Okay so you have an Instagram account that is very important to you! Instagram Account Hacked is actually one of the most common problems general people using the popular social media app can run into. There are so many different ways to hack an Instagram account that it is hard to keep track for the app designers. As Facebook owns Instagram, you can expect best security protocols from them.
Yet, almost no Instagram account is beyond getting hacked as hackers get more sophisticated every year. How to Stop Hackers on Instagram is almost as hard as anything for an average user. These notorious fellows have found a whole list of ways to hack into people’s personal or business Instagram accounts. For business profiles that use their feeds for mass social media advertisement, to keep the integrity of their account is of paramount importance.
There might be no antivirus or anti-hack tools that you can install to ensure hacker resistance. Yet, there are some tips that you can follow to reduce chances of your accounts getting hacked significantly. If you are someone who is always thinking My Instagram Keeps Getting Hacked for no apparent reason, read through our guide to possibly find out why:
Why Instagram Accounts Get Hacked?
There are more than 1 reasons hackers get into people’s Instagram accounts with the intent to hack their passwords. Some of these are:
- They might be after certain information on the account in shape or posts or other details
- Their intent might be to disrupt a business competitors flow of posts and divert user interest away from them
- They can intend to ask for money for an account password restore from the original owners of the account
- Some people do it just for fun and with the intent of causing problems for people they might or might not know.
Here are some things you can do to reduce chances of your Instagram account getting hacked:
Say No to Unknown Follow Requests
For a personal or business account, it is never uncommon to get follow request from people or profiles that you don’t have a clue about. Fake accounts that are based on bots and possible hacking tools generally use common people’s names and profile pictures. These accounts follow random Instagram accounts with the hope of getting access to their passwords. Quite simply, if you don’t know a person or profile that just followed you, make sure not to follow them back.
Some famous personalities or business accounts also have their accounts open where anyone can follow them. Problem starts when you follow unknown accounts back and they get permission to send you Direct Messages. DMs loaded with hack tools and programs trace your passwords and login information providing access to the hackers.
Do Not Follow Suspicious Profiles
There many ways to spot a suspicious profile even though it might be named after you favorite movie star. This actually is one of the most common ways hackers get into your accounts and profiles. Some characteristic identifiers for these suspicious profiles are:
- They would not be so active with latest post dating back several months
- Their followers and following numbers might be too low or even nothing
- There might not be any profile pictures on their profiles or can be of a celebrity that you like
- There can be links or URLs posted in their descriptions or captions for posts
These identifiers can be great help when looking to secure you Instagram accounts against hackers.
Open External Links Carefully
Another top hack risk is to open suspicious external links. Shopping profiles with every kind of products can have hack tools built into them. When you tap on a top, watch, mobile cover or any other item’s link, you can be ported to an external link. This external link may or may not ask you to enter your login details.
In both cases, harmful codes in those external links can hack your passwords and login details. Hackers can access that information from their systems and gain full control of your account. You should only open external links for pages and profiles that you trust and no other un-trusted ones at all.
Avoid Instagram Post Views from Other Platforms
Usually, when browsing the Internet from Google Chrome or other browsers, you can be directed to certain Instagram posts or pictures. This may sound harmless and very friendly showing you posts that you want to see. But, in actuality, this is a tactic used by hackers to hack into your login details.
Quite often, tapping on these fake links, you can be prompted to re-enter your login details. Average people who don’t know a thing about hacking and different easy it can be done will promptly enter their login details. These login pages can look just like a regular Instagram login page but can in reality be software tools operated by hackers. Once you enter your details in these pages, hackers will have a copy of them instantly.
You should simply avoid any indirect links into your Instagram accounts. Even when they don’t ask you for login information, they can still have codes revealing your passwords to hackers. When looking for ways How to Secure Your Instagram Account, not tapping outside links can be very helpful.
Be Vigilant In Everything You Do On Instagram
Probably the most helpful tip anyone would give you when trying to secure your Instagram account from hackers is to be vigilant and watchful. You should look at everything you do on you Instagram app carefully. Some places you should take care are:
- When following people or profiles on Instagram
- Replying to Direct Messages requests from unknown profiles
- Viewing posts and commenting on them
- Tapping on shopping links from business profiles on the app