Steps to follow if your email gets hacked
Recover your account
Once your account gets hacked, use the all recovery options to get access to your account. Once it’s recvored. do the following steps to make it secure for the next time.
-
Change Your Password
The first trick hackers use when trying to access an email account is the simplest method of all: guessing the password to the account. One of the most basic keys to internet security is maintaining passwords that are difficult to guess. If hackers have successfully violated your email account, you should immediately change your password to something that contains both letters and numbers, has both capital and lowercase letters, and has non-alphanumeric characters such as &, %, $, # or any of the other symbols available on your keyboard. Using a password that is an actual word is too easily guessed, and hackers often use software that can cycle through the entire dictionary to break a password.
-
Run Antivirus Software on Your Computer
The second most popular way hackers obtain passwords or gain access to personal information is by slipping in Trojans, which are programs that run in the background of your computer system and transmit information to hackers or give them direct access to your computer or email account. If your email has been violated, it is possible that such a program has entered your computer system. A thorough scan with one of the best antivirus software applications should reveal these invasive interloper programs and make your computer secure again. It can also reveal any other spyware or malware that could be causing problems or violating the sanctity of your computer. The best antivirus software applications to use are those fromBitDefender, Kaspersky or Webroot.
-
Remove Unused Accounts
You should close any email or social media account that you don’t use. Idle accounts are prime targets for hackers, and you might not even know if anything has happened for months if an account you rarely use is hacked. Most people have an average of between three and eight unused email accounts that hackers could use to gain access to your life. If you know you have any of these accounts, delete all but the ones you most commonly use.
-
Apologize and Warn your Contacts
Once your email account has been violated, the best final step is to send out an apology to any contacts who might have been the victim of the illicit use of your email account. Explain what happened and advise your contacts that emails sent from your address might contain dangerous software, so they should make sure that no viruses have infected their machines. Most people will be understanding and appreciate that you are trying to set right any damage caused by hackers.
Note: Use Virtual Machine and scan on VirusTotal before downloading any program on Host Machine for your privacy.