'Facebook Protect' rolling out to more users amid concerns of Russian hackers

Some Facebook users who opened their app or logged onto the website on March 1st, 2022 were greeted by a pop-up telling them they needed to enroll in Facebook Protect by March 17th or their account would be locked.

You may be thinking this is an error or some kind of spam, but it's not.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, said the security program is for groups of people who are more likely to be targeted by hackers, such as journalists, government officials, and activists.

On their newsroom website, Meta wrote, "These people are at the center of critical communities for public debate. They enable democratic elections, hold governments and organizations accountable, and defend human rights around the world. Unfortunately, this also means that they are highly targeted by bad actors."

Facebook started expanding the rollout of this program in December 2021 and based on social media reaction it appears to be expanding to more people yet again.
So what does this mean? Facebook will apply stricter rules when logging in and they say it's to reduce the chances of unauthorized access to your account.

They say if they see anything unusual about a login attempt to your account, they’ll ask you to complete extra steps to confirm it's really you.

Meta says no action is required by Facebook users unless you get a notification that you’re eligible to enroll and that will come through the app or on their website (not through text or by phone).

When enrolling, Facebook will check your password to make sure it's secure and two-factor authentication is on.

A secure password usually means at least eight characters long, with a combination of numbers, letters, and punctuation, with the option to have a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters.

When you turn on two-factor authentication, you're asked to choose either a security key, text message codes, or a third-party authentication app as your primary security method.

A third-party authentication app can be used to generate login codes that help us confirm it's you when you log in from a new device for the first time.

To use a third-party authentication app for login codes:

1. Install an authenticator app on your device (It's best to install the app on the device you normally use to access Facebook).
2. Go to your Security and Login Settings.
3. Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit. You may be asked to re-enter your password at this point.
4. Click Use Authentication App when you're asked to choose your security method.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Examples of verified authenticator apps include Google Authenticator for Appleor Androiddevices or Microsoft Authenticator for Appleor Androiddevices.