Here’s what to do as more and more Instagram accounts keep getting hacked!
We’ve all been asked on Instagram to help out a ‘friend’ participating in some online contest and been told to click on a link. It just keeps on happening! The Malta Police Force has said they are getting multiple reports of compromised accounts on a daily basis.
It seems like only yesterday that Nate Frank & Rossi from The Drive Vibe were doing a collab with MITA for a cyber security campaign.
View this post on Instagram
Here’s a reminder of things to watch out for, and tips which will help you reduce the chance of joining the victim list.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication – This adds another layer of security to your online accounts. If this is set up, Instagram will send a notification and will ask you to enter a specific login code when someone is trying to log into your account from a device that the application does not recognise. Since this requires additional login credentials, it is highly unlikely that anyone else can access your account without having access to your phone or a device that the authentication is set up on. Of course this is were you should never share screenshots or two-factor authentication codes.
- Change your Passwords – Keep your social media and email passwords updated by changing them frequently. A large number of cyber security attacks are due to a weak or stolen password. By changing your passwords frequently and creating a strong password, you are reducing your risk of exposure. When creating a new password make sure to have a combination of lower and uppercase letters, numbers and special characters. This will make it harder to decode. It is also important to have a different password for all your accounts.
- Suspicious Links – Hackers can steal passwords through malware hidden in links. Only open links from trusted sources. Never, and we mean NEVER open suspicious and unusual links; there is no CTRL+Z option once you do this!
- Ignore Video or Money Requests – If an online account asks you to record videos or requests money, do not cooperate. It is important not to engage with accounts which have been compromised, but simply report and block!
Know somebody who needs to do these four steps right away? Let them know!
