Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Social media security is essential, especially in today's digital age. Users need to be more vigilant with the increasing number of data thefts and account breaches.

UGM information technology expert Prof. Dr. Ir. Ridi Ferdiana, S.T., M.T., IPM. stated that user negligence or social engineering is the main threat to social media security, including at UGM. Ordinary negligence includes rarely updating passwords, using weak passwords, or not updating browsers regularly. These factors are the main issues that make social media accounts vulnerable to hacking, especially browsers, which often serve as an entry point for cyberattacks due to stored cookies containing user information.

"Currently, within the UGM environment, our weakest point is UGM's SSO because 99% of users use the 'remember password' feature, so passwords need to be updated regularly, and browsers also need to be updated frequently," he explained.

To prevent cyberattacks, Ridi suggested that users be more careful about managing their accounts. Some preventive measures include not responding to suspicious password reset requests, not sharing personal information carelessly, and not clicking on suspicious attachments. In addition, enabling two-factor authentication is critical.

"Use strong passwords by combining uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols," he added.

In this era of rapid artificial intelligence (AI) development, social media users can also use AI to identify and improve weaknesses in security systems. However, hackers can also use AI to launch high-level cyberattacks. Therefore, Ridi recommended that users analyze past cyberattacks and immediately identify and address vulnerabilities. For enhanced security, users can use third-party applications such as Darktrace, Cylance, and SentinelOne.

Ridi also offered specific tips for managing the security of social media accounts. First, optimize social media platforms for multiple purposes. Second, schedule regular content postings to quickly identify hijacking attempts and centrally manage the organization's social media accounts. Users can achieve this by utilizing additional third-party tools to manage accounts and security token services (STS), ensuring password confidentiality and preventing account leaks.

Finally, organizational social media account managers must establish a rapid response mechanism for cyber-attacks. The first step is sending notifications to linked accounts and disabling access. Next, users should prepare backup accounts in case their primary account is hijacked.

Reportage: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum

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