In the vast majority of cases, the cybercriminals they will take advantage of any mistake you make. That is why it is essential to know very well how they can attack and be prepared not to fall into the trap. In the case of stealing your Instagram account, they could impersonate your identity, steal private messages, access your contacts…
How to hack an Instagram account
First of all, we are going to show you the main methods that they can use to steal your Instagram account. Knowing what they can do is the first step to knowing how to act in case of having a problem of this type. You can always take steps to prevent this from happening.
Social engineering
The first method they can use is what is known as social engineering. It is not a unique case, since they can use different techniques. It consists of gaining the trust of the victim to subsequently steal the password as soon as they make a mistake. It is widely used on social networks and is undoubtedly an option to steal an Instagram account.
A clear example are the Phishing attacks. You can receive an email or a message, where they will ask you to log in to your account. They can use some strategy to get you to click on the link, such as saying that there is a problem with your account, that you have appeared in a photograph, etc.
Malware
They could also make use of malicious software. Are fake programs which they use to steal information, passwords and scam the victim, who will think that it is a legitimate program. It’s actually a virus, malware that can get your password stolen without much difficulty.
How does this malicious software get on your device? For example, you may install the Instagram app from unofficial sources. Perhaps you have added some type of software to have certain advantages or greater usability, but in reality it is a scam and what you have installed is a virus.
They have hacked another account before
This happens when you use the same password on multiple accounts. For example, you could have the same password in a forum where you once registered. If that forum has suffered an attack and the passwords of the users have been exposed, they could try to see if it matches your Instagram password.
This is known as the domino effect. A hacker may be able to steal a specific account, but try to see if with that same password he can enter other social networks, email or any other service on the Internet.
Simple password guessing
It is the most basic, but it is a problem that is present. It simply consists of an attacker going to guess your password. It can predict it if you use a key that contains your first name, last name, phone number or anything that relates to you, which makes it easier to find out.
We can say that it is an option that hypothetical intruders with less experience will have. They won’t launch fancy attacks, they will just try various passwords to see if it matches the one you used for Instagram.
What to do to protect the account
But what can you do to protect your Instagram account from being hacked? The main thing is use a good password. That will prevent them from guessing or using brute force techniques. Always use a unique password, which does not contain personal data of any kind. Avoid using that password on other accounts.
It is also essential that you always use official applications. That will prevent some kind of malware from sneaking in to control the Instagram account. You can use the official website of the social network or go to trusted application stores, such as Google Play. Beware of installing plugins that may be a fraud.
Another piece of advice is more is to always keep the common sense. Never log in through links sent to you by email or by other social networks. It could be a Phishing attack, so it is essential to be careful with this and always avoid mistakes.
In short, as you can see, they can hack your Instagram account through different methods. It is key that you take certain measures so that this does not happen. Maintaining security is in your hands, but you should always keep common sense and not give attackers opportunities to steal your accounts.
