• The hacking of Instagram accounts, and the theft of social media accounts in general, has become one of the greatest problems on the web.
• Artists, elite athletes, journalists, photographers, small businesses, and other content creators report an increase in cyberattacks, primarily on Instagram and Facebook.
• Added to this is the ineffectiveness of the official methods available from the Facebook company to report them.

Cybercriminals are making a killing thanks to the hacking of social media accounts, especially Instagram. It is so prevalent that your personal data may likely already be in the public domain on the deep web without you being aware of it.

Most common techniques for hacking your Instagram account

There are various hacking techniques that cybercriminals adopt to steal user profiles and access their confidential information. However, we must tell you that there is a common pattern in all of them: they use social engineering and take advantage of the victims’ ingenuity to deceive them.

These are some of the most common hacking practices:

1. Instagram impersonation (or any other social network): when hacking Instagram accounts, cybercriminals pose as Instagram and use social engineering techniques to obtain your credentials. How?

• Cybercriminals create an account that appears to be an official Instagram account.
• They send a Direct Message similar to the one shown in the attached image. The victim, believing they are receiving an official message from Instagram informing them that they are infringing on a copyright rule when they are not, does not hesitate to click the link.

• This link leads to a page that appears to be an official Instagram page when it actually is not, and that is where they obtain their victims’ usernames and passwords.

2. Installation of malware on the victim’s electronic device

Generally, they use programs that, once installed on a user’s computer or smartphone, spy on their activities and, in this case, everything they type on their device’s keyboard.

And how do they manage to install this program on your computer? Once again, social engineering is behind it. They use a series of techniques to get unsuspecting users to execute infected files or open links to compromised websites.

As you can imagine, this is a very dangerous weapon because everything is typed on a computer keyboard or a phone: from your social account passwords to access credentials for home banking services, online searches, and, of course, messages and comments written on Instagram.

3. Illicit access to passwords stored in browsers

We know it is very convenient to save your login credentials in your browser—Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge. But that carries a risk. If an attacker were to gain access to this type of information, they could immediately enter your profile and proceed to hack your Instagram account or any other social network.

Therefore, when you read that Facebook has suffered a leak, or LinkedIn, or Instagram, or any other company, think about what data of yours could be compromised.

What are cybercriminals after?

Many people may wonder what interest a cybercriminal could have in hacking an Instagram account or obtaining the password for any other social network; “I’m not that important anyway,” many of our clients often say.

The interests are varied; in the case of Instagram account hacking, for example, what they often seek is to sell that account, negotiating with a subsequent victim and setting a sale price. For example, an account with about 10,000 followers can have a starting price of around €70.

The money they obtain from the sale of previously hacked Instagram accounts serves to finance other types of illicit activities, often related to organized crime. That is why at onBRANDING we insist that you report it to the police if your Instagram account is hacked; in this way, cybercrime units of the police forces will gradually be provided with resources.

This is an example of the cybercriminals’ modus operandi, but behind a hack, they may also be looking for:

• the theft of confidential information,
• access to banking information,
• extortion (or sextortion), etc.

Some security tips to protect your Instagram account

Prevention is the first step to avoid compromised situations and not suffer a hack. Therefore, we are going to give you a series of simple tips and tricks to improve the security of your Instagram account, as well as that of any other social network.

1. Adopt self-protection awareness

Although it may seem abstract at first, it is perhaps one of the most important aspects. We must develop our critical spirit regarding cybersecurity issues: be suspicious of messages requesting personal or banking data, messages about giveaways where you are the winner, etc. Review the security options of all the digital tools you use; do not trust messages from banking entities or public administrations (the favorites of cybercriminals) where, once again, they are asking for sensitive data such as banking details, ID, or any other personal information.

It is about thinking for two seconds before providing any data, without falling into paranoia.

2. Configure privacy on each of your accounts: spend five minutes exploring the privacy section within the options of each application; they are usually found under the “Settings” option of each platform.

3. Do not use the same password for multiple social networks: you wouldn’t use the same keys to open your gym locker, your car, or your front door, right? The same applies to your social networks; use different passwords for each of them that are not intuitive for cybercriminals.

4. Activate two-factor authentication: Extremely important! Continuing with the key analogy, two-factor authentication is the deadbolt. It is an additional layer of security to protect your digital identity on each of the social networks you use.

5. Keep applications updated: when an application is updated, in most cases it is to introduce improvements and correct technical errors that could be a backdoor for cybercriminals.

6. Do not download files from unknown or unofficial websites; you should also be careful with P2P networks (Emule, Soulseek, BitTorrent…). For example, do not download apps from app stores that are not official.

7. Do not store your login credentials in your browser. We advise you to use a password vault like LastPass.

Consequences of suffering a hack

• Economic: if your Instagram or Facebook account is hacked, this could just be the beginning of a snowball effect of problems if the intruders use this information to also hack your bank accounts or make unauthorized online payments.
• Violation of the right to honor and privacy: they could have illicit access to communications and even disclose secrets.
• Identity theft.
• Being a victim of extortion or sextortion: linked to the violation of the right to honor, they could threaten to publish sensitive private information or audiovisual material.
• The emotional effects of being hacked: Victims of a hack often experience stress, anxiety, and even depression, and generally do not know who to turn to, receiving very little support.

We only have to look at the examples of some cases suffered in recent months where the victims were actresses or influencers:

What possible consequences can a hack have on your account and how to resolve it?

By Mayte Serna – @emaytecom

Before moving on to the actual strategies that can help your hacked account recover, you must first understand what “engagement” means on Instagram.

“Engagement” is the participation rate of your Instagram and can be considered a measure of your followers’ loyalty.

It is not about the size of your audience, but the degree of participation with your brand. It is the measure of interest and interaction with your photos, videos, Reels, and Stories that really counts for recovery success.

So the best way to resolve it is to achieve a high participation rate that allows you to be in a better position to recover your account’s visibility.

Based on the above, the number of times your posts are shared and saved is also very important. If a user is willing to share your content with their friends, then Instagram will know that the content is truly valuable.

How to increase Instagram engagement after a hack.

Here are the best strategies that can help you increase organic participation from other users on your Instagram.

1. Use hashtags strategically.

The power of hashtags on a platform like Instagram cannot be underestimated. The right and, more importantly, relevant hashtags help you grow and reach the right people on Instagram. However, it is essential to find the right hashtags to achieve maximum impact.

There are 9 different types of hashtags for your brand or business posts:

• Hashtags that tell users what your brand, product, or service consists of. For example, #skirts or #restaurant.
• Hashtags that tell users your specific focus in a particular sector. For example, #graphicdesigner or #chef.
• Hashtags for users who already form a community in your sector. For example, #photographersoninstagram or #instasushilovers.
• Hashtags for events or special dates. For example, #blackfriday or #arepaday.
• Hashtags that include locations mixed with connotations of your sector. For example, #hairdressersinbarcelona, #madeinbarquisimeto, or #madridstyle.
• Hashtags of the day. For example: #mondayquotes, #happytuesday, or #wellnesswednesday.
• Hashtags with relevant words or keywords about what you do best. For example, #creativesushi or #ihelpyoubebetter.
• Hashtags with widely used acronyms. For example, generally accepted Anglicisms like “outfit of the day” and “quote of the day,” which are very popular and expressed as abbreviations: #ootd or #qotd.
• And hashtags with emojis, which have carried a lot of weight on Instagram since they were incorporated in 2015. For example, #shoes or #sun.

Following the above, identify relevant hashtags for your brand, its products, its publication, and for the message you are trying to convey.

You can delve deeper into the hashtag strategy here.

2. Run giveaways.

One of the best ways to attract new users and convert them into organic followers is through another user tagging their friend in a comment. These comments contribute to increasing your engagement on Instagram and bringing new members to your audience.

You can accumulate many comments of this type by running regular contests and giveaways on Instagram.

But how can you plan and launch giveaways?

For this, I recommend using @easypromos. This is a comprehensive tool that helps you manage giveaways easily, quickly, and transparently.

Run regular giveaways in which you ask users to tag their friends in exchange for a reward and increase Instagram engagement through this strategy.

3. Avoid follower fatigue.

Users are tired of so much nonsense on Instagram, content that contributes nothing, egocentric videos, and photos of things that are not understood. Increasing Instagram engagement is more about posting high-quality content than posting frequently. Post meaningful or valuable content.

What better way to increase Instagram engagement than posting meaningful content that attracts users to read, share, and participate!

It is not just an image that counts, but also the type of content (copy). So you should share content that shows users the true value of your product or service, something that helps and provides value or solutions. To ensure this is the case, ask yourself every time before posting: What is the goal of this content? Will it be useful to someone? You will see how what you post and the results improve.

4. Use Instagram Stories, but wisely.

Instagram users spend around 28 minutes on Instagram Stories every day. Such is the popularity of the feature that around 300 million people use it daily.

What better way to engage your audience than sharing content that allows them to interact, choose options in a poll, or see a series of useful content.

A good way to take advantage of your old posts is to upload these posts to Stories with the “Tap Here” option; in this link, I explain how to do it: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Vx3l-C141/

5. Geotag your posts.

In addition to hashtags, you can also use the location in each post to make them more visible.

Local businesses can make the most of Instagram by adding the location to their posts, which can help interact with posts from other users in the area.

It is proven that Instagram rewards posts with a location.

6. Experiment with posting times.

One tactic you can use to increase Instagram engagement is posting at the right time.

You can maximize your interactions by posting content when most of your followers are likely to be browsing their feeds.

How can you find the right time to post?

You can use Instagram’s native analytical tool to get an idea of when your audience is most likely to be online (not available on personal profiles). By posting at those times, you will get more interactions within minutes of the post.

7. Optimize your profile bio.

When a user arrives at your page, you have a few brief moments to convert them into a follower. So use your profile text to attract users and convert them into followers.

Another way to do this and increase Instagram engagement is by using the “Highlights” buttons. Instagram Stories last only 24 hours, but with Highlights, you can extend their lifespan forever.

8. Interact with your followers through comments.

A good way to boost visibility is simply to interact with the people who like your posts. Take some time every day to comment on your posts and interact with your audience.

How can this help you?

On one hand, responding to the comments of those users will make them feel special. They will be more inclined to remain loyal to you, as well as to interact with your account regularly, and at the same time, Instagram will notice that other users are interested in your account.

In this way, you will be able to maintain a constant increase in engagement on Instagram.

9. Interact with followers of similar accounts.

This ingenious and little-known tactic can help you gain ground against your competitors. And it goes beyond simply spying on other accounts to monitor the type of content they post.

Take it a step further by engaging their audience by finding accounts similar to yours. Engage their followers, that is, those they follow and the users who comment most frequently on their posts.

You will be surprised by the type of relationships you can establish this way. Furthermore, they are likely to find your content attractive as well, and you will have more interactions and visibility.

10. Measure and optimize

The final piece of this puzzle involves constant data analysis and optimization of what you post. Only knowing what works or what you are doing wrong can help you modify your strategies to increase engagement rates on your Instagram.

You can use Instagram’s native analytics tool to track the performance of your content and understand your audience’s behavior. You just need to have a business or creator account to do so.

Additionally, you must also measure the engagement rate of your account in general; to know if all of the above is working, you have to measure it.

By putting all these tips into practice, you will be able to recover interactions on your hacked account in a short time, causing Instagram to speed up the process of giving you greater visibility.