How to change your Facebook password and four other measures to protect your account.
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Today we are going to explain step by step how to protect your Facebook account with different measures. The main one is to change your password, but we are also going to explain four other things you can do to strengthen the security of your account on the social network.
These four extra steps are those of turn on 2-step verification to reinforce the login, configure your trusted friends in case you stop being able to enter your account, check the last logins for intruders and check the connected applications.
How to change your Facebook password
When you are on the main Facebook screen, click on the down arrow icon at the top right (1) to display the options menu. Once you see it click on the Settings option (2) to access the menu where you can configure your experience with Facebook.
By default, you will enter the General section of the configuration menu. But this is not the one we need now, so in the left column click on the Security and login section to access the options with which you can protect your account on the social network.
Once inside the Security and Login section, scroll down to the Login category. In her, click on the Edit button of the Change password option to proceed to change the password you have for a new one.
Now you only have change the password using the three fields you have available (1). In the first one, Current, write the password you have right now, and in the next two write a new password. Make sure the password is secure and write it the same in the two fields to confirm it. Once you have it, press the button Save changes (2) to confirm the password change.
Other measures to protect your account
Nowadays it is no longer enough to periodically change your password to protect the security of your account. Therefore, we are also going to explain how to take other secondary security measures to try to make sure that your Facebook account remains safe and protected.
1. Activate 2-Step Verification
When you are on the main Facebook screen, click on the icon of the down arrow that you have at the top right (1) to display the options menu. Once you see it click on the Settings option (2) to access the menu where you can configure your experience with Facebook.
By default, you will enter the General section of the configuration menu. But this is not the one we need now, so in the left column click on the Security and login section to access the options with which you can protect your account on the social network.
Once inside the Security and Login section, scroll down to the Two-Step Authentication category. In her, click on the Edit button of the option Use two-step authentication to start the process to configure it.
But before proceeding to configure this security process, Facebook will ask you to reconfirm your identity to make sure it is really you. For it, you will have to retype your password and press the Continue button.
Two-step authentication is an extra security measure. To ensure that no one can steal your password and enter your account, you will need to identify yourself with a second step. You will have to do this every time you start the session, but not while you are logged in afterwards. To start setting it up, press the Start button under Add additional security with two-factor authentication.
You have two ways to take this second step. You can use one of the special applications to do it that exist, or simply enter a code by SMS. As this second option is the easiest and does not require using anything, it is the one we will use, although either of the two can be useful. For it, select the Text message option (1) and then press the Next button (2) to continue.
The mobile number that Facebook will choose for this process is the one that you have configured in your account as your number. However, you can also change it to choose another by pressing the Use another number button that you have in the Text message box.
You will receive an SMS on your mobile which includes a security code. Once it reaches you, enter the six digits of that code in the six boxes that Facebook shows you and press the Next button. And that’s it, if the codes match, your two-step verification will have been successfully activated.
2. Set up your trusted friends
When you are on the main Facebook screen, click on the icon of the down arrow that you have at the top right (1) to display the options menu. Once you see it click on the Settings option (2) to access the menu where you can configure your experience with Facebook.
By default, you will enter the General section of the configuration menu. But this is not the one we need now, so in the left column click on the Security and login section to access the options with which you can protect your account on the social network.
Once inside the Security and Login section, scroll down to the Recommended or Configure additional security category. In any of them, click on the Edit button of the option Choose between three and five friends with whom to contact if you lose access to your account to start the process to configure it. If you have never configured it, in the Recommended section it will appear as Choose friends you can ask for help if you lose access to your account
A text will be displayed explaining how this function works. It is a group of friends that you will be able to ask for help in the event that you cannot log in, and they will be able to generate you a verification code with which to access your account. They have to be between three and five, and to choose them press the Choose friends button.
And that’s it, now you just have to add three to five friends that you have added to your Facebook account and click Continue. To add them, just start writing your name and Facebook will give you the suggestions that match what you write.
3. Check the latest logins
When you are on the main Facebook screen, click on the down arrow icon at the top right (1) to display the options menu. Once you see it click on the Settings option (2) to access the menu where you can configure your experience with Facebook.
By default, you will enter the General section of the configuration menu. But this is not the one we need now, so in the left column click on the Security and login section to access the options with which you can protect your account on the social network.
Once inside the Security and login section, scroll down to the Where you have logged in category and press the See more button that appears below the last two devices from which you have entered your Facebook account.
A list with all the logins that have been made to your account will be displayed. If you think any of them have not been done by you, press the button with the three dots (1) to the right of the login in question. Now, in the small menu that appears, click on the option Isn’t it you? for more information.
You will go to a window in which Facebook will give you all the information about when, from where and how that session was started that you think may not have been yours. If after looking at it you are sure that you were not the one who entered your account, press the Protect account button to move on to take action against what they may have done on your behalf.
In doing so you will start the process to protect your account. This process will start by helping you change your password to prevent the person who may have logged in to your account from doing so again, and then it will help you review the pages you liked, the deleted friends, your posts, and your comments for activities. that you may not have done it but that person, and that way you can reverse everything.
4. Check connected apps
If we have learned something from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is that applications connected to our social networks can be used to obtain our data. To control which ones access your account, click on the down arrow icon at the top right (1) to display the options menu. Once you see it click on the Settings option (2) to access the menu where you can configure your experience with Facebook.
By default, you will enter the General section of the configuration menu. But this is not the one we need now, so in the left column click on the Applications and websites section to access the list of applications connected to your account.
You will see a list with all the applications with which you have logged into Facebook, and therefore have access to some of your personal data. To see what data each one has access to, click on the link View and edit that you have under their names.
A page will open where you will see what type of Facebook data each application has access to. On this page you can also revoke access to each of the data individually by deselecting the fields you want. Of course, keep in mind that by eliminating this access the application could stop working correctly or ask you to access this data again.
However, if you think that an application is collecting too much data that you think it does not need, it is best to delete it. For that, first select the application you want to delete (1) by checking the box in the box for each one. After selecting one or more, hit the delete button (2) to delete it from the list so that it cannot continue accessing your Facebook session unless you give it permission again.
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