Been Hacked? Here's How to Fight Back
You actually may already have been a victim of a hack without even knowing it. Take a deep breath and follow this guide.
There has been a major increase in YouTuber hacks over the last year. While often a target as a result of being high-profile, the reality is that anyone could fall victim.
Digital security is becoming important as we realize how insecure a lot of our data and accounts are. You actually may already have been a victim of a hack without even knowing it.
If your email is in this database - change your passwords! Now, let's assume that you HAVE been hacked and they have access to your social accounts.
First, take a deep breath and second, follow this guide.
If your YouTube has been hacked
If your YouTube channel has been hacked, it means your Gmail and other Google products have also been compromised.
Of all the services, it's one of the easier to recover from because Google is serious about the issue.
01. Find a device that still has access to your service such as Gmail.
When a hacker attempts to access your account, Google notifies you of suspicious activity. If the hacker has changed your password, you will get a second email indicating as such.
The reason you hope to have a connected device is that even if your password has changed, you'll still have access to your inbox. Those emails will help you undo anything the hacker has done and you'll regain your account.
02. If you do not have access to your email, head to account recovery.
Account recovery starts by entering your email address on this page. You'll be asked for your email, password and the type of problem you're having - select 'Other Problems Signing In'.
Follow the steps and answer the questions asked to confirm you are the owner of the account.
03. Now, immediately head to the Google Security page to change your password and update your account.
Consider turning on 2-Step Verification, as well as clearing any unknown devices.
If your Twitter has been hacked
Twitter has been an easy target for hackers recently as vulnerabilities are easy to exploit. Twitter monitors well though, so accounts are often shut down quickly - until the owner recovers them.
Here are the steps to take to retake your Twitter account.
01. If you still have access to your account on your phone, immediately change your password. Then review your account for any unknown apps and revoke their access.
Finally, review your account security and consider activating Login Verification (essentially 2-Step Authentication).
02. Without access to your account, head to the password reset page. Fill out the various forms, answer the questions and you should be able to retake the account.
After that, go back to step one by revoking access to unknown apps and updating account security.
03. If you are unable to reset your password, you'll need to submit a support request.
On this page, you'll see a section called Hacked Account, which will start the process of recovery.
If your Facebook has been hacked
To regain your Facebook account, you'll have significantly more hoops to jump through. This is because of how much personal information that exists on your account already.
They need to verify you’re the original owner and not just someone who’s learned it from the page itself.
01. If you have access to the account either through your phone or on a laptop immediately head to the Settings page to change your password.
After that, do a security check for any suspicious activity.
02. Without access to the account, head to the Password Reset and Recovery page. You may need to submit additional information.
03. If you still have issues, you need to mark your account as compromised. This will enable more options to regain your account while minimizing damage in the meantime.
04. When you do get your account back, set up more security features. This includes "Trusted" friends who can help restore your account if it happens again.
If your Instagram has been hacked
Instagram hacks are more common than Facebook, but less so than Twitter right now.
Here's how to regain control of your account if you are the victim of a hack.
01. If you still have access, immediately change your password. Next, go unauthorize any suspicious or unknown apps that may have access.
02. Without access, submit a password reset. They will send you an email and you'll be able to recover the account.
03. If your account is still hacked, you need to submit a ticket to Instagram. From there, you'll need to answer some questions to recover the account.
