Urgent Guide: What to Do If Your Accounts Are Compromised

In the digital age, we’re increasingly dependent on various online accounts for both personal and professional pursuits. Unfortunately, this reliance also exposes us to cybersecurity threats. Recently, I experienced a distressing situation when multiple accounts, including Microsoft, EA, Epic Games, Instagram, Twitter, Ubisoft, and LinkedIn, were compromised. Here’s an outline of my experience and the actions taken that may assist you if you find yourself in a similar predicament.

Understanding the Attack

Just yesterday, I discovered that my accounts had been breached. Initially, I identified a similar issue with an EA account, followed by my Supercell account. In total, nearly all of my critical accounts had been affected. My Instagram was particularly concerning; it had begun following random profiles and posting explicit content and scams related to cryptocurrency.

Steps Taken to Mitigate the Damage

1. Running malware Scans: I immediately used Malwarebytes to detect and remove threats. The scan revealed eight items, two of which were classified as malware. The rest were categorized as potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Importantly, this scan occurred prior to the more recent compromises, indicating that additional vulnerabilities may have been exploited.

2. Contacting Customer Support: After identifying the breaches, I attempted to reach out to the customer support teams of each affected service. However, experiencing mixed results, I found LinkedIn’s support frustratingly unhelpful. Their processes seemed ineffective at addressing my specific concerns.

3. Resetting Passwords and Enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): As recommended by the support teams, I reset my passwords and set up 2FA on every account possible. Despite these precautions, the issues persist, particularly on platforms like Instagram, which continues to exhibit odd behavior even after these steps.

Seeking Recovery

Recovering compromised accounts can be both time-consuming and infuriating. The customer support responses are often repetitive, suggesting solutions that I have already implemented. It’s crucial not only to take preventative measures but also to maintain vigilance as you work through the recovery process.

If you find yourself in a situation similar to mine, consider taking the following actions:

• Ensure your operating system and all security Software are up-to-date.
• Regularly check your account settings for any unauthorized changes.
• Educate yourself on recognizing phishing attempts to prevent future breaches.
• Utilize password managers to facilitate the creation of strong, unique passwords