Techniques to hack an Instagram profile
If you are wondering how this is possible hack an Instagram profile, you must know that there are several hacking techniques that cybercriminals use to "pierce" the profiles of other users and access their confidential information. Some of the techniques I'm going to talk to you about exploit the ingenuity of users, such as those inherent in the so-called "social engineering" and phishing. Other techniques, on the other hand, allow cybercriminals to capture everything a user types on a computer keyboard and use that information to capture passwords, access codes and other confidential information.
Keylogger
Among the tools most used by hackers, or rather by crackers (the so-called Black Hat Hacker, bad hackers), there are keylogger: these are software that, once installed on a user's computer or smartphone, spy on the user's activities and, in this case, everything he types on the keyboard of his device.
As you can well guess, this is a very dangerous weapon given that on a computer keyboard a smartphone is typed in everything: from the passwords of one's social accounts, to access credentials to home banking services, passing through online searches and , of course, also the messages and comments written on Instagram.
The most sophisticated keyloggers not only take into account everything that is typed by the user on the keyboard, but then send this information to the crackers, who can thus act undisturbed remotely. The keyloggers that are used for "home" use, on the other hand, are less advanced since they do not allow you to act remotely, but are still just as effective as they allow you to capture everything that the user writes on the keyboard. Home KeyLogger, is a perfect example of a “home” keylogger (as the name of this program also suggests). If you want to get an idea of how this software works, I invite you to read the guide in which I illustrate its features and operation.
Once the keylogger has monitored the activity of its "victim", the cracker can approach his computer and retrieve the information recorded by the software in question by copying it to a USB stick or an external hard drive.
Spy app
On smartphones and tablets, however, there may be installed spy-app which, as their name suggests, track the user's activity - texts typed on the keyboard, applications used, list of incoming and outgoing calls and so on - and send this information to the crackers who act undisturbed in total anonymity.
Even applications originally intended for legitimate purposes, such as anti-theft app or those for the parental control (eg the excellent Qustodio I told you about in my tutorial on how to know if a person is chatting on Facebook) can be used to locate the user and spy on his activities.
To find out if your device is a victim of these apps, I suggest you read the in-depth analysis in which I explain how to check for the presence of spy apps through the use of some specific solutions such as, for example, Wakelock Detector, which allows you to identify the presence of any software-spy by monitoring battery consumption. Find more details on how Wakelock Detector works in the article where I explain in detail how to save Android battery.
Passwords stored in the browser
Another hacking technique used successfully by attackers to illegally access the Instagram profiles of others is to take possession of passwords stored in the browser database used by users to access their Instagram account.
Popular browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, etc., offer the possibility to save your login credentials, so you don't have to type them manually every time you want to log in to one of your accounts. As convenient as this solution may seem, it is definitely dangerous since, if an attacker had access to this kind of information, he could immediately enter your profile.
Social engineering
Another hacking technique that has been talked about a lot lately, and to which you should pay close attention, concerns the so-called SOCIAL ENGINEERING. When a system is secure enough not to have security holes, the only way to attack a user is to carry out such an attack. But what exactly does it consist of? Social engineering can encompass multiple activities and behaviors.
Usually, those who resort to this particular hacking technique use tricks in order to get hold of the victim's smartphone - perhaps with an excuse such as: “I have an empty mobile phone and I need to make an urgent call, could you lend me yours? " - and capture confidential information present in the latter. Therefore, if someone asks you to lend them your computer or smartphone, don't do it, for no reason in the world, especially if it's a stranger.
Phishing
Il Phishing is another particularly popular and, alas, very effective hacking technique. What is it about? Phishing is usually perpetrated by sending e-mails from "fake" banks, public bodies, Internet service providers and anything else containing links that refer to Web pages that, at least in appearance, seem authentic and attributable to the institutions they claim to represent.
The Web pages in question then invite users to enter their login credentials and, by doing so, the crackers are able to easily capture the username and password to access a specific account or service. Falling into this kind of trick is pretty easy, but it's just as easy to defend yourself… just ignore the fake emails that are sent to you and don't click on the links contained in them.
How to protect an Instagram profile
After reading the main hacking techniques used to "hack" social accounts, you are surely wondering how can you protect your Instagram profile. In this case, all you have to do is continue reading the next paragraphs of this article, where you will find useful tips thanks to which you will be able to increase the security level of your account. The "tips" that I will give you concern the choice of a secure password, the activation of two-factor authentication and the use of a good unlock PIN that can avoid unauthorized access to your device.
Use a secure password
Use a secure password is the first step you need to take to secure your Instagram account. First, use long passwords that consist of at least 15 characters and that they are composed of USEFULL, letters e symbols. By doing this you will put a spoke in the wheel to those who would like to capture your access key to Instagram.
Since no password is 100% secure, I recommend that you change it regularly, at least once a month. In this way, the chances of your Instagram login key being intercepted will be almost zero. It is also very important use different passwords for each account. This way, even if someone unfortunately manages to pick up one of your passwords, all other accounts in your possession would not be jeopardized. For more information on how to create secure passwords, see the in-depth study I linked to you.
Another important thing, keep all your passwords safe, including that of your Instagram account. Do you think it is too difficult to manage all your passwords and use access keys that meet the above requirements? If so, adopt a password manager like 1Password e LastPass, thanks to which you will not only be able to store and manage the access keys to your numerous accounts, but you can also use the tools that are included as standard to generate secure passwords. If you want to get more details on how these password managers work, all you have to do is read the in-depth analysis in which I explain in detail how to manage passwords. I already know that you will find this reading very useful.
Enable two-factor authentication
Enable two-factor authentication is another fundamental step that you must necessarily take if you care about securing your Instagram account. By activating two-factor authentication, every time you log into Instagram from an unknown device, you will be prompted to enter, in addition to your username and password, a security code that will be sent to you via SMS. This will prevent malicious people from accessing your account without your consent.
How do you enable two-factor authentication? First, launch the Instagram on your smartphone or tablet, press the icon oflittle man located at the bottom and, in the screen that appears, tap the button (≡) and go to Settings> Security> Two-Factor Authentication.
In the screen that appears, all you have to do is move to ON the switch lever located next to the item SMS and / or Authentication app (depending on the system you want to use to confirm your identity when logging in) and follow the instructions given to you on the screen to complete the procedure.
Within a few minutes, the Instagram team will send you a confirmation email in which you will find written that two-factor authentication is active on your account. From this moment on, every time you log in from a new device, you will need to enter a confirmation code that will be sent to you via SMS or through the authentication app you have chosen to use.
Use a good unlock PIN
Use a good unlock PIN is a great way to prevent someone from gaining access to your device without your explicit consent. Therefore, I invite you to use a secure (possibly 6-digit) unlock PIN and, if your smartphone has one, enable unlocking via the biometric sensor. Instead, avoid using the sequence code unlock, as it can be easily picked up and stored by some nosy.
To enable the unlock PIN on your device Android, avvia l'app Settings (the icon with the gear symbol) and then go to the section Security> Screen Lock> PIN. On iOS, invece, avvia l'app Settings (the gray icon with the gear located on the home screen) and tap on the items Face ID / Touch ID and code> Add code (o Change codice).
I will avoid the public Wi-Fi withdrawal
Avoid logging into Instagram by connecting to public Wi-Fi networks, which are notoriously more fragile and more vulnerable to cyber attacks and are often used to "sniff" the data of those who connect to them.
If you really need to connect to Instagram when you are away from home, use your carrier's 3G or 4G / LTE connection and, if you can, use a VPN. In case you have never heard of it, it is a virtual private network that allows you to browse online securely, encrypting your connection data and disguising your location. This allows you to prevent your data from ending up in the hands of malicious people and also avoids tracking by providers and companies. Among the VPN services that I would like to recommend you the most are NordVPN (which I told you about in depth here) and Surfshark, which work on smartphones, tablets and computers and also allow you to overcome regional blocks, censorships and access foreign catalogs of streaming services. All at very low prices.
How to hack an Instagram profile
