Data Privacy Week (January 27-31) is an excellent opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to online safety. As a former cybersecurity champion, I advocate for a two-pronged approach: prevention and response.
To spread the awareness, I am sharing valuable information from the National Cybersecurity Alliance, which provides a guide on how to survive having your account hacked.
How to survive having your account hacked.
Fearless internet explorers, you can reclaim online accounts even if a hacker sneaks in! With some quick, sure-footed action, shoo cybercriminals out of your social media, email, or other account. Let’s look at how you can identify if one (or several) of your accounts have been compromised and how you can restore order to your online basecamp. Look out for tell-tale signs that your account has been hacked.
There are a few common signs that an online account has been compromised:
• Your social media profile publishes posts that you didn’t create
• Your account sends phishing emails or DMs to others that encourage them to click on a link, download an app, or buy something
• Friends and followers tell you that they’ve received emails or messages that you never sent
• A company alerts you that your account information was lost or stolen in a data breach Change the account’s password right away. You can lock out a cybercriminal by changing the account’s password.
Unfortunately, this also works the other way around: the hacker might change the password to lock you out. If this happens, use the account’s “Forgot my Password” function to reset it. If more help is needed, contact the online platform or website ASAP about the situation.
Notify your contacts that your account was hacked and that they might receive spam messages that look like they came from you. Instruct your friends, family, colleagues, followers, and other contacts not to open these messages or click on any links contained in them. When the situation is cleared up, let everyone know your accounts are secure again. Run a full system scan of your computer using your antivirus software.
Get help.
If you suspect someone has stolen money from you, contact your bank and the local police. If a work account was compromised, contact your company’s IT department. If you think your identity was stolen, contact the three credit bureaus and the FTC.
Contact the respective online platform regarding the hacked account. Contact trusted friends and family about the matter so they can be on the lookout for weird communications from your online profiles.
Martha Cisneros Paja 