As spam, bot and other crazy hacker accounts are seemingly becoming more and more common on social media, there are some things you ought to do to keep your accounts safe in today’s digital age.

1. CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD REGULARLY

Frequently updating your password reduces the risk of someone finding an old or saved password. Ensure these passwords are complex and include upper and lower case letters as well as symbols. Aim to update old passwords every month – set a recurring notification in your calendar for the reminder.

2. BLOCK, REPORT AND DELETE

If or when you receive spam comments, direct messages or follow requests it is best to delete, report and block the account. You can now opt to ‘block any future accounts this user may create’ as well which ensures that the same hackers can’t find you twice.

It is also worth double checking the account of any new followers or follow requests. You can usually spot the fake accounts if the user is promoting something like ‘new followers’ or ‘grow your profile’. They will usually also have limited posts on their page. Remember, when it comes to your profile’s health and optimal performance it is best to have an engaged following over a high follower count. These fake accounts are often inactive and will impact your engagement rate negatively. You can remove the follower without them knowing.

3. TURN ON TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

Two factor authentication is a security measure that allows you to log into your account after you provide evidence that you’re a registered operator of the account. This can be in the form of a verification code, facial recognition, fingerprint or pin number. Having two factor authentication enabled means that even if a user tries to access your account there is an added level of security and they won’t be able to