Instagram users will now be able to do a Security Checkup for their account. Here’s how
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Instagram has introduced a new Security Checkup feature to help users keep their Instagram accounts safe. The step has been taken to reinforce safety in accounts of users who have already been compromised.
When a user logs in on Instagram, they will receive a pop-up if their account was compromised in the past. The pop-up will prompt the user for a security checkup.
The Security Checkup will then guide people, whose accounts may have been hacked, through the steps needed to secure them. This includes checking login activity, reviewing profile information, confirming the accounts that share login information and updating account recoveries contact information such as phone number or email.
Additionally, Instagram also listed a few other recommend steps that everyone could take to make their account even more secure:
Enable two-factor authentication – If you’re using WhatsApp, in the coming weeks you will be able to protect your account using your WhatsApp number in certain countries. Alternatively, you can enable two-factor using your phone number, or an authenticator app like Duo Mobile or Google Authentication.
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Update your phone number and email – Make sure that the email and phone numbers associated with your device are up to date. These steps let you recover your account even if your info has been changed by a hacker.
Instagram will never send you a DM – Instagram claims that they have seen a rise in malicious accounts DMing people to try and access sensitive information like account passwords. They may tell you that your account is at risk of being banned, that you are violating Instagram policies around intellectual property, or that your photos are being shared elsewhere. These messages are often scams. Instagram has confirmed that it will never send a DM.
If Instagram ever wants to reach you about your account, they will do so via the ‘Emails from Instagram’ tab in the settings, which is the only place they will find direct and authentic communication on the app.
Report content and accounts you find questionable – Users can also report individual pieces of content to Instagram by tapping the three dots above a post, holding on a message, or by visiting an account and reporting directly from the profile.
Enable Login Request – When you set up two-factor authentication on Instagram you’ll receive an alert whenever someone tries to log in to your account from a new device or web browser. These alerts will tell you which device tried logging in and where it’s located. You can approve or deny the request immediately from your already logged-in devices. You can also view the list of devices that have recently logged into your Instagram account at any time under “Settings,” “Security,” “Login Activity.” If you don’t recognize a recent login, you can log out of that location or device.
