Earlier this week, Ranveer Allahbadia lost access to all his YouTube channels, including BeerBiceps. The channels were quickly renamed, and all the videos were deleted. This isn’t the first time that a major YouTube channel has been taken over by malicious entities. Last week, the Supreme Court of India’s YouTube channel was hacked and renamed to promote a cryptocurrency. While the two channels have now been restored, it is surprising that hackers were able to gain access to them in the first place. Sometimes, even the smallest security check can keep hackers from gaining unauthorised access to your account. Let’s take a look at the top 6 ways to prevent your YouTube channel from getting hacked.
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In This Article
How do hackers gain access to YouTube channels?
To safeguard your channel from hackers, it is important to understand how they operate. The most common method utilised by hackers is the most obvious one. Through the use of powerful scripts, they are able to crack your password. These scripts take a sequential approach to guessing a password. By trying different combinations of characters, they eventually land upon the correct password. As you can guess, this typically works on weak passwords.
If the hackers aren’t able to guess your password, their next best option is to make you click on a link or download malicious software on your device. This is usually done by crafting an email that looks like a sponsorship deal. Once you respond to the email, you may be told to use a ‘cloud service’ to download the contract agreement. Once you hit download, the service downloads malware or ransomware on your device.
Enable 2-step verification for your Google Account
The easiest way to keep your YouTube account from getting hacked is by adding another layer of security to your Google Account. 2-step verification requires you to authenticate every login attempt on your Google Account. Even if the hackers manage to crack your password, they won’t be able to access your account due to 2SV. Here’s how you can enable it.
Step 1: Go to your Google Account’s management page.
Step 2: Select Security from the sidebar.
Step 3: Click on 2-Step Verification.
Step 4: Enter your password.
Step 5: Choose how you would like to verify your login attempt. Google gives you the following options – Passkeys and security keys, Google prompt on your primary device, Authenticator apps, and Phone number.
Step 6: Click on Turn on 2-Step Verification.
Step 7: Hit Done.
Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing
Step 1: Go to your Google account.
Step 2: Select Security from the sidebar.
Step 3: Scroll down and click on Manage Enhanced Safe Browsing.
Step 4: Turn on the toggle switch next to Enhanced Safe Browsing.
Use a strong password
You’d be surprised how easy it is for hackers to run scripts that can crack your password in a ‘brute force’ attack. Weak passwords with a common pattern fall prey to this attack very easily. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, use a complex string as the password to your Google/YouTube account. There are plenty of third-party password apps that will help you generate a strong password for your account. Once the password has been created, it is saved within the app so you can access it whenever necessary.
Don’t click on suspicious email links
A lot of famous YouTubers have lost access to their accounts by clicking on suspicious links. You may fall prey to a phishing attempt or unknowingly give access to spyware on your device. Once the hackers gain access to your YouTube account, they will immediately lock you out of it. One of the ways to avoid this tactic is by using different Google accounts for YouTube and communication. Any communication with agencies, creators, and advertisers should be carried out using a separate email ID. This ensures that the account linked to your YouTube account never goes public and you never have to respond to any emails on it.
Limit the use of third-party services
If you use third-party services to monitor the growth of your channel, make sure that you only use trustworthy names in the business. We wouldn’t suggest using plug-ins that claim to increase the view count of your videos, as these services are more likely to have shoddy security checks in place. It is easy for hackers to target these services and leak the account information of all the users who signed up for them. If you don’t want to jeopardise your YouTube account, do not let third-party services access it at all.
Keep your device updated at all times
Apart from safeguarding your account, it is also essential that you keep your device’s software updated to the latest version. OEMs routinely push out security patches for their devices to make sure they are protected against the latest hacking mechanisms. Older devices with outdated software are more vulnerable to attacks and breaches. If you manage your channel on more than one device, make sure they are all updated to the latest software version.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can a YouTube account be hacked?
If a hacker gains access to your Google account, they can take control of your YouTube channel as well. Make sure that you don’t use the Google account linked to your YouTube channel anywhere else.
How will I know if I’m hacked?
Once hackers gain access to your account, they change the password and lock you out of it. If you can’t access your account even after typing the correct password, it means you have been hacked.
How do I prevent my YouTube channel from getting hacked?
Always use different Google accounts for YouTube and email. Make sure that the Google account linked to your YouTube account is secured by 2-step verification. Don’t click on suspicious links and keep your devices updated at all times.
Can I secure my YouTube account with 2-step verification?
An account-wide 2-step authorisation for your Google account will work for YouTube as well. Whenever you try to log into YouTube on another device, you will need to verify the login attempt.
How do I enable Enhanced Safe Browsing for my Google account?
Go to your Google account management page, select ‘Security’ from the sidebar, click on Manage Enhanced Safe Browsing, and turn on the toggle switch.
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Conclusion
These are the top 6 ways to prevent your YouTube channel from getting hacked. Since hackers usually delete all the videos uploaded to the channel, it is a good idea to create multiple backups of all your videos. While local backups are always preferable, you can also try using a third-party service like Authory to back up your videos.
