Instagram today is launching a new feature called Security Checkup, which will help people keep their accounts secure. In a blog post, Instagram says Security Checkup will “guide people, whose accounts may have been hacked, through the steps needed to secure them.
This includes checking login activity, reviewing profile information, confirming the accounts that share login information, and updating account recoveries contact information such as phone number or email.”
With Security Checkup, users will be able to see if their email, mobile phone number, profile, and login info are all correct and manage each one of them.
Alongside that, Instagram wants to make sure that users’ accounts are secure with several recommended steps that everyone can take:
- Enable two-factor authentication: Instagram recommends users use a 2FA app. It says that, in the coming weeks, WhatsApp users in selected countries will be able to protect their account using a WhatsApp number;
- Update phone number and email: Make sure your phone number and email are updated. This data lets the user recover the account even if the information has been changed by a hacker, according to Instagram;
- Be aware of your DMs: Instagram explicitly says that it doesn’t send users DM. “Over the past few months, we’ve seen a rise in malicious accounts DMing people to try and access sensitive information like account passwords. (…) We’ve sent notices at the top of people’s Inboxes to warn them about these messages over the past two months. If Instagram ever wants to reach you about your account, we will do so via the “Emails from Instagram” tab in your settings.”
- Report content and accounts you find questionable: Users can report individual pieces of content to Instagram by visiting an account and reporting directly from their profile;
- Enable Login Request: Alongside the Security Checkup, Instagram also says that when you set up two-factor authentication on the app, you’ll receive an alert whenever someone tries to log in to your account from a device or web browser you don’t recognize.
The team behind Instagram also says they made a significant update to the Support Inbox, so users can find out the latest information about what’s happening with the reports or find out if any of their posts are violating Instagram’s policies.
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