5 Easy Steps For Better Facebook Security

Many social networking site users are done with sharing their plans on their profiles as it’s becoming a little dangerous, whether it be home robberies, or layoffs at work. Many users mindlessly set status messages and upload pictures they think no one will see. Well, what most users don’t know is that 30% of employers use Facebook to scrutinize which employees are suitable for the job.

You don’t want to get rid of your Facebook? No worries. You just have to take the proper precautions to make sure you’re in the safe zone. Most people don’t take the time to do this, thus putting themselves in a dangerous position. Well, here are five easy steps to stay safe and private on Facebook.

1. Viewing Your Profile

The settings button on the top right corner of your Facebook homepage is the part that most users ignore but now should start paying attention to regularly. Take your mouse and hover over Settings, then click on the “Privacy Settings”. This allows you to manage what content can be viewed on your profile and who can access your profile. Should it be that everyone gets to view your photos or just your close family and friends? It’s up to you to decide. Underneath every section on Facebook (Basic Info, Status, Personal Info), you have this option of whether your page is public or private. “Everyone” means your profile is public. Friends means your friends can only see it. Network means that anyone on your network can see it, whether it be a specific school or just a city. You can also block out specific groups. On any section that offers a “Edit Custom Settings” tab, you can click this to open up a pop up box which will allow you to block out anyone that you do not want seeing your profile. This is where you can block out your boss from seeing your profile page.

2. Address and Phone Number

Of all the precautions that can be taken, one of the most important is who can view your address and phone number, two of the more dangerous things to do. To access this specific configuration page, you follow the same steps in step 2 to reach the Privacy Settings page. You’ll see after reaching this page that there are two tabs on top. Click the one that reads “Contact Information”. Like before, the same rules apply, you can block and choose who gets to see what in your contact information. The main sections on this computer would include “IM screen name”, “Mobile Phone”, “Other Number”, “Current Address”, “Website”, and your email.

3. Who can find you via search?

Adding old pals on Facebook might be great but when your entire high school friend requests you, what do you do? Well, you can simply change the setting on the search feature on Facebook. Click on the “Settings” menu on Facebook’s home page and then click “Search” on the following page. After this, your browser will automatically take you to a search privacy page. Here you can change your search visibility to Everyone, friends, Network, just like before. Also on this page, you can choose what shows up when someone searches you, it can be your profile picture, your aim, or your friend list and if you want to get rid of those pesky high school friend requests, simply uncheck the “People in High school networks”.

4. Applications can steal your personal Info

Whenever you take one of those quizzes, or you allow any application on Facebook, notice that it says “This Application will use any personal info needed in order to work”. The applications take your personal info, making it that much more dangerous for you to keep track of where your information goes. Once again, go to the Privacy Settings page (Step 2) and the click “Applications”, “Settings”, and “Overview”. Here you can check and uncheck boxes for whatever you would like under this section (Picture, Religious Views, etc.). If you do not make this change, your friend’s apps can see your personal info a long as they are connected. If you really want to get the ultimate protection, then the safest thing to do is to delete any apps you are no longer using (Use the X). Once you authorize an application, you are telling it to use whatever it needs to operate, so you are exposing your personal info to hundreds.

5. Make Friend Category List

If you have a couple hundred friends on Facebook then this will probably take some time but once you do it, you’ll find that it is easier to stay in contact with friends and easier to navigate through your profile. The best thing to do is make about 3 separate categories. The first would be Colleagues, the people at work who you must see on a regular basis (Trust me, you don’t want anything embarrassing here). The second would be family where you put any people that you are related to. Third, friends and other people who are not very close would have to go under the section marked “Acquaintances”. In order to make a friend list, click on friends at the top of the homepage. Go under the left hand column and click Friends once again. Now, a button will pop up that says “create new list”. Here you can pick names for your various groups and arrange people the way you want. After making these lists (you only need to do it once), you can block certain information from certain people and only put up the stuff you would like people to see.

(Via NY Times)