Staff Reports
The pandemic led more businesses to focus on growing their online presence to connect with new and existing customers, but the transition has brought new challenges according to Meta.
The parent company of social media networks Facebook and Instagram said online safety and security — both for businesses and their customers — are among the major concerns.
A recent survey conducted by the company found that nearly half (47%) of small businesses say they have no understanding of how to protect themselves against cyber attacks.
Combined with the recent uptick in cybercrimes, including hacks on business social media accounts, a lack of basic cyber security knowledge could lead be devastating to small businesses.
In response, and in recognition of Small Business Month, Meta provided online security tips and highlighted tools available to business owners that can help them safeguard their online presence.
The No. 1 recommendation from Meta: Turn on notifications. Using this feature, business owners and their social media page managers will receive timely alerts about Business Manager roles, ad accounts and ad approvals.
Second, the company recommends businesses pay attention to logins for their accounts. Found on the Security and Login settings page, this feature allows account managers to view where logins originate and check for any unauthorized devices.
Third, Meta said page managers should audit access to accounts by using the Business Manager Security Center. This tool allows page managers to see who has access to a business’ accounts and ad accounts — those who do not need to use the page, such as former employees, should have their access revoked.
Finally, Meta recommends businesses use the Security Checkup tool to review and strengthen security settings for their personal Facebook accounts.
“We know that security work is never finished. As cybercrimes and scams become more sophisticated across the internet, it’s crucial to stay a step ahead of those trying to harm Florida businesses and people on our technologies,” said Jeff King, Vice President of Business Integrity at Meta.
“As we move into an increasingly complex digital landscape, we will continue to prioritize security while building trustworthy environments for the future of business.”
