7 ways to hack-proof your smartphone to keep your data safe

1. UPDATE YOUR SOFTWARE

One of the most important safety precautions as a smartphone user is to keep its operating system (OS) up to date. It's important because, when OS vulnerabilities are discovered, updates are sent out that contain patches for those flaws.

That makes it critical to install OS updates ASAP. Here are the steps to update both Apple iOS and Android OS:

Apple

Go into your "Settings" app and select "General." From there, select "Software Update" and your iPhone will begin to check for updates. Then select "Download and Install."

Android

Open Settings >> Tap About Phone >> Tap System Updates >> If there is an available update tap Restart and Install.

2. KEEP CRIMINALS OUT OF YOUR PHONE

If your phone is stolen, the thief can gain access to all of the sensitive data that's stored in it. That means it is important to make it as difficult for them to get into it as possible.

Apple

iPhones used to only allow you to create a four-digit passcode for protection.

Do the math on that and you'll realize that allows just 10,000 passcode combinations. Now consider that someone watching you might see the simple combination you use to enter your passcode. Or, someone who knows you well might guess your four-digit passcode based on your birthday, street address or another PIN you use a lot.

Now, Apple gives you the chance to create stronger alternatives. You can choose between a four-digit numeric code, a six-digit numeric code, a custom numeric code, or a custom alphanumeric code. These options are more secure than the original four-digit option.

Go to Settings >> Touch ID & Passcode >> Tap Turn Passcode On >> Enter a six-digit passcode or tap Passcode Options and choose among the options we've listed above >> Enter your passcode again to confirm it and activate it.

Android

Android phones have multiple options when it comes to setting a screen lock. Go to Settings >> tap Security under the Personal section >> tap Screen lock. You will see a few options to choose from:

None - This leaves you with no lock screen security.
Swipe - Selecting this option is basically the same as having no lock screen security. Anyone can unlock your gadget by swiping the lock screen.
Pattern - You can unlock your phone by using a specific swipe pattern along a series of dots.
PIN - Choose an uncrackable Personal Identification Number.
Password - Creating a password specific to the lock screen is an option, but it's the most inconvenient option available.

3. USE PHONE LOCATING APPS

Losing your phone or having it stolen is scary. There's so much personal data stored in it you don't want it getting into the wrong hands. If this unfortunate situation happens to you, there are apps that will help you track down your gadget.

Apple

Find My iPhone: This is a free app you can download from the App Store. If you lose your phone, you can log into your Apple ID account from another device and see a map of where it is. Getting the phone back is great, but the real saving grace is being able to wipe the phone clean; this app allows you to erase all your phone's content and settings.

Android

Android Device Manager: This is a free app you can download from the Google Play store. If you lose your phone, you can log in to your Google account from another device and see a map of where it is. This app also allows you to wipe the phone clean, erase all your phone data and reset your lock screen passcode.

4. ONLY DOWNLOAD TRUSTED APPS

Whenever you want to download an app, make sure it's from a trusted source. Third-party apps don't go through the rigid security checks that apps found in Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store do. That means third-party apps could be malicious and infect your phone with malware.

Here are some ways to avoid being infected by a malicious app:

App stores - Stay away from third-party app stores. There have been a few examples of malicious apps in the Google Play Store and Apple's App Store, but they are very rare. Third-party app stores do little vetting of apps, making it easier for scammers to spread malware there.
Check the apps' developer - Verifying the name of the app developer is important. Copycat apps will have a different developer's name than the actual one. Before downloading an app, do a Google search to find the original developer.

Reviews - Most popular apps will have reviews by other users in the app store. You can sometimes find reviews by experts online. These are helpful at pointing out malicious or faulty apps. If you find a review warning the app is malicious, do NOT download it.

5. TURN OFF APP NOTIFICATIONS

Certain apps constantly send you notifications that pop-up right on your lock screen. Some can actually give away private information to anyone within view of your phone.

Think about your messenger app of choice. If you're having a private conversation with someone and they send you a personal message, it'll appear right on your lock screen. It could be a conversation that you don't want others around you to see.

You do have the option of turning off notifications for any app on your phone.

Apple

Go to Settings >> scroll down to the app you want notifications turned off for and select it >> tap Notifications >> slide the toggle to the left next to Allow Notifications. Follow these steps for each app that you want notifications turned off.

Android

Open Settings >> tap Notifications >> select an app >> choose Block all. Follow these steps for each app that you want notifications turned off.

6. USE A PASSWORD MANAGER

Passwords are critical to keeping your personal data safe. The key is creating hack-proof passwords that criminals won't be able to breach. Click here to learn three proven formulas that will help.

If you're like almost every other person with a laptop, tablet and smartphones, you have so many passwords it's simply impossible to remember them all. Plus, many online accounts require you to change your password often.

The problem is, just when you finally remember that complicated, super-long password, you have to change it. So frustrating!

Don't worry, we've got a solution for this. They're called password managers, and they're really helpful. Instead of remembering lots of passwords, you simply remember one password. When you type it into your free password manager, it opens up all your saved accounts with their website addresses, logins and passwords.

7. SET UP A VPN WHEN USING PUBLIC WI-FI

It's very convenient to bank, shop and post photos and status updates online. It means you don't have to physically go to the bank, the store or travel long distances to catch up with family and friends who might be scattered around the country.

The drawback to doing these and other things online is that your information is traveling through the internet. It isn't a straight shot between you and the site you're using, either. The data can bounce through servers around the country or even around the world.

That gives hackers a lot of opportunities to steal your information. If they can grab it in transit, they can learn your passwords, details about you they shouldn't know, or even pretend to be you to trick your bank or other secure sites.

That's especially true if you're using public Wi-Fi. Hackers on the same network have plenty of tools to snoop on what you're doing.

To encrypt your connection, you can use a virtual private network (VPN).

A third-party VPN service lets you create an encrypted connection with one of its servers and you use that server to browse the internet. The connection is encrypted through the server, so the VPN can't see your traffic either. OK, it's a bit more complicated than that behind the scenes, but that's the result.

11 Tips for Social Networking Safety

Social networking websites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Windows Live Spaces are services people can use to connect with others to share information like photos, videos, and personal messages.

As the popularity of these social sites grows, so do the risks of using them. Hackers, spammers, virus writers, identity thieves, and other criminals follow the traffic.

Read these tips to help protect yourself when you use social networks.

• Use caution when you click links that you receive in messages from your friends on your social website. Treat links in messages on these sites as you would links in e-mail messages.
• Know what you’ve posted about yourself. A common way that hackers break into financial or other accounts is by clicking the “Forgot your password?” link on the account login page. To break into your account, they search for the answers to your security questions, such as your birthday, hometown, high school class, father’s middle name, on your social networking site. If the site allows, make up your own password questions, and don’t draw them from material anyone could find with a quick search.
• Don’t trust that a message really is from whom it says it’s from. Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they’re from your friends, but aren’t. If you suspect that a message is fraudulent, use an alternate method to contact your friend to find out. This includes invitations to join new social networks.
• To avoid giving away e-mail addresses of your friends, do not allow social networking services to scan your e-mail address book. When you join a new social network, you might receive an offer to enter your e-mail address and password to find out if your contacts are on the network. The site might use this information to send e-mail messages to everyone in your contact list or even everyone you’ve ever sent an e-mail message to with that e-mail address. Social networking sites should explain that they’re going to do this, but some do not.
• Type the address of your social networking site directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks. If you click a link to your site through e-mail or another website, you might be entering your account name and password into a fake site where your personal information could be stolen.
• Be selective about who you accept as a friend on a social network. Identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you.
• Choose your social network carefully. Evaluate the site that you plan to use and make sure you understand the privacy policy. Find out if the site monitors content that people post. You will be providing personal information to this website, so use the same criteria that you would to select a site where you enter your credit card.
• Assume that everything you put on a social networking site is permanent. Even if you can delete your account, anyone on the Internet can easily print photos or text or save images and videos to a computer.
• Be careful about installing extras on your site. Many social networking sites allow you to download third-party applications that let you do more with your personal page. Criminals sometimes use these applications to steal your personal information. To download and use third-party applications safely, take the same safety precautions that you take with any other program or file you download from the Web.
• Think twice before you use social networking sites at work.
• Talk to your kids about social networking.

6 Tips for Safe Online Banking

1. Change your password regularly

The best thing consumers can do to protect themselves is to change their passwords every 90 days. Never use a word and always use a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Words are too easy to guess, particularly if they’re related to your persona, such as your mother’s maiden name, the street where you live or your pet’s name.

The longer the password, the better. Many government agencies require passwords to be at least 14 characters. Pick a well-known verse and add numbers and letters to it that will be easy to remember. Make your password even harder to crack by replacing letters with special characters.

2. Refrain from using public computers or Wi-Fi when banking online

Anytime you are using public Wi-Fi, you have to assume that someone can access your browser history and your password. So if you are doing anything that requires you to log in, such as banking or reading email, you are putting yourself at risk. This applies even if you have your email or other password-protected sites set up to automatically insert your password for you and log in.

3. Check your bank statement regularly

Check your bank statement each month. Even though banks are highly skilled at recognizing fraud, particularly with credit cards, they might not always be able to catch every questionable transaction among every customer, so you should be sure to review your statement monthly.

4. Use licensed anti-virus software

Even Mac users need to invest in good anti-virus software. Be sure to check for updates frequently. Either set your computer to check for updates automatically and alert you or plan to check yourself every Saturday or Sunday morning. But, don’t set your computer to download the update automatically. Downloading manually provides the best protection from malware and viruses.

5. Disconnect your Internet when not using it

Computers that are always connected to the Internet are vulnerable. Most consumers get their internet through their cable company and the Wi-Fi is always on. Be sure your Wi-Fi is password-protected, and if you can, it’s a good idea to disconnect your computer from the Wi-Fi when you’re not using it.

6. Type your bank URL every time instead of using email links

Never click on a URL in an email, even if it looks like it’s from a trusted source. “The email and link might look very legitimate but it could take you somewhere you don’t want to go,” he says. Always retype the URL into your computer before using it or bookmark your bank’s actual authenticated site, especially if you are using it for an online transaction or to provide sensitive information.

7 safety tips for using LinkedIn

1. Never give financial information or money to another LinkedIn user.

LinkedIn is a free service, and unless you want to sign up for LinkedIn Premium, there is no reason for you to input your financial information anywhere on the website. If you are offered a job, your employer will have their own method of collecting payroll information for you; they should not ask you to give this information out on the website. If they do, request that they collect your financial information in a more secure way.

In addition, you should never have to send money to another  user for any reason, including securing a potential job prospect. LinkedIn is merely intended to connect you to people in your business field, and help you find job opportunities you may not otherwise find. You should not be required to send money to any of its users, for any reason. 

2. Question and research all job offers received through LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, some users will sometimes run scams through LinkedIn, hoping to take advantage of people desperately looking for work. Question all job opportunities that are presented to you, especially those that seem “too good to be true” – they often are.

Beware messages sent to you that seem to be generic, or that offer you things that aren’t realistic (e.g. “Make $2000 a week working from home” or “We’ve reviewed your profile and you’re exactly what we’re looking for”). In addition, try not to click on any links in messages before researching the ‘alleged’ company or employer more; these links could be viruses.

3. Be careful about putting your phone number, street address, or other contact information in your LinkedIn profile.

Though only your connections can see any contact information that you put on the site (besides your email address, which everyone can see), this information should usually be kept private and only given out upon request. A potential employer does not need to know your phone number or Internet messaging criteria unless they want to contact you, and they don’t need to know your street address unless they want to hire you. A user who demands this information from you without giving you genuine reason to believe they are considering you for hire may have ulterior motives.

4. Don’t accept every invitation to connect with other LinkedIn users.

Though you may be tempted to expand your network on LinkedIn as much as possible (perhaps on the advice of a friend), you should be careful about doing this. Though it may be okay to accept connections to professionals in your (intended) business field, you should generally avoid accepting connection requests from users whom you don’t know at all, especially if they aren’t directly related to a potential job prospect.

If you accept every user as a connection without viewing their profile first, you’re much more likely to receive trivial messages on your account, or even become the victim of a scam. Always do some basic research before requesting or accepting a LinkedIn connection; a complete stranger in another country who doesn’t work in your field is not going to help you get a job.

5. Verify the identities of LinkedIn users whom you deal with.

Remember that almost anyone can sign up for LinkedIn, and that identities, personal information, or qualifications of the users cannot be identified. Whether you’re recruiting or looking for a job yourself, it is okay to ask another LinkedIn user for verification of their identity or qualifications.

If you’ve been corresponding with someone and you want to ensure they are who they say they are, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask them for more information about themselves, and/or for proof of their identity. Any reasonable user who has genuine intentions will oblige you this request.

6. Report LinkedIn users who post scams or other inappropriate content.

If you come into contact with a user who is sending you unsolicited messages, running a scam, or otherwise using the website inappropriately, be sure to report them to LinkedIn. To do this, simply contact LinkedIn with information about what you have seen on the website, and they may remove the offending content or suspend/disable the account that posted it. LinkedIn also sometimes reports scams to the authorities, so be sure not to leave these issues unreported if you experience them. Remember that by reporting abuses of the website, you're helping other LinkedIn users not fall victim to them, too!

7. Protect your LinkedIn account with a secure password… or two!

Always securely protect your account with a strong password, and don’t give your password to any other user. Even just a few minutes of control over your LinkedIn profile would give someone the opportunity to ruin your potential job prospects, and even your professional reputation (at least on LinkedIn).

You can also turn on two-step verification for your account, which requires you to enter two forms of verification for your account when an unfamiliar device attempts to sign into your account. If this happens, LinkedIn will send a numeric code to your mobile device, which you will be required to enter to sign into your account. If it wasn’t you trying to sign in, you’ll know someone is trying to access your account; this may be a good time to change your LinkedIn password. 

Well, that’s our rundown on LinkedIn safety! If you’re thinking of using LinkedIn, you should definitely check out our next article; we review LinkedIn to help you decide if it’s right for you. If you’re already sold, check out the next step-by-step tutorial on how to create a LinkedIn account.

7 Cell Phone Safety Tips Your Kids Need to Know

It seems that everyone owns a cell phone today, and kids are far from an exception; the average age at which an adolescent receives their first cell phone is about 11 years. It can't be denied that there is value in kids' having cell phones; cell phones can be an effective means of keeping in touch with your kids and keeping them safe; can benefit older kids socially; and can be a good way to give your kids some responsibility and accountability. However, owning a cell phone carries a number of risks. For parents whose kids have cell phones or who are considering giving their child a phone, we have compiled a list of essential safety tips to help your child avoid these risks.

1. Don't talk to strangers.

It's old advice, but it's good advice; your child should only accept calls or respond to messages from people they know, and should also only call or message those they know in real life. While the threat of strangers is often exaggerated, it still exists, and children and young adolescents in particular should take steps to protect themselves by being cautious in whom they speak to using their phone

2. Know what cyberbullying looks like.

Unfortunately, cyberbullying remains a substantial problem. Your child should know what constitutes cyberbullying and what the consequences are, both for the perpetrator and the victim. Teach your child against engaging in bullying behavior on their phone, and make sure they know that they should come straight to you if they observe cyberbullying, whether they are the victim or someone else is.

3. Don't share private information.

It's amazing how easily content and information can be shared and spread using cell phones. To prevent your child from falling victim to this phenomenon, teach them not to send personal information using their phone or to use their device to post it on social media, if their phone is Internet-capable. Your child should also not give out their cell phone number to those they don't know well. Finally, your child should know not to say or share anything inappropriate using their phone, especially anything rude or sexual in nature.

4. Don't "check in."

Social networking sites such as Facebook offer geolocation, a service that allows users to "check in" to their current physical location and posts this information to their profile. Because publishing your whereabouts online makes you easier to find and follow, this feature comes with some risk, especially for younger users who may be more easily targeted. If your child has an Internet-capable phone, advise them against using geolocation.

5. Practice Internet safety.

Another issue to consider if your child has an Internet-capable phone is their level of access. While your child's being able to access the Internet on their phone can be useful and practical, it can also increase access to unsafe or inappropriate websites and content. Teach your child about what you consider acceptable use of the Internet, and instruct them on how to stay safe online. You may even want to consider placing a filter or limit on their online mobile activity.

6. Keep it safe.

Your child should know not only how to keep themself safe, but how to keep their phone safe. After all, their phones are useless to help them stay safe if they are broken or stolen. Give your child a protective case for their phone to prevent damage, and instruct them only to use their phone discreetly and only to have it out when they are using it so that it is less likely to be lost or stolen.

7. Follow the rules.

Be sure that your rules and expectations for cell phone use are clear to your child; this way, they will know exactly what they are supposed to do to stay safe, and can be held accountable if they fail to take those steps. Consider establishing punishments for failing to follow the rules, such as taking your child's phone for a few days.

These tips can go a long way to protect your child from the threats and problems that cell phone ownership may carry. However, to ensure their safety as fully as possible, be sure to teach your child how to stay out of dangerous situations and remain safe in all aspects of life. Additionally, remember that these tips merely concern safety; you should also consider educating your child about other aspects of owning and using a phone, such as etiquette, and even placing restrictions on your child's cell phone use because of these aspects, depending on the child's age and character. Together, these tactics are sure to equip your child to be a safe and smart cell phone user.

A parents guide to Snapchat – what you need to know

Snapchat is a mobile app and is hugely popular with teens and young adults. Because it is a mobile app it only works on mobile and you download it from the App store (Apple phones) or the Google Play store (Android phones)

When you download the app and you register an account it can then tell by looking at your phone’s contact list which of your friends are on snapchat. You can then request to connect with your friends and  you can send invites to anyone else in your address book to connect with you on snapchat.

In essence, the app allows you to

1. Take a photo (Or a 10 second vide0)  and then add text or drawings / doodles to the image. It’s a fun way of sending a message instead of a boring text message.

2. You can then send the snap to a friend or group of friends and it will self destruct within a set period of time (Between 1 – 10 seconds). The image then disappears forever (well, sort of).

3. Your friend can then reply with another image / message or they can simply instant message you back.

4. The other option is to post the photo to “Your story” where all your snapchat friends will be able to see the photo for 24 hours before it self destructs.

In this parents guide to Snapchat we will explain why kids like using it, what dangers you need to be aware of and how to advise and protect your child.

What age is it suitable for

You need to be aged 13 to sign up for Snapchat. However, many tweens sign up for it giving a bogus date of birth.

Snapchat launched a version of the service for kids younger than 13 called “Snapkidz”. It basically allows them to take the photo, add the drawings and doodles but they cannot then send it to anyone.

Why Do Kids like using it?

Tweens and Teens  love using it because;

• It is a fun way to send a message. Why just send a text message saying   “I’m bored” when you can send a selfie of yourself making a stupid face and a drawing / doodle saying “I’m bored” . It’s a fun and creative way to liven up a text message
• They share photos of themselves pulling  funny faces, random  things that  they see, funny photos of their pets.
• The fact that the photo disappears so quickly means they can share something stupid or something that makes them look stupid without them having to worry that they are going to be made fun of. It is a “no pressure” alternative to the permanence of Facebook and Twitter where whatever they post stays around forever.
• Some kids love it because it isn’t possible for parents to monitor their messages . All messages and images shared in the app disappear and cannot be viewed by a parent who picks up the phone. Also, if you have parental monitoring software on the phone it cannot monitor what is shared on Snapchat.
• Parents can see images that the teen has been tagged on in Facebook and Instagram but Snapchat images that are sent directly to someone (not shared to all contact via the “Story”) are not visible to parents.

What dangers do parents need to be aware of?

1. Sexting

Even though Snapchat has been associated with “sexting” in the news, the vast majority of kids are not using Snapchat for that purpose.  If your child is using Snapchat it is wrong to assume that they are “sexting”. However, sexting does happen amongst teens and it is something that you should be aware of as a parent. 

Many parents think that sexting involves 2 people sending either risqué or explicit text messages to each other. However, sexting more typically involves people taking;

• Selfie photos / videos of themselves either in their underwear or in the nude. Lots of these images existing on the internet where teenagers take the shot facing the bathroom mirror and these are referred to as either nude selfies, mirror selfies or underwear shots.
• Photos of their breasts or genitals

These photos are then typically sent to the persons boyfriend or girlfriend and usually sent either by text message or via a messaging service such as Whats App, Kik messenger or Snapchat. Studies done in Ireland, the UK and the US indicate that a significant percentage (60%) of teenagers are being asked to take images of themselves with many going on to take images or videos of themselves (40%) and  then between 20% – 25% actually sending the images on.

Some teens do use Snapchat to send explicit selfies to a boyfriend / girlfriend because;

a) The images are not saved on the phones image folder  where they could be discovered by a parent.

b) The self destruct feature gives a sense that the image won’t be saved or shared. This is a false sense of security however because;

• The person who receives the explicit image can take a screenshot and save it to their phone. (The sender will be notified if a screenshot has been taken.)
• There are lots of apps available that integrate with Snapchat and allow the recipient to easily save the image before it self destructs. An example is an app called Snap Save.

2. Cyber Bullying

Social media is increasingly being used  by bullies to torment victims and the main social networks that are used, because of their sheer size, as Facebook and Twitter. View our digital parenting gude to cyber Bullying

However, Snapchat is also being used by cyberbullies in the following ways 

a. Because the message disappears

Because the message and therefore the evidence, disappears within 10 seconds it is a perfect medium for bullies. For the victim is adds to the torment because they cannot show their parents the message and how they are being bullied.

b. Using images to bully

Bullies often send images of ugly animals with text comparing the victim to the animal or if they can take embarrassing photos of the victim they then send them to a large group on Snapchat – again, knowing that the image will disappear.

c.Feeling excluded

Many kids deliberately post photos to their “Story” of themselves doing activities or at a party  with their friends, in part to show who is there and who was not included. For the person who is being bullied / excluded from the group this compounds their feeling of exclusion.

5 tips to make your Facebook account safer

1. MAKE SURE ONLY YOUR FRIENDS CAN SEE YOUR TIMELINE POSTS

You don’t want strangers checking you out on Facebook (presumably) so make sure you limit who can view your Facebook timeline.

While the key elements of your profile (name, picture, cover photo, etc.) are viewable by everyone, many other aspects of your timeline can be blocked from prying eyes.

First, make sure all your future posts are locked down. Click on the padlock icon on the top toolbar (on the right hand side), then click ‘Who can see my stuff?’.

Under ‘Who can see my future posts’, choose from:

• Public (which obviously means everyone)
• Friends
• Only me
• Custom (which allows you to limit some of your friends from seeing your posts)

Pick what’s best for you, but make sure ‘Public’ isn’t selected. Whatever you choose will then become the default every time you post an update (though you still have the option of selectively changing this for each individual update you post in the future).

Now, make sure you limit the audience for your previous posts. Click the arrowhead on the top toolbar (on the right hand side). Choose ‘Settings’.

Click Privacy on the left hand menu, and under ‘Who can see my stuff’, click ‘Limit past posts’. From here you can change all your past post visibility to ‘Friends’.

It’s also worth checking out the visibility of the stuff listed under the ‘About’ section of your profile.

On your timeline, click ‘Update info’ (at the bottom of your cover photo) and then click ‘Edit’ next to the area you wish to change the visibility for.

Once again, choose from the options of ‘Public’, ‘Friends’, ‘Only me’ or a custom list of people.

2. CONTROL WHO CAN CONTACT YOU ON FACEBOOK

Click on the padlock icon on the top toolbar (on the right hand side), then click ‘Who can contact me’.

By default this is set up as ‘Basic Filtering’ to allow friends and people you may know the opportunity to send you a message.

If you want only friends to be able to contact you, you can increase the filtering on your inbox. Other messages will then be diverted to your ‘other’ folder which you can access from the Messages screen.

To do this, click ‘Strict Filtering’ under ‘Whose messages do I want filtered into my Inbox?’

From this area of the screen you can also limit who is able to send you a friend request, choosing between everyone or just friends of your friends.

3. CONTROL WHO CAN DISCOVER YOUR PROFILE BASED ON YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND/OR TELEPHONE NUMBER

If you wish to control who can find you based on the email address or telephone number you used to sign up Facebook then you can do so by first clicking on the arrowhead at the top right of any page and then clicking ‘Settings’.

Next, select ‘Privacy’ from the menu on the left hand side of the page and look for the ‘Who can look me up?’ option.

You will notice that there are separate settings for both your email address and telephone number.

Click ‘Edit’ next to each to choose Friends, Friends of Friends or Everyone.

4. SET UP LOGIN NOTIFICATIONS

You can set Facebook up to send you an alert every time your account is accessed from an unknown computer or other device. This can be a handy way of receiving a warning should someone gain unauthorised access to your account.

Again, click the arrowhead at the top right of any page and choose ‘Settings’.

Choose ‘Security’ from the menu on the left hand side.

‘Login notifications’ is the top option available so click ‘Edit’.

Choose from receiving either an email and/or a text message/push alert. Click ‘Save Changes’. Login notifications are now active on your account.

5. TURN ON LOGIN APPROVALS

You can choose to have an extra layer of security when accessing your account from an unknown browser. Facebook will send a code to your phone which you will then need to use to login.

Click the arrowhead at the top right of any page and choose ‘Settings’, then ‘Security’ from the left hand menu.

Tick the box that says ‘Require a security code to access my account from unknown browsers’. Facebook will then take you though the process of setting up login approvals so click on ‘Get Started’ to begin.

Once you have set up login approvals you will only need to enter a code when you try to login from a new device. It is a feature that makes it that much harder for a hacker to gain access to your account and as such is well worth enabling.

Note: if your browser clears your history on exit, or has private browsing switched on, you may need to enter a code every time you log in.

These are just a few of the quick and simple measures you can take to protect your Facebook account.

If you have other tips of your own to share then please do leave them in the comments below.