"One Day You're a Creator, The Next Day You're Hacked: Are You Truly Safe?"

Imagine this: It’s the morning; you wake up and are all geared up for the day when suddenly you come face to face with the fact that your YouTube account that you have worked on for so long is hacked. All your videos? Gone. All those hours of effort? Disappeared with the press of a hacker‘s mouse button. Sounds terrifying, right? It is the reality for many of us, including India’s most popular influencers, such as Ranveer Allahbadia All, who recently hacked his YouTube account.

To get Ranveer’s side of the story, you can read what he says about it here.

In today’s world, when social networks like YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter are the primary sources of income for many people, creators, and brands, security questions are no longer just excellent to have—they are a must. This isn’t limited to upcoming influencers; it can be anyone, even a celebrity like Ranveer or a budding entrepreneur. You are vulnerable.

Digital Crime in the World Today: The New Frontier

With the increase in users, content creators, and influencers, there is a growing rate of cybercriminals. The cybercriminals have upped their game, and so have the breaches. But here’s the thing: you’re not powerless. Below, new and experienced social media users can help prevent themselves from being hacked or caught in other social media vices.

Tips to Protect Your Social Media Account from Hackers

1. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication, also known as 2FA

• Why it’s crucial: Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the second layer of the authentication process, making the identification process slightly complex and safer. When somebody hacks your password, they still cannot get into your account because there is another level of authentication, for instance, a code sent to your phone.
• How to implement:?Go to YouTube and Instagram, go to your account settings, and turn on two-factor authentication. Google Authenticator is an application that can enhance protection.

2. How do we establish good, much less high-class passwords?

• Why it’s crucial: Using weak or, rather, frequently using the same passwords makes one vulnerable. It has been reported that hackers often try to break into accounts by using password cracking techniques.
• How to implement: Use a password manager like LastPass or 1Password to create and store complex and, most importantly, different accounts' passwords.

3. Watch Out for Phishing Scams

• Why it’s crucial: Phishing emails are usually fake messages from social networks or your favorite brands and companies. Usually, these emails contain links that, when clicked on, lead to stealing your account login details.
• How to implement: Always confirm the sender’s email and do not click on links that seem to be fake. Google, for instance, or YouTube will never request your password through an email.

4. Check Your Account History From Time To Time

• Why it’s crucial: Sometimes, the first clue that someone has compromised an account is a minor modification to its information.
• How to implement: In that case, one can check the account's activity in the security settings in YouTube or the intended platform. Look for the unknown, which includes logins and other peculiar activities.

5. Maintain Software and Apps

• Why it’s crucial: It is a common practice that security updates close the holes that hackers can use. With older software, you are more vulnerable to risks.
• How to implement: You should regularly update your social media applications, operating system, and web browser to get the latest security updates.

6. Use Secure Networks

• Why it’s crucial: When you connect to the Internet through public Wi-Fi networks, your information is easily vulnerable to interception by hackers who can access your accounts.
• How to implement: Do not access your Facebook or Twitter accounts or make important actions while connecting to public Wi-Fi. Make sure to use a VPN in order to protect your connection when connecting to public networks.

7. Limit Third-Party Access

• Why it’s crucial: Many apps ask for permission to access your social media accounts, and if these apps are hacked, then this third-party access is at risk.
• How to implement: Ensure you check on those apps that have access to your accounts and deny access to those that you do not use.

The Hard Lesson: Do not wait for a cybersecurity breach to occur in order to start protecting your company.

It is evident that nobody is safe from hacking as demonstrated by Ranveer Allahbadia’s case. The hackers aren’t particular about the number of followers one has or whether one is a celebrity or not – what they want are data, accounts, and ransoms. Some basic measures are discussed here to prevent stress in the future which can be ignored at the moment.

Ask yourself this: What if this was your account that is affected next? What would you do if you wake up one day and you have no social media account to manage?

Today, we cannot talk about digital security as something that concerns only technology enthusiasts. Be proactive, not reactive to prevent damage to your brand, your followers, and your future.

If it can happen to a creator like Ranveer then it can happen to anyone. Do not wait to learn the hard way.

Be safe, be secure and never click without verifying first! ?????

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