Read More: Google Introduces Over 20 New Security Features to Protect Users

You still need a security app on your device to fully protect yourself from phishing scams. Download dfndr security and you can block phishing attempts by activating the anti-hacking feature. With advanced AI built in — this feature can block attacks coming from your web browser, SMS, or chat apps.

The Facebook phishing tool has some advantages, particularly in identifying homograph attacks. Uh, what are those you might ask?  

Homograph Attacks
Some phishing attacks come in the form of a homograph attack. Hackers create websites with domain names that are almost identical to a brand name site, with the sole purpose of fooling someone and getting them to unknowingly input login credentials.

The only way to tell a site is fake is by examining the name of the site. A fake one usually has a letter or a punctuation mark out of place. Unless you’re watching closely, you could easily be fooled. This is where the Facebook tool comes in.

What the Tool Does
Named Certificate Transparency Monitoring, the tool is a Facebook-hosted application that any webpage owner can access for free with a Facebook account. The tool has been around since 2016 but it was recently updated it, allowing webmasters to detect homograph domains that are spoofs of their websites.

Webmasters add their domain to the tool’s dashboard which will scan the public Certificate Transparency (CT) logs. The logs have information about new domains that recently got an SSL certificate. The tool will then warn website owners about fake sites in the CT logs that use a similar name to theirs.

Will the Tool Help You Really?
As someone concerned about your security, the Facebook tool can help you identify phony websites, but in the end, it’s really for domain owners to suss out imposters. While the tool is useful, it will not actively block phishing scams lurking out there.

Once again, it’s wise to take security into your own hands, and have an antivirus app downloaded and ready to be your eyes and ears against hacking attempts.

Read More: My Apps Gave Up Personal Info Again

One wickedly smart way to protect your Android or IOS phone is by using dfndr vpn, a virtual private network that hides your IP address and location, especially on campus Wi-Fi. With a VPN, you can keep your gaming, snapchatting, or Facebook sessions totally anonymous from snoops or hackers.

Here’s what you should know about cyber attacks before you land at college.

The Stats
Last year alone, there was an average of 12 DDoS attacks per week. These types of attacks can infect entire colleges by hitting multiple computers or devices at once, causing them to lose Internet access. Additionally, about a quarter of all colleges or universities were the victim of cyber attacks in 2017.

Devices Get Targeted
Plenty of institutions have a policy that requires you to bring your own device, which can expose any personal info stored on tablets or smartphones to potential hacking attempts. Criminals sometimes take advantage of anyone not using security apps or VPNs and hack into their devices to steal data, oftentimes planting ransomware in order to get a fast payoff.

Your devices should always have security software downloaded, as well as the right authentication methods to make sure cybercriminals have a hard time gaining access.

How Do Hackers Target College Kids
In addition to attacking single devices, hackers also target full-on networks with DDoS attacks and viruses. Phishing scams are also common, so steer clear of any weird emails that could contain malware. Make sure your password is randomized and has a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. While it feels like a hassle, change your passwords frequently, at least every 6 months during college life.

And while it’s fun to exchange files with your friends, don’t download any files when using a public computer because these are accessed by other people (ahem, potential hackers). Always log out of public computers after you use them, especially if you send a file from your smartphone to your email or vice versa.

Bad News… Colleges are Huge Targets
The main reason why hackers go after higher education institutions is that they can easily access a lot of personally identifiable information (PID) such as social security numbers, payment information, medical records, and more. Also, the average cost of a data record belonging to a university is worth roughly $200 with registration, which can net hackers money if they steal school records and put it for ransom.

Read More: Why Bother Protecting Your Social Media Apps

Sounds so simple, but some users would like this option to be more obvious; however, learn more about this new feature and how it works.

What Brought This About?
Facebook faced plenty of backlash over the Cambridge Analytica scandal that revealed the company was harvesting the personal information of users, and selling the information to third-party companies so specific ads could be targeted to users that search for products or services.

Zuckerberg admitted at the company’s recent F8 conference that, by default, Facebook still tracks the activity of users and sends them ads connected to the information they search for. In the immediate future, users will be able to stop this practice with a new feature.

How Can Users Change This?
Supposedly the new feature will be similar to how you clear cookies and history in your web browser. Facebook’s feature will allow you to view your browsing history on the site and clear it, including what you’ve clicked on, app history, websites you’ve visited, and more.

Essentially, you’ll be able to choose to not have this information stored in your account. But, Zuckerberg warns that turning off function will eliminate some of your preferences the same way deleting cookies does, which will require you to sign onto sites again since the information in any auto-fill forms will be gone.

The Effect This Could Have
The move could bring many users back to Facebook because the will have the power to not have their preferences tracked. Zuckerberg added that the new privacy control will be called Clear History. He warned it would take the company about 3 years to become more proactive at policing content, which means you might still see content that doesn’t fit your preferences if you choose to keep your data tracking intact.

However, deleting your browsing history will result in the company removing identifying information so a log of sites and apps you’ve used won’t be connected to your account, which is a step toward more privacy.

Read More: What You Need to Know About Twitter’s New Privacy Policy

When you’re on the go and tweeting for pleasure or for work, make sure you follow common sense, especially with your Android phone. Download a security app like dfndr security, which has a full virus scan feature that does a thorough scan of your device, memory card, and SD card for any threats, promptly eliminating them. Things do happen, so remain aware of how this latest Twitter scam operates.

“Who Visits Your Twitter Profile?”
These online scam artists are talented because they’ve advertised the fake app as a tool to see who is visiting your Twitter profile. However, divulging this information is a breach of privacy and Twitter doesn’t allow this type of information to be shared. The phony app counts on people who want to grow their follower base or just terribly curious, and have successfully lured in victims with hollow promises.

Once downloaded, the app asks for permission to read tweets from your timeline, see your followers, follow new people, update your profile, and post tweets on your behalf. Yup, it can actually tweet for you, but in the form of spam. Scams, fake news, and even phishing scams are all taking your Twitter name in vain. The ultimate goal for these cybercriminals is to hook more people in and rack up a financial gain.

How to Get Rid of It?
Many have gone on Twitter to warn users about the pitfalls of this app, which seems enticing on the outside, but has caused a world of pain to many who’ve fallen for it. Thankfully, you can get rid of it without much hassle when you access Twitter on a computer.

Go to your Settings section on the site, then click Privacy, scroll down to Apps until you find the app that says “Last visits 24 hours.” Once you reach this point, click “Revoke Access” and you should be free from the app once and for all.

What Else Should I Know?
Be wary of anything you see on Twitter that seems too good to be true or asks you to click on a link without any information preceding it. These kinds of tweets are likely a scam or a phishing trap to get you to click through. Having a security app installed can help thwart threats and guard your social media accounts.

While there’s not much you can do about data breaches that happen from the services you use, since it’s up to each company to fix these security holes, there are steps you can take to protect your phone from sharing private information with apps.

Read More: Protect Your Personal Information When Using Public Wi-Fi

Here are 4 ways you can protect yourself from getting hacked, targeted for ads, and exposing your personal data for companies to collect.

Be Vigilant With Your Apps
One of the best ways to protect your data is to audit your apps, which can help you learn which apps are connected to your social media sites. Checking your privacy settings for Facebook, Google, and Twitter can help you see which apps are linked to those accounts.

On Facebook, go to the top-right corner, hit the down arrow, click Settings and check the Apps tab. Here you can choose which apps retain access of your personal information. In Google, go to Settings and hit “Connected apps & sites,” and on Twitter, you go to “Settings and privacy” and hit the Apps page. At that point, you can minimize which apps are linked to each social account.

Delete Old Apps
If there are some old games and apps you’re no longer using that are still hanging around, make sure to delete them. By getting rid of them, these apps will not be able to collect any additional personal information about you, along with all the data stored within them.

Change Your Password Every 6 Months
Another good rule of thumb is to change your password every 6 months to keep passwords fresh and prevent hacking attacks targeted at you. If someone manages to get their hands on your hashed password, they’ll be able to use decryption methods to attain the full password. You could change your passwords more often than every 6 months, but make that the minimum amount of time to update your passwords.

Read Privacy Policies
Some apps may have lengthy privacy policies, but these are worth reading because they give you a solid idea how much data each app shares or guards. If you need to connect your personal data to the app, make sure the app comes from a reliable source and you know exactly how much information it’s gathering.

Read More: How to Analyze Junk Files on Your Smartphone?

A good way to protect yourself from these situations is with dfndr performance’s Facebook Messenger cleaner feature, which allows you to delete old conversations and files. Here’s what you should know about Facebook’s recent debacle and the information they gathered while you weren’t paying attention.

Your Data Has Been Known for Years
New Zealand-based programmer Dylan McKay was among the first to discover that Facebook was all up in his business. He sent out a tweet that revealed a downloaded ZIP file from the social media site, containing complete logs of his outgoing calls, incoming calls, and SMS. Other users followed suit by reporting similar discoveries that raised hard questions on how much privacy you really have on Facebook.

Facebook Claims “We Keep You Connected”
A spokesperson for Facebook responded to McKay’s claims by saying that the company has been uploading the contact data of its users in order to make it easier for people to remain connected, much like other social media sites. This was especially true with old Android phones, which had looser permissions on what information Facebook could attain from your digital interactions.

Because these permissions weren’t as strict, the Facebook app removed restrictions at the time of installation that normally protects phone logs and SMS data. Google eventually made changes to ensure that users are notified of what type of information they’re willing to share with Facebook and what data they’d like to keep to themselves.

The Network Found a Way Around This Privacy
Even after Google changed the privacy permission settings, independent developers found a workaround and still collected SMS and phone data until the launch of Google 4.0 on the Android API last October. You can check your call and SMS logs on the Facebook app by clicking on Settings>Download. To grab a copy, go to Facebook data>Start My Archive. You can turn on the Facebook continuous upload setting on the Messenger app if you’d like to protect your privacy.

Protect Yourself With a Security App
With dfndr performance’s Facebook Messenger cleaner, you can delete old files in your chats, including videos, audio messages, GIFs and images shared on Messenger. You can choose a date range to decide how much data you’d like to get rid of — an easy fix to keep your personal information safe.

A good way to maintain your privacy is by using dfndr security, which has a social guardian feature that lets you create an additional password to keep snoops at bay. Best of all, you get to choose which apps to protect.

Read More: 5 Personal Details You Should Never Post on Social Media

Here are some reasons why you might want to consider specific protection for social media apps:

• Parents and ex-girlfriends/boyfriends: Social media apps such as Facebook share all of your personal and biographical information with anyone who sees your account, especially if you don’t enforce the right privacy protocols. Not everyone needs to see your pics and status updates, especially your parents, colleagues, exes, current partners, or acquaintances. It’s worth considering activating additional security to your account. The good thing about these apps is that you can choose how much of your profile each person gets to see. You can change your security settings by hitting the down arrow on the top-right corner and choosing Settings. You can then choose Privacy and you’ll be given a slew of options regarding the visibility of your timeline,  your public profile, and messaging options.
• Check your privacy settings: If you don’t implement your preferred privacy settings on social media, the default settings may expose you to outsiders. Before you post anything on social media, explore each app’s privacy settings in order to choose who views your status or timeline and who doesn’t — the same is true for your profile and your personal information. You can even protect your birth date, location, or other biographical information on your account.
• Social media security tips: Pick a strong password with numbers, capitalized letters and symbols for maximum security. It’s also important to use different passwords for different accounts that are not easily guessed. Plus, you should avoid accessing social media apps in public, but if you do, log out before you leave. Be wary of any links sent to you, even if they are from friends as these could be phishing scams or malware, and your friends’ accounts could have been hacked.
• Protect yourself from hackers: In addition to ensuring your privacy and choosing a strong password, change your password regularly to keep hackers guessing. You may also get a message that’s not grammatically correct from a friend, which may mean that it’s coming from a hacker or a bot. Social media apps also have help centers, so if you believe you’ve been hacked or your personal information has been compromised, don’t hesitate to contact support.

Taking the above steps to stay on top of social media security can allow you to enjoy them so much more. 

Read More: Deactivating vs. Deleting Your Facebook Account

To help keep you safe and secure while connecting with friends and family across the world, check out these smart social media tips.

Begin Here… A Simple Privacy Checkup
Facebook has a convenient feature built into their website known as ‘Privacy Checkup’; it can be accessed by clicking on the question mark bubble in the upper right-hand corner of the screen – adjacent to the ‘logout’ drop-down menu. In 3 easy steps, you can check who sees your posts, what external apps have access to your data, and what personal information shows up on your profile.

Lock Down Your Timeline and Tagging
A big tip: consider controlling the type of content that’s posted on your timeline, along with what posts you’re tagged in. To access these settings, select the drop-down arrow in the upper right-hand corner of the Facebook site, select the ‘Settings’ option, then select the ‘Timeline and Tagging’ option. Here you can finetune who are allowed to post content on your wall and if you prefer to be tagged in posts or not.

Reconsider That Selfie
A general rule to consider, despite your Facebook privacy settings, is to treat everything you post as though anyone could view it. Remember, sharing something with your friends doesn’t mean they can’t take that info and redistribute it elsewhere.

Two-Factor Authentication is Painless
An easy way to make your Facebook account more secure is to set up two-factor authentication. This option can be found under Facebook Settings and then ‘Security and Login.’ Enabling this option means that anyone attempting to log in to your account (including yourself), will be prompted to enter not only a password but also a one time code that’s sent via SMS text message or generated from the Facebook mobile application. Even if a potential intruder has your passcode, they won’t be able to gain access without your specific, personal device containing the one-time passcode.

Clamp Down on Security Overall
Besides accessing your account from the web, another possible breach is if someone gains physical access to your phone. If you want to take your security even further, you can add a secondary passcode to your social apps by using dfndr security, which has a social guardian feature. Choose which social apps you wish to protect, create a complicated passcode, and you’ll be set. Should your phone land in the wrong hands, your social media connections will be inaccessible.

Facebook is one of the greatest tech inventions to grace society, and with these tips, you’ll have the freedom to use its benefits to the fullest.

An Anti-Malware Attempt Gone Wrong
Unfortunately, part of the ongoing issue is that Facebook has been incredibly opaque on why you might be required to scan your device. The social networking giant has acknowledged that the company doesn’t collect enough information to know for sure whether your machine is infected. It’s possible that the company is using a network to watch how malware spreads, but other than speculation we don’t know the hard truth.

Read More: What Information Does Facebook Collect About Its Users?

Another potential issue is millions of people could lose access to their accounts. Some individuals came forward with complaints, citing the fact that they own a Mac and can’t download the Windows executable file required for the scan. Without any ability to run the scan, a user is locked out of their account indefinitely.

Possible workarounds have been discovered, including switching web browsers, but there are no concrete answers on why Facebook opts to remain silent on the issue. Attempting to lead the fight against malicious malware is a noble effort, but if you find yourself faced with being locked out of your account – a different strategy might be in order.

Other Options to Stay Safe
If you can’t rely on Facebook’s anti-malware solution to keep you safe, what other options are out there? A strongly recommended action to take is downloading an antivirus app to your smartphone such as dfndr security to keep your device safe by performing scheduled in-depth security scans. Best of all, the app offers an anti-hacking feature that can detect malicious links within applications like Facebook Messenger and your web browser.

While no one is entirely sure why Facebook has been so quiet on this issue, it remains clear that the best way to keep your devices protected when using social media is to always have a third-party app installed. The company did note that they ‘had helped clean up more than two million people’s computers,” but for any further information on their malware scan feature, we’ll just have to stay tuned.