Internet Safety Tips

Full Version: What to do if you suspect your account is compromised
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Knowing if your account is compromised is as simple as checking the activity log on your account. Often times you will find actions that you never made, such as a changed email address, changed password, a post was made, unusual log in, etc.  Sometimes a cracker (person who gained access to your account) will wait for an opportune time to use your account.  Take Steam for an example.  If someone has gained access to your account, you might see direct messages being sent to your friends that contain links.  These are phishing links and once clicked, your friend's account has joined the train of being compromised.

If you think your account is compromised for any reason what so ever, change your password and if the website offers it, use the "sign out of all devices" option.  In some of cases, your email address is the gateway these crackers use to gain access.  If they are in your email, they essentially have access to every one of your accounts.  All they have to do is request password reminders.  This is why it is crucial that your email address have a unique, hard to guess password and remain private!  Do not tell people your email or post it anywhere that people can see.

When you choose to join a website, forum, etc all of the staff team will have access to your email. There are exceptions to this where only the admins/owners can see, but from my experience, most of the time it is all staff. Sometimes situations can happen where a staff member abuses their powers and uses your email for whatever. Personally, I have never had a problem with this, but it is always a possibility. If you are super protective of your accounts, you can make a throwaway email to use on these sites.

You don't have to watch your accounts like a hawk, but I'd recommend to once a day or every other day check your activity history and/or verify there's nothing going on.  It doesn't hurt to be vigilant.