Steemit Crypto Academy Contest / S7W6 - Careful, Has your Steemit account been hacked?

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my post as I share my thoughts on this week's crypto contest themed, 'Careful, Has your Steemit account been hacked?'. I hope you enjoy reading my post and leave a feedback once you're done. Let's get to it then.

---

Have you had your Steemit account hacked? What do you think about dubious links offering rewards?

---

NO, my account has never been hacked into. Let's just say, I always been skeptical of getting my tokens stolen after an honest earning but certainly, hackers do not care about that. The task falls on me to prevent that from happening so i'm always on edge about exposing my keys and clicking on dubious links offerieng unreal rewards too good to be true.

I'm pysched not to interactive with dubious links offering any kind of rewards as they can be a potential scam or phishing attempt. They can be used to steal sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, or personal information. It's best to avoid clicking on these links and to be cautious when offered rewards that seem too good to be true. Before interacting with any link, it's important to verify the source and check the legitimacy of the source before providing any sensitive information.

You can always try my way though. DO NO CLICK THAT LINK. It always works for me.

---

What are your recommendations to prevent your account from being stolen or hacked?

---

With the growing popularity of Steemit, it has become a target for hackers and scammers. Protecting your Steemit account is crucial to ensuring the safety of your account and your assets. Here are some steps you can follow.

• Store your keys in a secure location
  It's always secure to save your Steemit keys offline out of the reach of hackers. I prefer you find a private note to write down your keys or store your keys on a flash drive and keep it somewhere safe. . If you hold any cryptocurrency on Steemit, it is important to store it in a secure wallet. A hardware wallet is the most secure option as it stores your private keys offline and away from the reach of hackers. Alternatively, you can use a reputable software wallets such as NordPass and lastPass that have strong security features such as encryption and multi-signature support. Be sure to enable the two-factor authentication(2FA) as it adds an extra layer of security to your account. This helps to prevent unauthorized access to your account even if your password is compromised.

• Keep your computer and browser secure
  Your computer and browser play a crucial role in the security of your Steemit account. I always see to it that my computer and browsers are updated with the latest security patches and anti-virus software. Also, avoid using public Wi-Fi networks as they are more susceptible to hacking attempts. It is the easier way to open a backdoor to your computer for hackers to intrude. You should also avoiding coping your keys and pinning them on your clipboard. I recently watched a youtube video in which hackers install a malware in public charging ports so anyone charging their electronics with the affected ports gets hacked into. You just have to be cautious and avoid free internet connections as they are too good to be true.

• Avoid phishing scams
  Phishing scams are a common method used by hackers to steal your login credentials. These scams can come in the form of fake login pages, email messages, or pop-ups that appear to be from Steemit. To avoid falling victim to these scams, always check the URL of the page you are logging into and ensure that it starts with “https://steemit.com”. Do not click on links from unknown sources or enter your login credentials on any page other than the official Steemit login page. I have Steemit page bookmarked in my browsers to be be sure I'm always visting the right site always.

• Monitor your account activity
  Regularly monitoring your account activity is an effective way to detect any unauthorized access to your account. I usually check my account activity logs, review my transaction history, and keep an eye on my account balance just to be sure I've not been hacked. If you notice any suspicious activity, immediately take action to secure your account.

---

Why do some accounts get hacked? What would you say to people whose accounts are hacked?

---

There are several reasons why some accounts get hacked. Weak passwords, malicious softwares, phisphing links, and use of unsecured networks are some common reasons to accounts being hacked as mentioned question two. Here on Steemit, I attritube this phenomenon to users falling vitcms to phisping links mostly. This might be a result of greed or ignorance which mostly affects newbies.

Dubious links advertsing unreal profits can be enticing sometimes. I nearly feel a victim once when I got convinced by a friend to visit a link that promises massive returns on your TRX tokens once you lock up on the platform. It required that you link your tronlink wallet to the platform so I created a new tronlink wallet just to be safe and tried it out. Long story short, the little funds deposited where stolen. My friend lost all his TRX tokens. I can say greed got the best of us but i was careful and only invested what i was willing to lose.

In case your steemit account gets hacked into or you suspects any foul play, I recommend you change your keys as soon as possible or enable account recovery options via Stolen Account Recovery or SteemWorld.
Steemit provides account recovery options that can help you recover your account if it is hacked and these options allow you to recover your account in case your password is lost or stolen.

After recovering a hacked account, i would advise the victim to protect the keys by using a secure wallet as mention earlier and aviod clicking on phisphing links and connecting to unsecured networks while entering sensitive information like account keys.

---

If you find out that your account has been hacked, what are the steps you should take immediately to prevent your tokens from being stolen?

---

You should visit the Stolen Account Recovery page right away if your Steemit-created account has been compromised.

Visit Steemit and click on the Options button as shown in the screenshot below.

Select the Stolen Account Recovery as shown.

You must provide your account name and a recent master password or owner key that was used within the last 30 days as shown below. Click to begin the account recovery.

You can also visit SteemWorld and follow the instruction to recover your stolen account.

^{Screenshot from SteemWorld}

^{Screenshot from SteemWorld}

---

In conclusion, protecting your Steemit account from being hacked is crucial to ensure the safety of your account and your assets. By following these tips and best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of your account being hacked. Remember to regularly monitor your account activity and take action if you notice any suspicious activity. By staying vigilant, you can protect your Steemit account and ensure that your rewards are secure