Signs That Your Social Media Account Has Been Hacked
Some social media hacks are obvious. Others, not so much. Regardless of which type, here are a few key signs your accounts have been compromised.
The typical signs of a hacked social media account can be easily pinpointed: weight loss ads claiming that users can “Lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks with this new pill!” or giveaways telling users to “Sign up now! Giving away free 5,000 iPads!” Sometimes, though, compromised accounts are harder to pinpoint, giving hackers access to personal data for weeks before the breach is detected. One easy preventative measure that you can take is to activate the Applock feature. Click here to lock your sensitive apps:
Read More: How to Protect Your Applications With a Secure Password
Signs of a Compromised Account
The top two signs of a compromised account include changes to posts and changes to follower counts. While the appearance of numerous new posts is a common sign of hacking, so is the disappearance of older posts. Hackers taking over Facebook or Instagram accounts often delete old posts and photos. In addition, dramatic changes in follower counts, either in the number the account is following or the number of followers, often point to a hacking incident as well.
In some instances, hackers will change the account’s information immediately after accessing it, shutting out account owners. In these cases, repeated, incorrect password entries are a sign of a compromised account rather than a forgotten password. Additionally, on social media sites that allow messaging, and on Twitter in particular, hackers will send infected links to mutual followers in an effort to compromise more accounts.
Logins from Other Devices
Social media giants such as Facebook will often track the devices associated with specific accounts, and notify users when a login has been attempted from a device not previously associated with the account. However, there’s an easy way to double check individual accounts. Facebook provides users with data on the devices and locations of past and active login sessions, and allows users to end sessions for unfamiliar devices. To view this service, visit the Facebook account settings page and go to the “Security” tab. Under this section, users should click “Where You’re Logged In” to view all recent login data.
Twitter offers a similar tool which lists the times of recent logins and types of devices associated with the logins. To access the tool, click your account’s avatar at the top of the screen and click on “Settings and Privacy.” From the “Settings” screen, go to “Your Twitter Data” on the left-hand side of the page and scroll down to see “Your Devices and Login History.”