With an increasing number of users and time spent on the sites, Facebook and Twitter can be an absolute gold mine for would-be data thieves and hackers. But thankfully the engineers over at these two online social Goliaths have given us the wherewithal to make sure our entire session is secure – not just the login. Secure browsing for an account ensures that data cannot be monitored by other users of the network or the ISP – particularly useful when on public computers or using a shared network at your local coffee shop for example.

Another clever new feature on Facebook allows you to be sent an email alert when a new computer or mobile device logs into your account, so if someone does get hold of your password or gains access to your account from elsewhere, you at least have a heads up and can change your password sooner rather than later.

Enabling https (secure browsing) on Facebook and Twitter is very simple, and here’s how you go about doing it:

Facebook:

1. From the homepage, click on ‘Account’ > ‘Account Settings’
2. From the list, find ‘Account security’ and click ‘change’
3. You can then enable ‘Secure browsing (https)’ and the email alerts for when an as yet unidentified device logs in to your account.
4. Click ‘Save’ and your account is just that little bit more secure

Twitter:

1. Click on your user name in the top right-hand corner, and from the drop down menu click on ‘Settings’
2. Under ‘Account Settings’, scroll down to the bottom and where it says ‘HTTPS Only’, tick the box next to ‘Always use HTTPS’.
3. Now click ‘Save’.

When you now look at the address bar at the top of your browser, you should see the green padlock indicating that you are in secure territory. As these social networks continue to expand and evolve, it’s inevitable that cracks will appear that allow those of a less morally sound mindset to sneak through. However, it’s reassuring to know that the designers of these sites are aware of this and are making available a means for the more safety conscious of us to double-lock the door behind us.