The Definitive Facebook Lockdown Guide - Securing your account settings (Sept. 2011)
This guide will guide you through your account settings, which have changed significantly since the last Lockdown guide. Your account settings allow you to add further security steps to your account to prevent unauthorised access, but also include crucial settings which can prevent any breaches of your privacy in form of adverts. It also gives you control over your applications and notifications, as well as your mobile settings.
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This is gallery 3 of 5. To see more gallery guides, from profile settings to privacy settings, visit the Definitive Facebook Lockdown Guide (Sept. 2011) for all the resources you need.
To begin, go to the top-right of the page and select Profile from the blue bar, then click Edit profile just underneath the blue bar.
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Your name is what appears all over your Facebook, and is also what users can type in to search for you. It is publicly 'who you are', so it's pretty important. It's best to use your real name. But not everyone may recognise it.
1. If you have an alternative name, a non-Christian name or a maiden name, you can enter it in here to make you more accessible to those who might want to get in touch.
You do not have to put it on your profile, however -- if you're running from the feds, or something to that effect.
Where you should be: Account settings > General tab.
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Your email can be used to find others in the same 'network' as your email domain, such as a corporate workplace or a school, college or university.
Be careful here. You can use many emails to access your Facebook profile, but these can automatically appear on your profile.
1. If you wish to disconnect from a network, you can remove your email address here, too. Simply hit Remove.
2. If you wish to remove your Facebook email, then you can do. This allows anyone outside of Facebook to contact you on the site.
Also, ensure that the box is not ticked to prevent others from downloading your email address if they decide to export their data from Facebook.
Linked accounts can be used to synchronise your social networks, and to allow Facebook to log in when you are using another account or social network.
1. In my view, Linked accounts should never be used, because if one account is compromised, then the hacker could also compromise your Facebook. It's better to keep these as separate as possible, to ensure that your services remain secure.
Where you should be: Account settings > Security tab.
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Secure browsing allows you to browse Facebook in a 'secure' way. Though it may not protect you from snooping in the workplace, it does enhance your security when using the site -- to ensure that your data cannot be intercepted or viewed when it travels through the wires of the Internet.
1. You should enable this feature by ticking the box.
But remember, your privacy and profile settings are more important than secure browsing -- as this setting does not lock down the content you post on Facebook.
Using a 'two-factor' system, Facebook can send you a text message or an email when you are logging in from a location or computer it does not recognise. This is wise, as it allows you to verify that nobody else is trying to access your account.
1. Recommended setting is text message, if you want to enable this feature.
Recognised devices are laptops and smartphones from which you have logged in from. You can select the name when you log in for the first time on that device.
1. If you see a device you have not named, or do not recognise, hit Remove and it will log you out from that device.
If you have left Facebook on in another location, such as at work or on a friend's house, you can terminate that session remotely to prevent anyone accessing your account without your permission.
1. If you see a last accessed time that you do not recognise -- because of the time, the location or the operating system and browser used -- hit End activity.
Remember: if you do ever spot anything which you see as suspicious, change your password immediately.
Where you should be: Account settings > Notifications tab.
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From here, you can change how and when you are notified about things happening on Facebook, when you are using the site or when you are not. These include notifications from groups, applications and other Facebook features.
1. Scroll down and select Edit. From here, you can see a selection of check boxes to determine whether an email should be sent or not reminding you of that notification.
Simply go through and select when you want to be notified by email or not. If you have a mobile phone set up, you may also have a text message notification column enabled.
2. To change email settings for groups that you are part of, select Change email settings for individual groups.
If you are a member of a group, you can limit whether you receive email updates from the group or not.
3. To enable email updates, check the box, otherwise ensure the box unchecked to opt-out of email updates.
Where you should be: Account settings > Applications tab.
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Applications require the ability to see certain parts of your profile, including some quite sensitive data at times. Some of these are required for the application to work, but some are not necessarily required and can be removed -- to ensure that data that is not necessary to the application does not get collected by the application maker.
1. To see when your data was last accessed by the application, click the See details button.
From here, you can see exactly which content from your profile the application is accessing. From here, you can make a sound judgement for whether the application is taking data that you do not want it to, or whether it is legitimately accessing data for good reason.
You could always remove the application. We will discuss this in the next slides.
To remove applications, the process is simple.
1. Click Remove app from the list of applications available to you.
2. If you are sure that you want to remove the application, including the settings, game progress or anything else relating to the application, click Remove.
However, some applications go 'beyond its brief' and access data that it does not necessarily need as part of the general running of the application. In this screenshot, you can see that it can access the online presence, but it can be removed.
1. From the list of the application's "this app can..." list, hit Remove and it will be immediately revoked from accessing that area of your profile.
2. You can also limit who the application can share with. Simply select the scroll-down menu and select who you want the application to share with, or who you do not want it to share with.
Where you should be: Account settings > Mobile tab.
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Facebook Mobile opens up security features which can be very useful, especially for log in notifications and a two-factor system. If you have not already added your phone, you can do here -- but on the safe side.
1. Click Add a phone.
Because of Facebook's security system, where your mobile can be used to access your profile and account, you will need to enter your password in.
2. Enter your password and hit Confirm.
Facebook will shortly be sending you a confirmation text message to verify your phone. First, it needs a few details from you.
3. Choose the country your phone number is registered to. For +1 numbers, select the United States. For +44 numbers, select the United Kingdom, for example.
4. Select your mobile network from the list. If it does not appear, you will not be able to use Facebook Mobile.
From here, you will need to text Facebook a message to prove that it is you. Follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Once you receive a text message back, type in the code in the box provided.
6. Here is the crucial thing. Ensure that the first box is not checked so you do not make your mobile number available to others.
7. If you wish, however, for friends to send messages directly to your mobile, while not disclosing your mobile number, check this box.
There are a few more settings to get going with Facebook Mobile, however.
1. From here, you can turn on and off text message notifications. Consult your network because this may cost you money. Though Facebook does not charge for the texts, your mobile network may charge you to receive them.
2. These options here are all but identical to your email notifications seen earlier. To enable notifications sent to your mobile, check all of them.
3. This setting should be checked to ensure that only people on your friends list can send messages to your mobile -- if you choose to enable it anyway.
4. If you want to set a window for when Facebook can send you text messages, this section will enable you to make it happen. Make sure that Do not send me SMS notifications while I am using Facebook is checked to prevent any further unnecessary texts being sent.
5. If you wish to subscribe to a friend's statuses or Page updates, you can do this here by typing in their name in the box provided.
There are plenty more Facebook Mobile settings to consider, like this one:
1. If you want Messages to come through as text messages, select the Whenever someone messages me, otherwise turn it off.
You may be on a limited text contract or find that Facebook Mobile messages cost you.
2. If you wish to limit how many text messages Facebook sends you per day, select a number from the drop-down menu and hit Save Changes.
3. If you wish to remove your registered phone altogether, select the Remove link.
You will be prompted for your password again, seeing as Facebook Mobile forms part of the internal security system it has.
4. Type in your password and hit Confirm.
There is only one more step to complete to remove a phone from Facebook, which will stop any text messages coming through, but will also open you up to security issues -- such as disabling two-factor login text messages.
5. To remove your phone, click Remove phone from the list.
Where you should be: Account settings > Payments tab.
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Payments allow you to spend money on Facebook and convert them into Credits, which can then be used in games and applications to purchase content.
It is highly recommended that you do not store any financial information here, in case your account is hijacked or accessed without your consent. Simply go through and remove your cards, and any funding sources that you may have. If you took advice from the previous Lockdown Guides, you won't have any saved in here at all anyway.
Where you should be: Account settings > Facebook Adverts tab.
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While Facebook maintains that it does not allow advertisers to use your information or photos in adverts, it may allow it in the future -- they say. Facebook says that "false rumours" are circulating about its policies regarding your photos and content. Regardless of this, you still need to apply certain settings to ensure none of your data is used.
1. Click the link that says Edit third party advert settings.
To prevent your data, pictures or any of your content from appearing or being accessed by third-party advertisers or applications, you need to make one simple change.
2. Select No one from the drop-down menu and hit Save Changes.
Go back to Facebook Adverts page to continue editing your third-party permissions.
While Facebook maintains that it does not allow advertisers to use your information or photos in adverts, it may allow it in the future -- they say. Facebook says that "false rumours" are circulating about its policies regarding your photos and content. Regardless of this, you still need to apply certain settings to ensure none of your data is used.
3. Click the link that says Edit social adverts setting.
Not everyone wants to know what their friends like -- so you can opt out of being paired with adverts. To do this, you need to make one more simple change.
1. Select No one again from the drop-down menu and hit Save Changes.
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This is the end of the gallery. To see more gallery guides, from profile settings to privacy settings, visit the Definitive Facebook Lockdown Guide (Sept. 2011) for all the resources you need.