Along with the development of technology, there are more and more incidents of “hacking”, especially in celebrity accounts on social media. Even the account of the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, fell victim to “hacking”. From time to time, many questions arise regarding “hacking”. The most basic question that is usually formulated is why hackers breach accounts. Thus, an explanation is necessary. Specifically, there are two main reasons why “hacking” activities are carried out. One reason is related to someone’s desire to show off their hacking skills against prominent personalities, while the second reason is related to the desire to steal personal and sensitive information of users.
As for the hacking incident of Mark Zuckerberg, it probably falls into the first category. However, there are numerous hacking incidents that are due to the second reason. Therefore, it is worth mentioning some ways in which users can ensure that their personal data is safe.
One of the basic user questions concerns what they should do if their account on any social media is compromised.
Initially, when a user falls victim to a hacking attack, they should change their password. However, it should be clarified that this is only possible if the hacker did not change the user's password when they compromised their account.
If the hacker has changed the user’s password, then the second must try to reset the password using “Forgot password”. This can only be done if the hacker has not changed the user’s email in their account.
In case the hacker has changed the email , the latter should inform their friends that their account has been compromised and warn them not to open the links sent to them from their account.
If a user has the same password on other services, such as email and e-banking , they should change the password immediately.
Additionally, he should report to the social media site that his account has been hacked and they will help him get it back.
Of course, there are also cases where a user's account can be accidentally used by a hacker. If this happens, the user can report the cybercrime to the police.
Another question that users often ask concerns how they can protect themselves from social media hackers. To ensure that users' information on social media is safe, they should do the following:
- First, they should create unique passwords, meaning they should set a separate password for each social media account they have.
- Second, they should enable two-factor authentication. 2FA typically send a password to users' mobile phones as a secondary authentication mechanism.
- Third, users should pay close attention and look for unusual activity. They should set up the email notification option on their account to receive alerts when there is unusual or suspicious browsing activity, such as logging into their account from a new location or failed password attempts.
- Fourth, users should check the URL .Before logging into a social media account, they should make sure they have access to the correct URL (SSL).
- Fifth, they should check in regularly. Even if they are not actively using their social media account, they should log in and check their account regularly for any unusual activity.
- Sixth, they should report the hacking attack they have suffered. If they realize that their account has been compromised, they can use the Report option on the Social media site to report the hacking.
- Finally, it is very important to report the incident to the police, in case the hacker starts using or compromising the information in their account.
