Staying safe
My account has been hacked: the actions that save the day
What you will be able to do In 6 minutes, you'll know which actions to take, in the right order, if an account slips out of your control.
A hacked account is a door that someone else has opened in your place: email, social network, any account. Panic rarely helps, whereas a small number of actions, taken in the right order, close that door again and limit the damage. A session is a term for a connection open somewhere other than your device, one that also needs to be cut off. We're going to walk through these actions together, on a screen we drew ourselves. Nothing here is real, so nothing can happen to you.
Simulated screen
I practice
This screen was drawn by us. Nothing is sent, nothing is installed, and no real brand is shown.
The situationA message leaves your mailbox for your loved ones, and yet you wrote nothing.
The interactive exercise needs JavaScript. The written step by step, just below, says exactly the same thing.
The written step by step
The same steps, in words, to read or print. This sheet works even without the exercise.
Recognize the signal
Your turn Tap what truly shows that another person has entered your account.
The login history, in the account's security settings, shows recent devices and locations: a line you don't recognize is the real signal.
The first move: the password
Your turn Where do you start?
You change the password first, long and different from your other accounts. That's the action that closes the door right away.
The action people forget
Your turn After the password, tap the action that stops someone from staying logged in as you.
In the security settings, the list of connected devices can be checked, and any unrecognized device gets logged out.
Warn what matters
Your turn The account is yours again. Tap the action that protects others.
You write a single message to your loved ones: a message may have gone out without really coming from you, so they can be wary of it.
When money is involved
Your turn This account held exchanges with your bank, or was used to reset other accounts. Tap the right reflex.
You warn your bank as a precaution, and keep an eye on your accounts for a few days, without waiting for a visible problem.
Reporting it, for you and for others
Your turn One last action, the one that's often forgotten. Tap it.
The free online diagnostic on cybermalveillance.gouv.fr asks for no proof, and points you toward the right next step depending on the situation.
The sheet to keep
- A login line, in the account's history, tells the truth about who came in and when: that's the real signal, not just a notification.
- The password is changed first, long and different from all other accounts.
- An access already open elsewhere can survive a password change: you also log out unrecognized devices.
- A different password for each important account limits the damage if one of them is hacked one day.
- Warning your loved ones about a message that may have gone out without really coming from you protects them too.
- A mailbox often serves as the main door to other accounts: if it's affected, warning your bank as a precaution is reasonable.
- Reporting it requires neither proof nor a loss of money: cybermalveillance.gouv.fr offers a free diagnostic.
The reflexes in this skill
One account, one door: every door has its own key
A password reused everywhere turns one leak into a break in everywhere. A long passphrase for each important account, written down somewhere safe, holds up better than a complicated password used again and again.
I go through the official door
The address typed in by hand, the app installed from the official store, the phone number printed on the back of your card. Never the link someone hands you, even when it looks right.
No one serious ever rushes me
No threats, no countdown, no secret to keep. And asking for help is a reflex, not a failure: saying it out loud to someone makes most scams fall apart.
Two questions to check
Nothing is graded, and nothing is saved anywhere except in your own browser.
You've just changed the password of a hacked account. Is that enough?
See the answer
No, you also need to log out unknown devices and sessions
An access already open elsewhere can keep existing even after a new password. You also need to check the connected devices and log out the ones you don't recognize.
A hacked email account held your exchanges with your bank. What do you do?
See the answer
I warn my bank, as a precaution
A mailbox is often used to reset other accounts, including bank ones. Warning it as a precaution avoids a lot of trouble, without waiting for a visible problem.
I've done it
Check this box once you can do this skill on your own.
Your progress stays in your own browser.