On March 16th, every social media manager’s worst nightmare came to fruition, the @wahlpro Instagram page was hacked! All of our content was simply erased. With over 568,000 followers, 3,000+ posts, and millions of engagements, @wahlpro had established a powerful online community. Thankfully we were able to get our account restored after two long weeks of stress. We wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, not even our worst enemy! Here are a few tips and suggestions we recommend to help you protect yourself on social media.
1. Make sure your passwords are unique and difficult to decipher (i.e. do NOT use something simple like 1234).
2. NEVER share your password or login with someone you cannot trust. IF you do share your login with someone (i.e. for a brand takeover), be sure to change the password after the event.
3. Use different passwords for your different social media profiles.
4. Update your passwords periodically to keep your information up to date and safe.
5. On Instagram, use the Two-Factor Authentication to help keep your account secure from hackers. To sign up for this: Click Settings, scroll down to Two-Factor Authentication, click Require Security Code, enter the code provided
6. Never log in to your social media profile through separate links, apps, etc… that you do not trust.
7. If you represent a brand, look into getting your account verified by Facebook, Twitter, etc… This will prevent people from copying your profile, information, etc… and should help expedite the recovery process if you were to experience issues.
8. If you are an avid social media user, it is highly suggested to network, network, network! We were finally able to make progress in getting our account restored by having connections (via connections) with the Facebook/Instagram company. Otherwise, it is a waiting game and out of your control.
Do you have any other tips on keeping your profile secure? We would love to hear them!
