Social Media Means
Photo by Matheus Bertelli Pexels Logo Photo: Matheus Bertelli

Which social media can be hacked?

A quarter (25%) of takeover victims also reported losing their Facebook accounts to malicious actors. Twitter was reported by only 3% of account takeover victims, followed by WhatsApp (1%) and LinkedIn (1%). A whopping 68% of victims have not regained access to their accounts.

What exactly does a social worker do?
What exactly does a social worker do?

A social worker assists people within a wide range of settings, from mental health clinics to schools and hospitals. Social workers can work with...

Read More »
What do I dial to see if my phone has been hacked?
What do I dial to see if my phone has been hacked?

Use the code *#21# to see if hackers track your phone with malicious intent. You can also use this code to verify if your calls, messages, or other...

Read More »

While social media’s popularity and use has proliferated across the board, it’s emerged that user profiles of some platforms get compromised more often than others. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, based on the Identity Theft Resource Center survey, Instagram users suffered the most from account takeover in 2021. In total, 84% of social media account takeover victims reported that their Instagram accounts got hijacked by scammers. Instagram, which has over 1.4 billion monthly active users, is the world’s fourth most popular social media channel. A quarter (25%) of takeover victims also reported losing their Facebook accounts to malicious actors. Twitter was reported by only 3% of account takeover victims, followed by WhatsApp (1%) and LinkedIn (1%). A whopping 68% of victims have not regained access to their accounts. Social media accounts are highly valuable to cybercriminals as they hold a wealth of personal information, which may include the user’s full name, email address, phone number, birth date, physical address, photos, private messages, and more, and can be used to commit fraud. A hijacked account can be utilised to take over even more accounts by publishing fraudulent posts, sending the victim’s contact list malicious links, and asking their friends to reveal personal information or provide funds. The malicious actors can also extort the account owner for money in exchange for getting back the stolen account. Some accounts, like Facebook, can be used to log into various other online accounts, such as online banking, which may hold even more sensitive information. Additionally, cybercriminals can sell compromised social media accounts on the dark web.

Top ways hackers gain access to social media accounts

Malicious actors have many methods to trick victims out of their valuable information, funds, or social media accounts. Posing as a “friend” is an effective scam tactic, as people let their guard down when communicating with people they know. According to the survey, nearly half (49%) of social media account takeover victims clicked on a link in a direct message from a friend before losing access to their social media accounts.

Recommended

Cybercriminals also use “get-rich-quick” schemes to lure in unsuspecting victims and steal their personal data and accounts. A fifth (20%) of social media victims lost their accounts to cybercriminals by responding to cryptocurrency and other investment scams.

Get the latest news from DIGIT direct to your inbox

Our newsletter covers the latest technology and IT news from Scotland and beyond, as well as in-depth features and exclusive interviews with leading figures and rising stars.

To subscribe, click here.

What are the four digital marketing tools?
What are the four digital marketing tools?

Here are the five common digital marketing tools. Social media platforms. ... Design tools. ... Analytics tools. ... Content marketing tools. ......

Read More »
How does Google impact Education?
How does Google impact Education?

Education technology, particularly Google's Chromebooks and suite of applications, has allowed students to do their homework and projects...

Read More »

What is the most googled word in 2022?

Wordle was the most popular trending search of 2022 in the U.S. Wordle was the most popular Google search term in the U.S. for 2022.

Spotify and Apple Music are wrapping up the 2022 year for their subscribers and so is Google Trends. Google released its highest trending search terms for 2022 in the U.S., and the top five most popular searches include:

Wordle. Election results. Betty White. Queen Elizabeth. Bob Saget.

Why did these terms make the top five?

The Deseret News reported that the popular word game became a phenomenon that people implement in their daily routines. As Wordle began to skyrocket in popularity after its release in January, the second trending search term likely received its ranking due to the 2022 midterm elections, according to USA Today. Right behind these terms, the deaths of Betty White, Queen Elizabeth and Bob Saget shocked the nation and brought these names into the final three spots in the top five. NPR reported that Google didn’t just recap most searched terms but also the most searched news stories, movies, people and more.

What were the top news searches?

Election results. Queen Elizabeth passing. Ukraine. Powerball numbers. Hurricane Ian.

Related Republicans will conduct review after disappointing midterm results

What people were most searched?

Johnny Depp. Will Smith. Amber Heard. Antonio Brown. Kari Lake.

What athletes were most searched?

Antonio Brown. Serena Williams. Joe Burrow. Aaron Judge. Manti Te’o.

What definitions were most searched?

Does Google have a work scheduling tool?
Does Google have a work scheduling tool?

ScheduleOnce - Google Workspace Marketplace. A feature rich online scheduling platform that works in tandem with Google Calendar and Google Meet to...

Read More »
Can anyone go live on Instagram?
Can anyone go live on Instagram?

Can anyone go live on Instagram? Yes. There is no follower limit to doing an Instagram Live. Feb 17, 2022

Read More »
Why not to use Buffer?
Why not to use Buffer?

No Monitoring Tool Another reason why Buffer may not be a good fit for you is that they don't have a way to monitor mentions. For some bloggers,...

Read More »
What is a good replacement for twitter?
What is a good replacement for twitter?

The best Twitter alternatives Counter.Social. Best Twitter alternative overall (and for community) ... Diaspora. Best Twitter alternative with a...

Read More »