Facebook has long been a target of security breaches, would-be breaches and exploit attempts for various reasons. After all, if you can gain access to somebody’s Facebook account, you’d be able to use it to log into a good amount of their other accounts these days, enroll them into a botnet or just ruin their life. Facebook and a good band of white hat hackers, exploit seekers who report their findings to the maker of the product they manage to crack, have worked hard over the years to keep users secure. There has always been a decent amount of things a user can do to help keep their account secure, such as adding verification methods to their login.
A new tool, rolled out on the web for testing recently and finally hitting Android today, seeks to give users more control over security. Known as the Security Checkup Tool, this new set of toys allows users to step up their security game just a bit more. The tool can allow you to automatically log out of Facebook from apps and browsers that aren’t in use, keeping your Facebook out of the hands of any random thief who happens to guess your lock code. Needless to say, it’s plenty handy for those who typically leave their phone unlocked. Login alerts are also on board, letting you know whenever somebody tries to log in to your account from another device. Finally, the new tool includes obligatory consumer education on how to keep one’s password under wraps. Basic tips are up for display such as avoiding phishing schemes, not leaving it written down where others could find it and changing it every now and then.
Users of the Facebook app on iOS should be receiving the update fairly soon, but no specific date was mentioned. Facebook users who go through the browser, such as most Blackberry users or Android users who refuse to download the somewhat resource-hungry app or have older phones that simply can’t run it, are already reaping the benefits of the centralized security hub for their accounts. Although only basic provisions are on the checklist, having them all in one place should help with user awareness and make management of security features a little bit easier.