Six Essential Steps To Take If You’ve Been Hacked

What Does It Mean To Be Hacked?

Since so much of our life and business is conducted online these days, our personal and financial information are at risk of being hacked. But what does “being hacked” mean? Essentially, being hacked means that someone has gained unlawful access to your personal or organizational information by exploiting a weakness in a computer or network. Any online account, from email to social media to banking accounts, are susceptible to hacking. Hackers use a variety of methods to gain access to your personal information. They may use algorithms and software to try and guess your account’s password, or they may use scams such as phishing, manipulation, and deceit in order to get you to reveal your account information to them. They may also attempt to infect your computer with malware, or exploit the insecurities of public and unsecured wireless networks.

How Do You Know If You’ve Been Hacked?

Hacking might be obvious—for instance, you may find money missing from your financial accounts or become suddenly locked out of one of your accounts. However, you could also fall victim to an account breach or a data leak, in which case you would receive a notification without experiencing any immediate negative effects. In any case, if you’ve been hacked, there are some vital steps to take in order to reclaim your account and ensure its future security.

Steps To Take If You’ve Been Hacked

You may not be able to avoid all personal or financial damage once hacked. However, taking the following steps will mitigate the negative effects. If you think or know you’ve been hacked, the following should be done as soon as possible.

1. Change your passwords for the hacked account

   Changing your password or passwords is the first thing you should immediately attempt to do. However, if the hacker has changed your password, you may not be able to access your account, so it may require contacting the company or institution directly. Using multi-factor authentication (step #2) before being hacked makes it less likely that hackers will be able to change your password or access your accounts. If you use the same password for multiple accounts, which isn’t advised but is rather common, then change those as well. Just use a unique password for each account, in case one gets hacked in the future.

2. Set up multi-factor authentication for the hacked account

   Multi-factor authentication helps prevent hacking by requiring that a code be sent to a third-party device or app, usually through a phone or another account. This prevents hackers from gaining easy access to your information, even if they obtain your password. Ideally, this should be done before a hacker attempts an intrusion, but if it is too late, it’s essential to set up multi-factor authentication in your accounts’ security settings before hackers attempt to gain access to those as well.

3. Review the account and determine if additional action is necessary

   You’ll want to carefully review any account that has been hacked. What you’re looking for will vary depending on the type of account. Social media? You’ll want to look for connections, friend requests, photo/profile changes, and posts that you didn’t make. Financial account? Look for unauthorized charges, money transfers, new lines of credit, etc. Online retailer? Look for things such as new orders and shipping address changes. It’s important to identify and delete/contest/change them as soon as you’re able.

4. Reach out to the support team

   If you’re unable to access your account due to a password or profile change, you will likely have to contact the company’s support team directly. They may ask for proof of identity in order to regain access to your account.

5. Set up alerts for the accounts and with credit bureaus

   Getting your financial accounts hacked can have serious consequences on your financial health. Even if you don’t notice any money missing initially, you should set up alerts on the hacked accounts as well as with credit bureaus such as Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Some banks and credit cards offer fraud alerts, and you should be able to activate email and/or text alerts for any activity. This will let you know the minute suspicious activity arises, or if there are any changes to your credit score.

6. Continue monitoring your accounts for several months

   While setting up alerts will help you to monitor your accounts, it’s also wise to regularly check them for unauthorized activity. Even if you change your password and re-secure your account, hackers may be in possession of information that can have consequences several months down the road. Neighbors Credit Union offers mobile banking that makes monitoring your accounts convenient and easy.

What Can You Do To Prevent Hacking?

If you’re reading this but have not yet been hacked, consider yourself fortunate! However, if you want the peace of mind that comes with knowing your personal and financial information continue to be safe, here are a few things you can do:

1. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. According to a survey by Forbes, 72% of respondents used three passwords across all their accounts, while 12% use the same password for everything. This makes it easier for hackers to intrude on multiple accounts.
2. Use a strong password. A strong password is long—at least 16 characters—and includes a random and unique mix of letters, numbers, and other symbols.
3. Don’t use personal information. Avoid names, important dates, initials, or anything that could be found online or easily guessed by hackers.
4. Enable multi-factor authentication. This is a simple and effective safeguard. Most websites and companies offer it. Enable all that you can.
5. Don’t click on unknown links. If you didn’t request a link, or it’s coming from someone you don’t recognize, don’t click on it. You may end up downloading malware that can lead to a hack.
6. Be skeptical of anyone who wants access to your accounts. Asking for access to a password-protected account should be an immediate red flag. If you have questions over the request’s legitimacy, contact the account’s support team. Neighbors Credit Union will never ask for your password
7. Delete old accounts. You’re not using them, anyway, and they only provide potential access for hackers.
8. Don’t share personal information on social media. Hackers use this to try to guess passwords or impersonate users so they can access your accounts.
9. Update your devices. Mobile devices offer frequent security updates to keep up with hackers’ newest tricks. Keep them as up-to-date as possible!

At Neighbors Credit Union, the security of our customers is our number one priority, and we offer many other online security tips. Whether it be credit, debit, or savings accounts, your finances are in good hand with Neighbors CU. Our Fraud and Security Center is always here to answer questions and provide information to help ensure that your financial future is secure. Contact us with any questions or concerns about your accounts’ security!