Facebook Mobile Authentication Login Approvals

 

Facebook Login Approvals require you to enter a One Time Password (OTP) that Facebook will use to SMS your mobile phone when you log in from an unrecognized PC. In the event you lose your mobile, you can always return to a previously recognized PC to regain access to your account. This is an opt-in security right now, so you don’t have to use it if you don’t want to. I suggest you do use it, but follow my simple steps below.

If you don’t have ‘Login Approvals’ enabled by default:

• Click on Account > Account settings > Account security
• Under Login approvals check ‘Require me to enter a security code sent to my phone’ (Beware SMS charges apply!)
• From Account security you can also activate Facebook text message login notifications. (Beware SMS charges apply!)
• Finally, from Privacy settings you also have the option to ‘Let your friends see your mobile number’ on your Facebook profile.  I suggest you don’t enable this! If you have, then Click on Customise settings > Contact information > Click on drop down > Click custom > Make mobile visible to ‘only me’. Do you trust that all your friends are in fact your ‘friends’?

Account security note: You can also see all the recognised devices that have connected to your Facebook account along with device name and date. Any you don’t recognize you can remove them by clicking ‘remove’.
Facebook security is improving all the time. This is yet further evidence that the security folks at Facebook are evolving their security best practice.