Protecting Your Facebook Account (2 minute read & video)

Article author
Betty Fleming
  • Updated

When it comes to protecting your and your candidate’s Facebook accounts, there are 4 main steps we suggest taking. If you can only take one of these- that's great too! We'll include them all in here, and explain each.

  1. Turn on Multifactor Authentication (MFA/2FA/2SV)
  2. Set Page Roles 
  3. Get Blue-Check Verified
  4. Enroll in Advanced Protection 

1. Turn on MFA (using your phone or physical security key) 

The best way to start is by turning on MFA. Facebook has this Support article that explains what it is and how to activate: What is 2 Factor Authentication and How Does it Work on Facebook? If you are using security keys, they can be applied to your Facebook accounts as well. Here is a 3 minute video that explains how to turn on MFA for your Facebook Account:

 

2. Set Page Roles for Users

Another important step is familiarizing yourself with the different Page roles that exist for the users connected to the campaign account, and the permissions they have. You may have someone set as an Admin, with full privileges to the page,  when they should only be allowed to be an editor.  Managing privileges on Facebook and across all the campaign's accounts is an essential cybersecurity practice. 

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We recommend having more than one admin for your Page, so there is backup access to the page should a situation require. campaigns frequently have multiple people—staffers and volunteers—managing pages, posting information, and responding to comments by potential voters and supporters. Make sure when the campaign ends that someone closely connected to the candidate has privileges for continuity's sake.

As a reminder, campaign staff will be using the campaign’s page via their own personal Facebook account so their cybersecurity extends to the campaign. 

 

3. Get Blue-Check Verified

Verified badges on Facebook appear next to the Page or account’s name, as well as in search. This shows that we have confirmed that an account is the authentic presence of the creator, public figure, celebrity, or global brand it represents and helps people more easily find the accounts they wish to follow.

Here is the general info: Get Facebook Verified
And here is a link to the form you'll need to fill out when you're logged in: Get Verified Form
 
 
4. Enroll in Advanced Protection

Facebook has a special program for campaigns called Advanced Protection.

The program is voluntary and helps Facebook to more quickly detect any potentially suspicious account activity by monitoring attempts to hack the account, such as unusual login locations or unverified devices.

Advanced Protection is designed for:

  • Candidates of federal, state, and local offices and their campaign staff
  • Federal, state, and local elected officials and their staff
  • Representatives from federal and state political party committees and their staff
  • Federal, state, and local agencies and departments’ Page admins who have a role in the elections process

To get started with Advanced Protection, your page needs to be blue badge verified. To start the process of verification you can go here

Facebook for Government, Politics, and Advocacy also has a blog entry that takes you through more ways to make sure your account is as safe as possible, which can be found here: Help Secure your Account

Learn More: 

How To:Why Your Social Media Accounts Should Be Secured (1 minute read) How to Protect Shared Accounts, advan

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