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My Instagram’s been hacked! What you should and shouldn’t do now
Instagram hacking is an ever-increasing problem. 1.22 billion people use Instagram each month, providing a wealth of opportunities for hackers to strike. Few of us take the right steps to protect our accounts and, along with the absence of Instagram's customer service, recovering a compromised account can seem impossible.
Whether you use Instagram for business or pleasure, engaging in online security and safety is vital. Not all attacks are reversible and you may risk losing access to your social media account permanently once hacked. This can be especially detrimental to businesses or anyone making an income on Instagram.
So, what action can you take to prevent a hacking attack? Let’s look at how to proactively protect your account and what you can do if your Instagram is hacked.
What is hacking?
While most people think of hacking as inherently bad, there is more than one side to the story. There are actually three types of hackers: white-hat, black-hat and grey-hat, each bringing varying intentions and ethics to their practises.
So what’s the difference between each type of hacking?
1. White-hat hacking
Also known as “ethical hacking”, white-hat hacking refers to legal practises of bypassing security measures within a computer system to access certain programs. Many businesses will employ white-hat hackers to improve security and prevent cybercrimes using their specialist computer knowledge and skills.
Probably the most famous white-hat hacker is Kevin Mitnick—a highly skilled, now trusted (since his conversion from black-hat to white-hack practises) and sought-after security consultant.
2. Black-hat hacking
As you’ve probably guessed, black-hat hacking is unethical and unwarranted. Black-hat hackers are responsible for breaking into networks and bypassing security as well as creating malware.
You may commonly refer to this bunch of hackers as “cybercriminals”.
Unlike white-hat hacking, which aims to improve security and safety measures, black-hat hacking breaches security protocols and the attacker will take malicious action once access is gained.
3. Grey-hat hacking
As with all things in life, there is a grey area to hacking. Grey-hat hackers are the middle ground between the ethical and unethical: they may seek out and identify vulnerabilities in a system, but without gaining access permission first. Once found, grey-hat hackers may report issues to the owner and offer a solution or fix, but often in exchange for a small fee.
When it comes to Instagram security breaches, you are most likely to be a victim of a malicious black-hat hacker. For the purpose of this article, we will be referring to black-hat hackers only.
Why do Instagram accounts get hacked?
There are over one-billion active Instagram accounts and those with a higher following are more likely to be attacked. That being said, any user is at risk of having their profile hacked.
Hackers strive to take control of other people’s accounts so that they can distribute malware, sell scam products or phish for other users’ credentials.
Higher-profile accounts, such as influencers with brand partnerships or large followings, are more valuable to hackers. Once hackers gain access to these types of accounts, they may hold them for ransom and demand a fee or Bitcoin exchange.
Instagram hackers can be either an individual at work or a hacking group striving to gain access to your account.
How are Instagram accounts hacked?
There are many malicious tactics hackers will use to break into someone else’s account. Some of these strategies include:
- Pretending to be Instagram technical support (convincing users to click a malware link or provide personal information that can be used against them)
- Assuming the identity of a friend to entice target accounts
- Pretending to offer marketing tools to Instagram users (targeting specifically influencers or business accounts)
- Sending links to (unknowingly) download malicious software that can install a virus and steal passwords from your device (also known as phishing scams)
What puts your Instagram account at risk of being hacked?
There are several things that can make your Instagram account vulnerable to hacker attacks. Here are three things to be wary of:
1. Weak passwords
If your password is simple or easy to remember, it’s going to be much easier for hackers to obtain and break into your account. There are many tactics hackers can use to obtain your password, from a dictionary attack to simply observing you entering your password by peeping over your shoulder.
2. Phishing scams
Instagram security breaches don’t always happen within the app; you may receive a phishing email that can enable a hacker’s access to your social media. The sender will often pretend to be an official person or business, such as Instagram itself. This imposter will advise you to click on the link within the email to reset your password, fill out a survey or take another detrimental action.
If you click these links and supply your credentials, the hacker can take control of your Instagram account.
You might receive suspicious messages with phishing links via email, Whatsapp, text or Instagram direct messages. Always be vigilant of any message you receive, even if it’s from a friend, to prevent your account from being hacked.
3. Keyloggers
A keylogger is a program that can record every keystroke made by a person on their device or computer. This is used to gain unwarranted access to passwords and other confidential information and can be done so remotely.
Keyloggers can be installed onto your device by downloading apps such as third-party keyboards or by clicking on unsafe links with a message or email.
Signs you’ve been hacked
There are a few tell-tale signs of hacking that you can look out for, including:
- Unusual posts: Posts or stories appearing on your account that you know you didn’t post
- Suspicious messages: Seeing sent messages from your account that you don’t recognise and that contain suspicious links
- Access is denied: You can’t access your account, even when you enter your correct credentials
- Following unrecognised accounts: You’re following a lot of unknown or unrecognised accounts and you may have liked their posts unknowingly
It’s also worth checking your Account Data on Instagram to check for any usual login activity, email or privacy changes.
Can my Instagram be hacked without me knowing?
Unfortunately, it’s not always obvious if you’ve been hacked.
Normally, if someone attempts to change your Instagram account login details, you’ll receive a notification about it from Instagram. But, unless your account is accessed from a different location or country, you won’t receive an email to warn you that someone else is using your credentials.
What to do if your Instagram account has been hacked
Depending on how your account has been compromised, there are some steps you can take to regain control of it. In any case of hacking, you need to act swiftly to minimise potential damage.
If your password has been changed
If the hacker has only changed your password, you should be able to reinstate your account by requesting a login link. You can do this from the Instagram login screen on either your device or on your desktop.
How to request a login link:
- On the login screen, tap “Get help logging in” (Android), “Forgot password?” (iPhone) or click on “Forgotten your password?” (desktop users)
- Enter your associated login credentials
- Choose a location (email, text or Facebook login) for where you want to receive a password reset link
- Open the link and follow the onscreen instructions to reset your password
Alternatively, you can request a security code. On the Instagram login screen, tap “Get help logging in” (Android) or “Need more help?” (iPhone) below the “Log in” link to start the process.
Make sure you create a strong password or use a password generator to create a cryptic login credential to help protect your account.
Manage your authorised apps
If you are able to access your account, you want to prevent malicious applications from using your Instagram.
You can find your Authorised Apps settings if you go to your profile, tap on the Gear icon and then Authorised Apps. Look through the list and remove any suspicious apps, including ones you aren’t using or apps you don’t remember authorising.
If the hacker has changed all of your details
If you cannot access your Instagram account because the hacker has changed all of your details, including your email address, password and phone number, you’re going to have to work a bit harder to regain control.
Unfortunately, Instagram doesn’t have a customer service email address or phone number for you to ring, instead, you’re going to have to call upon your patience and determination to get the job done.
If requesting a login link or security code has not enabled your access, you will need to verify your identity by submitting a video selfie. This is to prove that you’re not a bot and to help prevent fake IDs from being used to gain access to your Instagram account.
Once you have submitted your video selfie, you just need to wait. The Instagram security team should review and authenticate you as the true owner of your account, but this can take a long time.
If successful, you should receive an email from Instagram confirming your restoration as the true owner of your account.
What NOT to do if your Instagram has been hacked
There are certain actions that will only make your hacking situation worse. Along with steps you should take swiftly as soon as you identify a breach in your Instagram security, there are some clear cut actions you should not take.
To reduce further damage, ensure that you:
- DON’T save passwords in hackable places: Don’t save passwords or recovery codes in your emails, notes or any other place on a cloud drive. These are all hackable places and if you lose access to any of these places, you’ll lose your passwords or codes. Instead, save your passwords to an external hard drive, USB stick or use an encrypted password manager to store them securely
- DON’T post about being hacked: If your account has been hacked, don’t go posting about it on Instagram as this can attract more bots and scammers
- DON’T install apps outside of your official app store: This is more of a preventative step, but avoid downloading apps from anywhere other than the official app store on your phone
How to keep your Instagram account safe
- Choose a strong password, using a password generator and password manager if possible
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA), which adds an extra layer of security to your login process
- Update your contact details, including your phone number and email address, on your account
- Always ignore and block direct messages claiming to be Instagram (these are always spam)
- Report questionable content and accounts
- Enable Login Request on your device
You can find more advice on protecting your account in the Instagram Help Centre.
Staying safe on Instagram
Unfortunately, there are plenty of reports that suggest Instagram isn’t doing enough to help protect users or recover compromised accounts. The social media platform is also subject to data breaches, which puts all Instagram users at risk.
The best action you can take to protect yourself online is to follow the guidelines within this article, and to use your common sense. Save cryptic passwords in truly safe places, never share passwords or passcodes with other people and keep your contact details up to date.
