What to do if your account has been hacked/compromised

There are several ways an account can be compromised.  The most common is re-used passwords being compromised in a data leak or hack elsewhere.  Other common ways include convincing the victim to give their credentials, such as in a fraudulent web form or phishing email, or harvesting the data using malicious software installed on the victim's computer.

 

If this has happened to you, take the following steps:

 

  1. Change your compromised password
    • If you still have access to the account, change the password immediately.
    • If you cannot access the account, submit a ticket or contact us.
  2. Change other potentially compromised passwords
    • If your compromised account is used as a recovery avenue for other accounts, those accounts may also be compromised. 
    • Change the passwords of any services or accounts that use your compromised email as a recovery address.
  3. Run virus and malware scans on all computers used with this account
  4. Check for other security breaches
    • You can use https://haveibeenpwned.com/ to find out if your email accounts or phone numbers have been exposed in a data breach.
    • If you have credit monitoring or ID theft protection services, you can check them as well.
  5. Enable two-factor authentication, aka 2FA
    • We highly recommend enabling 2FA on all accounts that support it.
    • Instructions for setting up 2FA for prxy services can be found HERE.

 

Password Security Tips

 

  • Do not share passwords with other people.
    • Each additional person with access to the password is an additional point of potential security failure.
  • Do not re-use passwords between different services and accounts.
    • If you use the same password for multiple things, any security breach on any of those things can compromise ALL of them.
    • Protect yourself by using unique passwords.
  • Create strong passwords
    • In general, the longer the password, the better.
    • Using at least 1 each of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols will strengthen the password.
  • Use a password manager
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