Online attacks, hackings, and scams are a nightmare in cyberspace. From electronic mailings to social media, to servers, the networks, databases, archives, discarded accounts, and data, to the farthest of places on the internet, and down to your computer or mobile. Everything is a target. In most cases, you cannot tell when your account has been hacked or your device penetrated until the intended attack is launched but in fewer cases, your device will feel it once it gets compromised. Coming on are a few consternations that would blare if your account or device has been hacked. You should know – that not all hacks or compromises show red flags or alarms. Some remain unnoticed until threat execution.
- When you get a ransomware message telling you your device has been encrypted and you need to pay some amount of money into a cryptocurrency address to restore it. To make the user respond faster to the trick, they could be an ultimatum of a very short period of time to raise feelings of paranoia and anxiety in other to make victims comply faster with the ransom.
Always use web applications that have their backup systems tested and reliable or employ offline means of backup, you can initiate these backups now against future ransomware attacks. When such case ransomware attack reckons, Ignore the encryption scare, initiate a full-scale restore and your account will get working again. If you do not have backups, contact your web support service, they would help you recover your account since they from their own end, track and backup your activities.
- This one is popular, seeing frequent straying, strange, inadequate, and annoying popups, flashing ads, or notifications. When you are getting random browser pop-ups from websites that don't normally generate them, your system has been compromised. You should have anti-virus already installed on your computer or mobile, run an anti-virus or anti-malware scan and restart your PC.
When you experience redirections during internet searches. Some hackers hack your device solely for the purpose of getting paid through your clicks. They hack your device and redirect your browser to some sites you will not ordinarily visit. When this is your case, if you are using a Windows operating system, check your windows drivers/host file to see if there is any fishy-looking malware lurking within.
- This is more relatable with social media. Many times, I do see some investment posts from friends and when I go down to the comment session, I see a lot of comments assuring with evidence that the investment is real. Sometimes they go to inbox to find family and friends you have deep connections with and start asking them for financial assistance or information. Well, I do pity the users when I see such posts on their timeline. It could happen to any social media user anyway even me.
This form of hack is quite rampant and the remedy is quite easy. When you try logging in but can’t, you can contact support. A few questions and pieces of evidence would get you your account back. But to avoid such cases, you can use a rather stronger password, enable two-factor authentication and avoid logging in to your account with different devices. Constantly monitor your account to see where else you are logged in and always log out if that is not you.
- Notice your password is not working after different sign-in attempts when you try to log into an account. That could be a sign that your account might have been hacked. The hacker might have figured out your password or sent you what looks like a genuine but phishing email or smishing SMS requesting you change your password for a certain reason and you fell to that trick.
Since they are already monitoring your account, they collect your password, log into your account and change it. What you will do is just to use another user’s account to report your compromised account. To prevent this kind of event from occurring, you can enable two or multi-factor authentication to further protect your account.
- Unwanted and unexpected software installs are a big sign that your computer has been compromised. Malware programs like Trojans and worms, install themselves like licit programs when you install other legitimate software or program. Some programs will show you all your installed programs and let you selectively disable them. Most malware programs will be found inserted inside more legitimate running programs.
Though is difficult to identify the legitimate from the illegitimate, you can use the Virustotal.com website, along with other malware tracking websites. Those websites will tell you which one they feel is licit and which one they feel is not. You can as well, disable the unrecognized program, reboot the PC, and re-enable the program if you still need its functions.
- When you experience more than your usual data usage or battery draining quickly, that could be a sign. Though there could be many reasons for high data usage and high-power consumption. But if your computer or mobile's behavior has stayed the same but your data usage has skyrocketed or your battery drains more quickly, you may need to check to know if your computer has been attacked.
- When money is missing from your online account or wallet. It usually begins by getting your computer or account compromised when you might have responded to a fake message from your bank or the company where you have your digital asset account.
These cybercriminals can get access to your account, change your contact information, and wire large sums of money to themselves. Sometimes, it is not the fault of your bank because the compromise came from your own end and not theirs. This case can always be prevented by using a multi-factor authentication system, SMS alert. OTPs, biometrics, secret questions, and a complete dosage of carefulness.
Succinctly, we most times cannot totally prevent these online hackings from happening. But is good you know about them and how they can be prevented. It is safer to always tighten your security measures and apparatuses to protect yourself and your organization and safest to minimize your own human errors.