Some of the most common places users have issues with is their personal computer\/laptop, social media accounts and email. And if one of these items is hacked or compromised, it\u2019s very possible that all three are now compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your computer, email and social media is basically an extension of who you are. It\u2019s also often a link to your finances with 79% of smartphone users<\/a> making an online purchase using their mobile device. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to know the signs when one of these items is compromised or, in other words, how to know if you\u2019ve been hacked\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n If someone got control of your social media profiles, they could wreak havoc in many different ways. We don\u2019t have to list off a bunch of social media scam statistics<\/a> for you to know how back that can be. After all, it means that they could damage your reputation, scam your friends and peers, or hold your accounts for ransom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scary, I know. So, if you were hacked \u2014 or if you think<\/em> you\u2019ve been hacked \u2014 it\u2019s important to know what to look for. Here are few common signs you\u2019ve been hacked: <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you either find messages you didn\u2019t write\/send or a friend mentions that they received a direct message that you didn\u2019t send, it most likely means a hacker has taken control of your social media account. This would be especially concerning if the messages involved the sender asking for something, such as access to your friend\u2019s email. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another sign that you\u2019ve been hacked is if you check your wall or feed and there are posts on it that you didn\u2019t create. These will most likely be some type of spammy posts, such as product advertisements or links to unknown websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a bit more subtle warning sign. If you notice you\u2019re suddenly following a bunch of new users or unknown accounts, this might be a warning sign your social media has been compromised. This would most likely be done by a hacker who is selling followers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re following accounts that you don\u2019t remember following, you could DM the account to make sure it isn\u2019t an old account you followed and has simply changed their name and concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re locked out of your account, this could mean your account has been compromised. The same could be said about if you received an email alert stating something like \u201cWe noticed a login from an unrecognized device.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you receive an alert like this, try to remember if you\u2019ve logged in while using a new device. You can also check the location of your last login on most social media platforms. If you see a login for an unfamiliar location, this most likely means the account has been compromised. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your email is often the center of all your other online accounts. You use it as everything from a way to safely reset your passwords to a method of two-factor or multi-factor authentication<\/a> (2FA or MFA). After all, if cybercriminals can access your email account, it means that they also could gain access to any other accounts that are linked to it! This is why it\u2019s vital to know the common warning signs that your email has been compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you think your email has been compromised, it could have been leaked in a past data breach. One of the most infamous data breaches is when 500 million users had their data stolen in a Yahoo data breach<\/a>. A great resource to know if your email had been affected in a past data breach is haveibeenpwned.com<\/a>. You simply enter your email address in the search bar, and it will tell if that email was part of a data breach and the details of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether a friend or colleague tells you, or you discover strange emails in your outbox on your own, the result is most likely the same. Someone has gotten into your email and is using it to spam or phish your email list. These emails being sent from your email address could be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t get into your email, it\u2019s a likely indication that your email has been compromised. The same goes for if you get an alert that a new device logged into your account. Most email service providers allow you to check the IP address of the last few logins. If you have access, make sure to check where the last login occurred. If it\u2019s from an unknown location, this could mean your email has been compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all love our home computers\/laptops. All of our photos, creative ideas, precious logins and apps are all stored there. The last thing anyone wants is to have some stranger lurking around in there. Here are some signs your personal computer has been compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your social media or email shows the signs we listed above, this could mean that your computer has been compromised. If someone gets into your computer, then they can easily access all of your saved logins, such as those for your social media and email accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you had a perfectly good working computer and now it is very slow or frequently crashing, this could mean you have downloaded some type of malware. You could have downloaded it from some type of phishing website or email, free software program, file sharing program, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of how malware gets into your system, once it\u2019s there, it can be a pain to remove (more on that in a bit). Be sure to run full antivirus and anti-malware scans to see if the software can find anything to quarantine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like your email and social media, if you\u2019re locked out of your computer, this could mean that a hacker has taken control of your computer and changed your password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can have significant consequences. If you\u2019re locked out of your computer, it could be a sign of ransomware. Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts your data or blocks access to your computer. Then, the hacker will hold your data or access ransom to extort payment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you notice anything unusual on your computer, such as changed settings or new programs being installed, it\u2019s a good indication that your computer has been hacked or compromised. These modifications could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another warning sign is if your antivirus or antimalware programs are disabled or difficult to enable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, you have found signs you\u2019ve been hacked, I\u2019m sure you are wondering what the heck to do now. Here are a few ways to mitigate the impact of your account or device compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can access the account you\u2019re concerned is hacked or compromised, change your password right away! This at least gives you a chance to lock out the hacker. DO NOT recycle old passwords or use anything similar to passwords you\u2019re currently using on other accounts. A general best practice<\/a> is to create a password that\u2019s at least 15 or so characters and includes special characters, numbers, lower case letters and capital letters.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n To be absolutely safe, you should change your password to all of your accounts, such as all your social media accounts, other emails, your computer login and any other accounts that could be related.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially helpful when your locked out of your email or social media accounts. Luckily, there are many resources that specific platforms offer just for that situation. I\u2019ve put together a list for you of resources for how to report or recover your account on different social platforms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your computer remains connected to the internet in any sort of way, then the hacker may have an access point to your system. It\u2019s important to disconnect your computer from all sources. Since you aren\u2019t sure how the hacker took control, I recommend disconnecting your computer from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your personal computer becomes compromised, you aren\u2019t sure what damage has been done. It\u2019s important to be proactive. To do this, contact your bank and other payment processors (PayPal) to get ahead of any attempts by the hacker. Also, you can contact your employer or close friends\/family just in case they encounter or have encountered suspicious activity from your email or another form of communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a few ways to do this. The safest way is to completely wipe your hard drive clean (restore it to factory settings). There are many data destruction software programs<\/a> available that can accomplish this for you. This are pretty easy to use and usually require you applying the program through some sort of external source, such as inputting a disc or USB drive into your computer. Of course, you\u2019ll want to make sure that you have a current backup in place to restore your files and other data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re totally against the idea of restoring your hard drive and want to try to recover files, there is a way to do this. You should start by removing your hard drives from your infected computer and connect them to a second computer. Simply put the hard drive into an enclosed hard drive case and connect to your second computer via USB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once connected, run an antivirus and antimalware program. Once all infections are found and deleted, you can back up the data you want to keep (photos, documents and so on). Then you should still wipe your hard drives clean using the aforementioned data destruction programs to be absolute safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NOTE:<\/strong> By not wiping your hard drives and attempting to clean them with a second device, you\u2019re at risk of infecting your other computer. I suggest wiping the hard drives completely and not attempting to clean them. You can also contact a data recovery professional in dire circumstances.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you reinsert your clean hard drives, it\u2019s time to get your computer back up and running properly. Start by reinstalling your operating system and your drivers. However, before you reinstall your Internet drivers, make sure to layer your computer with some protection. Install an antivirus\/antimalware program on your computer. This can be installed from an external device, such as a USB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to change your password to all of your accounts or, if you believe that your email and social accounts are compromised, you may need to create entire new ones. I know, this is becoming quite the hassle, but best to be safe than sorry (again). As mentioned, new passwords should be 15+ characters and includes special characters, numbers, lower case letters and capital letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure to consistency update both your passwords and the antivirus\/anti-malware <\/a>programs going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to antivirus\/antimalware and lengthy, new passwords, there are a few other tips that will help you avoid getting hacked again.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHave I Been Hacked? Evidence of Compromise on Social Media<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
1. A Friend Receives a Message from You That You Didn\u2019t Send<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Have](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/facebook-scam-signs-youve-been-hacked.png\")
2. Messages or Tweets Appear That You Didn\u2019t Post<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. The Accounts\/Users You Follow Spike<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. You Receive an Alert of an Unrecognizable Login or You Cannot Log In Yourself<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Was I Hacked? Evidence of Compromise on Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"have](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/haveibeenpwned-email-hacked.png\")
5. You Find Emails You Didn\u2019t Send<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
6. You\u2019re Locked Out of Your Email or Receive a New Unrecognized Device Alert<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/google-new-device-sign-in-alert.png\")
Have I Been Hacked on My Computer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Everything Mentioned Above<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
8. Your Computer Is Suddenly Slow or Crashing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
9. You\u2019re Locked Out<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
10. You Notice Unusual Actions or Setting Changes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What to Do After You Find Signs That You\u2019ve Been Hacked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Secure Your Social Media & Email Accounts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Change Your Password<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Contact the Provider\/Servicer\/Host<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Clean and Secure Your Home Computer\/Laptop<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Completely Disconnect Your Computer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Be Proactive and Contact Your Bank<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Clean Your Hard Drive<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Now That You Can Say \u201cI\u2019ve Been Hacked,\u201d Let\u2019s Rebuild Your Setup to Avoid Another Incident<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
More Tips on How to Avoid Being Hacked in the Future<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/https-padlock.png\")