In the growing age of technology, privacy on the internet is a major concern. While username and password continue to exist, adding one more layer of security only makes the user database more secure. When it comes to a platform like Instagram with over a billion users, data protection and prevention against hacks is of top priority. Which is why Instagram has launched “Security Checkup” aimed at Keeping Instagram Safe and Secure.
“We’re launching Security Checkup, a new feature to help people keep their Instagram accounts secure. Security Checkup will guide people, whose accounts may have been hacked, through the steps needed to secure them. This includes checking login activity, reviewing profile information, confirming the accounts that share login information and updating account recovery contact information such as phone number or email.” says Instagram on their official blog website.
Security Checkup is Instagram’s another way to work towards keeping Instagram accounts as secure as they can. Here are Instagram’s recommended steps to make accounts even more secure:
Enable two-factor authentication
Enabling two factor authentication or 2FA will add an additional security layer by asking you to enter a code while signing in. Instagram will soon include WhatsApp in the 2FA list but users currently can opt for their existing phone number or use authenticator apps.
Update your phone number and email
Make sure that the email and phone numbers associated with the device are up to date. That way if something happens to a user’s account, then Instagram can reach them. These steps also let users recover their account even if their info has been changed by a hacker.
Instagram will never send you a DM
Instagram, over the past few months has seen “a rise in malicious accounts DMing people to try and access sensitive information like account passwords.” They may tell users that their account is at the risk of getting banned or “that you are violating our policies around intellectual property, or that your photos are being shared elsewhere.” These messages are often scams and violate Instagram’s policies. In case Instagram wants to reach out to a user, they do so via the ‘Emails from Instagram’ tab in the settings, which is the only place to find direct and authentic communication from Instagram on the app.
Report content and accounts you find questionable
Instagram says: “While we are always improving our technology to combat new trends and techniques that hackers and spammy accounts may use, you can also report individual pieces of content to us by tapping the three dots above a post, holding on a message, or by visiting an account and reporting directly from the profile.“
Enable Login Request
When a user sets up two-factor authentication on Instagram they will receive an alert whenever someone tries to log in to their account from a device or web browser that Instagram doesn’t recognize. These alerts will tell the users which device tried logging in and where it is located. Users can approve or deny the request immediately from their already logged in devices. They can also view the list of devices that have recently logged into their Instagram account at any time under “Settings,” “Security,” “Login Activity.” In case of an unrecognised recent login, users can log out of that location or device and let Instagram know that the login wasn’t them.
Accounts that impersonate others, use their verification status to hack and target people, or generally conduct spammy behavior with the hopes of misleading people on Instagram break Instagram’s rules. To tackle this Instagram is constantly improving their technology to find and stop this behaviour.
Instagram has also made significant updates to their Support Inbox so that users can find out the latest information about what’s happening with their reports, or find out if any of their posts are violating Instagram’s policies. This includes being able to easily see the status of everything they have ever reported on Instagram, see what posts may have broken the rules and how to appeal those decisions.
Instagram is continuing to provide more features and tools to improve security on Instagram. To know “What New Is Instagram Working On ?”. Click Here.
