As quickly as you can, send a message to all your email contacts and let them know that your email has been compromised. 3) Reach out to your email contacts:Īs mentioned above, a big part of the hacker’s strategy is to get their hooks into your address book and spread malware to others. ) This is a good reason to keep your security questions and alternate contact information current with your provider, as this is the primary way to regain control of your account. In the case where you’ve been locked out of your account because you think the hacker has changed the password, your email provider should have a webpage dedicated to recovering your account in the event of a lost or stolen password. (For example, Google provides this page for users of Gmail and their other services. 2) Use your email provider’s recovery service, if needed:
#Someone hacked my microsoft account and changed everything update
Next, update the passwords for other accounts if you use the same or similar passwords for them. (Hackers count on people using simpler and less unique passwords across their accounts-and on people reusing passwords in general.) A password manager that’s included with comprehensive online protection software can do that work for you. Make it a strong, unique password -don’t reuse a password from another account. What should I do if my email is hacked? 1) Change your passwords:Ĭhange your password for your email account if you can. In some cases, the malware is logging keystrokes on your computer or taps on your phone to siphon off things like usernames and passwords so that a hacker can take control of the accounts associated with them-such as your email, not to mention your bank accounts. This makes a strong case for antivirus and antimalware protection that’s automatically kept up to date to protect against the latest threats. The thing with malware is that it tends to act like a system and resource hog, which may cause your device to run slowly, to turn off and on again suddenly, or even run hot. Slow and erratic device performance:Ī sluggish device could be a sign of malware in general. You may be the first indication they get that their email has been compromised. On the flip side, this is a good reason to never open attachments you weren’t expecting. Likewise, if you get a somewhat strange email from a friend or business contact, let them know. They don’t sound or read at all like the person they’re trying to impersonate-you-to the extent that some of your contacts may ask if this email really came from you. By blasting emails to everyone on your hacked contact list, they can reach dozens, even hundreds, of others with a bogus email that may include an attachment that’s infected with malware. And no doubt about it, some of those emails can look a little odd. Hackers often compromise email accounts to spread malware on a large scale.
One of your contacts asks, “Did this email really come from you?” There’s a chance that a hacker has gotten a hold of your password, logged in, and then changed the password-thus locking you out and giving them control of your account. You try again, knowing you’re using the right password, and still no luck.
You go to check your email and find that your username and password combination has been rejected. Let’s take a look at how you can take back control of your email account, along with some things you can do to keep it from getting hacked in the first place. So why do hackers go after email accounts? Fact is, t hat email account of yours is a treasure trove. There’s a good chance it contains years of correspondence with friends and family, along with yet more email from banks, online retailers, doctors, contractors, business contacts, and more. In all, your email packs a high volume of personal info in one place, which makes your email account a top prize for hackers. There are five steps can help you prevent or minimize any damage done by a compromised account. The answer: take a deep breath and jump into action. If you find that your email has been hacked, one of your immediate reactions is wondering what you should next.
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