As long as computers and hence the Internet exists, the risk of your email being hacked will always be there. Even when all the precautions have been taken, hackers are still capable of getting through. So what should you do when you realize hackers have access to your email address? Here are my two cents on how to do if you get your email account hacked.
Login Information
Assuming the hacker has not already changed the email password, the first step is to change your password. If you have other accounts that use the same password, you may have information in your emails that may point the hacker to those online resources, it is therefore wise to change those passwords as well. Some email addresses allow you to create an alternate email address or link to your other email addresses to help you retrieve forgotten passwords. Ensure that you also change those accounts and passwords as well.
Dig Deeper
You can also do a thorough email search for other unrelated accounts which may likewise have been compromised in the initial attack. Any suspected accounts should be changed to ensure that the hacker does not gain access to your information in the future. It is also good to monitor your “Sent” and “Trash” folder to see if the hacker spammed your contacts. It can also give you clues of other activities the hacker undertook using your email address.
If a hacker finds valuable data in your email, he may edit your account so that future emails can be auto-forwarded to another account. He may edit the “sent from” section to avoid spam detection or even the “footer and “vacation responder” settings on your account. Sometimes, a hacker may target old email addresses that you either forgot or your friends forgot about.
Inform your friends
While discretion should be used when informing your friends that your account has been hacked, it is good to send an alert email to inform them of the need to be cautious of unusual emails.
In most cases, however, the use of strong passwords that are changed once in a while will help keep your email account secure. Also, don’t forget to use a VPN service if you are connecting to the Internet on public Wi-fi networks.
Have you got your email account hacked? What did you do? Share your experience in the comments below.