Got logged out of your Facebook account? Chances are, you may be one of the nearly 50 million users whose data got hacked yesterday.
According to Facebook, attackers were able to exploit a security vulnerability in a feature known as “View As,” which lets you see what your profile page looks like to other people.
Feature with a security flaw now disabled
The security flaw allowed them to steal access tokens — or the digital keys that keep you logged in on the social-networking site. Not only that, they could have gained access to your accounts on other apps and websites if you use your Facebook credentials to sign up for other online services. One example is if you log in to Instagram using, well, Facebook Login, or the email or phone number and password associated with your Facebook account.
SEE ALSO: How to temporarily unfollow a Facebook friend, page, or group
The company says the vulnerability has been fixed. It already reset all the access tokens for affected users. If you are one of those who got signed out of your account, Facebook says the only thing you need to do is log back into the site. But you can never be too careful. Here are some of the things you can do immediately to protect your data from hackers:
- Check the devices that are using your Facebook account.
- If you’re in the app, you can see them by clicking on the three horizontal lines in the bottom-right corner then tapping Settings & Privacy > Settings > Security and Login. There, you’ll find the “Where You’re Logged In” part. Go through each login, and remove or report those that are suspicious. It’s the same for when you access Facebook’s website, albeit with slight variations. Click on the downward arrow on the top right-hand side, and choose Settings > Security and Login.
- Change your password.
- It’s advisable to do this frequently. Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle, but don’t you think it’s more stressful if your account gets hacked again?
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
- This has been the subject of another issue recently, but we still think using this is the lesser problem. Two-factor authentication can be found under Security and Login. When turned on, you’re prompted to log in with a code each time you access your Facebook account from a new device. You can also approve a login with a security key if you have one. If you’re the type to travel frequently, it’s probably best to set up “Recovery Codes.”
- Get alerts about unrecognized logins.
- You can choose to get notified on Facebook itself or on Messenger, or via email or text message.
- Choose trusted contacts for when you get locked out of Facebook.
- This is still under Security and Login. In fact, everything we have listed thus far involves going to that setting. For this step, select three to five Facebook friends who can securely help you if you ever have trouble accessing your account. They will be able to send a code and URL from the social network to help you log back in.
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