10 Sure Signs That You Have Been Hacked
Updated on July 13, 2021: From now on, traffic filtering, malware protection, and suspicious DNS activity blocking are available as a part of the separate DNS Firewall app.
It’s no secret that nowadays, our devices are an integral part of our comfort zone. Cyber criminals also know this and they are ready to attack at any time. As a result, getting hacked doesn’t surprise anybody anymore. And still, we prefer to hope this will happen to somebody else. So when a breach actually happens to us, it can take us ages to notice. That’s why it’s important to stay wide awake.
The types of hackers’ attacks vary. Cyber criminals can compromise your devices, install malware to it, or simply steal your online account information. Throughout the years they came up with thousands of ways to steal your identity. Today, we’d like to figure out how to tell if you have been hacked. Advice on how to fix the breach and prevent future dangers included.
Warning! You have been hacked!
The options for how hackers compromise your data can also be different: attack through an unsecured public WiFi, you clicking suspicious links, charging the smartphone through an unknown USB, etc. But it’s a topic for another article. When your device gets hacked, all that matters is how to detect this, right? The red flags are as follows:
- Your device suddenly begins running out of energy too fast and there are some strange applications which you didn’t install.
- Unwanted browser toolbars appear from nowhere.
- Your browser history shows suspicious websites that you (or somebody from your family) definitely didn’t visit.
- Your passwords are no longer valid.
- Your online accounts begin sending or receiving strange messages.
- You can’t switch off your device or update the system.
- You note an increased use of your mobile traffic.
- An obvious one: your banking account starts missing money.
- Your mouse moves and selects some programs on its own.
- For a bit of an indirect sign – a big-name company was recently hacked and you were using some of their softwares/social networks.
How to patch the breach?
So, hackers are detected. What should you do next? Unfortunately, most of the time you can’t save the compromised data. But you have to stop the attack right now to prevent even more damage. This is how you do this:
- You definitely have to delete all the programs and toolbars you didn’t install.
- We highly recommend you to reset the device to the factory settings.
- Of course, you should change all of your passwords. Don’t let the cyber criminals continue using your accounts.
- If you still aren’t sure that everything is fixed, you’d better contact your device developer.
How to prevent future hacking?
So, you know how to tell if you have been hacked and how to cure it. Now that your device is controlled only by you once again, it’s high time to seriously consider the protection of your gadgets. In order to not let cyber criminals hack you again, you should take precautionary measures.
A secure virtual private network like VPN Unlimited should become one of them. Thanks to AES-128 and AES-256 encryptions, this VPN software enciphers all of your private data. That’s why even if a hacker tries to compromise your sensitive information, they simply won’t be able to decode it. Super-convenient!