Email accounts are hacked every day. Follow the simple tips below to keep you safe.

They have ample excuses to hack into your inbox. First of all, e-mail is the most common method of communication on the Internet today. But more importantly, it is the only identifier for many online account logins, which is why cybercriminals still lock their targets in this position.

Consider this: If your inbox is hijacked, a malicious third party may (a) find out the type of service and account you registered, (b) request to reset the password for one or more accounts. Because most password reset requests are sent via email, you can't stop it. A cautious cyber attacker can even hide their tracking (for example, delete all these password reset emails) in order to hide suspicious activities that prompt you to enter the intrusion state.

When you are hacked, your email can be used online. Internet hackers may steal personal information obtained from online accounts, including your credit card information. They can try to log in to your online bank account. If that doesn't work, they will deposit the money in a fake account and cash it out. Maybe they start spamming your friends via email or social media in an attempt to steal more information. This situation is not good for your reputation, and it may also lead to many unsatisfied contacts.

The worst thing is: identity theft. It happens to Americans every year. Recently, a colleague of mine is like this.

The bad guy broke into her mailbox.

My friend's email account was hacked a few months ago. When the child was shopping online, her email/password was also leaked due to data leaks. In addition, after clicking on the phishing link in the email, she discovered that her email account had been hacked and was even taken over by the other party. In order to regain control of her email account, she changed her password several times, but her email was hijacked again. Although she got in touch with her email provider, she still didn't get the necessary help to stop the attacker. No matter how this happened, my colleague felt very broken and fragile.

How can my colleague find his best form (and email)

In the end, her only option is to abandon the original email account and register a new account. This process is very time-consuming because it involves changing the login information of each online account, first changing the email address associated with the account, and then using a password manager to make each password valid (and unique!). Also, if two-factor authentication is available, enable it. Another step is to tell all family members who have access to these accounts "not" what to do to prevent them from being attacked again.

In the end, she froze her credit for safety. With so much personal information on the Internet, it is better to have a high level of protection to ensure that her credit is not affected in the long-term.

Here are 10 techniques to protect yourself from hacker attacks.

Here are 10 simple steps to protect yourself online. They can also help protect your family and friends from hacking your email:

1. Use password management and two-factor authentication when possible.

You can use a reliable password manager to change all your online passwords to unique passwords that you use every time you log in. We must emphasize this again and again. Today's hackers use a strategy called "voucher filling" to put as many previously stolen usernames and passwords online as possible. Because many accounts have the same username and password.

It may take some time to create a unique password for each online service, but this risk can be avoided. When setting a password for your account, you also need to set up a two-factor authentication (2FA) as an additional level of security to provide the account. This is particularly important to prevent unauthorized password resets. When you install an IoT device at home, do the same thing (look for an IoT device with 2FA support!)

2. If registering a new email service, please check 2FA support.

Not all email providers provide 2FA. Therefore, when registering with an email provider, check the SMS (lower security) or application-based (such as Google Authenticator or Authy) security layer, such as 2FA.

The biggest advantage of 2FA is that it provides a second layer of security, such as SMS, which is sent to a smartphone via a one-time password. Only the user who owns your device can make a new login. What's more, you can also receive notifications when someone tries to log in to your email account.

3. Do not click on suspicious email or SMS links.

Internet phishing sites usually send a legitimate-looking link via email or text, but once clicked, they will steal your information. Email attachments containing malicious software are also a very popular network chaos. The easiest way is not to click on links or attachments. Instead, open another tab and enter the company website in the email or link to determine whether the information provided is in line with the official information. Generally speaking, do not open links or download attachments from unknown senders. E-mails from the sender that contain links or attachments without any context are also not good.

It will also help you catch a more unpleasant fake email-reset a fake password (such as "Your account has been stolen!" Please click here to reset your login and password.") Don't forget 2016 The Democratic Party's mail leaked? The first is a fake password reset.

4. Use computers and mobile phones.

Use VPN to encrypt your Internet connection in VPN to achieve anonymity. In order to protect your personal information, there is no reason not to do so. After using a VPN, your browsing experience will become better, with fewer ads, fewer tracking times, and of course you will feel more at ease.

5. If possible, do not use public Wi-Fi or public computers.

If you travel or go out, please try to use your own computer or mobile device to surf the Internet. Of course, VPN can also be used to surf the Internet. For example, a public computer in a hotel can be accessed by others, he can put a keylogger or other malicious software on it, and this will affect you. Try to wait for your online banking or access other very private accounts in your protected home network.

6. Use powerful anti-virus software.

An excellent anti-virus software enhances the standards for protecting information security and can defend against threats such as counterfeiting, malware, and ransomware in real time. You should install anti-virus software on your PC, Mac, Android phone and other devices.

7. Ensure router and Wi-Fi security.

Whether you are a home user or a small business owner, identifying users and content on your network is as important as before, because unauthorized users may try to invade your system. Be sure to change the administrator password of your router, and set the Wi-Fi password to be a strong password that hackers cannot crack.

8. Keep your computer and smartphone operating systems up to date.

Once a security update is released for your operating system, please update immediately. Think of this as the foundation of information security.

9. Regularly update all computer and smartphone applications.

Upgrades generally include security improvements, so updates are available now.

10. Consider freezing the credit limit of your account.

In order to achieve this, if your mailbox has been hacked, you must freeze your account. This is easy and gives you more control over who can access your account. When you buy a car (such as a car), if someone needs your credit report, you can easily reopen the account and continue to freeze it.

Even if you take measures to protect your e-mail is not safe. What does that mean? Simply put, you should try to avoid sending highly sensitive information via email, such as payment or credit card data, social security numbers, and other personally identifiable information.

Naturally, if a hacker breaks into your inbox, they can find a way to mine this kind of information, but they can't mine it easily. Protective measures like 2FA and old-fashioned vigilance are sufficient to identify suspicious activity so that you can take immediate remedial measures.

Follow the simple tips above to avoid you becoming a target. Through these extra steps, spam may not be excluded from the inbox, but it can help hackers put them in the trash folder.c