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Facebook said its engineers had discovered a security weakness this week that could let the attackers divert accounts from people. The vulnerability, which has been corrected by the company, has affected nearly 50 million accounts.
Facebook said in a web message that the security problem was related to the "View as" feature, which allows users to see a preview of their profile to other people, such as specific friends. Hackers exploited a weakness of the tool to access the numbersAll keys that allow users to access Facebook from a personal device without having to re-enter their password. The keys could then be used to support people's accounts, the company said.
The social networking giant said that it had reset all access keys for the affected users and that these users had to reconnect to their accounts. In other words, there is not much to do. However, you must take certain precautions to protect yourself from the attack.
Perform a device audit
The best way to determine if someone has had incorrect access to your account is to audit the devices you used to sign in to Facebook. On Facebook The Security and Login page, under the "Where you are logged in" tab, displays a list of devices connected to your account, as well as their location. If you see an unknown gadget or device connected to an odd slot, you can click the "Remove" button to start the device outside your account.
Change your password
Facebook says that since it has fixed the vulnerability, it is not necessary to change the password of your account. But for more security, you should probably do it, especially if you use a weak password or if you have seen suspicious devices connected to your accounts.
If you decide to change your password, choose a complex one – and do not reuse a password that you have used on another site. Try to create long and complex passwords made up of absurd expressions or one-sentence summaries of strange life events and add special numbers and characters, such as: My favorite number is Green4782 #.
To keep your passwords organized and easy to access, consider using a password management application such as 1Password or LastPass. These tools allow you to keep all your passwords in a digital vault that can be opened with a master password. They can also automatically generate complex passwords.
Enable two-factor authentication
Like many sites, Facebook offers a security feature called two-factor authentication. This is the text messaging of a unique code on your phone that you must enter after entering your password. This way, even if someone accessed your password, it would be difficult to log in without this code. Even though Facebook has corrected this week's security vulnerability, this feature must be enabled for all users.
Brian X. Chen is the main author of mainstream technology. He reviews the products and writes Tech Fix, a column on problem solving related to technology. Before joining The Times in 2011, he covered Apple and the wireless industry for Wired. @bxchen
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