What to do when your social media account is hacked

While waiting to regain access of your account, it is key to notify your contacts that you have been hacked. [Courtesy]

With the advancement of technology, hackers have gone a notch higher with their skills in information technology by using their technical knowledge within a computerized system by non-standard means.

The Facebook page of a leading local university was taken over, in early May, with the hacker (an Indonesian teenager) demanding Sh68,000 ransom. By the time of publishing this article, the learning institution was yet to recover the hacked page.

Anyone can fall prey to a black hat. Here's what to do, should you find yourself in such a situation.

Immediate action

Regaining full control of your page is key and hence one needs to act fast the longer the account remains compromised, the more harm the hacker can do.

"It is important for the victim to change their passwords immediately. That is if they can still access their accounts. It is always advisable to use a strong and unique password and avoid using personal information like your date of birth that can be easily guessed," Dennis Kitulo a cybercrime expert advises.

The expert says the choice of password really matters and it is always safer to combine symbols, letters and even numbers when creating one.

Enable authentication

With the increase in the number of hackings across the globe, several social media companies have introduced two-factor authentication and hence helped reduce the number of hacking incidents drastically.

"If you check your Gmail or Facebook, there is a two-factor authentication commonly known as 2FA. It is key for any social media user to set this on their account as it acts like a buffer layer where one is required to log in with a verification code aside from the normal password," Kitulo added.

Account settings

It is advisable for any account holder to review their account settings from time to time just to confirm that they have not been altered because hacking is a process.

"Sometimes it takes days before the full hacking is achieved, hence it is key for one to always check their personal information which includes the phone number or email address used during registration," he said.

Connected accounts

Hackers have a field day once they discover connected accounts. Some social media users opt to have one password for all accounts such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and Twitter. This is a recipe for trouble, as the cybercrime expert explains.

"Once hacked, it is very important to review any accounts connected to the compromised account. The biggest culprits are Facebook and Instagram accounts. Change the passwords immediately or else you will lose both if not all," Kitulo stated.

According to the expert, many users fall into hacker's traps through dubious applications they download on their phones, especially Android users. Kitulo advises that one should revoke access to any suspicious applications.

Report account

Most social media platforms have a customer support centre where one can report if they are hacked. It is an important step that should not be ignored at all costs. This enables the platform to intervene and help the user regain control of the compromised account.

Scan for malware

"Another key step is scanning either your laptop or phone for malware by using authentic antivirus software. We have several in the market and this helps in identifying and removing any malware that might have been used to hack either fully or partially your account," Dennis advises.

Inform your contacts

While waiting to regain access to your account, it is key to notify your contacts that you have been hacked. This helps in avoiding cases of extortion or even some of them getting hacked after being lured to clicking suspicious links or opening messages shared by your hacker.