Each of us is trying to create a really popular Instagram account. But the higher the popularity of the page, the more likely it is that scammers will want to hack it. There are several reasons for this. Sometimes, scammers try to use accounts to send spam or other information. In addition, there is a group of extortionists who want ransom for the return of the page. Well, sometimes, it happens just out of boredom. The reason itself is not as important as the ability to protect your account.
What methods do hackers use?
You can register on Instagram using a page on other social networks. In addition, many choose to register via email or by phone number. But if the scammers get at least one login, then they can hack into the Insta account.
If there is a suspicion that Instagram has been hacked, first of all, you need to make sure that everything is in order with the above services, and that the mail linked to the page is not listed on it. Delete all passwords from your smartphone notes and Google Docs if you store them there.
As a rule, scammers choose one of two options for hacking the Insta page: phishing or through a third-party application. It is important to find out the source of disasters in order to prevent repeated attacks in the future.
- Phishing is one of the favorite ways to gain access to someone else’s confidential information. To do this, scammers send out emails a masse on behalf of official representatives of Instagram. Externally, such mailings practically or completely do not differ from the original ones, so you need to carefully study the address from which the shipment was made.
- Third-party applications and services were downloaded not through Google Play or the AppStore, but at the same time request access to social networks or are authorized through them. Most often, these are photo editors, promotion automation services, auto posting, etc.
Instagram account hacking is not always accompanied by account blocking or inability to get to your own Instagram page. Sometimes this is preceded by suspicious activity.
For example:
- you have received notifications about authorization attempts that you did not make;
- suspicious posts and “friends” appeared on your page that didn’t exist before;
- there are messages in direct that were not written by you.
If you notice any of the above, you should take steps to strengthen the protection of your account right now, without waiting for the page to be completely blocked.
Instagram is constantly improving tools for protecting confidential data. So, how to protect your instagram account from hackers?
Password
A password is the main defender of your page against hacking. You should never set a password that is too simple. For example, date of birth or address. Such passwords are hacked in a couple of minutes. It is better to come up with a complex password, which should contain at least 8 characters and include different symbols. It is safer to use different symbols for different social networks and systems. If one system is broken, then you will not have to return to work all social networks.
If it is difficult for you to make password, then there are a large number of random selection services on the Internet. Do not save it on the device. If you are afraid that you will forget it, it is better to just write it down on a piece of paper and put it in the table.
Two-factor authentication
It is an additional layer of safety. If the scammers still manage to find the password, then authentication will simply not let them inside the system. You can enable authentication in the settings.
Applications
You can see all the apps that have access to the social network. To do this, go to the Instagram settings and select “Access Control”. Here you can revoke the rights of suspicious services.
Privacy Settings
First of all, scammers choose users who have been online “recently”. It is recommended to hide this status. This can be done in the privacy settings of Instagram.
If you are still using the services of automatic subscriber promotion, we strongly recommend that you stop doing this. This is not only inefficient, but also dangerous.
Access
If your account was previously managed by third-party SMM specialists, you need to change your password urgently. If the employee had access through the linked Facebook page, cancel them on the “Roles on the page” tab.
It is quite difficult to recover a page attacked by scammers. It’s much easier to increase security using various manipulations.