Cyber security applies to all areas of the internet, not just big business or corporations. Social media accounts get hacked all the time, and if you are a victim, these 7 steps can help you take back your account. Check them out!
“I’ve been hacked!” is not something any of us look forward to saying. It’s barely something we want to hear. If or when it happens, we should be prepared to fix it. It could come sooner than we think, because according to ZeroFox Research, close to two-thirds of all adult social media accounts have been hacked. It happens to everyone, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, The Associated Press, to name a few. It could happen to you.
But what if it already has? Whether you are looking for answers on how to take back your Twitter, or just “asking for a friend”, here are a few tips to freeing your Facebook, or any social media account, from the clutches of evil.
Take a Deep Breath
You are going to get through this. No need to freak out, just remain calm. Don’t forget about it, or throw your computer out the window, or resign yourself to a nomadic lifestyle with no technology, but do take comfort in the fact that the future’s still bright.
Own It
Let’s face it, someone messed up, and it could’ve been you. Whether it was a phishing email you fell for, or a misleading advertisement, it’s okay. Just learn and don’t mess up again. Be careful about what or who is getting access to your account.
Do a Head Count
What is missing? What is intact? Check your email, bank, credit card, and social media accounts for unusual activity. Have your passwords been changed? Have you sent an emails, messages, tweets, that you don’t remember? Check to see if your personal information is still intact.
Go Public
We all mess up sometimes, and it’s ok to admit you’re wrong. Go ahead and let people know when they are affected by this security breach. We’ve all seen the “sorry my account’s been hacked” Facebook post. Now it’s your turn. People won’t judge you as harshly if you send them thousands of game requests or spammy private messages.
Password Reset
This could be the easy part, and hopefully it is. If you can still login, go and change your password. Right now. If you can’t login, try again. Usually an account will allow you to “recover” a password after a certain number of attempts, or by clicking “forgot your password?” or something along those lines. It probably will ask for the email associated with the account, so let’s hope that it wasn’t compromised too. If it hasn’t been, send the email, and reset your password, something stronger preferably.
Double Oops
If the email has been compromised, You will need to change that email’s password as well. You might even want to consider changing the default email of your social media account. This hacking could serve as a great reminder that any password that isn’t too strong needs to be changed ASAP.
Prep for the Future
Just because it happened once doesn’t mean it won’t happen again. Turn on two-factor authentication. It takes a tiny bit more to login each time, but it’s worth it. Social media is important to us. It plays big role in our personal and professional lives, and we can’t afford to get hacked every so often. Following these guidelines, and staying smart (and safe) on social media will help you a lot, whether you use it to network or find dates.