Steps to take after being hacked

No matter how challenging your email password is, there is always a chance that a hacker will find a way to decipher your information and gain access to your digital personality. So what do you do once you’ve realized that your personal email account has been jeopardized? It is important to be proactive in this type of situation. Taking the appropriate steps can help you repair any damage done by a hacker as well as help prevent future hacks from being successful. Here are some important steps to take.

Notify Webmail Provider

    Letting your webmail provider know that your account has been compromised is an important step that many email users might not think of. When you notify your webmail provider of a problem it gives them the chance to rectify the situation and further strengthen their security against potential hacks. Your particular hack could be a part of a much larger security breach, letting your webmail provider know about it gives them the opportunity to fix it.

Change Password

    This is most likely the most important thing to do once you’ve regained control of your email account. Doing so will prevent whomever hacked your account from taking over again or from providing your password to another hacker. Make sure to make your password completely different and, if possible, make sure it shares no characters with your previous password. Also, remember to make it complex. The hacker who broke into your account may have personal information, like your birthday, that would help them decipher any new password you created that was too simple.

Notify your contact list

    One of the main reasons hackers break into personal email accounts is to send out well disguised spam. A spam email is more likely to be successful if it is sent to a victim through a recognized account. Letting your contact list know that your account has been compromised can warn them against these attempts and likely prevent the transfer of viruses or a successful scam. Make sure and relay the message clearly in your subject line, so that your contacts will know that you’ve regained control over your account without needing to open your email.

No one likes having his or her personal information compromised. It’s important to remember that, if your email has been hacked, your online banking and other Internet managed services may also be compromised. If you’d like additional information on what you should with a hacked email, please take a look at this article.