Hackers have entered my e-mail account or social networks: what to do

Hackers can use different methods to steal passwords and gain access to our email accounts or social networks. It is therefore essential to always have programs that protect us, keep everything up to date and avoid making mistakes. However, at any given moment we may have some kind of problem, there may be a leak, and discover that they have entered our accounts. What should we do? We talk about it in this article.

Hackers have entered my e-mail account

Steps to follow if they have entered an account

This is something that could happen in any service we have on the Internet. It can affect social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, but also email or even any platform where we have a subscription.

Cybercriminals can sometimes even use our account as a bridge to attack third parties. That is why it is essential to detect the problem as soon as possible and act to prevent it from affecting others.

Change password immediately

Without a doubt, the first thing we have to do as soon as we detect that someone has been able to enter our account is to change the password . This is essential. An intruder has been able to gain access after stealing the key, but also if it has been leaked through some vulnerability.

Therefore, as soon as we detect that they have been able to access our email or social network account, we must change the password we have. This will help prevent that intruder from re-accessing and give us time to see where the problem has been.

Enable two-step authentication

Also, whenever possible, we should enable two-step authentication . It is true that not all platforms have this option, although it is increasingly available. We must enable this feature that will create an extra security barrier.

It is something that we should have done before, but if we did not have it configured, it is a good time to do it as soon as we suspect that someone has been able to access. This will provide that extra security that will come in handy.

Autenticación en dos pasos en Facebook

See if any linked accounts have been affected

It is common for us to have certain services linked to an account. For example, we can link to Facebook other platforms or to our email. In the event of a security breach, that someone has been able to enter the account, it will be essential to check that it has not affected others.

Check the equipment to find the problem

One of the causes that intruders have been able to enter our account is that we have some type of malware in the system or there is some vulnerability. Therefore, something we must do is check the equipment to see what the problem could be and that it does not happen again.

If, for example, it is a keylogger that has been sneaked into us, in case we change the password it would be a short-term solution but as soon as we log back in, it could be stolen again. Hence the importance of seeing the reason for this problem.

Check if the account has been used to attack third parties

Have they been able to use our account to attack third parties? One of the hackers’ strategies is to reach out to other victims through their contacts. For example, through social networks such as Facebook, they could send messages to others with fraudulent links. If they get that message from a contact they trust, they would be more likely to click.

We must also verify this in the email account. We can see if we have sent emails without us knowing. This will help to cut the spread of new attacks that affect third parties as soon as possible.

Tips to prevent them from entering accounts

We have seen some fundamental steps that we must take if we have been the victims of an attack on social networks or email. Some points to keep in mind to reduce the problem. Now we are going to give some recommendations to avoid getting here.

Always protect the equipment

A basic pillar to maintain security and avoid any type of problem is to protect the equipment . We must have programs such as an antivirus or firewall. This will help prevent the entry of malware, such as a keylogger, which could be used to steal passwords and enter our accounts.

Luckily we can have multiple tools, both free and paid, for all types of devices. It does not matter if we are using a mobile phone or a computer; we must always preserve safety and reduce the risk of problems.

Consejos para proteger la seguridad de un ordenador

Use strong keys

Another very important issue to avoid account theft is to use keys that are really strong. We should never use simple, basic passwords, such as using our data or anything that relates to us.

A good password should always contain letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols. All this must always be random and also we must not use it in any other place. If we use the password in several places at the same time, if an account is stolen, what is known as a domino effect could occur and affect others.

Use only official apps

We must not forget the importance of always using official tools . We should never use third-party programs, or download from unreliable sources. Otherwise, we could be installing software that could have been maliciously modified by third parties.

It is true that sometimes we can find the possibility of installing a program that offers something different, some new feature, but it could undoubtedly be a significant security problem.

Keep common sense

One more question, and perhaps one of the most important, is common sense . We must avoid any type of error, such as opening a dangerous link that reaches us by email or logging into insecure public Wi-Fi networks.

In most cases, hackers will need the interaction of the victim. They are going to require us to make a mistake. Hence, it is very important to maintain common sense at all times and not have problems.

In short, these are some essential points that we must take into account in case they have entered our account. We have also seen what to do to protect ourselves, to avoid security risks.