Traders are always dealing with financially sensitive information. So privacy and security are always key concerns in any trading business.
In a previous article, I discussed the importance of Facebook privacy settings and their security implications.
I also mentioned the announcement in late September 2018 that Facebook was hacked, affecting almost 50 million users. What I didn’t mention is that, suddenly, a feature once considered ‘best practice’ is now the worst thing you could have done.
Did You Use This Feature?
Facebook users are often surprised to learn that their personal information and posts look different to other users. Often, the realization comes when they see their own page through a friend’s account. But you can see how your account looks to other users from your own page. (Or at least you could at one time.)
Until recently, using Facebook’s built-in View As option (available in the Facebook banner area) was the go-to solution for seeing your page just as the public sees it.
But that was before Facebook admitted that hackers had potentially gained access to the accounts of users who had used the View As feature in the last year.
This was a handy feature, allowing you to more easily figure out which privacy controls you should set. Facebook has paused this feature (as of late September 2018), pending a review of the vulnerabilities.
So what to do now? It’s against Facebook’s Community Standards to create a second account. So the only legit option would appear to be to get with a buddy or family member who is NOT your Facebook friend. Then look at one another’s accounts to see how they look to the public.
Hopefully Facebook will get this fixed soon.
In the meantime, here are some additional tips for the security-conscious trader.
Be Careful What You Share
Sometimes you want to keep your photos and posts private among a group of family members or friends. But re-posts can become public. Unfortunately, there’s no good way to stop them from sharing.
It’s important to understand this principle before sharing any trading information. Avoid sharing sensitive data about the stock market or trading strategies. Even if you only share it with a couple of people, it can go viral if they then share it.
Set Friend Request Limitations
If you are in a management position, you probably receive a lot of unwanted friend requests from strangers. You can stop the mayhem. Here’s how:
- Start from the drop-down menu (downward arrow) at the right end of the Facebook toolbar.
- Click on Settings > Privacy.
- Click on Edit next to Who can send friends requests?
- Change your setting from Everyone to Friends of friends.
Block Users, Apps and Other Invitations
You may sometimes want to prevent particular users from seeing your every post. For example, maybe you’re happy for your parents or your boss to see your public posts, but don’t want them to be able to follow your every move.
Under Settings > Blocking, add them to your Restricted List. They’ll be able to see things you share publicly or on a mutual friend’s timeline, or a post they’re tagged in. Otherwise, they’ll never know what you’re up to. And, they won’t know you’ve put them on restriction.
And then there are all those silly game invitations that can be a big distraction from the serious business of trading. In this same Blocking window, you can block friends from sending you app, game, and event invitations.
Protect Location Information
Giving out your location information can be dangerous. Certain apps use this information to track you. Other apps might inadvertently show your location to the public.
If you are allowing Facebook to access your location from mobile devices, periodically go to Settings > Location and check what information was collected by viewing your location history. If you spot potential problems, turn off location data collection on the Facebook app on your devices.
Get Off the Google Grid
There’s no way to prevent other Facebook users from seeing you on Facebook search. However, you don’t have to let others find you on Facebook merely by running a Google search.
In the Settings > Privacy window, the last setting is Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile? Select No to prevent search engines like Google and Bing from showing your Facebook profile in search results.
Conclusion
As a trader dealing with sensitive business information, loose security practices could put your business in jeopardy. Take time now to review your Facebook privacy and security settings, along with your sharing practices. A little time now could avoid a big security headache in the future.
There are more trading computer tips like this in our buyer’s guide. Check out our “How To Buy a Trading Computer” e-book.
Remember, we are here to help with all your technology-related questions. If you think of additional questions about computer hardware or other questions, give me a call. My team and I are here to help. We’re happy to answer any of your questions about trading computers via phone: 800-387-5250.
Photo by LoboStudioHamburg on pixabay.