are some suggestions. First of all, we must be cautious with sharing personal information. It’s important to be mindful of the information we share on Facebook, including in private messages and posts. Avoid sharing sensitive personal details that could be used against you if your account is compromised.
Another tip is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to our Facebook account by requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to our phone or email, in addition to our password. This can help prevent unauthorized access even if our password is compromised.
Further step is to regularly update our password, or have our password as longer one.: Changing our Facebook password regularly can help prevent unauthorized access to your account. Choose a strong, unique password that includes a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. We also have to be aware of phishing attempts by being cautious of any messages or emails asking us to provide personal information or click on suspicious links. These could be phishing attempts designed to steal your login credentials or install malware on your device.
Besides that, we must also always monitor our account activity: Keep an eye on our Facebook account activity and review any unfamiliar login attempts or suspicious activity. Facebook provides tools to help us monitor and manage your account security settings. If we suspect that our Facebook account has been hacked or compromised in any way, report it to Facebook immediately. They have processes in place to investigate and help secure our account.
We also have to consider alternative communication methods. If we’re concerned about the security of Facebook, consider using alternative communication methods such as encrypted messaging apps like Signal or Telegram for sensitive conversations. it’s important to remember that no system is entirely foolproof. Staying vigilant and proactive about your online security is key to protecting yourself and your personal information in today’s digital age.
Dr. Djuwari is an Associate Professor at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya (UNUSA) Indonesia. Surabaya, the editor of some research journals in the Philippines and Indonesia. He is also a journalist in some newspapers in Indonesia; the President of International Association of Scholarly Publishers, Editors, and Reviewers (IASPER), business owner of Djuw Café
