If your email has been compromised, your immediate response might be to consider what your next move should be.
The solution: remain calm and take action promptly. Five strategies can assist in preventing or reducing the impact of a breached account.
So, why do cybercriminals target email accounts? The reality is, your email account is a goldmine. It probably contains years of communications with your loved ones as well as emails from banks, online stores, healthcare providers, contractors, business connections, and more. In summary, a large amount of personal information is stored in your email, making it a prime target for hackers.
Let’s explore the indications of a hacked email account, as well as some methods to protect it from being compromised in the first place.
Indications that your email account has been breached
You are unable to access your email account
This situation is self-explanatory. When you attempt to check your email and discover that your login credentials have been rejected, it is concerning. If you are confident that you entered the correct password but still cannot access your account, a hacker may have obtained your password, logged in, and altered the password, thereby locking you out and gaining control of your account.
One of your acquaintances inquires, “Did you really send this email?”
Hackers frequently compromise email accounts to disseminate malware on a large scale. By sending deceptive emails to everyone on your hacked contact list, they can distribute bogus, malware-laden emails to dozens, or even hundreds, of individuals. Some of these emails may appear suspicious. They may not sound or read like they were written by the individual they are trying to imitate — you — causing your contacts to question if the email truly originated from you.
On the other hand, this underscores the importance of avoiding opening unexpected attachments. Similarly, if you receive an unusual email from a friend or business contact, inform them. You might be the first to realize that their email has been breached.
What to do if your email is hacked? And how to prevent future incidents
1) Utilize your email provider’s restoration service
Many email services offer dedicated web pages for regaining access to your account if you lose or forget your password. (For instance, Google provides a page for Gmail users and other services.) It is crucial to maintain your security questions and alternative contact information up to date with your provider as this is the primary method for reclaiming control of your account.
2) Modify your password
If possible, change the password for your email account. Create a strong, unique password; refrain from reusing passwords from other accounts. Subsequently, update your passwords for other accounts if they share similar passwords as hackers often exploit people’s propensity to use simple or repetitive passwords. A password manager included in comprehensive online security software can assist in this task.
3) Enable two-factor authentication
Many email services support two-factor authentication, which necessitates a PIN in addition to a username and password to log in. Implement this feature if available as it offers robust protection against email breaches and cyber attacks in general.
4) Review your other accounts
A single breach can lead to additional security vulnerabilities. If someone gains access to your email and its contents, they may exploit that information to launch further attacks. Monitor your other accounts related to banking, finances, social networking, and various services for any unusual activities. Utilize two-factor authentication for added security on these accounts as well.
5) Notify your email contacts
A significant part of a hacker’s strategy is to infiltrate your address book and distribute malware to others. Therefore, promptly inform all your email contacts that your account has been compromised. Assure them that you have reset your password to secure your account. Advise them not to open any emails or attachments sent from your account during the breach period.
The broader perspective: Monitor your identity
By and large, your email account is one component in the broader spectrum of your online identity, which also includes your online banking accounts, e-commerce accounts, and more. It is essential to stay vigilant in protecting these facets.
Consequently, check your credit report for any suspicious activities. Your credit report is an effective tool for detecting identity theft and can often be obtained for free. In the United States, weekly credit report checks are available at AnnualCreditReport.com. Several other nations, including Canada, offer this service as well. It is advisable to examine your credit report periodically, even in the absence of any apparent issues. Moreover, you can utilize our credit monitoring service to check your credit report whenever necessary.
In addition to monitoring your identity, you can also safeguard it. Online identity protection services, such as ours, deliver continuous monitoring of your email addresses and financial accounts. Moreover, our Identity Theft Coverage & Restoration service offers up to $2 million in identity theft insurance in the event of a security breach. It also assigns an identity restoration expert to assist you in the aftermath of an attack or breach. Adopting these measures can fortify the security of your email account and other online accounts.
The article Someone has unauthorized access to my email! What steps should I take? was originally published on the McAfee Blog.
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