Last week, Facebook announced that over 50 million accounts had been hacked. The issue isn’t just this hack of Facebook accounts but also the loss of account entry keys that integrate with Facebook Connect. This could potentially lead to further data loss and companies are still trying to figure out how far the losses could go. If you’re a Facebook user, what does this mean for you and what should you do?
The hack itself is already fixed but if you use Facebook Connect to log into other websites, the pain may not be over. If you’re one of the millions of people who select Log In with Facebook when it pops up on a website, the potential loss is still unknown.
How to tell if your Facebook account has been hacked
In this particular instance, if you were subject to this hack, you will have been automatically logged out of Facebook. The company did this on your behalf and added a notification on the top of your News Feed explaining why and what you need to do next.
If you did not get logged out of Facebook and do not see a notice on top of your News Feed, you were likely not part of this hack. If you want to be sure you haven’t been hacked, log into Facebook and navigate to Settings, Security and Login and check ‘Where you’re logged in’. If you see somewhere you don’t recognize, select the three gray dots on the right and select Log Out. Then immediately change your password.
What to do if your Facebook account has been hacked
If you find you have been hacked, in this particular attack or a different one, you have things you need to do. You should follow the steps above to log out and change your password. Then do the following:
Turn on two-factor authentication
If you’re not already using two-factor authentication everywhere you can, you really should be. It is a strong security feature that adds an extra step to logins but is very, very difficult for a hacker to overcome. If you don’t use it on Facebook, turn it on. Now. Then enable it on every other site or social network you use.
Check Facebook application access
One neat thing about Facebook is the apps. They offer everything from games to fitness tracking. They can also access a lot of your personal information so it’s a good idea to check what is connected and what apps can access what data. Go to Settings, and Apps and check that you recognize, or still want the apps you find there. Select the gray X and Remove the ones you don’t use.
Don’t use Facebook Connect
Yes it is fast and yes it is convenient but as this hack demonstrates, Facebook Connect offers a way into your personal life that no app should have. I would strongly suggest you stop using any ‘Log In with Facebook’ option and log in manually. It does take a few extra seconds but could potentially save your identity from being stolen or worse.
