How Your Instagram Account Can Be Hacked: Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms with over a billion monthly active users. However, with growing popularity, Instagram accounts have also become a major target for hackers. Getting your Instagram account hacked can have disastrous consequences including identity theft, stolen photos and videos, spamming your followers, etc. So it’s crucial to know how your Instagram can be compromised and what steps you can take to secure it. This blog post will discuss the common ways hackers gain access to Instagram accounts, the telltale signs your account may be hacked, and actionable tips to better safeguard your account.
Common Ways Hackers Access Instagram Accounts
Hackers often don’t need to be highly skilled to break into Instagram accounts. Some of the most common methods they use include:
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- Phishing – Hackers send fake emails or links pretending to be from Instagram asking you to login or provide sensitive information. If you fall for the scam, the hackers gain access to your login credentials.
- Malware and Spyware – Downloading infected files or apps can allow malware to steal saved passwords or other account details on your device.
- Guessing Passwords – Using common or easy-to-guess password combinations allows hackers to correctly guess passwords through repeated attempts.
- Social Engineering – Hackers may pretend to be Instagram support staff and trick users into providing their login email and password.
- Credential Stuffing – Compromised email-password combinations from one website are tried out on Instagram to check if users have reused the same credentials.
- SIM Swapping – Hackers are able to transfer your phone number to a new SIM card, allowing them to reset your Instagram password through the phone verification process.
Signs Your Instagram Account is Hacked
If hackers have already broken into your Instagram account, you may notice some suspicious activity and changes. Some signs to watch out for include:
- Profile photo, handle, or bio changes that you didn’t make
- Strange DMs sent from your account to other users
- New posts or stories you don’t remember sharing
- Unfollowed accounts and changed follow/follower numbers
- Password reset emails you didn’t initiate
- Logins from new devices or locations
If you notice any of these, take action ASAP before further damage can occur.
10 Tips to Secure Your Instagram Account
The best defense is a strong offense when it comes to protecting online accounts. Follow these 10 proactive tips to lock down your Instagram and stop hackers in their tracks:
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Here are the 10 tips to secure your Instagram account:
- Use a Strong Password: Create a unique password that uses upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid common phrases or names.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Add an extra layer of security by requiring a code from your phone everytime someone tries to login.
- Be Wary of Suspicious Emails/Links: Don’t click on questionable links claiming to be from Instagram. Instagram will never ask for your password.
- Only Login Through Instagram’s Official App/Website: Avoid fake login pages by only using Instagram’s official app or website url – instagram.com.
- Limit App Permissions: Check the permissions you’ve allowed for connected third party apps and revoke access if they seem unnecessary.
- Use a VPN When Connecting to Public Wi-Fi: Public connections can be insecure so use a VPN app to encrypt your internet traffic when not on a private network.
- Keep Your Apps Updated: Maintain the latest security patches by auto-updating the Instagram app and your device operating system.
- Vet Third-Party Apps Thoroughly: Research any outside app before allowing it access to your Instagram and limit its permissions.
- Monitor Your Follower List for Suspicious Activity: Periodically check your followers list and remove any unknown follows/unfollows.
- Setup Account Recovery Options: Add backup login methods like trusted contacts or authentication codes in case you ever lose access to your account.
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How Can Someone Use Malicious Software to Hack Instagram?
People can hack Instagram accounts using malicious software in a few common ways:
- Keyloggers – Keylogging malware tracks keystrokes on a device to steal login credentials and other private data. Once hackers have your username and password through keylogging, they can access your Instagram account.
- Phishing Links – Hackers create fake Instagram login pages and trick users into entering their usernames and passwords through phishing links. The credentials are captured by the hackers remotely.
- Fake Apps – Malicious Instagram apps infected with malware are developed. By downloading and installing them, users unknowingly give the hackers access to stored data and login information.
- Spyware – Spyware digs deep into a device’s operating system and stealthily extracts sensitive data like passwords, location, network details etc. and transmits it back to the hacker.
- Rats – Remote Access Trojans allow hackers to remotely connect to a device, view its screen, control it, and steal data through a backdoor. RATs can capture Instagram activity in real-time.
The common denominator in these malware-based attacks is social engineering – manipulating users via phishing links or apps to voluntarily share login details and unknowingly install malware. Once the malware is active on a device, it requires just one Instagram login to compromise the account.
To avoid hacks through malware, users should refrain from clicking questionable links, thoroughly vet apps before installing, use anti-virus software, and monitor devices for unusual activity. Enabling two-factor authentication also limits the damage malware can do.
How Do Third-Party Apps Lead to Instagram Account Hacking?
Instagram accounts are frequently hacked through malicious or vulnerable third-party apps that have been granted access to Instagram login permissions. Here’s how it typically happens:
- Users download third-party apps that integrate with Instagram like photo filters, analytics tools, auto-likers, etc.
- These apps request access privileges like managing your account, direct messaging abilities, reading your profile info and more.
- Users hastily allow all permissions without realizing how much sensitive data they are exposing.
- Some apps sell user data to hackers or have security flaws that get exploited.
- Now able to bypass login credentials, hackers can fully take over accounts, lock out users, post inappropriate content and advertise scams.
The key problem is that third-party apps don’t go through the same rigorous security and policy checks as Instagram’s native app. They also don’t need to meet the same privacy standards.
To stay secure, users should avoid connecting too many outside apps to their Instagram account in the first place. But if an app integration is necessary, thoroughly vet each app first and only allow the bare minimum permissions required for core functionality. Revoke access if any app seems suspicious down the line. Enabling two-factor authentication can also mitigate damage from a potential app-based hack.
With hundreds of thousands of third-party apps now accessing Instagram users’ data, staying vigilant is crucial to preventing account compromises through overprivileged apps.
How Do Users Who Have Password Issues Get Hacked on Instagram?
People get hacked on Instagram because of weak, reused, or compromised passwords in a few common ways:
- Using simple passwords like “password123” or “123456” that are easy for hackers to guess through brute force attacks.
- Reusing the same Instagram password across multiple sites and services. If that password is breached in one site’s database hack, hackers can access associated accounts like Instagram by trying the password.
- Falling victim to phishing schemes and entering login credentials on fake Instagram sites, unknowingly handing hackers the keys to access their real account.
- Using public Wi-Fi connections that aren’t secure to login to Instagram. Hackers on the same network can steal login credentials in transit using sniffing tools.
- Being infected by keylogger malware that tracks keystrokes including passwords typed into Instagram’s login page.
- Saving Instagram password in browsers which have that data exposed during a system hack.
Essentially careless password hygiene through reuse, guessable passwords or exposure through malware is what allows hackers to take over Instagram accounts. Users should create a unique, complex Instagram password using a password manager if needed. Two-factor authentication addresses many of these password-based risks too. Monitoring the “Login activity” tab under Instagram’s settings can also alert users to any suspicious logins.
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How Can Someone Hack an Instagram Account Without Knowing Anything About Cybersecurity?
Hacking into Instagram accounts does not necessarily require advanced cybersecurity skills. Some of the most common low-tech ways Instagram accounts get compromised by amateur hackers include:
- Guessing Weak Passwords – People still frequently use passwords like “123456” or “password” that can be guessed with simple brute force techniques.
- Phishing – Phishing links impersonating Instagram login pages remain surprisingly effective at tricking users into handing over their usernames and passwords.
- Social Engineering – Hackers pretend to work for Instagram support and manipulate users into sharing login credentials or disabling security features that permit account access.
- SIM Swapping – By transferring a victim’s phone number to a new SIM card, hackers can reset Instagram passwords through automated text/call verification processes.
- Purchasing Hacked Accounts – An underground market exists connecting amateur hackers to already compromised Instagram accounts for cheap prices.
- Credential Stuffing – Breached username/password pairs from one platform are tried out on Instagram since people reuse the same credentials across sites.
While hacking methods like malware, spyware, or network infiltration require skill – lax security practices, impersonation, and social manipulation represent the simpler routes for novice hackers to still access Instagram accounts. Ultimately, greater user awareness and adopting hacker prevention best practices are needed to combat these basic threats. Enabling two-factor authentication can also stop many beginner hacking attempts in their tracks.
If your Instagram account is hacked, what happens?
Getting your Instagram account hacked can have devastating and wide-reaching consequences. Some of the common things that happen once hackers take control of an Instagram profile include:
- Account Lockout – Original account owners find themselves locked out, unable to access their profile, posts, memories, and followers.
- Password Reset – Hackers immediately change account password and connected email to maintain permanent access preventing the legitimate owner from regaining entry.
- Profile Takeover – Username, profile photo, bio information are altered to the hacker’s personal details or left blank if aiming to resell the high follower account.
- Compromised Privacy – Years of posted photos, messages, personal details, location check-ins are now visible to the hacker who can misuse them for identity theft, stalking, or extortion.
- Spamming Followers – Direct messages containing malicious links, fake offers, and phishing attempts are blasted out to the account’s followers seeking to infect their systems or steal their data.
- Inappropriate Content Posts – Hackers can go on a posting rampage sharing adult content, illegal products/services, hate speech, and random spam posts to your followers feed.
- Blackmail and Reputation Damage – Once hacked accounts are compromised, some hackers will threaten account owners to pay a ransom in order to regain access. Either way, followers now associate inappropriate hacked content with the original profile owner leading to permanent reputation loss and distrust.
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Unfortunately once your Instagram account is successfully hacked, hackers have a free range of abuse at their disposal. This makes prevention extremely important through steps like strong passwords, limited app permissions and enabling two-factor authentication. Monitoring account activity closely can also allow users to quickly intervene during the early stages of a hack.
In what ways do influencers’ Instagram accounts get hacked?
Influencers with large Instagram followings face greater hacking risks and threats through some common methods:
- Targeted Phishing – Hackers send convincingly fake emails to influencers requesting sponsorship details or asking them to verify their accounts, tricking them into entering credentials.
- App Permissions Abuse – Shady apps promising follower growth, analytics or auto-engagement features gain extensive account access from influencers but end up exposing account vulnerabilities.
- Social Engineering – Impersonating Instagram support staff, hackers manipulate influencers to hand over their usernames, passwords or disable security protections on their accounts.
- Password Breaches – As digital public figures, influencers’ email addresses and passwords have higher likelihoods of getting exposed in website data breaches which hackers leverage to access associated Instagram accounts.
- SIM Swap Attacks – As prime targets, hackers are able to transfer influencers’ phone numbers to new SIM cards allowing password resets via two-factor authentication bypass.
- Insider Access – Disgruntled friends, family or past employees with password knowledge or device access sell out influencers account details to the highest bidders.
- Ransomware – By compromising and locking influencer accounts, hackers demand huge payouts in cryptocurrency in exchange for returning account access, relying on high follower counts as leverage.
With influencer Instagram accounts commanding huge followings, reach and marketing value, hackers are pursuing them more relentlessly than ever. Priority security measures include limiting app integrations, monitoring account activity vigilantly, enabling two-factor authentication and working to remove email-password combos from data breach marketplaces.
What To Do if Your Instagram Gets Hacked
If your Instagram account is hacked, act swiftly with these steps to regain control, limit damages, and better secure it for the future:
- Log Out of All Active Sessions – From a device still logged into your account, rapidly use Instagram’s “Log out of all sessions” security feature to kick the hacker out.
- Reset Your Password – Issue a password reset from a device/browser you trust and create a long, unique password using unpredictable character strings.
- Remove Unknown Linked Accounts – Check settings and remove any connected apps, social media accounts or phone numbers added by the hacker to prevent future break-ins.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication – Add this extra login precaution requiring you to input unique codes from your phone when accessing your account.
- Check Login Activity – Review Instagram’s recent login data for your account and unrecognize any unknown sessions or IP addresses accessed during the hack.
- Scan Devices for Malware – Run anti-virus scans on your phone or computer to detect and remove any malware left by hackers to re-access your account.
- Report Hacked Account to Instagram – Submit an Instagram hacked account support ticket detailing your issue to potentially speed up account recovery.
- Caution Followers About Suspicious Activity – Warn your followers about any inappropriate content posted by the hacker in case of reputational damages.
- Monitor Future Activity Closely – Keep close watch for suspicious follows/messages and review follower counts daily for signs of another potential hack.
Staying vigilant even after regaining control of your account is key to keeping Instagram safe from repeat hacks. Combining security best practices, login monitoring, and limited app permissions will together strengthen your account’s defenses.
Conclusion: How Your Instagram Account Can Be Hacked
While no Instagram account is 100% hack-proof, following this Instagram security advice can help safeguard your account from the vast majority of hacking threats. Pay particular attention to creating a secure password, enabling two-factor authentication, and monitoring account activity closely for any red flags. With a privacy-first approach, you can comfortably keep sharing Instagram posts and Stories with your followers without worrying about cyber criminals ruining your day.
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Bjorn Shannon