Protection of personal data from theft is mandatory for all computer users. This rule also applies to social networks, for example, Facebook.

The very nature of social networks suggests that people share personal information on their pages, and therefore automatically risk becoming victims of identity theft.

Facebook users should be aware that cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new ways of fraud aimed at identity theft. And often this data is open to everyone and easily accessible.

Here are some tips for keeping your Facebook profile safe:

Do not publish your date of birth or at least do not specify the year of birth

This may resemble the tactics of people who just want to stay 20 years old for as long as possible, but in fact it is a practical application: your date of birth, including the year, is the key information for the theft of your personal data.

Think twice before purchasing Facebook services that request your credit card details. It is better not to enter this data on the site.

Set boundaries. Do not report where the photo was taken, and do not post photos with your exact geolocation.

Be careful about publishing photos that show your address or the places in the house where you store valuables.

The more you publicly disclose your location and what you do, the more information you provide to criminals.

Remove photos and messages that display your personal information from your news feed.

Remove photos and messages that display your personal information from your news feed.

Your name, profile picture and cover art are always “public” and cannot be changed.

Using this public information, fraudsters can create identical Facebook profiles in order to infect users’ devices with spyware designed to steal valuable data.

Use reliable IT security solutions on your device to effectively protect your personal data from theft.

In addition, be careful when downloading free antispyware packages that may “hide” malware!

Last year, the US Federal Trade Commission reached an agreement with Facebook regarding the adoption of certain measures to protect the personal information of account holders.

This is good news for users who care about their privacy.

However, you yourself should also not forget about the rules of safe behavior on the network to prevent the theft of your personal data.

For more than a billion people, Facebook is a meeting place with old friends, an opportunity to keep in touch over long distances and promote new business projects.

If you use Facebook with prudence and caution, it will be a great way to communicate. If not, the bad guys can just ruin all the fun.