What should I do if I’ve been hacked?
The most crucial thing to do if you suspect your computer or the firm hosting your account has been hacked is to reset your passwords.
Reset your passwords
The first thing is changing your passwords and make them tricky and hard to guess when you believe your computer has been hacked. Most hackers are interested in collecting email addresses and passwords, either in bulk or individually, or in your account information. This is why because most individuals are predictable and use the same password for multiple accounts. Trying resetting your password by using forgot your password option; if you are facing a problem, log into your account.
You can prevent your account from being compromised by changing your passwords. And, look for an account recovery option if the e-mail address linked with the account or resetting your password in not working. Additionally, you will need to contact the firm directly and request that they intervene if none of these options work.
Keep the following points in mind when updating your password:
- Make your password more difficult; include numbers and symbols in your passwords in order to create a more complex password. Do not set your password like abcd, 1234, or other easy passwords, which are easier to guess.
- You must use passwords that you have not to use before.
Note: You will need to change the passwords on your other accounts if you’re using the same password for numerous accounts. A hacker can use your login and password to gain access to other accounts once they have it.
Tip
You can use a password manager to store passwords safely if you are facing a problem remembering all your passwords.
Also, we strongly advise utilizing two-factor authentication if it is available.
Check your machine
Scan your computer for spyware and malware that may be recording your keystrokes or stealing your account information. If your computer is infected with malware, the infestations may have saved your new password; therefore, you should change all of your account passwords.
Keep an eye on your financial or credit accounts.
It happens on a regular basis. Hackers obtain just enough information in order to gain access to a credit or debit card account, allowing them to make fraudulent purchases (usually online) while remaining undetected. Your bank, hopefully, has procedures in place to monitor unusual behaviour. With the help of opening your at-risk accounts, you can help and monitor your account activity. You will be able to identify whether or not a purchase was made with your consent.
Scan your computer for viruses and malware
Whether you suspect hackers have accessed your email account, you should check to determine if your computer has been infected with malware. You should conduct a security check on your computer with a top antivirus application and malware detector, through which you may save your device against any malicious activity, and you may find and delete any malicious programmes lurking on your hard drive.
Verify account details
Make sure that any shipping information is still your address once you have reset your passwords.
Make sure the third-party programmes or apps (such as Facebook and Twitter) do not access any information you do not want them to have if the account allows them. The greatest advice we can give is to remove any software you do not recognise or don’t remember installing.
Let your other contacts know about the hack
Inform your contacts if your e-mail account or any other account with contacts has been compromised. Because individuals are less suspicious of e-mails from people they know, hackers commonly utilize linked accounts to get access to other accounts.
Reinstall your operating system and backup data
If your computer has been hacked legitimately, you should consider wiping the hard drive clean, reinstalling the operating system, and recovering your backup data. You may want to seek assistance from an IT professional, someone you trust unless you are technically skilled and comfortable with the idea. Because the last thing you want to do is move corrupted files from an infected PC or hard drive to a new one.
Take a close look at the “hacked” account
You should double-check all of your doors in your house if you heard a prowler had been sighted in your neighbourhood. It is also a good idea to see if the prowler has already broken into your home and grabbed a few valuables without your awareness! In the same way, if you hear of a significant hack, double-check your account activity with that business and others. It is possible that hackers have already accessed your accounts if you use the same login and password for several accounts. If you really use the same login and password for many accounts, there are more chances to hack your accounts. In a variety of ways, you may need to restore or repair your account.
Recover your accounts
You will need a technique to restore your passwords if a hacker has already changed them and you are unable to access your accounts. The best news is that most providers offer thorough account recovery; all you have to do is answer a few security questions, such as, what was the name of the first street you lived on or What is your mother’s maiden name? When your account was created, you would have answered these questions, so hopefully, you remember what you said!
Verify past posts
Make sure that no posts or messages have been generated in your name if your social media account (e.g., Facebook, Google+, or Twitter) has been hacked. Hackers use social media accounts to transmit spam, malware, and ads.
Get your account back to normal status
Major corporations like Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter have dealt with hacker assaults before, so they have a procedure in place to help you restore your account if it has been hacked.
They will send you an email if there is an issue and tell you what to do. Only two things are certain:
- The people who are contacting you through email are really employees of the organisations! Before starting, double-check that everything is in order.
- There has been an attack that has been documented.
New accounts setup
Hackers frequently set up new accounts with the help of using your hacked email when they gain access to your e-mail. In order to verify, hackers created a new account with your e-mail address has been created, checked your inbox, sent items and trash for any notifications. Try checking in with the reset password tool before deleting the account if you believe that your email has been hacked or new accounts were created.
Identity theft
If you are a US citizen and believe you have been the victim of identity theft, go to the below link in order to report the theft and get a recovery plan.
https://www.identitytheft.gov/#/
Back to normal. Maybe.
Follow the steps outlined above if you suspect or know that your computer or personal information has been hacked. Hopefully, you’ve managed to stay away from the drama so far.
It is critical to change old behaviour that put you at risk and adopt new practices, many of which are simple actions, in order to stay safe. Making it difficult for hackers to get in and beefing up your defenses when you hear they’re busy are two ways to keep hackers out of your life.