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The security of your email account is non-negotiable. Whether with Gmail or another provider, your email is so much more than just an inbox for messages to land. It’s a focal point that connects you to a sea of web-based services and contains a vast treasure of private and professional information. Think about it: you likely needed an email address in order to download apps from the App Store, Google Play Store, or Microsoft Store onto your devices. Apart from that initial access, email today has become the backbone of business communication, enabling seamless discussions, exchange of useful attachments, and storage of useful records of conversations.

Indeed, email addresses are a necessity for nearly all those who are browsing the net. General usage makes your email account the hijacker and hacker’s first choice, thereby emphasizing the urgent need to load robust security tools. The fate of an exploited account is grim, as attested to by the scary fact:

Think of a burglar stealing not only your house keys but also the key to every safe and lockbox in your possession. This is the harsh reality of a hacked email account. Hackers who get unauthorized access can usually:

Access saved passwords: Saving passwords for various sites and services in one’s email account or related browser settings is a very common practice. A hacker who gets access to your email can easily locate this gold mine of credentials and gain access to your banking, shopping, and other related sensitive accounts.

Take over social media profiles: Your email address is likely your go-to recovery method for your social media accounts. If a hacker controls your email account, you'll be able to reset your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter account passwords, leaving yourself locked out, and, as a potential malicious purpose, they might wind up using your accounts for evil deeds.

Keeping your email account secure basics

Enabling 2-factor authentication

Activating Two-Factor Authentication adds a priceless extra layer of security beyond just your password. When you log in, you’ll be prompted to enter not only your password but also a unique security code. This will most often be generated by an authenticator app on your cell phone or sent via text message. Even in the highly unlikely event that one of those ‘hacking pro’s’ gets through to steal your password, they won’t have any access to your account if they don’t possess this time-limited, backup code. In effect, two gates on your front door—a whole lot less likely for thieves to break in!

Strong, unique passwords

While 2FA is important, your good password remains your first defense. Do not use easily accessible information like your name, birthdate, pet name, or common words. Incorporate passwords that are:

Long: The larger the number of characters, the harder it is to crack. Use at least 12 characters, but the better.

Complex: Alternate the use of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters (!@#$%^&).

Unique: Do not ever use the same password for multiple online accounts. If one of them is compromised, the others will be safe. Utilize a password manager to safely store and generate strong, unique passwords for all your accounts.

Being vigilant about phishing attempts

Cybercriminals also try to trick you into giving your login details or other data with fake emails known as phishing. Such emails typically appear to be from legitimate organizations like banks, social media organizations, or even your email service provider. Be careful of:

Suspicious emails: Especially those that ask for personal information, passwords, or financial details.

Poor grammar and spellings: Legitimate companies have proper communications.

Fishy links: Don’t click on a link until you roll your mouse over it to see the actual web address. If the link looks strange or has nothing to do with the person who sent it, don't click.

Desperate requests: Phishing email induces a sense of urgency to get you to do something without thinking.

Keeping your recovery information up-to-date

Email services have recovery options in case you forget your password or your account is hacked. Your recovery email address and phone number must be current and accessible. This is crucial for the retrieval of your account if required.

Monitoring account activity and associated devices

Most email services allow you to review recent activity on your account, including locations logged in from and devices used to log in to your account. Review this information regularly. If you see anything unusual or unfamiliar devices, respond right away to lock down your account and change your password.

Being safe on public wi-fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are not as secure as your home or office network. Don’t log in to sensitive accounts, such as your email, when on public Wi-Fi. If you need to, think about using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your online traffic.

Keeping your devices and software updated

Software updates often include security patches that fix known weaknesses. Ensure your operating system, web browser, and any security tools you use are current at all times.

By performing these straightforward but fundamental security measures, you can efficiently prevent your email account from being broken into and keep your valuable online life safe. Keep in mind that caution and good security manners are your most effective defense against the constantly changing landscape of cyber threats. Don’t let your digital existence be on the line—get these simple measures done today and secure your email and, in turn, your online world.

In today’s era, there are probably few people who do not use Facebook or do not have a Facebook account. However, did you know that people are earning millions of rupees from Facebook? Anyone can earn from it by meeting certain criteria set by Facebook. To be eligible, our Facebook page must comply with the Facebook Monetization Policy and be operated from a country eligible for monetization.

What are the methods of earning income on Facebook?

There are various ways to earn money on Facebook, but content monetization stands as one of the most common and accessible methods for content creators and influencers. Here are a few types of monetization opportunities provided by Facebook officially:

• In-stream ads: These are photo or video ads that play at the beginning, middle, or end of your videos, helping you earn money on Facebook. To use this feature, your page must have at least 5,000 followers, five actively uploaded videos, and 60,000 minutes of watch time in the last 60 days. Additionally, the page should adhere to all policies and be operated from an eligible country for Facebook monetization.
• In-stream ads for Live: This feature allows content creators to monetize their live streams by incorporating enrolled ads during and after the live stream. It's particularly useful for gamers and streamers. This feature is also available for gamers with approved gaming partners and gaming category pages in Nepal. Criteria required for this feature include:

• 10,000 page followers.
• Videos that are at least one minute long.
• At least 600,000 minutes of view-time in the last 60 days.
• At least three previously live active videos.

• Ads on Reels: Similar to the In-stream Ads feature, ads on reels are enrolled on reels. There are no specific requirements for ads on reels; creators from eligible countries are invited to use this feature by Facebook themselves.
• Star bonus: There are no specific criteria to earn from this feature as Facebook itself will send you an invitation. In this feature, your followers send you stars on your video or live video, and you get paid for the stars you receive (approximately $1 for every 100 stars). This is similar to the gifts people receive on TikTok during live streaming or after posting a video. For this, your page must adhere to all policies and must be operated from a star-eligible country. Nepal is also listed as a Star eligible country.
• Subscription feature: Similar to the star feature, this feature is also by invitation from Facebook. Your followers have to subscribe to your page or profile by paying a subscription fee, allowing them to view and respond to your premium content after subscribing. This feature permits you to set the subscription amount within the range given by Facebook, starting from $7.99.

Which countries are eligible for Facebook monetization?

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Netherlands, Philippines, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE ), UK and USA.

Which languages are eligible for monetization?

Eligible languages for Monetize includes Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Dutch, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Kannada, Khmer, Korean, Malay, Malayalam, Mandarin, Marathi, Odia, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Can Facebook be monetized from Nepal?

The short answer is ‘No’. Nepal has not yet been included in Facebook’s list of monetizable countries, except for ‘live gamers’ and ‘Star bonus’, which allow monetization.

As soon as Facebook introduced Meta verified, you may have seen the trend of verified profiles with blue ticks all over  Facebook. While few people know how this works, many are still unaware about the subscription. So what is Meta Verify? Who gets it? Can you get it? Is Meta verification as effective as legacy verification? Let’s find out.

What is Meta Verify 

Meta Verify is a subscription officially launched by Meta, in which users can pay $8 per month, so that their profiles get a verified blue tick along with few other benefits, such as increased account protection and access to account support.

Who can get Meta verified? 

While celebrities, politicians, and other public figures used to get legacy blue ticks from Meta after satisfying multiple criterias, Meta Verify can be subscribed  by anyone with a genuine account on the platform meeting this criteria: 

• To be at least 18 years old 
• A public or private profile that’s associated with your full name, aligns with naming standards and has a profile picture that includes your face
• To meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history
• A valid photo ID that matches your profile name and profile picture
• Two-factor authentication enabled on your profile
• Must follow Facebook Community standards

Are the legacy and Meta Verify ticks the same?

No, the tick given by Meta to celebrities is free and lifetime, while Meta Verify is a paid subscription, in which you have to pay $8 monthly to Meta. If the money is not paid, the tick will be removed within 24-72 hours.

It is also very difficult to get the legacy tick, as Meta verifies accounts by reviewing various criteria such as:

• Authentic: Represent a real person, registered business or entity.
• Unique: Be the only presence of this person or business. Only one Page or profile per person or business may be verified, with exceptions for language-specific Pages and profiles
• Complete: Have an about section, Page or profile photo and recent activity, including at least one post
• Notable: Represent a well-known, often searched person, brand or entity. We review Pages and profiles that are featured in multiple news sources and paid or promotional content as sources are not considered  for review.

Another big difference is that there are no restrictions on legacy verified accounts and Meta Verify has various restrictions, such as—profile photo can be changed only once a month (which  also needs to get  approved by Meta), account name or username cannot be changed.

How to get a legacy tick? 

Things to understand before applying to get a legacy tick: This tick is given by Meta by reviewing many factors, including the news in national media, page/profile activity, followers on the page, and results from your name on Google etc. If you meet all the criteria mentioned above you can submit verification application from https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/295038365360854 and get verification by giving the information as requested in the application, within 1-48 hours after submitting the application, Meta will send you the response through mail and notification on facebook/insta app ,stating whether application has been approved or not and if the application is not approved, you can submit another application after 30 days.

How to get Meta Verify? 

One can subscribe to Meta Verify by following the mentioned steps: go to your profile, go to three dots visible on the right side of the “edit profile” option, go to “Meta verified” option and follow on-screen instruction, pay $8 and submit a copy of your citizenship or passport.  Although Facebook has officially rolled out subscriptions in most countries, it may not yet be visible to all profiles in Nepal. If you don't have this option on your profile, you may try logging in to your account from a meta verified eligible county for a few days. 

After the success of meta verified on personal Facebook and Instagram profiles, Facebook is now testing (currently in New Zealand) Meta Business Verified, which helps brands and organizations to verify their Facebook page and Instagram handle. Meta verified business subscriptions will be available for purchase on Instagram and Facebook in the coming weeks in select test countries. Monthly subscriptions start at $21.99/month per Facebook page or Instagram account, or $34.99/month for both on WhatsApp. Meta will begin testing in the future with small businesses using the WhatsApp Business app before introducing Meta Verified to businesses on the WhatsApp Business Platform.