February 15, 2022 / Lily Collins

How Can An Email Be Hacked?

Although “Prevention is better than cure” is quite an old saying but it is effective and applicable in today’s time as well. This has been stated here in the context of the users who take the security of their email accounts lightly, and repent on the consequences when their account gets hacked. If you are one of such victims or the one who likes to be prepared in advance, you can follow the information provided below. In this guide, you will be briefed about the ways hackers hack your email account and how can you prevent it.

Keep Your Email Account Secure Against Hacking

1.) Stay Away From Phishing Emails

One of the common ways for hackers to hack your account is through phishing emails. These types of scam emails induce you to reveal your personal information including the password of your account to hack it. Try not to fall for such scam emails by providing you information such as password, account numbers, addresses etc.

2.) Always Log Out Of Your Account On Untrusted Devices

You may have a habit of leaving your email logged in on the computer at home, but never do it on a public PC or other devices. Leaving your account logged in on public pc is more likely to make your account vulnerable to hacking. So, always make sure that you log out of your email account on untrusted devices each time you use them.

NOTE: It is even best if you altogether avoid using untrusted devices. This is because such devices can be malware infected or having keylogging spyware installed on them.

3.) Never Use a Weak, Easy-to-Guess Password

Using a weak or easy-to-guess password such as date of birth, sequential numbers, surname etc. must be avoided completely. Hackers can easily guess such common words and numbers and can easily break into your account. When creating a password, try making a combination of numbers, alphabets, and special characters. This will make it tough for anyone to guess your password and discourage them from hacking your account.

NOTE: Also, make sure that you don’t use the same password for any of your other accounts. This is because it will make all your account with same password vulnerable if any of the accounts get hacked.

4.) Use Up-To-Date Security Software

Not using adequate protection for your computer can make it vulnerable to malware that are designed to steal your passwords. Therefore, make sure that you protect your account using a reliable antivirus protection. If you already have an antivirus installed on your computer, make sure that it is updated with latest security updates.

5.) Use a Secure Wi-Fi Network

If you are using an unsecured Wi-Fi network to access your email account, some hackers can eavesdrop on your data and retrieve your passwords. In order to avoid this possibility, make sure to use a secure Wi-Fi network to access the internet on your device.

6.) Keep Your Email Account Clear from Spammers

Spammers can also make your account vulnerable to hackers if it is flooded by spam emails. So, it is suggested to keep your email account free from spam emails. While it is a bit difficult to keep your account protected against spam emails, you can always try keeping them at bay by not sharing your email address with untrusted people or organization. Also, avoid listing your email address publicly online on sites such as forums, online ads, blogs etc. The less you share your email address at third-party websites the lesser spam or unwanted emails you will get in your account.

So, these are some of the ways you can keep your email account safe from hackers.