If your social media account hasn’t been hacked yet, you probably know someone who’s been hit. You’ve likely seen a message like, “Don’t accept messages from me—my account was hacked.” They reset their password, but often get hacked again—sometimes on the same day!
Why does this keep happening, even after a password change?
The main reason is simple: many people reuse the same password across multiple sites. If one company gets hacked, your credentials can end up on the “dark web” where hackers buy and sell these details for as little as $10. From there, cybercriminals use automated tools to test your email and password combination across popular social media sites, banking accounts, and more. Once they gain access, they can impersonate you, scam your friends, and steal valuable information.
The key to better security isn’t just changing your password—it’s adding an extra layer of protection called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). With MFA, you’ll need more than just a password to access your account. After entering your password, a unique code is sent to your smartphone via app or text, and you’ll need to input that code within about 60 seconds to verify your identity.
While this might seem like a hassle, once you set it up, you won’t need to enter the code every time. MFA is a one-time setup on trusted devices, and you’ll only need to re-enter the code if logging in from a new location or device.
In my video, I walk you through how to set up MFA for your social media accounts. It’s an option under “Settings” or “Account” on most websites and apps, and while it’s still optional on some platforms, you should turn it on immediately to protect yourself from being hacked.
For financial accounts like bank and investment sites, MFA is not optional—you MUST enable it to keep your money and data safe.
Take a moment now to set up MFA on your accounts, and if you have any questions, feel free to reach out!