In the last few years, social media has become one of the main platforms businesses use to advertise to customers. This makes sense, as most customers use social media these days.
Businesses buy Instagram followers to boost their online presence and reach a wider audience. However, despite its advantages, social media marketing is not without risk.
Nearly 30 attempts at corporate takeover per company annually, or roughly three hacking attempts each month, resulting in $3.25 billion in worldwide income from social media cybercrimes. So we need to be careful and well aware of these cyber attacks.
What is the Social Media Threat?
Social media provides a platform for people to interact and exchange videos, images, and personal stories. However, oversharing or failing to recognize frauds could risk personal and commercial accounts.
Social media accounts are frequently used by attackers during the reconnaissance stage of phishing or social engineering attacks. Social media could offer attackers the information they need to conduct further assaults, such as phishing and social engineering, or a platform to impersonate reputable individuals and companies.
Can Social Media Be A Security Threat?
Like any other online platform, social media poses security vulnerabilities that companies should consider. Once hackers have obtained information through social media networks, they could be able to access corporate accounts and launch a ransomware assault or data breach.
Securing social media accounts for the company and its employees is a crucial component of social media cybersecurity best practices.
In the spring of 2021, around 1 billion social media users’ personal information was leaked online, but the companies had already made the information publicly available and hadn’t suffered a data breach.
To help safeguard social media for businesses from data breaches, raising awareness of cybersecurity threats is imperative.
Top 7 Social Media Security Threats
Here are the top social media security threats one must know. Let’s explore them.
Fake Pages
Certain social media platforms provide a “blue check” to show whether accounts are real, although obtaining these can be challenging for people and smaller businesses.
Consequently, while people are scrolling through their newsfeeds, they might be easily tricked by a false account. To mitigate this, constantly search for copying accounts and report them to the app.
Data Hacks
When a hacker has access to private data, it can lead to a damaging cyberattack known as a data hack. All sizes and types of businesses and organizations are susceptible to data breaches.
Social Security numbers, credit card accounts, and medical records are among the things someone can obtain through this. This might contain staff health information or client lists for larger firms.
Unmonitored Accounts
Even if a business isn’t using social media, it’s still crucial for them to own their handle and any versions of it. It’s important to keep an eye on inactive accounts to make sure hackers haven’t targeted them.
As most social media sites do not automatically remove inactive or deactivated accounts, every company should appoint a specific individual to oversee all social media accounts and remove those no longer in use.
Phishing
Phishing is a technique scammers use to get personal data via emails, links, fake websites, and internet chats. The sender of these emails seems to be a reputable business, such as a bank or credit card firm.
Never respond to messages of any kind or suspicious links. Also, don’t lift phone numbers or email addresses you didn’t request.
Vulnerable Third-Party Applications
Do not use any third-party applications on your social media. If they are needed, confirm whether they are a trustworthy source. In general, most third-party applications are vulnerable and can lead to cyber security attacks.
Brand Impersonation
Social media risks can even impact brands. Scammers can set up a social media profile to imitate a firm and reach out to clients pretending to be the authentic ones.
The attacker intends to send messages that damage the business’s reputation or get personal information from the receivers, such as account login credentials.
Malware
Malware is created as a file or code that gets into a user’s computer, intending to infect or steal personal data. Malware can come in various forms, but spoofing videos or postings is a common way to employ it.
The fraudster intends to trick the victim into clicking on the fake news article, which contains malware that can infect their device or social network account.
Consequences of Social Media Security
When your social media account is affected by cyber attacks, it can have a few consequences. Here are a few consequences of social media security that can happen.
- Loss of Reputation
- Data Breach
- Compliance Fines
- Hacked Accounts
- Identity Theft
Prevention Of Social Media Threats
Here are the top ways to prevent social media threats and protect your presence from cyber attacks.
- Update your passwords frequently to protect your account.
- Usage of Ad-blockers to eliminate random pop-ups that may have malware.
- Also, don’t accept a friend request from people you don’t know.
Tips To Use Social Media Safely
Using social media accounts safely is crucial to protecting your account. Here are a few ways to do this.
- Keep your devices upgraded.
- Do not share the confidential information.
- Spread awareness to children who are using social media.
- Always report suspicious crimes.
- Provide only the necessary information.
Conclusion
We really worry about online safety, so we must be extremely cautious while using social media. These tips can help you be aware and prevent cyberattacks and threats to your devices.