securing your Instagram account

Due to the ongoing pandemic, screen time has significantly increased. The need to keep in touch virtually has led to an increased time on social media. The rise in this trend has led to teenagers being dubbed 'SCREENagers!'. Frankly across all ages, we are glued to our devices.

According to many studies, Instagram is one of the topmost social media applications used currently. It has a total of 1.22 billion active users on a global level.

How do you ensure reasonable security while you are online?

Last week, Instagram launched 'Security Check-up', a new feature to help users keep their Instagram accounts secure. Security Check-up will guide people, whose accounts may have been hacked. These include checking login activity, reviewing profile information, confirming the accounts that share login information, and updating account recoveries contact information such as phone number or email.

Security Check-up is another way that we are working to keep Instagram accounts as secure as we can. But there are several other steps that we recommend everyone also take to make their account even more secure:

1. Enable two-factor authentication:

We strongly recommend enabling two-factor authentication. If you’re using WhatsApp, in the coming weeks you will be able to protect your account using your WhatsApp number in certain countries. Alternatively, you can enable two-factor using your phone number, or an authenticator app like Google Authentication.

2. Update your phone number and email:

Make sure that the email and phone numbers associated with your device are up to date. That way if something happens to your account, Instagram can reach you. These steps let you recover your account even if your info has been changed by a hacker.

3. Instagram will NEVER send you a DM:

Instagram will never send you a DM.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen a rise in malicious accounts Direct Messaging people, trying to access sensitive information like account passwords, email ids, etc. Fraudsters may tell you that your account is at risk of being banned, that you are violating Instagram policies around intellectual property or that your photos are being shared elsewhere. These messages are often baited to scam people and violate Instagram policies.

When Instagram discovers these kinds of scams, they take action against them. But you should report the content and block the account.

Instagram proactively sends notices at the top of people’s Inboxes to warn them about these messages. If Instagram ever wants to reach you about your account, they will do so via the ‘Emails from Instagram’ tab in your settings, which is the only place you will find direct and authentic communication from Instagram.

4. Report content and accounts you find questionable:

While Instagram and most social media apps are constantly improving their technology to combat new trends and techniques that hackers and spam accounts may use, one could also report individual pieces of content to most of the apps providers by tapping the three dots above a post, holding on a message, or by visiting an account and reporting them directly from the profile as indicated in the below image.

5. Enable Login Request:

When you set up two-factor authentication on Instagram you’ll receive an alert whenever someone tries to log in to your account. These alerts will tell you if a device tried logging in and where it's located. You could approve or deny the request immediately from your already logged-in devices. You can also view the list of devices that have recently logged into your Instagram account at any time under Settings - Security - Login Activity.

One could also look at the Support Inbox, so you can find out the latest information about what’s happening with your reports, or find out if any of your posts are violating Instagram policies.

What can be done?

The above suggestions if followed would ensure that you are reasonably secure while surfing on Instagram. In the event of any cyberbullying or obscenity-related incidents, one can lodge a complaint at www.cybercime.gov.in, an acknowledgment number is generated and the complaint is transferred to the nearest police station.

Addressing such a lack of awareness is key to reducing your chances of being cyber attacked. Cyber awareness training must be a key to cybersecurity in 2021 & onwards.

#BeAwareBeVigilant

securing your Instagram account

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