Hackers are increasingly targeting individuals to steal cryptocurrency, access bank accounts, or engage in stalking. Although these attacks are relatively rare, it's crucial to know how to protect yourself if you suspect someone has accessed your email or social media accounts.
A few years ago, I wrote a guide to help people secure their accounts. Many companies provide tools to enhance account security, which you can use even before contacting their support teams.
Here, we break down steps you can take across various online services.
First, it's important to note that these methods don't guarantee complete security. If you still feel compromised, consider consulting a professional, especially if you are a journalist, dissident, activist, or someone at higher risk.
Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all your accounts, or at least the most critical ones like email, banking, and social media. This directory provides instructions for enabling MFA on over 1,000 websites. You don't have to use the recommended MFA app; many alternatives are available.
Some services also offer physical security keys or passkeys stored in password managers, providing high-level protection against password-stealing malware and phishing attacks.
Securing Your Gmail Account
If you suspect your Gmail account has been compromised, scroll to the bottom of your inbox and click on "Last account activity" in the bottom right corner. Then click on "Details" to see all the locations where your Google account is active. If you notice any unfamiliar activity, such as logins from different countries, click on "Security Checkup." Here, you can see which devices your account is active on and review recent security activity.
If you spot suspicious activity, click on "See unfamiliar activity?" and change your password. Changing your password will sign you out of all devices except those used for verification and third-party apps you've granted access to. To sign out from those devices, visit Google Support and click on the link to view apps and services with third-party access.
Consider enabling Google’s Advanced Protection for enhanced security. This feature makes phishing and hacking more difficult but requires purchasing security keys. It's highly recommended for individuals at higher risk.
Remember, your email account is likely linked to other important accounts, so securing it is crucial.
Checking Microsoft Outlook Security
To check if your Microsoft Outlook account has been accessed by hackers, go to your Microsoft Account, click on "Security" in the left-hand menu, and then under "Sign-in activity," click on "View my activity." You'll see recent logins, the platform and device used, browser type, and IP address. If anything looks suspicious, click on "Learn how to make your account more secure," where you can change your password and find instructions for recovering a hacked or compromised account.
Given that your email is often linked to other critical accounts, securing it is vital.
Securing Your Yahoo Account
Yahoo also provides tools to check your account and sign-in activity for unusual signs of compromise. Go to your Yahoo My Account Overview or click on the icon with your initial next to the email icon on the top right corner, then click on "Manage your account." Next, click on "Review recent activity." You can see recent activity on your account, including password changes, phone numbers added, and connected devices with their IP addresses.
Since your email is likely linked to sensitive sites like your bank, social media, and healthcare portals, it's essential to secure it diligently.
By following these steps and using the tools provided by these services, you can enhance the security of your online accounts and protect yourself from potential threats
