There are different ways hackers can hack into your Facebook account, and for that purpose some hackers use advanced softwares, which Facebook has played their own part to stop by building shields against those softwares. But unfortunately, your Facebook account can still be hacked, if you cannot play your own part. See how to apply for Facebook N500m business grant.
As a developer and tech savvy, I will show you different ways hackers can get into your Facebook account and how you can stop them.
The best way to protect your account against hackers is to learn how hacking is done.
There is saying, “a guy cannot guy a guy”, meaning you cannot trick someone who is more intelligent than you. So, become more intelligent than the hackers if you don’t want to become a victim. You need to learn how hacking is done, not to practice it but for education and self-protection.
Below are what you must do to be safeguard your Facebook account:
1. Do not use your phone number or name as your password
Guessing passwords (or social engineering) is another way hackers can hack Facebook accounts. This involves thinking and guessing about a password.
Since most people still use their phone number as a password, hackers perform trial-and-error method when trying to hack a Facebook account.
On the login page, they enter the victim’s phone number as password, which they must have gotten from victim’s profile to try if it would work.
Tip: hide your phone number from your Facebook profile, and never use your phone number as your Facebook password.
2. Don’t enter your Facebook login details on a phishing website:
Phishing attacks are simple ways hackers can extract your Facebook password by presenting to you a fake website that exactly looks like Facebook login page.
A phishing website looks very similar to Facebook website, but if you check the URL, you will see it is not Facebook.
Some hackers would send a phishing web link that seems to contain a pon. If you are the type that like watching pon, you are likely to fall for this. Once you click on the link to watch the po*n, it would require your login to your Facebook account. If you enter your Facebook login details on that page, the hacker’s phishing website will extract your login information and send to the hacker.
Tip: Always use Facebook app to login to your account. But if you must use browser, ensure you are at m.facebook.com/login or www.facebook.com/login. Another URL different from the one above is fake.
3. Do not Send your Facebook password reset code to anyone
A hacker once called me, claiming to be a Facebook manager. He said I won N15,000 cash price from Facebook, and that he would send a verification code to me after which my bank account would be credited.
While still on phone, he reset my password (by clicking on ‘forget password’ link on Facebook login page), and I got a reset verification code via SMS. He asked me to call out the code, but I burst into laugher because a guy is trying to guy a guy.
This means the hacker must have gotten my phone number or email address from my profile, but do not know the password, and he must also have checked if I used my phone as Facebook password.
Our advice
To effectively protect your Facebook account from hackers, see how to secure your Facebook account from Hackers.