Methods to hijack social networks

The kidnapping of social networks like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter basically consists of an intruder accessing your account. They may change the password and you cannot enter or they may simply enter to steal data or read messages and you can continue to use your account normally. Now, how can they hijack a social network? We are going to explain some methods they use.

Social engineering

The first is through Phishing attacks and other similar ones that seek cheat the victim. For example, a very common case is that they send an email indicating that there is an alleged problem in the Facebook account or that we must configure something to continue using it normally. They ask us to enter a link and do something, but you will always have to put the password.

By putting the data, you really are not entering the Facebook or social network account, but you are sending that information to a server controlled by the attackers. It is a widely used way to steal accounts of all kinds on the Internet and not only send an email, It can also reach you by SMS or even through social networks themselves.

Malware

They could also use malicious software to steal passwords and thus gain access to social media. A clear example is a keylogger, which is in charge of recording all keystrokes and in this way also compiles the access keys that we put when logging into an account.

But they can also use other varieties, such as Trojans for example. With this type of malware they can control a device remotely and act as if they were there. They could, for example, enter the social network if you have saved the session in the browser without having to put the password again.

Brute force attacks

Another method they use to illegally access a social network is brute force attacks. If you use a password that is not very good, does not meet the appropriate requirements or is predictable, an attack of this type can lead to steal the password and allow an attacker to kidnap her.

What a hacker does in this case is use tools with which they test different combinations until they find the correct one. For this they will use certain words or digits that may be more common. For example names, dates, etc. Thus they manage to enter platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and the like.

Platform failure

In addition, another way to hijack social networks is when a fault appears on the platform itself. A vulnerability that they can exploit, for example. Also when there is a security breach and all accounts are exposed. An attacker could take advantage of it and steal passwords.

In this case it is not something that depends on the user, since it is a failure of the platform itself. However, it is up to the user to take measures as soon as possible, such as changing the password once a fault has been detected that could have exposed the key.

What do they achieve by stealing the accounts

¿Why do hackers want to hijack social media? The truth is that they will be able to use them for different purposes. They usually do it to profit in some way, but also simply to discredit a social network or harm a specific user.

Steal personal information

The first thing they seek when hijacking social media is to steal personal information. For example knowing where we live, where we work, who our contacts are ... All this can also serve to create a profile about us and that has great value on the Internet, since that information can be sold to third parties.

For example, they could use that data to include us in a spam campaign. They can also send targeted advertising. By learning more about us, by having personal and environmental information, they will be able to have greater control over the data and use it according to their interest.

Attack third parties

By having access to Facebook, Instagram and other similar social networks, they will also be able access other users and carry out attacks. They could see the friends list and even impersonate our identity and send them a message where they pose as us in order to click on a link or download something.

In this way they will be able to create a chain of attacks. They can also gain access to other accounts and continue their expansion. This will achieve a large number of attacks and cause a domino effect to reach more and more users.

Promote something

In addition, another very common use of social media hijacking is to be able to promote something or increase visits or followers of a certain account. For example, they could use our Facebook account to give Like a specific page or start following a user on Instagram.

The goal here is simply artificially increase visits of a page or the visibility of a social media profile. By having access to our account they will be able to give you to continue, give to Like and act definitively as if it were us.

Access other linked services

To social networks like Facebook you will be able to link other services. For example, if you register on a platform you can link it to the social network, some web page or even other social networks. A way to access other accounts more easily or even share contacts with each other.

Now, if an attacker has access to a social network to which you have linked other services, he will also be able to have control over those other services. You will be able to know what you use, impersonate your identity, stop following or following accounts, etc.

How to be protected

After explaining what social media hijacking consists of and how an attacker can do it, we are going to give some essential advice to be protected. With these recommendations you can avoid the entry of intruders into your accounts and always keep your data safe.

Always use secure passwords

The first security barrier must be to have a good password. It is not enough to put any key, but it must be totally safe to prevent an attacker from entering. In this way you can avoid brute force attacks, since you are going to use a really strong one that cannot be easily found out.

A strong password must be completely random and have a good length. Each additional symbol will cause security to increase exponentially. Must have capital letters ( both upper and lower case ), numbers and special characters. You should never use the same password in more than one place.

Activate authentication in two steps

But beyond using a good password, you must also enable two-step authentication. Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter allow you to use this option. What it does is enable an extra layer of security. This way you will be able to protect the account correctly and nobody could enter even if they had your password.

Two-step authentication requires extra verification. It is usually a code that we receive by SMS, email or when using 2FA applications such as Google Authenticator. This will create enhanced security so that an intruder cannot enter without permission.

Keep equipment in good condition

Of course, it is also essential to have the devices well protected. For this it is essential to have a good antivirus. There are many types, both free and paid, but you should always choose one that works correctly and meets what you expect in terms of security.

A good option is Microsoft Defender, the antivirus that comes integrated with Windows. But you can also find other options like Avast or Bitdefender that also work very well to detect and eliminate threats. It is a security barrier that will avoid malware like keyloggers that can hijack your social networks.

But to maintain the safety of the equipment it is also necessary to have the latest versions. You should always have the operating system updated and correct possible vulnerabilities that may appear. In the case of Windows you must go to Start, you enter Configuration and click on Windows Update. There it will show you possible updates that may exist.

Always use official applications

Whenever you go to use social networks, it is very important that you use official applications. It is true that sometimes you may find yourself with the option of installing a different program, which has additional functions and features, but this could be a problem for security.

That application could be insecure. It could have vulnerabilities, be out of date, or even have been created with the goal of stealing information and putting accounts at risk. Therefore, you should always use the official ones and also download them from safe places, such as the social network website itself or use stores such as Google Play.

Common sense

But if there is something important that cannot be missing, it is common sense. It is essential don't make mistakes. In fact, hackers almost always need the victim to make a mistake. For example, clicking a fake link, downloading a dangerous file, using a specific program, etc.

Therefore, what you should do is make sure to always maintain security when browsing, when opening social networks and not exposing more data than necessary. In this way you can be more protected on the net and reduce the risk of having your Facebook account or any other social network stolen.

In short, as you have seen, the hijacking of social networks is an obvious problem that can put your privacy and security at risk. You must take measures to be protected as well as possible and not expose your data at any time. You can follow the recommendations we have given.