How Do I Know If My I_P_ Address Has Been Hacked_
Here Are Signs You Might Have Been Hacked – What Is My IP …
Hackers don’t typically tell their victims that they’ve been hacked. Most of the time, when hackers gain entry to computers to do their dirty work, they don’t want anyone to know. That way, they can come back another time to see what else they can do or find.
Because of that, you might not know if your computer has already been hacked. But there are a handful of signs that indicate a hacker may have invaded a network or a computer you use. Some are computer-related and some are not. If any of these sound familiar, perhaps you’ve been a victim…without knowing it. And if that’s the case, it’s better that you know about it, so that you can take quick action.
Have any of the following happened to you?
Someone used one of your credit accounts. Online identity theft is common. If you use credit cards online, that could be an indication a hacker was the culprit.
You start receiving odd email messages. Friends start telling you they’ve received strange emails from you (that you never sent), or you notice messages in your Sent folder you didn’t write…these are clear signs a hack has likely happened.
New programs suddenly appear. You didn’t buy it or install it, but you notice a new program has been loaded onto your computer. That’s a clear indication that someone has manipulated your computer.
A trusty password doesn’t work. If a password suddenly stops working, that could mean a hacker has broken into your computer and changed your account’s login details—and it could get worse from there.
You notice strange browser activity. Some hackers move right into a computer and control it as if they’re in front of it. If you ever notice browser activity that isn’t yours (or someone else’s in your family), that could mean trouble.
You start losing control. A computer virus can redirect your browser activity and prevent you from reaching websites you want. That’s certainly the work of a hacker who came and went.
Here are more possible signs that a hacker may have successfully targeted your computer:
You can’t update your system. Malware, which may have been put there by a hacker, can prevent you from downloading the latest system or antivirus updates.
Your computer runs slower than usual. Internet connectivity has gotten better over the years, so if you notice your connection slowing down, it’s possible there’s someone using your bandwidth—it could be as simple as someone using your unsecured wireless connection or as bad as a stealth hacker downloading data from your hard drive.
A big-name company was hacked. You read that Target, Home Depot or FitBit was hacked…so what’s the big deal? Well, if the hackers got email addresses and passwords, they’ll immediately test that login information elsewhere. A hack could be coming, which is why it would be wise to change your passwords immediately.
You notice unusual disk activity. If you hear your computer hard drive whirring overtime, it could be your antivirus software scanning—or it could be hacker-placed malware looking for data to damage or steal. Look into it.
Your antivirus software becomes disabled. There is malware out there that hackers use to 1) disable your antivirus and 2) create havoc. If you notice your antivirus turns off on its own, there’s a hacker at work.
Strange things are happening onscreen. Except for annoying, intrusive online ads, there shouldn’t be too many onscreen surprises. If you see strange things—toolbars, pop-ups, new programs you didn’t have before—it’s likely you’ve been hacked.
Here’s the point to all of this: If you’re lucky, you’ve never been hacked. Or is it that it’s already happened, but you’re not aware of it?
That’s why it’s important that you know what to look for. So, if you now suspect you might be the victim of some computer foul play, you should go online for tips and remedies for setting things right.
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How to check if my home Internet/ Wi-Fi network has been …
If your home internet or WiFi network has been slower than usual lately, this might be because it has been compromised. The hacker might be using your network to do various things including illegal downloads of entertainment files like music playlists and videos, and even stealing your personal information.
So how can you check if someone else is using your network for malicious activities?
You should start with checking the devices associated with your router. This way you can see how many devices are registered on your network and if any of them do not look familiar. Here’s what to do: log in to your router by typing its IP address directly into the browser address bar. In most setups, either or should work, or it may be written on the router itself, along with the username and password you need to log in with.
Once logged in, look around a section called Attached Devices or Device List, where you’ll find a list of all the IP addresses currently being used on your network. Unfortunately, not all devices will have a name that make them easily recognizable (like Peter’s iPhone or Jack’s laptop), which means that you’d need to figure out the IP address for each device.
In order to prevent a hack on your system, you should check whether your router is still using WEP (type of authentication protocol) as a security method. If it is, that means that your router is very old and it’s vulnerable to cyber attacks. If you’ve purchased your router in the past 5 years, then it should support more secure authentication protocol like WPA or WPA2. You can check this by logging in to your router from your laptop where you can find the Wireless Settings and choose your preferred authentication protocol. Also, make sure you change the WPA2 password to a long phrase that is a combination of numbers, letters and symbols like #%*<$?! =+.
Here are a few other simple steps to follow to make sure that your network doesn’t get hijacked:
Change the default admin password on your router
Hide your SSID – SSID is your network name (like Peter’s WiFi) and you can hide it so that it’s not visible to others
IP Filtering – This blocks your IP address; however, bear in mind that hackers know how to easily change an IP address
MAC Filtering – This is a very secure method if you’re a MAC user because it blocks the device via the unique hardware address that is given out during the manufacturing process.
These are the steps to follow to make sure that your home Internet network isn’t used by hackers. Should you have any questions on the topic, leave a comment below or tweet us @JustAskGemalto and we’d be happy to answer them all!
Signs My Device May Have Been Hacked – WhatIsMyIP.com®
As a user of technology, it is imperative that you protect yourself and your information from a hacker. Hopefully, you’ve already taken steps to keep your devices secure. But how do you know if hacked? Here are a few signs to look out for to determine if you have become a victim of a cyber attack:
Your device is running slower than usual.
A tell-tale sign the hacking of your computer or smart device is if it appears to be performing slower than normal. This could be a result of someone using your wireless network or a hacker downloading data from your hard drive.
Your data usage significantly increases from being hacked.
If you notice a spike in your data usage without changing your online habits, there’s a good chance of being hacked. Since malware runs in the background whenever your device is active, your data usage could double. Contact your internet or wireless provider to examine your data consumption over the past few months and look for any suspicious increases.
Programs and apps on your devices start crashing.
If programs and apps on your device start crashing when you try to use them, it may be the result of a virus trying to gain access to your information.
Unexplained activity part of hacked.
Have you noticed browser search history that doesn’t look familiar? Or maybe your friends have received strange emails from you that you never sent? Cyber-criminal activity usually attributed to unexplained activity. It’s a good idea to stay on top of your online activity so you can identify when something seems off. This includes regularly monitoring your sent folder on email and social media, keeping an eye on credit card purchases, and taking note of any social media posts that you didn’t direct.
Your device randomly restarts.
We’ve all restarted our devices when it was time to update the operating system. But has your phone or computer ever restarted on its own? This is another red flag that a hacker has gained access to your device.
There has been a big-name company hacked.
Remember when hackers infiltrated Target, Capital One, and Equifax? To clarify, if you’re a customer of one of these companies (or any compromised company), ultimately risky your information possibly stolen. Moreover, hackers obtain user names and passwords from customers at these companies and try to use that information to break into other accounts. Therefore, if a cyber leaks your information, play it safe, and change your login credentials on all of your other accounts.
Consequently, hackers go unnoticed in getting in our devices and are very good. Follow the above steps to identify an attack as soon as it happens.
