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Worried Your Email Was Hacked? How Can You Easily Follow This Proven Checklist for Amazing Peace of Mind?
An email account is a key to your digital life. If a criminal gets in, they can access sensitive information. They might read your private messages, send fake emails to your friends and family, or lock you out of other online accounts like banking and social media. Acting fast can stop a bad situation from getting worse.
The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Police Crime Prevention Unit (ProPK) created a guide to help people in this emergency. Nearly one in ten people experienced a cybercrime in 2024, showing this is a common problem.
Signs Your Email Was Hacked
You might have a hacked account if you notice these things:
- You cannot log in, even with the right password.
- Emails you did not write are in your sent folder.
- Your account settings, like your signature or password, have been changed.
- You receive login alerts from new devices or strange locations.
- Your friends say they received odd emails from you.
Immediate Steps to Take
If you think your account is compromised, you must act now. Follow these steps to limit the damage and regain control.
- Reset Your Password. If you can still access your account, change your password immediately. If you are locked out, use the “Forgot Password” or account recovery option. This is the first and most important step.
- Revoke Access. Check your account settings for any strange devices that are logged in. Log them all out. Also, review which third-party apps have access to your account and remove any you do not recognize.
- Check for New Rules. Hackers often create forwarding rules to secretly send copies of your emails to themselves. Go into your settings and delete any forwarding addresses or mail rules that you did not create.
- Inform Your Contacts. Let your friends, family, and colleagues know that your account was hacked. Warn them not to open strange links or reply to suspicious messages that appear to come from you.
- Secure Linked Accounts. Think about all other accounts that use your email for login or password recovery. Check them for suspicious activity and consider changing their passwords, starting with the most important ones like banking and government services.
How to Protect Your Email in the Future
You can make it much harder for criminals to get into your account. The BSI and ProPK recommend these security measures.
- Use Strong Passwords. Create long passwords that mix letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using personal information or common words.
- Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This adds a crucial second layer of security. Even if someone steals your password, they will also need a code from your phone to log in.
- Consider Using Passkeys. Passkeys are a newer, stronger alternative to passwords. They use a cryptographic key stored securely on your device, like your phone or computer, to log you in. This method is highly resistant to phishing and data breaches.