Facebook security Updates You Ought To Know The Sooner, The Better
In case you haven’t noticed the latest trends among the Social Media giant, login stage for desktop computers and smart devices (phones and tables) has changed in a considerable manner as the Silicon Valley company is looking for ways in which optimisation can lead to a broader audience engagement.
Will these updates prove to be a wiser solution for common Facebook users or will they serve as gates for a future security breach? Only time will tell.
Login via photo
It’s a well-known practice that users leave their email and password data stored on their PCs or smartphones for obvious convenience reasons. However, whenever the search history of the browsing application was cleaned or app reinstalled (common scenario for iOS users as there is no other proven method for cleaning storage space rather than deleting + reinstalling the app), sessions were logged off and users had to log again, in many cases going through the two-step verification service.
Among Facebook latest updates a new feature was introduced for login: clicking on your Profile Photo to log. Most probably crafted for speeding up the switch between accounts in shared computers, the same process works with Facebook Mobile app, although it does not longer ask for code verification when reinstalling the app.
Phone data shared via WhatsApp
Given Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp back at 2014, such move as syncing data between phone contacts and FB users’ profiles was bound to happen. An update on WhatsApp privacy policy gives permission to connect Facebook accounts with WhatsApp, providing Facebook valuable data like using your phone contacts as friend suggestions.
WhatsApp message encryption system protects our communications; therefore, messages cannot be used for advertisement purposes – we can take a deep breath now – plus also mobile phone numbers won’t be displayed on Facebook profiles, but your chat contacts shall be displayed as this collaboration purpose is to develop the Friend Suggestion algorithm further.
Password reinforcement
Accounts that happen to have what is considered as “weak passwords” are often vulnerable to suspicious activity. This, alongside with viruses detected by Facebook shared work with Kaspersky Lab leads to temporary accounts block until the password is restored through mail or with the help of Internet Explorer/Microsoft Edge browser and their newly malware cleaning tool.
Afterwards, password replacement area will be displayed to restore account’s safeness; however, such troublesome scenario can be avoided if we simply switch our current Facebook password to strongest password combinations, using a sole password for Facebook instead of sharing the password with your mail account. More suggestions on this behalf can be appreciated at this infographic courtesy of Avatier.
Hack-proof accounts with Physical Keys
Innovation meets no end, and Facebook is now compatible with Security Keys. The system works like this: you need to log in your Facebook account, but login is only completed after tapping the USB key after entering your password.
Studies show that nearly 600,000 accounts are attempted to get hacked every day. The reason behind this is that most users are either unaware of two-step login settings or they simply made too easy to guess passwords. There is yet to meet a method in which smartphones can be adapted to this trend, although some companies are investing time and efforts in crafting such products.
Surveillance tools ban
It’s a well-known fact that, up to some point, developers used data exposed in Social Media as a way for police to track protesters. After the report released by ACLU during last October, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were ranked among the top feeders of information for tracking activists worldwide, which lead to a policy update by Facebook that also extends to Instagram services.
Text provided by Facebook’s Deputy Privacy Officer Rob Sherman clearly states the importance of making people feel safe when expressing their thoughts as long as it’s not something that lines under the “unwanted behaviour” terms: racism, gender discrimination, hate incitation, etc.
Facebook’s updated report system traced the route towards this policy update as fake accounts are taken down on a daily basis, not to mention users spreading hateful language. There is still plenty room for improvement, and only time will tell how far are we going to reach in this search of the perfect security system for our social media networks. Most importantly, Facebook is dedicating time and efforts to spreading a well-thought marketing strategy that can be resumed in two words: we care.
