Google plays a huge role in our day-to-day lives. Almost everyone has a Gmail account to access the Google Play Store, and these authentication credentials are often used in Single Sign On (SSN) for other services and applications.
When so many online platforms are dependent on your Google account, what would you do if your account got compromised, breached, or hijacked? This could potentially lock you out of tons of online platforms and leave your social network vulnerable to infiltration by malicious parties.
SO, WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY ACCOUNT HAS BEEN HACKED?!
First and foremost, if your Instagram account has been hacked, then there is a high likelihood that your email account has been hacked too. The very first thing you should do is to report the incident to Instagram. If you cannot log onto your Instagram account but still have access to the email account linked to the account, then you can use the ‘forgot password’ provision to recover your Instagram account and change the relevant login credentials. If you are not able to log onto your Instagram account then you can report the hack to Instagram using this link: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/196687840820038
You should state clearly in your communication to Instagram that you no longer have access to your email account and give an alternate email account that you can use for further communication.
If the email account linked to your Instagram account is a Gmail account, you can recover this account by clicking on this link: https://accounts.google.com/signin/recovery
Once you have secured your email account, you can then proceed to recover your Instagram and change your login credentials. If possible, you should use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) as an extra layer of protection against hackers.
Here are the things you can do to help secure your Instagram account:
Use a strong password. Use a combination of at least 6 letters, numbers and punctuation marks (such as $ and #). The password should not be similar to other passwords you have used on other online services or applications.
Change your password as often as possible. During routine security checks, Instagram sometimes receives login credentials that were illegally acquired from other online platforms. If Instagram finds that your password is among those that have leaked on the internet, changing your password on Instagram and other websites is necessary to keep your accounts safe and secure, as well prevent you from being hacked in the future.
Never give your password to somebody you don’t trust.
Make sure your email account is secure. Anyone who has access to your email will also have access to your Instagram account. You should change the passwords for all your email accounts and ensure that no two accounts have the same password.
Log out of your Instagram account when you use a phone or computer that doesn’t belong to you. Avoiding checking the “Remember Me” box when logging in from a public computer, as this may keep you logged in even after you finish your browsing session.
Always think before you give permission to any third-party app.
OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER DOING TO LIMIT YOUR RISKS INCLUDE:
GOOGLE SECURITY CHECKUP
Create a recovery email and phone number.
Check your recover phone and email settings. These can come in handy when you get locked out of your account. You should get an email alert in your recovery email every time your account is logged onto by a new or unknown device.
Set up 2-Factor Authentication for your Instagram account if you have not already done so.
