How do Instagram accounts get hacked?

Instagram is a famous social media app  that allows users to share their photos and videos. It is a free social media platform. Since its launch, it has become an easy way to connect with brands, celebrities, leaders, nature, news, friends, family, and more.

Over a billion people use Instagram every day. It has become a part of daily life, from small businesses to big ones. Even though it is designed primarily for all smartphones and the desktop, today, you can get on Instagram from your smartphones and computers and use a web browser.

Unfortunately, hackers can get into your Instagram accounts in less than 5 minutes if it is not secured properly. Hackers will encourage people to enter information via a link that leads to a phishing site. When somebody enters the password,  hackers can take over their Instagram account. Here there are the most common ways of hacking Instagram.

A weak password   

 Most of the time, people use obvious passwords such as their names, the names of their children, or their number in order not to forget them. However, the simpler password is, the easier it is to hack. A weak password always plays a major role in any hack. Sometimes applications do not enforce password complexity, and as a result that users use a simple password such as 12345, mobile number, date of birth, name. A weak password does not always mean length and the characters used. It can be guessable. For example, name@123 looks like quite a complex password but can be guessable. So do not use passwords related to names, places, or mobile numbers. Even though using the same password for your other account and is part of a data leak, hackers can come into your account to hack Instagram passwords because of using this same password.

Access to the device

Access to the device means "any card, code, account number or other means of account access that can be used. If you automatically log in to your Instagram account on your smartphone or your computer and someone else has access to that device, too. Hackers can log in and hack your account. Having access to your emails or smartphones could provide hackers with the confirmation code they need to log in to your account if hackers do not know the password. Otherwise, there is a retrieval code if the confirmation cannot be delivered due to connectivity matters.

Phishing

Everybody who's searched hacking forums or articles on cracking an Instagram password has come across the phishing method. Phishing is a very successful technique to hack an account's password. It involves the creation of a duplicate copy of a website's login page to steal an Instagram user's password. When a common user lands on such pages, he or she might enter their username and password, thinking that it is a legitimate login page, and so they get their account hacked. Hackers made this fake login page through specialized apps built to help Instagram users manage their accounts more helpfully. They monetize the information and sell it on the dark webs for a clear profit. 

Hacking with tools

There are several different tools also available on the Internet that we can use to hack Instagram account and password.

By using the Spy tools, the hacker installs the spyware tool in their phone and thus can gain access to every victim's activity.

- XNSPY is one of the popular tools that most the  hackers are using to spy android phone. This tool has a specific inbuilt spy Instagram tool, which is quite useful for Instagram account hacking. You can get complete access to the victim's mobile phone using these spy tools such as photos, messages, etc.

- Spy human tool is another effective and famous tool for Instagram hacking. With the help of the Spy human tool, you can easily access all the photos of Instagram of others. Apart from it, there are several other uses of the spy human tool.

- Keylogger is one of the best tools often used by every hacker. These are software built to record keystrokes of computers, laptops, and cellphones.

 You can install any of the keyloggers on your victim's device, and as soon as he gets logged in to the Instagram account, you will get the list of IDs and Passwords. 

If your Instagram account has been hacked, what do you do?

Accounts can be hacked in several ways. Hackers demand a ransom for the account. In other cases, the usernames and images may be altered. Hackers often sell off accounts with many followers. There are several steps you can take to prevent your Instagram.

Enable two-factor Authentication

This powerful security tool asks you to enter a security code from an app or sends the code to your mobile phone every time you log in from a new device.

If the account has two Factor Authentication on then, it might be really difficult to hack into this account. If the account is unprotected by the 2 Factor Authentication and the user of the account has entered his/her password in a phishing site or a logger, then the account is extremely easy to hack into.

To get started with two-factor authentication, choose either:

1. Text message codes from your mobile phone

2. Login codes from a   third-party authentication app, such as Google Authenticator.

Check your login activities.

It's a good idea to regularly check your login activity, check which linked accounts and third-party apps have access to your Instagram account. When you check the login activity, it shows the exact date and time of each login. You can do this in the Security section of your Instagram account, which shows your log inactivity. Remove access from suspicious accounts and apps. You can see the geographic locations of where you are logged in and which devices are being used. If there are any that you do not recognize, you can log out all of them.

Confirm your phone number and email address

Hackers will change your phone number and email address to gain access to your account, and you cannot access it. If your phone number or email addresses have been changed, it is important to first change them back to your account and then check for any suspicious activities that may have transpired on your page. Confirm that your contact details like email addresses and phone numbers linked to your account are right. If you get an email regarding unknown changes to your Instagram account, verify that it's real by demanding to log in on different windows. Anyway, it could be a phishing fraud. Contact Instagram individually, without clicking on any doubtful links.

Change your password

Pick a strong password that is different than other passwords you commonly use on the Internet and social media. A strong password is also needed to be stored by rights. Similarly, creating a very complex password won't serve the purpose if we write it and paste it on our desk, which also should be kept safe. Change your password and choose the best one. Passwords should be individual to Instagram and secure to prevent hackers from guessing the correct one.

Pay attention to notifications.

Instagram is certainly aware that its social media platform is subject to hackers and those creating fake accounts. If you receive a notification or an email from Instagram recommending that you should change your password, do it. Remember this tip, to avoid phishing scams, do not click a link in any emails asking you to change your password.

Conclusion

People are not at all aware and careful when they are online. Signing up with an Instagram account is a very usual item is scam and phishing websites that steal your login credentials and create an awful situation because you cannot do anything after they have changed your email address or password and other recovery options. Therefore, always be careful online and never give out your private details or credentials to spam or fake websites. Hackers can simply build a fake Instagram login page and wait for users to enter their account information and the password. They built this fake login page through specialized apps plan to help Instagram users manage their accounts more efficiently.

If your Instagram is hacked, you can follow these guides quickly after noticing a failed login, suspicious posts, or changed information. There is a good chance you will be able to recover your account.

Even if you have not been hacked, they are useful tips for additional security to prevent any future hacking that could unlikely occur for you.