TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — If you’ve logged on to Facebook recently and received a message about your account, you’re not alone.
Some people are getting alerts to secure their account. It’s called Facebook Protect.
According to Facebook, it’s required, if you get the notification.
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It reads, “Your account has the potential to reach a lot of people, so we require stronger security. We built this security program to help defend accounts like yours.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, says to help defend against targeted attacks and potential hacking threats, it’s requiring Facebook Protect for some accounts.
“What it is, is for accounts that have large audiences or are government officials, to try and stop those accounts being taken over or compromised and disinformation being put out,” USF criminology professor Tom Hyslip said. “It’s good they’re requiring it of these high profile accounts.”
The program checks your account for vulnerabilities and makes sure you’re signed up for two-factor authentication.
Facebook says you have to turn on the security program by March 17. If you don’t, it will lock you out until you turn it on.
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Tom Hyslip is a criminology professor at USF. He believes there are a couple of reasons why Facebook is expanding this requirement.
“Now with the new elections coming up they’re rolling it our further and then the war with Russia Ukraine, Russia has serious cyber abilities so I think they’re taking that as an opportunity to keep pushing it out to more people for more protection,” Hyslip said.
Hyslip says even if you’re not required to enroll now, you should still protect your account.
“The Facebook protect is for noteworthy accounts with a lot of followers, but the two-factor authentication is something everyone can and should do,” Hyslip said.
Facebook says you don’t have to do anything unless you get a notification that you’re eligible to enroll.
If you decide to do it later, you can turn on Facebook Protect from security settings. It plans to expand the program this year.