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How to facebook security settings


Change these 10 Facebook security settings to improve privacy

Facebook has touched nearly every aspect of our lives in the past decade, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The social media titan boasts more than 2 billion monthly active users, with around 1.62 billion visiting the platform daily. Tap or click here to visit Kim Komando on Facebook.

And now, Facebook is working itself into our professional lives through its new video chatting service that directly competes with Zoom. Tap or click here to see if it’s worth using.

If you’re relying on Facebook more to stay in touch, it’s the perfect time to adjust your privacy and security settings. Here’s how.

1. Clear your history using ‘Off-Facebook Activity’

Facebook is constantly keeping tabs on your activity — on and off its site. Apps and websites automatically check if you’re still logged in and report what you’re doing online back to Facebook.

This data used to be a well-concealed part of Facebook’s advertising strategy. Not anymore. Adjust and even delete what the company knows through a menu called “Off-Facebook Activity.”

The Clear History button is a bit of a misnomer. It disconnects your profile data from your account, which stops Facebook from serving you targeted ads. It won’t completely prevent it from gathering analytics reports from other websites, though. You’ll have to log out first to stop that.

The Manage Future Activity tool acts as a more permanent version of Clear History. When you turn it off, it stops companies from sending Facebook ad-targeting data about you.

Keep in mind that disabling Future Activity prevents you from signing into other apps and websites with Facebook.

To clear your history on the mobile app:

  • Tap the three-line menu in the bottom right of the Facebook app.
  • Select Settings.
  • Scroll down and select Off-Facebook Activity.
  • Examine the apps that use your activity and make sure you want to remove the information.
  • Tap Clear History.

To clear your history on the Facebook website:

  • Click on the dropdown menu arrow at the top right of Facebook and click Settings & Privacy.
  • Select Settings.
  • Tap Your Facebook Information in the left column.
  • Click Off-Facebook Activity to review. From here, click Manage Your Off-Facebook Activity.
  • You’ll be asked to re-enter your password. Once you’re verified, it will show you the apps and sites that have shared ads with your Facebook account.
  • When you’re ready to clear this information, click Clear History.

2. Hide your location

Facebook uses location data to serve you news or sell you things. If you disable location services, it won’t use your precise location to target you with ads. Unfortunately, Facebook still has access to your network location, so you’ll need to disable the feature on both your phone and the app.

To disable location services on an iPhone: 

  • Go to the phone’s Settings and tap Privacy.
  • Tap Location Services, followed by Facebook.
  • Tap Never to disable location services.

To disable location services on an Android phone:

  • Go to the phone’s Settings and tap Privacy.
  • Tap Permissions Manager, followed by Location. Choose Facebook.
  • Tap Deny to disable location services.

Once you’re finished with adjusting your phone’s permissions, follow these steps to disable location tracking in the app:

  • Tap the icon with the three lines in the bottom right.
  • Tap Settings & Privacy, followed by Privacy Shortcuts.
  • Tap Manage Your Location Settings, followed by Location Services.
  • Tap Location and select Never.

3. Disable Facial Recognition

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Facial recognition is central to Facebook’s photo algorithm. It’s the reason you’re automatically tagged in photos that others post.

You can disable facial recognition on the desktop version of Facebook. Follow these steps:

  • Click the downward-pointing arrow in the top right of the screen.
  • Select Settings & Privacy, followed by Settings.
  • In the left column, click Face Recognition.
  • Tap “Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos?” Select No in the drop-down menu to disable the setting.

4. Get rid of apps that track you off Facebook

Logging into other platforms or websites with your Facebook username gives those companies access to your data and may permit them to share your activity with Facebook.

This was one of the most significant issues behind the Cambridge Analytica scandal, leading to millions of people’s profiles being harvested. Tap or click here for more details on Cambridge Analytica.

Thankfully, Facebook has changed its stance on third-party applications and lets users disable all that tracking.

Disable third-party app tracking from your desktop:

  • Click the downward-pointing arrow in the top right of the screen.
  • Select Settings & Privacy, followed by Settings.
  • Tap Apps and Websites on the left menu.
  • Select Active.
  • Click on the box next to the app’s name to stop tracking you and click Remove. This will disable it from tracking you.

5. Enable two-factor authentication to lock out hackers

Two-factor authentication is one of the most robust ways to secure your profile from unwanted logins. When someone tries to break into an account with 2FA enabled, they can’t get in without a text-message code. Since the code goes to your phone, only you will be able to log in.

Activate 2FA from your desktop

  • Click the downward-pointing arrow in the top right of the screen.
  • Tap Settings & Privacy, followed by Settings.
  • Select Security and Login. 
  • Scroll down to Two-Factor Authentication and tap Use two-factor authentication.
  • Enter your phone number and confirm the code in the text to complete the setup.

6. Stop Google from showing your Facebook account

Did you know your Facebook profile is indexed on Google? That means anyone looking up your name will be able to find your social media account, along with all the publicly visible data.

If you’re not comfortable with this, we don’t blame you. Google and people-search engines have a nasty way of making your private life public. Tap or click here to find out how to delete yourself from people-search sites.

With Facebook, at least, you can keep your profile out of searches. Follow these steps:

  • On your computer, open Facebook and click the downward-pointing arrow in the top right of the screen.
  • Tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings followed by Privacy.
  • Under “Do You Want Search Engines Outside of Facebook to Link to Your Profile?” click Edit.
  • Click the checkbox on the bottom to turn off the setting.

7. Limit the audience for your personal posts

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Not every friend on your list needs to know the intimate details of your life. This is even riskier when you factor in how many fake profiles are floating around. Tap or click to see how to spot the fakes. Limit the audience of your posts so only specific people can see them.

From your computer, follow these steps:

  • Open Settings & Privacy again, then Settings and click on Privacy.
  • Scroll down to Who can see your future posts? and click Edit. You can adjust the settings for specific audiences here.
  • Scroll down to Limit Past Posts to change who can access your previous content.

People accidentally share all kinds of personal facts and information without realizing it. Changing this setting can protect you from getting phished or stop a hacker from correctly guessing one of your security questions.

8. Stop your activity from being advertised (literally)

Ever seen an advertisement that tells you which of your friends Liked it? That’s because Facebook automatically uses these endorsements to target ads to you and your friends. And if you Like something, your friends will see the same kinds of ads.

Of course, they’re not asking your permission. But you can disable the setting to keep your interests and Likes more private. Follow these steps on your desktop:

  • Under Settings & Privacy, select Settings, then click Ads, followed by Ad Settings.
  • Click Social Interactions and select Only Me.

9. Avoid those Like and Share buttons on other parts of the web

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Whenever you use a Facebook button on another website, you’re feeding the beast that is Facebook’s ad machine. Every Share, Like and recommendation, becomes part of the data feed that Facebook uses to tailor its algorithm.

Even if you’ve disabled tracking outside of Facebook, using these buttons is like permitting it to know what you’re doing. You don’t need to change any settings to avoid the pitfalls of these buttons. Just don’t use them.

If you must share something, do it the old-fashioned way by copying and pasting it into a post.

10. Clean up your Friends List

Having a lot of Facebook friends means a larger audience witnessing your personal and private life. You probably don’t need thousands of people to see the private ins and outs of your social life.

Plus, studies have shown that people who frequently accept new friend requests actually run a higher risk of being targeted by fake accounts. Tap or click here to see why that is.

For the sake of privacy, you’re better off cleaning up your Friends list. To do this, open Facebook on your phone or computer and visit any one of your friends’ profiles. Locate the button labeled Friends and click or tap it.

On the dropdown that appears, you’ll be able to select Unfriend. Do this for anyone you’re not 100% sure about or don’t know closely. Facebook isn’t a contest, and having more friends doesn’t make your account more complete.

Now that you’ve ironed out your privacy settings, you can feel a bit more relaxed when using the Messenger Rooms feature. Just make sure you don’t give the game away on video chat. You still have a right to your privacy, whether you’re on camera or not.

9 Facebook Security Settings You Should Fix Right Now

There are specific Facebook security settings you can lock down to make sure it’s as difficult as possible for nefarious individuals to cause you trouble.

Facebook is one of the largest social gathering places on the internet. It’s the single source of news and information for many people. It’s also where family and friends gather to stay in touch.

Unfortunately, Facebook is also a major target for scammers, hackers, and con-artists. These criminals are regularly looking for security holes in your Facebook profile. Their goals range from gathering personal information about you, spamming you with malicious links, or trying to hack your Facebook account.

Regardless of their goals, there are specific Facebook security settings you can lock down to make sure it’s as difficult as possible for nefarious individuals to cause you trouble.

1. Secure Your Login with Two-Factor Authentication

The single best thing you can do to prevent anyone from hacking into your Facebook account is by enabling two-factor authentication. This requires that any time you log into Facebook from a new device, you’ll need access to your phone to confirm that the login attempt is actually you.

To enable this, select the down arrow to the right of your profile name and image. Select Settings & Privacy.

In the Settings & Privacy window, select Settings.

This will take you to your Settings window where there is a long list of general Facebook settings in the left navigation bar. Select Security and Login from this menu. In the right pane, under Recommended, select the Edit button at the right of the Set up two-factor authentication box.

If you don’t have two-factor authentication enabled yet, this is where you’ll need to go through the wizard to select your phone number and other details to set up and confirm your authentication method. Once this is done, you’ll see the status Two-Factor Authentication Is On. The phone number you’ve selected should be displayed underneath this under Your Security Method.

Now, any time anyone attempts to log into your Facebook account from a device you’ve never logged in from, you’ll see a security notification. Just never respond to those unless it’s actually you trying to log in. This way, no one will ever be able to access your Facebook account without your knowledge.

This is the single most effective way to keep hackers out of your account.

2. Secure Your Profile Information

The next level of Facebook security you should be concerned about is who can see your personal profile information. Scam artists are able to use information like your birthday, where you live, your email address, and more to try and scam you. This could be using your birthday to guess passwords or spamming you with emails to trick you into clicking on malicious links.

To adjust these privacy settings, go back to the Facebook settings window and select Privacy from the left navigation menu.

The easiest way to work through all of your important privacy settings is to select Check a few important settings at the top of the menu on this page.

This will open a Privacy Checkup page with five wizards for each category of privacy.

To get started with your profile information settings, select Who can see what you share. The first page of your settings is your primary profile information. At least your phone number and email should be set to Only me so that no one, not even your friends, can see that information.

For other information like Birthday and Hometown, it’s up to you whether or not you want to limit viewing that information to just Friends. Select Next to continue to the next page.

3. Posts and Stories Security

Select Next to set security on your posts and stories. This page helps you secure who can see the things that you post on Facebook. You can set privacy on individual posts on Facebook to allow either just your friends or anyone on Facebook to see your posts and stories and post on your wall.

This wizard page will let you configure who can see Future Posts and Stories. You can also adjust our past stories on Facebook as well. It’s best to set both Future Posts and Stories to Friends, and set Limit Past Posts to Limit so only friends can see them.

Now, any time you create a new post, it’ll default to friends only. You can still change post privacy to “Public” if you want to.

4. Set Up Security Alerts

On the Privacy Checkup window, select the How to keep your account secure wizard. This wizard will walk you through how you’ll get alerted whenever anyone logs into your account from a new device.

Select Next a couple of times to get to the Control Your Alerts window.

On this window, you can enable Facebook to send you a notification if anyone tries to log in to Facebook or Facebook Messenger from a new device. The notification will go to your Facebook account, so enable the Email setting so that you can receive an email notification as well.

5. Configure Who Can Friend You

Back in the Wizard selection window, select How people can find you on Facebook to configure these privacy settings. Select Continue to get to the Friend Requests window. If you have any pending Friend Requests, you’ll see them all listed here.

At the top of this list, select the button to the right of Who can send you friend requests? This will bring up a window to configure what audience on Facebook can send you new friend requests.

For better privacy, and so the general public can’t find you on Facebook, change this setting to Friends of friends. This way only someone who knows someone you already know will be able to contact you with a request. This keeps your profile away from the public search feature.

Select Next to set privacy for your Phone Number and Email. Typically, you won’t want anyone else to have access to such sensitive private information. Set these to Only me.

When you select Next, on the next page you’ll see the Search Engines privacy setting. This is where you can disable your profile from showing up in public search engines like Google.

If you are doing a lot of job hunting or for any reason don’t want people finding your profile from Google, it would be a good idea to disable this setting.

6. Set Apps and Websites Privacy

It’s always a good idea to verify which apps and websites you’ve provided access to for your Facebook information. On the wizard window, select Your data settings on Facebook to configure this. Scroll through this list and make sure that only the apps and websites you actually want to be able to access your Facebook data has access.

If you see any on this list that seems unusual or you don’t remember adding, then select the Remove button to remove its access to your Facebook data.

7. Disable or Enable Face Recognition

Select Next to move to the next page of this wizard. This is where you can configure whether Facebook can use face recognition technology to identify you in photos either you or other people share on Facebook. Facebook will use this technology to help your friends tag you when appropriate.

If you want to protect your facial recognition data, you can disable this setting. There isn’t a lot of security risk here, but some people like to disable this setting to reduce the number of times they’re tagged in photos that friends share on Facebook.

8. Configure Ad Preferences

The final wizard is ad preferences. To access this wizard, select Your ad preferences on Facebook. Select Continue and Next until you get to the Profile Information screen.

This is where you can either allow or block personal information about yourself to get passed to Facebook advertisers. If you’re especially sensitive about what advertisers know about you, then it’s a good idea to disable all of the toggle switches on this page.

Now you’ve worked your way all the way through the privacy wizards. Your account settings should be set to the ideal privacy and security preferences that you prefer. It’s a good idea to visit this wizard frequently and make sure all of the settings are still set to your preferences. Adjust them to increase your privacy as you prefer.

9. Set Up Extra Security

There is one more section where you can fine-tune additional security settings for added peace of mind. In your Facebook Settings window, select Security and Login again in the left navigation pane. Scroll down to the bottom until you see the Setting Up Extra Security box.

Inside this box are two important settings you should make sure you’ve configured. Select Edit to the right of Get alerts about unrecognized apps.

This helps protect you from hackers attempting to use apps to access your account, or if you’ve inadvertently clicked on something that gave an app access when you didn’t mean to.

Make sure to set the first two settings to Get notifications (Messenger is optional if you use it).

Also, make sure the checkboxes are enabled next to the email addresses where you want to receive those notifications.

Back on the previous page, select the Edit button to the right of Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if you get locked out. This will drop down a section where you can choose from 3 to 5 “trusted contacts” from your list of Facebook friends.

This can serve as a last resort if you’ve forgotten your password and lost access to your phone and email. Your trusted contacts can send you a special URL with a code that’ll give you access back to your account again.

Why Facebook Security Settings are So Important

Facebook holds a lot of information about us. Not only contact and personal information but photos and personal thoughts that you’ve shared over the years. Because this information provides so much detail about you, it’s critical to protect it from prying eyes.

Make it a habit to regularly review these 9 key Facebook security settings and ensure that they’re always set with your personal privacy in mind.

Related Items:Facebook, Privacy, Social Media

How to protect your data on Facebook

The guide was published as part of the Journalism on Facebook project, but the information from it is useful for all users who post on this social network.

What the authors of the guide advise:

  1. Protect your password

  2. Turn on notifications about unidentified devices

  3. Enable two-factor authentication

  4. Use Facebook verification tools

  5. Manage your presence on pages and profiles

  6. Monitor your location in publications

  7. Be safe when communicating

  8. Block users

  9. Report offensive content and offenders

  10. Remember what to do in case of a break-in

Protect your password

Your Facebook password must have two properties:

  1. Uniqueness . You do not need to use logins, account numbers and passwords that are already used to log into other accounts.

  2. Reliability . It is dangerous to use personal data for a password, such as a name, date of birth, phone number or address: this will simplify the work of hackers. You also don't need to store your password in a public place or on your device. nine0003

Meta recommends using password managers that will allow you to create unique passwords for all accounts and keep them safe.

Examples of such managers are Dashlane, LastPass, Nordpass, Bitwarden. All services have free versions.

Turn on notifications for unknown devices

If notifications are configured, Facebook will notify you every time you try to sign in from a device that it doesn't recognize.

You can enable notifications in the settings. To do this, click the button with an arrow in the upper right corner, the "Settings and Privacy" section. nine0003

Next - "Quick privacy settings".

In the "Account security" section, click "Set up notifications about suspicious logins".

On the next screen, you can enable notifications for Facebook and Messenger logins - notifications will be sent to the devices you normally use to log in.

You can also duplicate email alerts — to do this, check the checkbox opposite the address that was used during registration, or add a new address. nine0003

Turn on two-factor authentication

This authentication method will slightly complicate logging in from an unrecognized device or browser, but will become a serious obstacle for hackers. Each time you log in, the user will need to enter a new security code.

Two-factor authentication can be enabled in the settings. To do this, click the button with an arrow in the upper right corner, the "Settings and Privacy" section.

Next - "Quick privacy settings". nine0003

Next, in the "Account security" section, select "Use two-factor authentication".

Facebook will offer three options to choose from: use a code generator, codes in SMS, and a physical USB security key.

One common method that Facebook itself recommends is the Google Authenticator app, which is available for free on Google Play and the App Store.

Use Facebook 9 verification tools0049

Tools will allow you to manage your privacy on Facebook and check the level of account security.

To access these tools, click the arrow button in the upper right corner, Settings and Privacy section.

Next - "Check Privacy".

A screen with several options will open.

Who can see your posts . This is a privacy check. Facebook will show your current privacy settings and allow you to change them. For example, with this tool, you can restrict access to personal data or make future posts visible only to your friends. nine0003

How to protect your account . This is a security check. Facebook will report the current level of account security and provide recommendations.

Learn more about privacy and security settings on the Facebook website.

Manage your presence on your profile and pages

In Facebook terminology, a personal page is called a profile. A Facebook page is a public page for a business, blogger, and so on.

First, let's look at how to manage the visibility of your and other people's posts on your profile. nine0003

Set the visibility of your posts in your profile

When you create a post, you can specify who will see it. To set up access on the post creation screen, there is a button under the username.

You can make the publication hidden from everyone except the author, open only to friends or a list of specific users.

An icon that shows the access level will be displayed at the top of the post.

Control the visibility of other people's posts on your profile

Your friends can also post on your Facebook profile page. In addition, users can tag you in posts, and these posts will also appear on your profile.

To prohibit such actions or set access levels, go to the profile and call the menu with the button with three dots. Select Profile & Tags Settings.

You can now allow or block posts on your profile and set the visibility of posts you've been tagged in. nine0003

If you expand the menu item "Hide comments with certain words from your profile", you can add a list of banned words - Facebook will not let posts and comments that contain them.

Set page access levels

If multiple people manage the page, the creator can set their access levels. To do this, you need to go from the page to its settings (bottom item of the left menu).

Next, open "Roles on the page". Here you can add a community manager and manage roles. nine0003

When you add a new member or set their role, Facebook will tell you what permissions you give them.

Control your location in your posts

Facebook allows you to specify your location in your posts, but this option is not enabled by default.

However, if you don't want people to know where you are right now, Facebook recommends disabling geolocation on your device.

You can also prevent Facebook from tracking your location. You can do this in the general settings. Click the arrow button in the upper right corner, "Settings and Privacy" section. nine0003

Next - "Settings".

Select Geodata from the left menu. On the screen on the right, you can disable geodata logging.

Secure your communications

For private communications, you can use WhatsApp, which by default uses end-to-end encryption for calls and messages.

End-to-end encryption can also be configured in Messenger on a mobile device. This is created at the stage of creating a correspondence - it can be made secret by moving the slider with a lock in the upper right corner. nine0003

Block users

Blocking is available on Facebook and Messenger.

On Facebook, to block users, go to settings. Click the arrow button in the upper right corner, "Settings and Privacy" section.

Next - "Settings".

Select Lock from the left menu.

On the screen on the right, you can completely block users: they will not be able to interact with your profile anywhere except third-party pages, applications and games. nine0003

Here you can also configure "restricted access" - it will hide content with the access level "for friends" from the user.

In Messenger, to block a user, click on the chat you need in the list and hold - a menu with the "Block" button will pop up.

Report offensive content and offenders

To report inappropriate content to Facebook, click the three dots button at the top of the post. In the menu there is an item "Complain about the publication". nine0003

Facebook will offer a list of reasons why you may have found the post inappropriate.

You can also report profiles on Facebook. To do this, under the profile header, click the button with three dots and select the "Get support or report a profile" item.

Facebook will ask you to indicate the reason for the complaint.

Message can be reported in Messenger. To do this, click on the message, call the menu below with the button with three dots and select "Complain". nine0003

Messenger will display a list of possible violations.

Remember what to do in case of a hack

If you suspect your account has been hacked, you can contact Facebook for help.

You can also pre-assign a list of 3-5 trusted people who can help you when your account is hacked. Each of them, if you report burglars, will receive a security code with instructions.

To assign trusted friends, go to settings. Click the arrow button in the upper right corner, "Settings and Privacy" section. nine0003

Next - "Settings".

From the left menu, select Security & Login. On the screen on the right, in the "Setting up additional protection" block, click "Edit" opposite the second item where Facebook offers to select friends.

SAFE Project » Making Facebook Safer

Tools

Making Facebook Safer

Facebook is a popular social network. This article is about Facebook security-related settings. nine0003

  • Last updated: September 2021

A lot of people use Facebook not only for nostalgic virtual conversations and sharing photos from their summer cottages, but also for work. On Facebook, they find like-minded people, publish articles, read news, share plans, discuss joint projects and announce events.

To make Facebook safer, you can change how you use Facebook (and social media in general) as well as specific settings. Another article has been written about the principles. Let's talk about settings here. nine0003

Facebook developers like to change menu item names, headings, and other details much like the Moscow authorities like to change borders. What you see in the screenshots in this post may differ slightly from the current situation on facebook.com.

  • Facebook Settings: Getting Started
  • Are common
  • Security and entry
  • Your information on Facebook
  • Confidentiality
  • Face recognition
    • nine0007 Profile and labels
  • Public publications
  • block
  • Geodata
  • Notifications
  • Mobile devices
  • Applications and websites
  • Advanced (outside settings)

Facebook settings: start


In the top horizontal Facebook menu on the right, click the down arrow. A dropdown menu will appear.

Select "Settings and privacy". A new menu will appear. nine0003

Select "Settings". By default, the "General" item will open.

General


Select "General" from the menu on the left.

To change the settings, click the "Change" links in the corresponding lines.

  • Name. According to the rules of Facebook, when registering, you must indicate the name that you are called in life. If you believe that identification can put the life, freedom, health, work of you, your loved ones or colleagues in real danger, it may be better to choose a pseudonym. nine0010
  • Contact information. It is indicated for a reason, this is a way to change the password to Facebook. Facebook will not allow you to completely get rid of the indication of contact information. But phone is worse than email. Perhaps you should remove the phone number if it is listed. Do not use your abandoned address, spam box, or email address in a jurisdiction where it is relatively easy for attackers to take control of it. The "Allow friends to include my email address when using the Download Your Info" box is best left unchecked. nine0010
  • Settings for remembered status. Here you can define Guardian . In the event of a user's death, limited rights to his account can be transferred to one of his friends (the Guardian), whoever the account owner chooses ahead of time.

In the general case , proof of identity is not required (and not recommended).

Security and entry


Select "Security and Login" from the menu on the left. A fairly large list of settings will open. Consider it from top to bottom, but skip the recommendations (first point). These are just selected security settings - part of what we are talking about in this material. nine0003

Where did you come from. Here you can see which devices connected to your account. (Click "More" to see the full list). Is there an unusual device among these sessions? For example, the operating system is iOS, but you don't have an iPhone. Or a strange location? (Allow for VPNs and similar technologies if you use them.) If you find something unexpected, it may be that an attacker gained access to your account. You can always click the three-dot button at the end of the suspicious line and select "Logout" to close the session. Change your password as soon as possible. It is better to do this from a “clean” computer that is not infected with anything. Note that an attacker can also kick you out of Facebook. Therefore, if there are reasonable doubts, do not waste time. nine0003

This feature can also be useful if you logged into Facebook somewhere in a strange place (we don’t recommend doing this, but suddenly) and forgot to log out. Here you can terminate this session.

Password must be strong. (Learn more about password protection). Keep it in an equally safe place. For example, in the password manager Bitwarden or KeePassXC.

Saving login information simplifies the Facebook login process. Naturally, at the expense of security. nine0003

With two-factor authentication , in addition to the password, you need to enter a special code to enter your account. A very useful option, we recommend enabling it. Do not use the SMS method, it is not particularly reliable. Better choose the "Authentication App" option: you will be able to enter the code from an application on your smartphone (without internet connection), such as andOTP, Google Authenticator or Authy. Do not forget one-time recovery codes as "insurance" in case the smartphone is not at hand (forgotten, seized, lost, stolen, out of order). Read more about two-factor authentication and password generators in a separate article. nine0003

Authorized logins. Frequent entry of additional code is tiring. You can make it so that some "trusted" devices (virtually) do without two-factor authentication. Use with caution and only in a safe environment. If some devices have already received a “trusted” status, you can see this in this paragraph and, if necessary, cancel it.

Application passwords. You can use a different password for each application installed on Facebook (if you have one). If you have two-factor authentication enabled, instead of waiting for a code, you can sign in to the app with the corresponding password. However, below we advise avoiding apps altogether. nine0003

Receive notifications of suspicious logins. Yes, it is better to have this feature enabled. Here are the possible ways to receive notifications. They complement, not exclude each other.

As for friends, I can hardly recommend this feature. It is better to invest in strong passwords and data backup than in such “crutches” that allow you to compensate for a forgotten password.

Encrypted notification emails. nine0056 Basically, if you have a public encryption key (you can read more about public key encryption in a separate article), you can add it to your Facebook account. People will download your public key and use it to send you encrypted messages. You can also set up Facebook so that notifications from the social network are encrypted with your key. In my opinion, this is an excessive security measure.

Function restore access to external accounts we do not recommend (as a general advice to avoid linking accounts wherever possible).

Finally, you can view recent Facebook posts, including those related to security. This might be helpful.

Your information on Facebook


Of all the listed options, let's pay attention to three: they are most related to security. The first is viewing information.

Convenient access to everything related to your account: publications, comments, pages, groups, etc. In fact, only a redirect to other Facebook service pages occurs from this place. However, the section is very useful for organizing and organizing everything on Facebook. Here you can see everything at once and take action, for example, remove yourself from unnecessary groups, clear your search history, etc. nine0003

The second option is to download information.

And finally, account deactivation.

The name speaks for itself. There are situations when this cannot be avoided (also for security reasons).

Privacy


Select "Privacy" from the left vertical menu. We skip the first "simplifies everything" section (our task in this material is to go through all the settings in more detail).

  • Who can see your posts. T from the same switch is right in the published new entry. The level of openness depends on your threat model.
  • The second option allows to see posts that you've been tagged in, but that haven't (yet) been posted to your own "timeline" (or, as Facebook now says, your "profile").
  • In the third paragraph, Facebook provides with the ability to restrict 's access to all previous publications at once (make them visible only to friends). nine0010
  • The complex wording that Facebook has chosen means literally the following. In the fourth paragraph, you determine who will see what (whom) you are subscribed to. (Except for the people you follow: they see it anyway). Set the value to "Only Me".

  • By default, friend request is available to all Facebook users. Can be changed to "Friends of Friends". Then you will reduce the number of unfamiliar (and completely unfamiliar) people who want to become your friends on Facebook, which means saving time and nerves if a troll turns out to be among your newfound “friends”. Remember that with the right setup, anyone can be your by subscriber (we'll see how to enable this feature later). This is smarter than "frenching" everyone in a row.
  • Disable showing list of your friends, so as not to make life easier for social engineers. (Option "Only me").
  • The ability for strangers to search and find you on a social network is relevant if you are a journalist for whom accessibility is a professional requirement. Or a public person, say, a well-known politician, writer, businessman. Or if we are talking about a corporate page that needs promotion and popularity. Otherwise, consider limiting to the maximum (as in the illustration). nine0010

This already applies to Facebook Messenger rather than a social network. The points are not directly related to threats and security, so I will not give unequivocal recommendations. In my opinion, choosing "Chats" as the option is more convenient, since the alternative, the "Conversation Requests" folder is hidden in the Facebook menu, and I repeatedly skipped such requests. But it's up to you (as always).

Face recognition


The function makes sense if you want to “trigger” the appearance of duplicate accounts on Facebook (accounts with your face in the profile picture and your name in the title, created, as a rule, with bad intentions). But I'm turning this feature off because I don't want Facebook to recognize me. nine0003

Profile and labels


In the left menu, select the "Profile and labels" item.

There are quite confusing and interdependent settings in this section.

  • Option "Who can post on your timeline" is available to friends by default. We advise you to select "Only me". This will protect you from accidentally or intentionally polluting your page with unpleasant, if not illegal, posts. No matter how carefully you choose your friends, you cannot rule out the possibility that an attacker will gain access to your friend's account. This is especially important for public people and civil activists. In the end, if a person wants to write something on Facebook, let him write on his own. Finally, in the comments. nine0010
  • When the first item is disabled, the second one loses its relevance.
  • Allowing others to share your posts in their Stories or not is a matter of taste, not security.
  • The last fourth item enables (or disables) the filter according to the words in the comments in your profile. Please note that this filter does not work for the authors themselves and their friends, so I would not seriously count on it.

What are tags made by your friends? Let's explain with an example. Have you ever seen this message: "Vasya is tagged in Masha's photo"? If Vasya got a photo published in her profile on the car, this photo can be linked to Vasya's account and duplicated in his profile. It might make sense to keep both filters associated with tags included in the "Only me" position. Then the excessive activity of lovers of marking will not create risks for you. nine0003

The first and third points I prefer to keep under control. But the second item (for some reason Facebook decided to post it here) is not even a setting, you can't switch anything. Facebook has hidden an option here that allows you to look at your account through the eyes of a regular Facebook user (not a friend). Click the "View As" link if you'd like to see it. It may be useful to evaluate the results of adjustments.

Public publications


  • Who can follow me. nine0056 By default, this option is enabled for friends only. It is better to select the "Available to all" option. In this way, you will expand the circle of your readers and reduce the number of friend requests from people you do not know, that is, save your own resources (which also affects security). The "Subscribe" button will appear in the "header" of your profile. Now people will be able to subscribe to your publications.
  • Comments on public publications. If you don't want to have problems with malicious (or even illegal) comments being thrown at you, set this option to "Friends of Friends" or even "Friends". If you are a public figure and are interested in (and are willing to keep an eye on) the widest possible public discussion under your posts, then you may prefer wider access at the expense of security nine0010
  • Public posting notifications. "Available to all" is a good choice. This, despite the wording "Available to all", is not about public access to information. What this means is that you will be notified when someone shares, comments, or likes your post. Allows you to get more information.
  • Public profile information. It's better to set "Friends" or, in extreme cases, "Friends of Friends" (I would generally set "Only me", but, alas, Facebook does not offer such an option). nine0010

The remaining parameters do not directly affect security.

Block


  • Restricted access. To this list, you can quietly add those "friends" to whom you no longer want to show information that is available only to friends (but want to read what they write in their profiles). "Restricted" friends, unaware of this, will be able to read only those posts of yours that are available to all Facebook users. Fine tuning. nine0010
  • Block users. Here you can completely block certain users. That is, as far as Facebook allows, to block their access to you and your materials. (If you wish, you can unlock them later). It is better to block the villain directly from his page (in the profile header) in order to ensure that the namesake is not accidentally blocked. When you block a user, you stop seeing his profile and any posts, including comments, and he, accordingly, does not see yours. nine0010

Under the blocked list there are a number of other possibilities:

  • Blocking messages. Useful feature if one of your friends is bothering you with your Facebook posts and doesn't give in to any arguments or requests, but you don't want to completely block them.
  • Blocking application prompts. Sometimes one of your friends is very active, trying to convince you to install this or that application. If you don't want to receive such invitations from this person again, add him to the list. nine0010
  • Blocking invitations to events. The same approach, but in relation to intrusive invitations to attend different meetings.
  • Application lock. The name speaks for itself.
  • Blocking pages. Like blocking users, only for pages.

Geodata


This item is closely related to the mobile application on your smartphone. If it cannot use the geolocation features, the log in settings will be unavailable. "Geodata Log" is off, and good. I advise you not to add location data to a fair amount of personal data that users report to social networks. nine0003

Notices


This item is indirectly related to the security of the Facebook account. For example, if Facebook sends email notifications of all events, including likes and comments on your posts, it can clutter your inbox and cause some important emails to go unnoticed. To disable this feature:

  • Select "Notifications" from the left menu.
  • Click on the "E-mail" field.
  • Select "About your account only". nine0010

Mobile devices


Contrary to what is sometimes said and written, it is possible to use the Facebook mobile app on a smartphone and not have a phone number in the account settings. For security reasons, we may well refuse the theoretical possibility of changing the password from the mobile application, and even more so, we do not need the SMS service.


Applications and websites


In the left column, select "Apps and Sites". A list of apps you have installed will open. nine0003

How did they get here? Once you became interested in a certain site, he offered to register, and as an alternative, "log in with Facebook." The second option seemed easier. "Login with Facebook" installs the application. The illustration below is an app for Airbnb, a popular travel booking service.

Applications are different - interesting, funny, useful. Applications have access to basic data of your Facebook account (for example, name, photo, gender). In addition, during installation, the application may ask for your permission to access certain information about you and your friends. Data can be different, for example, age, place of residence, education, circle of acquaintances, contacts. The application can tell your friends which country you have arrived in, where you are at the moment. It can look great (it's so nice to meet an old friend who suddenly finds himself in the same city). But do not forget that such "advertising" expands the possibilities of your ill-wishers. nine0003

In the following illustration, the Tripadvisor site (for travelers with information about hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.) in response to an attempt to register by email offers (alternatively) to log in through Facebook:

If you are not logged into Facebook, you will receive an offer to enter the social network. If you are logged in, you will be asked to confirm:

Click the "Continue" button, in the next window "Skip". Next comes the question of access rights to your data. nine0003

You can click the "Change Permissions" link and deselect the items of your choice to avoid sharing such an impressive amount of information about yourself with the site. However, even in this case, basic information about your profile will be available to Tripadvisor and the accounts will be linked. The following illustration shows the Facebook settings item. Tripadvisor has been added to the already installed Airbnb application:

By clicking on the "Check" button, you can still check the permissions for each application. You can also remove the application from Facebook at any time (the "Delete" button). nine0003

For security reasons, I recommend:

  • At a minimum, view a list of already installed applications; remove completely unused and rarely used.
  • It's better to do the same; for the remaining applications, clarify the rights; develop rules for adding applications to Facebook.
  • No compromise - do not use apps on Facebook. To do this, scroll down the settings page a little, find the "Apps, sites and games" item, click the "Turn off" button. nine0010


Advanced (outside settings menu)


Facebook is famous for more than just redesigning paragraphs and headlines. In this social network, some settings are not at all where you expect them to be.

You can reduce the amount of information given about yourself a little more, if you select the "Friends" item in the horizontal menu and press the button with three dots (yes! there are two of them side by side! choose the one below). nine0003

In the drop-down menu, select the only item "Edit privacy settings". In the small window that opens, there are only three switches.

(The picture says it all.)

Facebook chat requests are also in a somewhat unusual place. And they can lie quietly there until you guess to look there.

Learn more