Hackers primarily target your Internet access. We'll show you how to protect your online accounts from attacks and damage.

If your friends suddenly complain about your Facebook posts or money disappears from your bank account, there is a high risk of your account being hacked. To prevent this from happening, you should take precautions.

You can secure your login with a variety of methods and prevent hackers from gaining access to your personal data and more. We'll show you how it works.

5 Tips to Protect Your Accounts from Hackers

1. Use custom passwords

You should really assign a unique password to each online account. Reason: If a login combination you use multiple times ends up in a Dark Web password list, all associated accounts are automatically at risk. By using individual passwords, you can minimize damage in the event of an emergency.

2. Use a password manager

Since remembering dozens of different access data is, of course, difficult, password managers are a practical help. Idea: You store all login information encrypted.

Protect this with a password that is as strong as possible. After all, you only need to remember one access to protect all your passwords. In addition to commercial solutions, you can also use free solutions.

With a password manager, you can protect as many passwords as you want, but you only have to remember one login.

3. Set up two-factor authentication

Many online experiences can be secured using two-factor authentication. After activation, one password is no longer enough to log into your account. Instead, logging in requires an additional step, such as entering a numeric code that you receive via SMS to your mobile phone.

This takes more time, but is a big plus for online security. Below we'll show you how to set up two-factor authentication.

4. Use strong passwords

Experts have been debating what a "secure" password is ever since the principle of "password" was introduced in digital form. Everyone agrees that longer passphrases are still harder to crack than shorter ones. Instead of relying on short passwords filled with obscure special characters, you should take a sentence and change it slightly, such as adding a number in the middle.

Practical: Password managers already have a password generator built into them. This allows you to create complex and secure passwords, which the program also saves for you.

5. Stay informed

There are things you can do to protect your accounts, but you'll still have to rely on the service providers you use for your account. If hackers steal your password database, all security measures will be useless. In this case, it is important to stay informed.

Affected companies will often inform you via email about possible attacks and necessary measures - you should definitely not ignore these emails. You can also learn about current threats and attacks on various accounts on our blog.

Be sure to stay up to date so that you can respond quickly in the event of a hacker attack.

Detection of phishing attempts

Besides data breaches from ISPs, the most common reason for password hacking is still “phishing.” This method is as old as it is effective: the attacker tries to direct you to a fake website to log in via a link (such as an email or social media link).

If you register on such a fake website, the hacker has taken over your login details. Pros: Modern browsers like Chrome and Firefox detect many fake phishing sites and alert you. Phishing emails are also a source of suspicion for many email providers. But don't rely on this alone.

The best way to protect yourself from phishing attempts is to visit the site directly in your browser rather than clicking on links. Hardly any service provider goes without an encrypted and signed connection. You can use the browser panel to check in all major browsers whether you are using an encrypted connection.

Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and the like usually indicate secure connections with green letters, a padlock symbol, or something similar. However, if you see an exclamation point next to a URL, you should at least be skeptical and reconsider entering your login information.

Modern browsers tell you immediately whether your connection to a site is secure and whether you are actually viewing the right website.

Secure accounts with two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication, or 2FA for short, may seem extremely boring, but it is still one of the most effective ways to protect your online accounts from unauthorized access. In addition to the classic username and password combination, 2FA-protected access requires a second code that is generated with each login attempt.

For example, you can send yourself a code via SMS or email, generate it using a separate smartphone app such as Authy or Google Authenticator, or even use a hardware key such as a USB drive. Once set up, 2FA ensures that a stolen password will no longer allow access to your accounts.

For example, with 2FA activated, PayPal only allows account access using a numeric code that you receive via SMS.

You can set up two-factor authentication in just a few steps. Among other things, you can protect your accounts with Google, Facebook, Paypal, Dropbox, Microsoft and many other providers.

Disadvantage of two-factor authentication: If you don't have access to the second code for some reason, you won't be able to access your accounts. For this reason, you should always make sure you have a “Plan B” when using two-factor authentication.

For example, Google offers the ability to provide an additional phone number or email address to recover your login. These or similar security systems also cover many other services that provide account security using 2FA.

Hacker attack on an online account: what to do if it’s too late?

By taking the right precautions, in many cases you are protected from account theft. But what to do if an emergency has already happened? If one of your online accounts has been hacked, you should act systematically. If the hackers weren't faster, the first thing you should try is to request a new password.

You can find the corresponding links on the corresponding login pages. If it is too late, you should immediately contact the company's customer support. Many providers, such as Facebook or Google, offer instructions and procedures for recovering hacked accounts in their help sections. Ideally, you can prevent the most serious damage.

In their help sections, many providers give advice on how to get your stolen accounts back.

Is it a “social” account like Facebook, Twitter or your email? Then you should inform your friends and acquaintances about this to avoid confusion and trouble.

In the event of a hacker attack that could cause you financial problems (for example, Amazon, email, or online banking access), you should immediately ensure that the affected accounts are temporarily suspended. To do this, contact the relevant provider's support hotline directly.

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