The fear of identity theft on Instagram is great, especially when your entire business and thus your livelihood depends on it. Hackers usually act like burglars: if access to an account is well secured, they prefer to try somewhere else. In order to implement these security mechanisms across the board, Instagram recently introduced the security checkup feature. We’ll walk you through the steps and show you how to effectively protect your account.

        1. Activate two-factor authentication

For bank customers, the double protection of the online account has been in effect for a while now; transfers are only possible with TANs. So why not secure your Instagram account with two parallel requests? This is exactly the feature the social network now offers its users – both private and commercial. 

When you log in to Instagram with your access data, you receive either an SMS or a push request in an authentication app such as Google Authentication. The PIN contained in the text message is used as a second factor after the login to ensure that it is really you. To activate the two-step query, simply go to the settings of your Instagram account. There you will find the option to set up two-step authentication under “Security”.

For those using Ads Manager to place ads on Facebook or Instagram the two-factor authentication can also be used to increase security when it comes to who can access your ad spend. We highly recommend all advertisers to activate this functionality.

          2. Enter your current number and email address

If your account is ever hacked, Instagram needs a way to contact you despite your changed information and profile details. Only then can your account be restored via your phone number and email address. 

To update and check your currently stored data, first go to “Account” in the settings and then to “Personal data”. If you want to change something, simply tap on the corresponding field. To change the data, you will also receive an SMS with a code that you have to enter on Instagram. 

          3. Know the absolute basics: Instagram NEVER sends you a DM

Recently, there have been more and more cases of direct messages being sent that appear to come from Instagram itself. These messages report, for example, a violation of the terms of use or the use of your pictures on other people’s accounts. These messages are fake – cyber criminals usually try to obtain login data in this way.

Instagram itself states that no direct messages are sent to users at any time. If the team tries to contact you, it will do so via email, which will also be stored in your account. In order to access these authentic Instagram messages, you will only find a section called “Emails from Instagram” in “Security” under the settings.

          4. Report dubious accounts and/or posts

In the constant battle against new tricks by hackers, it often happens that an obvious scam is recognised too late. However, you can protect yourself and others from scammers by reporting dubious content and accounts.

If you come across posts that seem dubious to you, you can report them directly. To do so, simply tap on the three vertical dots on the right above a post. If you want to report entire profiles, first go to the respective profile and do the same there. So that you are also aware of how your report is being dealt with, you can track the status and the reasons for a decision at any time under Settings → Help → Support requests.

          5. Check logins

Instagram will send you a message as soon as a login is made from a new or unknown device/location. If the logged location differs too much from your own location or you did not want to log in on a new device, you can prohibit the login. You can also view a list of all past logins at any time. To do this, select the Login activity option under the Security item in the settings.

          6. Use a Password Generator

The hackers of today have advanced tools which makes it fairly easy for them to break your password if you for example use “CompanyName2020” or something similar. In order to make it more difficult for hackers to penetrate your password do we strongly recommend you to use a password generator. Passwords generated on a password generator provides a much higher level off security compared to the passwords we come up with ourselves.

Conclusion: Maximum protection as a key requirement

Instagram is constantly working on security mechanisms to effectively protect you, your account and your data. To keep track of these developments, it’s worth regularly checking Instagram’s FAQs. 

However, the platform and its team can only guarantee you the best possible protection if you voluntarily use the necessary security mechanisms. Accordingly, it is important – also in the sense of your customers and business partners – to ensure maximum protection of your Instagram presence in the course of the measures mentioned.