It feels like every day there’s another news story about a large-scale data leak or some large company being targeted in a ransomware attack. Likely, you have one of two responses to seeing these headlines: either you go into panic mode and begin finding ways to completely eliminate all technology from your business, or you think, “That could never happen to me,” and continue to go about your business. Ultimately, neither of these responses is wrong, but neither is necessarily correct, either. Yes, as a small business, you likely won’t be the target of some international cyber attack, but this doesn’t mean some sort of data breach won’t happen. In fact, corporate social media account takeover attempts happen about 30 times a year. We don’t want to panic, but we also don’t want to fall asleep at the wheel, either.
At Payday HCM, we understand this dilemma. Not only our we our own business with our own social media accounts, we also service plenty of clients who run social media accounts for their businesses as well. Oftentimes, we’ll receive questions from our clients about what the best steps are that they can take in order to ensure their social media accounts are secure and as protected as they can be from potential intruders. Given how detrimental a situation like that can be, we want to ensure that every small business has access to the resources they need to prevent something like this from happening—whether they’re a client of ours or not.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll be sharing five tips that can help you secure your company’s social media accounts. The five tips we’ll be going over are:
- Use Strong, Unique Passwords
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
- Limit And Manage Account Access
- Educate Employees And Create A Social Media Policy
- Monitor And Prepare For Threats
We’ll dive into how each one of these steps can help you become more technologically secure, as well as the best way to implement each one of them. By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll have all the tools you need to ensure your company’s socials are as fortified as they can be from possible intruders.
1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Yes, this one may sound obvious, and it may be something you’re already doing, but strong passwords are the first, most important step towards total security.
Why Strong Passwords Matter
As annoying as it is to receive those emails from your IT person every few months to reset your email password, there’s a reason why they ask you to do it. Ultimately, your password is your first line of defense from potential hackers, so having a strong one is crucial to achieving account security.
Cybercriminals often exploit weak or reused passwords to gain control of accounts. Common mistakes include using personal information (like birthdays or company names) or recycling passwords across multiple platforms. Once one account is compromised, others become easy targets.
Tools for Password Management
As addressed above, having your IT manager reset your passwords frequently can be a great help in ensuring your accounts are as secure as possible. With a social media account, it may require more due diligence on behalf of whoever manages the account, so creating some sort of consistent timeline for resetting passwords is essential.
To address this, use a password manager like LastPass, 1Password, or Dashlane. These tools generate and store complex, unique passwords, reducing the burden of remembering them. These platforms are highly secure themselves and can allow you to view your passwords from wherever you might be.
2. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Love it or hate it, two-factor authentication is another proven tool for preventing people from gaining access to your business’s socials.
What Is Two-Factor Authentication?
Two-Factor Authentication requires users to verify their identity using something they know (a password) and something they have (a mobile device or authentication app). Even if someone steals your password, they still need the second factor to access the account.
2FA can come in a variety of different forms. It’s likely you’re familiar with the most common: receiving either a text or email code to type into the login screen. 2FA can also involve using an authenticator app in order to ensure that whoever is logging into the account is, in fact, the actual owner of the account.
How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Most social platforms offer 2FA via settings or security options. For instance, Facebook and Instagram allow you to activate 2FA using apps like Google Authenticator or Authy, while LinkedIn and X support SMS-based or app-based verification.
When it comes to two-factor authentication, what device, email, or phone number receives the verification code is a crucial element. Ensure that whoever is managing your social media accounts uses an email or phone number that can be readily accessed in order to receive codes, and is also not a public or shared email or phone number.
3. Limit and Manage Access
Keeping track of who has access to your social media accounts can help prevent accidental breaches from occurring.
Audit User Access Regularly
If you have too many people with access to the login credentials for your social media accounts, you are at risk of increasing your chances of a potential account takeover. In general, the person who manages the social media accounts, plus your company’s IT manager, should be the only ones with access to the accounts.
Of course, there may be occasions where someone else may have to post something to your accounts. To keep an eye on users, periodically review who has access to your accounts, especially after staffing changes. Remove any inactive users or accounts that no longer require access to minimize exposure.
Role-Based Access Controls
Use tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or Meta Business Suite to assign specific roles (e.g., editor, viewer, admin) to team members. This limits the risk of accidental or malicious changes and helps track activity more effectively.
There are also different types of admin levels for different platforms that are built into their settings. LinkedIn, for example, allows you to add multiple users and set what level of control they have, ensuring that not only can you give access to everyone who needs it, but also ensure this access is controlled and secure.
4. Educate Employees and Set Clear Policies
Unfortunately, human error remains a significant vulnerability in cybersecurity. Training and clear guidelines are essential in preventing possible breaches.
Conduct Ongoing Training
Provide regular training sessions to educate staff on identifying phishing attempts, securing login credentials, and recognizing suspicious links or messages. Include real-world examples to enhance understanding.
These trainings can take many forms, from actual in-person sessions to utilizing courses on an online learning platform. Either way, what’s most important is that you provide your employees with consistent training and resources that are aimed at preventing any sort of possible takeover.
Establish a Formal Social Media Policy
Creating an actual written policy within your company’s employee handbook that talks about social media account usage can also be a crucial step in preventing cyberattacks. Even if employees know they won’t be managing any social accounts, it’s still helpful to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to the company’s policy surrounding social media and account security.
Define who is authorized to post on behalf of the company, how content should be approved, and what procedures to follow in the event of a suspected breach. Documenting these practices reduces confusion and increases accountability.
5. Monitor and Prepare for Threats
Monitoring activity and having an incident response plan can make all the difference in mitigating potential damage.
Active Monitoring and Alerts
Use social media management tools to monitor your brand's activity and mentions. Flag anomalies such as posts you didn’t publish, login attempts from unknown locations, or unauthorized changes to settings.
Oftentimes, social media apps will have these features built in, typically when there are 2FA requests. Ensuring employees can only access social media accounts when at the business’s physical location can help create a key indicator when it comes to identifying suspicious login activity.
Build an Incident Response Plan
Even with preventive measures, breaches can happen. Outline steps for detecting, reporting, and responding to security incidents. Include contacts for platform support, a communication plan for employees within the company, and procedures for recovering account access.
At this point, it would also be crucial to take an audit of all other software that requires users to log in that your company uses in order to secure those platforms and find any other potential breaches. Changing passwords and updating 2FA methods is also a good step to take at this point.
One Step Closer To Total Security
The thought of a data breach happening within your company can simultaneously feel like a distant possibility and an imminent event. It can be hard to know not only how likely something like that is to happen to your company, but also how susceptible your company may be to a potential cyberattack. When it comes to your company’s social media accounts, this is no different. While there may not be too much valuable information stored within your socials, gaining access to these accounts could lead to other software platforms that do contain sensitive information being compromised. With the information provided in this article, you’ll have the tools you need to get your business started with its cybersecurity journey.
Businesses today are full of technology. From social media accounts to POS systems and self-service portals, your company is dependent on all of its various technological components running correctly from the start. Check out our article on five common roadblocks when implementing a new HR information system to ensure your company’s tech is working as it should.
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