2 Warning Signs That Your iCloud Account Has Been Hacked—And What To Do About It

1. Security Notifications

Don’t sleep on unexpected security notifications, as these may be the first sign that someone has access to your iCloud account. You may start receiving emails about sign-in attempts to your account that you had nothing to do with, or notifications that something has changed in your account settings. These notifications will come out of the blue and shouldn’t be disregarded.

2. Odd Things Are Happening In Your Account

Suddenly, your iCloud account contains strange photos you didn’t take and files you never uploaded. It may slowly start to resemble the account of a complete stranger. You may even notice calendar events that do not have anything to do with your life and the events that you attend. Unexpected changes to your account could be a strong signal that someone else has access to it and may actually be using your iCloud to store their information.

The moment you suspect your iCloud account has been hacked, it’s crucial that you take action. The first thing you should do is change your password. Make sure you are using a strong password that is lengthy, complex, and contains a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Next, enable two-factor authentication so that websites and accounts request a separate code sent to your email or phone before signing in. This will help create an extra barrier that hackers find challenging to overcome. Update your security questions (which a hacker may have been able to answer) and review all accounts that are linked to your iCloud. Change all of the passwords for account associated with your iCloud account.

Keeping your passwords strong and diverse (never repeat the same password for more than one site) is your best bet against getting hacked. But staying alert for signs that something is off is key to mitigating the damage they can cause.