8 Super Steps To Protect your Instagram Account from Hackers.

Last Updated on September 22, 2022 by Jerome Donovan

Instagram has become a part of our daily lives. We depend on it to connect with friends, colleagues, relatives, and the world. If you are hustling online, you may even use it to get sales, sell online like places like Depop. When your Instagram account is hacked, it can lead to frustration and apprehension and be extremely scary. Many things can happen with a hacked Instagram account, hence the need to learn how to protect your Instagram account from hackers.

 

To secure your Instagram account, having a good defence against your account is the strongest offence you can put out against hackers. So, what do you need to protect your Instagram account from hackers? – answering this question will be the crux of today’s article. We will highlight the top eight things you need to know and do to secure your Instagram account from hackers.

In today’s article, we will share eight (8) ways to protect your Instagram account from hackers, including what to do when your account is hacked.

 

Eight Tips to Protect Your Instagram Account from Hackers

• Always use a strong password
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Ensure you use a secured Email Account
• Disable Suspicious Third-Party Apps Access
• Update your phone number and email when needed
• Remember, Instagram will never send you a DM
• Report questionable contents and accounts
• Enable Login Request

 

Step #1: Always use a Strong Password 

With increasing users across Instagram’s platform, more records of attempted hacking and unsolicited messaging (phishing) will occur. Firstly, the accounts that would fall prey to these attempts are those with a weak password. According to one cyber security expert, it is advisable to use a system-generated password in addition to a password manager to protect your Instagram and other online accounts from the twin devils of hackers and phishing.

 

Password-managing applications allow you to synchronize all your device passwords – mobile phones, desktops, laptops, and other devices, even when you are offline. With individuals having several online accounts, it is advisable to use a password manager. Also, it would help if you used a different password for each account to make accessing your information difficult for hackers.

When you have selected a password for your Instagram account, check the password on the “How Secure Is My Password”. “How Secure Is My Password” will help to check for your password’s strength. The strength of your password tells you its ease of hacking and, in broad terms, the security of your Instagram account.

 

EXTRA: it is important to check the legitimacy of emails received (the email address, sender’s name, and the URL link) and to protect yourself by never giving out your password to someone you don’t trust to guard against phishing and hacking.

 

Step #2: Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) aims to add an extra layer of solidity to your Instagram account to guard against hackers. The two-factor authentication (2FA) is a double-step procedure requiring account owners to verify their identity and account ownership via a security code. It keeps track of the device used for the initial login and prompts you to input the security code when you log on from an unrecognized device.

 

You can turn on the two-factor authentication feature on your Instagram.

1. Click on the 3-dots from your profile page

 

2. Click on Settings

3. Heading to your Settings and clicking “Security”

4. Click on Two Factor Authentication to Turn it On and Protect your Instagram Account from Hackers

Option 1: Text Message

To activate this option, you must confirm the phone number attached to your account. Once the phone number is typed, click on the “Next” icon. You will be requested to enter a security code sent to your confirmed phone number when your account is activated from an unrecognized device. The security code is from Instagram and is meant for account protection.

Extra: Do not share personal details or respond to suspicious DMs on your Instagram account to prevent phishing.

 

Option 2: Authentication App

This method – “Authentication App (recommended),” involves using a third-party authentication application such as Google Authentication App. For persons with pre-installed third-party authentication apps, Instagram automatically detects the app and sends the security code to it. You’ll have to retrieve and enter the code on your Instagram account to enable two-factor authentication (2FA).

For those without an authentication app installed on their devices, Instagram will prompt you to download one before you can complete the process.

 

Step #3: Ensure you use a secured Email Account

Just consider for a moment all your online accounts, including your Instagram account, are linked to your one email account. If that email account gets hacked, they have all your information to themselves – which can be scary.

 

Some recent surveys show that 22% of Internet users have had their online accounts hacked at least once, while 14% state they have had multiple account hacks.

Armed with these statistics, enabling two-factor authentication or encryption on your email service is vital. These simple steps will help protect your Instagram account from hackers and phishers in the long run.

 

Step #4: Disable Suspicious Third-Party Apps Access

Many Instagram account owners use their accounts to sign in to third-party apps such as photo editing tools, dating services, games, etc. One little-known fact is that these third-party apps and websites retain your login details several years after logging on. This means that they retain access to your Instagram account information and profile.

 

Instagram allows you to manage your third-party apps. If these sites and applications become victims of a cyber-attack, then your details become vulnerable. For this reason, it is vital to carefully select and authorize third-party app access to your Instagram account. To do this, you should open your Instagram profile on your device and click on settings. Next, click on “Apps and Website”.

 

Clicking on “Apps and Website” provides a list of apps with access to your Instagram. You can then revoke access to any suspicious app or site you do not want to have access to your information.

 

Step #5 – Update your phone number and email when needed

It is also essential to regularly update your email and phone numbers linked with your devices. Sometimes, we change the numbers and emails linked to our devices. When this occurs, you should update these changes to your profile. When this occurs, you will receive a quick notification from Instagram even if the hacker has changed your profile information.

 

Step #6 – Know that Instagram will never send you a DM

Phishers and scammers will try to send out dangerous DMs to access and collect sensitive details such as passwords. These scammers tend to pose as representatives of Instagram, telling you of non-existent stories such as the risk of account ban, intellectual property violation, or plagiarism. These messages are scams, and Instagram will never send DMs to the account. You must report such accounts sending scam messages to enable Instagram to deal with such scam accounts. You should note that Instagram will only reach account holders via email messages in the “Emails from Instagram” icon in your account’s settings.

 

 Step #7 – Report questionable contents and accounts

It is important to note that you can report scammers and hacker accounts directly to Instagram. Also, scam content can be reported directly to Instagram from the spam account by clicking on the three dots above the post and typing a message. You can also report such accounts directly from the profile.

 

Step 8 – Enable Login Request

Two-factor authentication (2FA) on Instagram allows you receive an alert when an unidentified person tries to access your account from an unrecognized device or browser. The alerts will tell you the location of the device that tried to access your account. On seeing this, you can accept or cancel the login request from your already linked device. You will be able to view the list of devices that have recently accessed your Instagram account by clicking on “Settings,” then “Security,” Next, “Login Activity.” When a recent login is not from you, you can contact Instagram to notify them of unauthorized account access.

Impersonators, scammers, and hackers use their verification status to target spam accounts to mislead and defraud people. You will be able to see every reported status and post and how to appeal those ban decisions. Individuals should also work with the Instagram community to find out the latest information if their posts are violating its policies.

CONCLUSION

Here you have it. We have detailed all the requirements to protect your Instagram accounts from hackers. 2FA, having a strong password, ensuring you update your email, and other points highlighted in today’s article will help protect your Instagram account from hackers.