Goodness gracious, Facebook! What’s next!? It’s getting to the point where you almost need a full time staff to keep up with all the stuff that just keeps coming out. Seems like it’s almost daily.

In light of the recent black mark on the social media behemoth’s record, please remember this folks. Never ever, ever use the same password when you’re doing anything online. Most importantly, do not use the same password that you created for Facebook on any other online service, especially anything containing sensitive personal or financial information.

Also remember, whenever you install an app that requires a login, refrain from using your Facebook login as the option for creating a new account. Especially, once again, if it’s something that deals with personal or financial information. Never use Facebook as your login vehicle. Now if it’s just some silly game, sure – if you want to go ahead and do that if you’re one who likes to share your progress on games. If it asks you for Facebook login, and if that’s your thing, go ahead and do it. But please remember – any game that contains in-app purchases is going to require you to enter some sort of financial information at some point or another. Keep in mind that anything you’re using Facebook to log in with Facebook is grabbing that information.

Facebook aside, if you have used the same password over and over again for online accounts, (and unfortunately a lot of people do this, because it’s easier to remember those passwords) and that password is also the password you use for logging into Facebook, go to those online accounts and change those passwords immediately. Changing your Facebook password at this point is not effective.

Security experts agree that the use of passwords is no longer an affective security model. But until the day comes where more widely available alternatives become the norm, it’s important to always be aware and take some simple tactical steps:

1. As mentioned, don’t use the same password for everything you log into. The problem is if one of those logins gets compromised, any of your other accounts will be more easily accessible.

2. Never use social media passwords for logging into more important services pertaining to your personal or financial information.

3. Always use the strongest passwords possible. Although you may think you can think of strong, unique passwords, studies have shown that as humans we all inevitably tend to follow patterns. As such, consider using a password tool like LastPass that randomly generates strong passwords and manages them all for you.

For the most part, I suggest the same thing when it comes to social media – keep it social. Refrain from giving Facebook or any other social media outlet anything that you wouldn’t stand on a street corner and announce over a bullhorn. Because the fact of the matter is, what happens online can be far more damaging