Image from: chanpipat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As social media rises in both popularity and importance, it also seems that the number of social media accounts that are being hacked is also growing.

Itâ??s fairly obvious just how important social media is in the modern world. With the likes of Twitter and Facebook becoming a larger and more important part of our lives, there are numerous benefits. People can use it to stay in touch, and businesses have a direct access line to their immediate customer base.

It is estimated that 600,000 Facebook accounts were hacked alongside 55,000 Twitter accounts across the world in May of this year. This isn’t just targeting the public, either. Even the likes of journalists and businesses that have a secure grip on their personal accounts (often used to liaise with the public) have had their Facebook accounts accessed.

The importance of social media

Yet it is these reasons that also make social media a target for hacking. Since these websites and services are fulfilling an increasingly crucial role, their vulnerability is only becoming more and more obvious.

If you run a company or business, then you are no doubt using social media for this purpose. With this in mind, the likes of Facebook are a valuable marketing tool. You can easily communicate directly with people who are interested in your business or product. As such, itâ??s important to have control over this area. If it gets hacked, for instance, then you are no longer in direct control. The hacker is then able, if they wish, to cause disturbance between you and your clients. Not only can this potentially cost you business, the long term effects on your reputation can extend this further into the future as well.

What to do if youâ??ve been hacked

If you do get hacked, itâ??s important to respond as quickly as possible. The ALLOW protection service, for example, covers this. ALLOW can offer social media insurance, which means in the case of a hacking or other damaging effects, support is offered. This includes both expert and legal assistance to help regain control of your accounts, in addition to removing any negative messages and repairing any damage that may have been done to your reputation. The sooner you do this, the better, so it pays to have a service on hand for this potential scenario.

Prevention

Of course, the best course of action is prevention. There are many methods you can use to help reduce or stop hackers from gaining access to your account.

One that I recently tested is the ALLOW service already covers much of this, offering a data protection service to ensure that your information isn’t spread. After all, it only takes a simple password to get into your accounts.

Additionally, you can also take steps yourself. Whether itâ??s through having a complicated password or making sure only those people you know have your e-mail address, there is plenty you can do. Try, for instance, making sure every password is different. If your passwords are all the same, a hacker only needs to learn one password before being able to cause considerable damage.

This article has been written by Andrea Moro, a passionate SEO in Heartfordshire