Imagine, you are enjoying your morning coffee, the morning silence is interrupted by the ringing of your phone or the “ding” of your computer. You glance at the screen and read: “ A new device has connected to your Facebook account“. Morning calm turns into worry. You didn't connect a new device, so who did?
When you receive such a notification, doubt and panic can instantly set in. Questions assail you: who is behind this unauthorized connection? What personal information was potentially exposed?
But do not panic ! In this article, we are here to help you. We will explain to you what you should do when you receive this notification, whether by email or via the application.
Check and identify suspicious activity
The first thing to do when you receive a alert message Facebook indicating that a new device has connected to your account is to check for suspicious activity.
This is an essential step in understanding what happened and assessing the extent of the problem.
Here's how you can do it:
1) Confirm notification
Facebook typically sends email or in-app notifications when your account is accessible from a new device or new location.
If you receive a message saying: “ We detected a connexion unusual from an unfamiliar device or location. Was it you?“, take it seriously.
Make sure this email or notification comes from Facebook and not from a phishing attempt.
2) Check your activity log
Facebook retains a log of all actions performed from your account.
To access it, follow these steps:
- Go to your account settings.
- Click on Activity history.
- At the bottom right, select again Activity History.
- You can now review all recent actions, identify any activity that you did not initiate yourself, and assess the extent of a possible intrusion.
3) Check the connections to his Facebook account
Facebook offers the ability to see all the places where your account is currently open. Indeed, it is an excellent way to detect suspicious activity.
If you notice active sessions in unusual locations or on unknown devices, this is a warning signal.
To perform this check, follow these steps:
- Log into Facebook.
- Click on the arrow at the top right, then on Settings & privacy, and finally on Settings.
- Then click on Accounts area, And then Password and security.
- Click on the section Connection places.
At this point, you will be able to see the list of devices used to log into your account. If you notice connections in unusual places or on devices you don't recognize, it could indicate a problem.
What to do immediately after identifying a suspicious connection
Once you've identified suspicious activity on your Facebook account, it's crucial to act quickly to minimize any potential damage.
Here's what you need to do:
Modify your password
The first instinct should be to change your password. Here is how you can change your password:
- Go back to Password and security in the settings.
- Locate the section Connection and recovery And click Change password next to.
- Finally, be sure to create a strong and unique password to prevent further intrusions.
Disconnect suspicious connections
In the section Connection places that we mentioned earlier, you have the possibility to close the sessions that seem suspicious to you.
To do this: Click on the suspicious session and select Sign out.
This will end the session on the potentially malicious device and could help stop any unauthorized activity.
Enable two-step verification
XNUMX-Step Verification provides an extra layer of security to your account.
To activate it, do the following:
- Access again Password and security in the settings.
- Click on Two-factor authentication.
- Choose your account, then enter your password.
- Select the authentication method to add and follow the on-screen instructions.
When configuring thetwo-factor authentication on facebook, you will be asked to choose one of the following three authentication methods:
- Pressing your security key from a compatible device.
- Using login codes provided by a third-party authenticator application.
- Receive codes by text message (SMS) on your mobile phone.
Choose the method that works best for you.
Notify your contacts
If your account was compromised, messages may have been sent in your name. Warn your contacts to ignore suspicious messages from your account and not click on any links they may contain.
By following these steps, you can effectively respond to a suspicious login to your account and take action to secure your Facebook account and protect your personal information.
How to prevent future unauthorized connections
Prevention is always better than cure, and this is also true for the security of your Facebook account.
Here are some steps you can take to prevent unauthorized logins in the future:
- Use a complex and unique password, which includes letters, numbers and symbols.
- Never click on links in suspicious emails and never give out your login information.
- Check where your account is logged in from time to time.
- Make sure your recovery email address and your phone number are up to date.
- Limit access to third-party apps.
- Make sure you log out of your account after each use.
By putting these tips into practice, you can further improve the security of your Facebook account.