If you discern something suspicious going on with your social accounts, it’s best to take step immediately before unwittingly spamming your friends, relatives, and coworkers. So what can you do if your social media gets hacked? The method of recognizing the issue, proclaiming the hack, and securing your account can take a little of time and effort, but following the important steps will not only put an end to the outcast activity but help protect your personal information in the long run. The mountain of personal data from Facebook’s nearly two billion users is a particularly attractive target for hackers — but all social websites are fair game. If you save a password in your browser for easy logging in or tend to post while using a public WiFi connection, you could be putting yourself in jeopardy.
Here’s What You Can Do If Your Social Media Gets Hacked
The first thing to do is stay vigilant. If you spot any suspicious activity, act immediately. Social media platforms like Facebook are a treasure trove for hackers. Using some very nifty techniques, they can steal your personal information and use it to their own ends.(also check, 5 Best VPN for Sri Lanka– Unblock Social Media Websites in Sri Lanka with a VPN)
If you use your social media on a public Wi-Fi, you are at an even greater chance of getting hacked. It is best to keep the connection private and secure. Or at least use a VPN to hide your details from hackers. Follow some security tips to protect your Facebook account from hackers.
How to Identify If Your Social Media Gets Hacked
The fact is that not all hacked accounts get a mail informing them of the same. However, if your account exhibits any of the following actions without your knowledge, then assume it has been compromised:
- Anything that you did not do yourself such as friending or unfriending someone.
- Any messages to or from people whom you do not know.
- Any account change notifications that you did not make yourself.
- Applications or pages that you did not like and begin using.
- If you spot any of the above happenings in your account, there are chances that it has been hacked.
What to Do If Your Social Media Gets Hacked
After you discover your social media gets hacked, you should immediately take the following steps:
Reset Your Password
In case you used the same password on all websites, you should go and change them before they get compromised. Also, make sure to use a strong password this time which cannot be guessed.
Report the Scam
This is the second most important thing to do. As soon as you discover the breach, report it to the company so they can address it from their end. Also, get in touch with customer care. (also see, Keep These Social Media Settings Disabled For Your Own Good).
Inform Your Friends And Family
Hackers may use your account to contact people who know you. Make sure they do not listen to anything from the account until you know it has been re-secured.
Delete All Third-Party Apps
One of these might have been the source of the hack. So, you should get rid of all the ones you do not need. Several malicious apps look innocent. It’s best to uninstall all the apps you don’t use. And make sure you download apps from the official app stores only.
Diagnose Your Computer
Malware use is a common and widespread way of getting passwords. After getting hacked, run a full system scan on your computer. Once you have made sure that there is no malware there, change your passwords. And make sure you use different passwords for different accounts.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Enabling this one gives your account an extra layer of security and make your account difficult to hack into.
Check Your Email
Be sure your mail settings are not altered. Hackers can sometimes change your setting to auto-forward specific emails. If those emails contain your personal information, you can be sure it’s going to hurt you later.
Conclusion -Here’s What You Can Do If Your Social Media Gets Hacked
When it comes to staying safe online, your first line of defence is vigilance. Never open emails or messages that look suspicious. Another important thing is to use a VPN to connect with all networks. This will significantly reduce the chances of you getting hacked. Since a VPN encrypts your connection, even if a hacker can intercept your network, they will not be able to read the data. (also read, Keeping Social Media Accounts Safe with VPN)
