Title: You Won’t Believe These 11 Signs Your Online Security Has Been Hacked - Are You Safe?
Introduction:
With the advent of advanced technology and the widespread use of the internet, it has become more important than ever to stay vigilant about online security. Hackers are always on the lookout for ways to steal vital information, and as a result, internet users must maintain the utmost caution when navigating the web. However, even the most careful of users can accidentally overlook signs that their online security has been hacked. Here are 11 indicators that suggest your online security has been compromised.
- Unusual Account Activity:
The first sign that your online security has been hacked is suspicious activity on your account. This could include unauthorized purchases, logins from unknown locations or devices, or a rapid increase in failed login attempts. If you notice any of these activities, it’s essential to take immediate action and change your password.
- Changes in Passwords:
If you notice that your passwords have been changed without your permission, then your security might have been compromised. This is why it’s essential to choose strong passwords that are a combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. Creating unique passwords for every account can safeguard your accounts from hacking.
- Unknown Software/Applications:
If you notice any unknown software or apps on your device, it might be a sign of a breach. Hackers often install malicious software known as malware that steals sensitive data. Ensure you update your computer with the latest antivirus software and run regular scans to check for malware.
- Spam Email:
Receiving spam or unsolicited emails is a common sign that your online security has been hacked. These emails typically include links that lead to phishing websites that steal personal data when users enter their information. Do not click any links or download attachments from unsolicited emails.
- Social Media Activity:
If you notice that your social media accounts have been sending messages or posting content without your knowledge, it’s time to investigate. Hackers often take over social media accounts and use them to distribute malware or send phishing messages to followers.
- Slow Internet:
If your internet connection suddenly slows down, it might be a sign that your device has been hijacked. A hacker could be using your bandwidth to distribute malware, and it’s essential to run antivirus scans to detect any malware that could cause harm to your computer.
- Multiple Login Attempts:
If you notice multiple login attempts from different locations or devices, it could mean that someone else has access to your account. This could lead to an email or social media hack, allowing the hacker to distribute malware or attempt to steal your data.
- Fake Antivirus Pop-Ups:
Hackers often deploy fake antivirus pop-ups, which are designed to trick users into installing harmful software. These pop-ups appear unexpectedly and might include messages like “Your computer has been infected, and you need to install this software immediately to fix it.” If you see such messages, close the screen, and use the latest antivirus software to scan your device.
- Unusual Sensory Activity:
If you notice any strange sensory activity from your device, like your phone heating up or your laptop fan running hard, it could be a sign that malware is running. Hackers use malware to spy on users and gain access to their data. When you notice any unusual activity, run an antivirus scan or seek IT support.
- Websites Appear Altered:
If you notice that websites you regularly visit look different, with broken links or altered page layouts, it could be a sign that you have been redirected to a fake page. This could lead to a phishing attack, where users are tricked into revealing personal data. When you notice such activities, avoid submitting personal data and contact the website customer support to rectify the issue.
- Files Being Deleted or Altered:
If you notice files being deleted or changed without your knowledge, it could be a sign that your device has been hacked. Hackers use malicious software that can change, delete or modify data, leading to data loss or corruption. Ensure you back up all vital data and run antivirus scans regularly to rectify the issue.
Conclusion:
Your online security is a vital aspect of your digital life, and it’s essential to stay vigilant and informed about potential breaches. Hackers continuously seek for vulnerabilities, and it’s up to you to protect your data by maintaining strong passwords, using antivirus software, and scrutinizing any unusual activity. Being proactive is the best way to prevent a security breach and safeguard sensitive data. Remember, prevention is better than cure.
There could be any number of explanations as to why a certain program is running painfully slow or why your computer has started acting differently. While it could be your processor’s fault, or maybe your system doesn’t have an adequate amount of RAM inside, you can’t rule out the possibility that your online security has been compromised and you are being hacked, which is obviously more alarming. Below you will find about eleven symptoms, which if you ever come across, should make you consider the possibility of having been hacked.
1. Getting phone calls from Microsoft and Apple
We have heard of cases where victims receive a call from a person who pretends to be a Microsoft (or a Security Vendor) representative and claims to have found some weird activities on your computer or online accounts. Once their trust is gained, they are asked to download and install a particular software, and this is how your computer gets hacked.
2. Your password has been changed
Well, this is very obvious. If your account password has been changed, and you haven’t done that, then it is likely that the security of your account is compromised. You should receive a notification email in your recovery email account and should address it as soon as possible. Also enable the two-step authentication.
3. Changes to your web-browser
You fire up your browser and notice some new toolbars or maybe your homepage is different. It could be a new app that you recently installed which made all the changes, but again, over the past few months, many malicious codes have been found to be doing such things.
4. Changes to your desktop
Any alteration you spot on your desktop could be a hint as well. For instance, if you see any new program running on the system tray icon, or some strange program flashing on the screen for a second and then disappearing when you start your system, it is time you start investigating these things.
It’s always a good idea to keep a tab on the programs that are enabled to run at the startup time. To check this, go to Start menu (or search from the Start Screen in Windows 8 or higher) and search (or RUN) msconfig. Click on the “Startup” tab, and untick all the unnecessary programs there. Don’t worry, in case you disabled an important program, your computer will still function normally.
5. Getting redirected to weird websites
This issue made it to the spotlight two years ago when a virus called “DNS Changer” was redirecting users to its advertised websites. We also saw some cases where the search results were tailored so that a user will by default land on illegitimate websites. If you have been landing on strange websites too then consider that an alarm call.
6. Mouse and Keyboard acting strangely
There have been cases where even computer peripherals such as mouse and keyboard have started acting weird. Although it might just be because your mouse is old, perhaps it’s time you bid it farewell. Yet there have been instances where especially the mouse starts clicking things on its own and making changes to cause your computer to be prone to malware attacks.
7. Illegitimate Anti-Virus; computer performance optimizer
This is the one which is most pronounced these days. Many websites (chances increase if it is a shady one), run ads which claim that a particular software will speed-up your computer, let you download a file, or mention they have already found some viruses in your system. You download those applications and soon you have stepped into a polluted world which will take control of your system.
8. All of a sudden, you are following a bunch of new and unknown people
If you are on Twitter, you may have at least heard people complain about seeing new followers, if not faced it yourself. It is very likely that your account was hijacked and it made you follow some spambot accounts. Similar things can happen on Facebook as well, you may find some new friends and updates from pages you didn’t like and have no connections with.
9. Your account is posting spam updates and tweets
Much like the previous case, this one is also a result of some sort of account hacking. Your account automatically starts posting spam content and at times, it even starts messaging your friends and tagging them in spam and posts. If this has been happening to you, the best course of action is to delete such posts and go to the app settings to revoke access to all the newly connected third-party services and apps.
10. Registry editor, task manager, security settings disabled
If for some reason you can no longer open the registry editor, task manager or any other admin-privileged tools, this, too, can be interpreted as a security compromise. Also, you might find Windows Updates and Firewall disabled.
11. Your account was accessed from a different location
This one is quite obvious, but if you have been recently notified about any suspicious login (or trial), do not ignore such messages. Given the number of mobile devices we carry these days, and the abundance of apps we use to access our account, we usually ignore such login warnings thinking that it must be just another app that was trying to gain access, but if the location is different too, then it is likely that someone else is trying to get into your account.
The Solution
While most of the symptoms that we learned above are pretty much tangential to one another, there are a few measures you can take that will have all the things covered.
- Remove all the applications that you don’t use from your computer.Get a new trustworthy Anti-Virus; the one you presently have obviously isn’t doing the job very well. Remove it.Change your DNS settings using OpenDNS! I can’t stress enough how useful it is.Revoke the access of all the services that you don’t use from your social accounts.You can try to remove the toolbars and harmful extensions from your web-browser, but if you want to save all the hassle, just uninstall the browser, download a new updated copy, and re-install it.
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