This is why we never follow links in emails. It may warn you about a breach and provide a link to change your password. The phishing email will try to get you to click on a link to verify your account. Hackers can mock up an email that looks like it comes from your bank or credit card company or even your email provider. With just your email address (it’s not too hard to find out someone’s email), hackers can send you a phishing message that looks like it’s coming from a legitimate company you use. Then you need to make up a password.Īre you lazy and reuse your passwords? If you use the same passwords on multiple accounts, that means a hacker who steals or buys your login credentials from a breach can try that email address/password on other websites, including your email. Most websites and services want you to use your email address as a username to create an account. We’ve all read about these huge data breaches. Most of my passwords are at least 17 characters, but I get to where I can type them quickly.Īs for hacking, most of it is done by breaking into servers from companies, both large and small.

My passwords are short phrases with some numbers and special characters sprinkled in. If it happens to you, the first thing you need to do is change your email password to something unique from your other passwords and difficult to guess. Malware Bytes is also available for Windows and it does a good job, but I don’t recommend keeping it installed and running on your computer.Īs for the reader’s email being hacked, there are several ways that can happen. We do this at work and don’t install any third-party antivirus products. My advice for Windows users is to use Microsoft Defender, which is built into Windows. Malware can be cleaned by using an app like Malware Bytes as needed. If you ever do need to clean your Mac, it is most likely from malware on your browsers brought in by clicking on something malicious. Your job is to stay current on its system updates. Apple is good about staying on top of threats. I may get some grief for that from commenters, but I don’t know of anyone who runs an antivirus scanner on their Macs (business or consumer). Two separate questions, so let’s take them one at a time.įirst, I don’t recommend running antivirus software on your Mac. She’s also a Mac user and wanted to know if she needed to install an antivirus program to protect herself in the future. I received a question this week from a reader who said her email was hacked and she wondered what to do next.

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