National Cyber Security Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity to review your Facebook security settings.

Secure Connection Browsing

There are two different types of Internet addresses: standard http:// and encrypted https://. The purpose of the latter, known as an SSL connection, is to keep sensitive information transmitted through the Internet secure. Encryption is important because data travels through many different computing devices before it arrives at its destination. SSL is commonly used for online banking or shopping transactions, and Facebook also makes it possible to use an SSL connection when browsing. Activate this feature as follows:

1. Click Account, then Account Settings.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Click “Edit” to the right of “Secure Browsing.”

4. Check “Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) when possible.”

The next time you log into Facebook it will be using an address that begins https://. However, you should be aware that third-party applications and games may not operate in this mode. When using one of these applications, you will see a box that informs you secure browsing must be turned off in order to continue. Reactivating a secure connection will require you to sign out and sign back in again.

Active Sessions

Have you ever logged into Facebook from one device and later wondered if you logged out? You have the ability to remotely log out of your Facebook account by accessing the following:

1. Click Account, then Account Settings.

2. Click the Security tab.

3. Click “Edit” to the right of “Active Sessions.”

4. Click on “End Activity” to log out other computers.

View As…Button

Whenever you make changes to your Facebook settings, take a moment to see how those changes affect your account. This is accomplished using the “View As…” button:

1. Go to your Profile page.

2. Click “View As…”.

3. Enter a friend’s name in the box.

Remember to also click on the “public” hyperlink located in the first sentence of the instruction box. This allows you to see what your Facebook page looks like to people such as potential employers. Share as little as possible with people you don’t know.

Staying Safe Online

These are just a few suggestions for making your account more secure. For additional tips, visit https://www.facebook.com/security.