Can Someone Hack You Through Discord? [Prevention Guide]
Keep your software updated to seal all hackers' loopholes
- The risks of personal information being stolen from your computer or device are growing as the digital world progresses.
- This increases the chances of your account getting hacked, especially on widely used platforms such as Discord.
- We share how you can protect yourself from various nefarious attacks and have peace of mind while using Discord.
Discord is a popular private chat message app that allows gamers to communicate with each other during games. What makes Discord so popular is its versatility. You can operate it on both desktop and mobile devices.
While there are many great things about Discord, it also has some potential security risks that could compromise your data and expose you to hackers. This article explains what to do if someone hacks your Discord account and tips to help you prevent it.
Can you get your account hacked on Discord?
The answer is yes. So, What are ways you can get hacked on Discord?
- Phishing sites – Phishing scams are designed to trick you into giving up your personal information. The hackers usually pretend to be someone or something you trust. They often use email as their delivery method but can also come through social media sites.
- Virus/malware – A virus or malware can be installed on your computer without your knowledge. This can happen if you visit a website with malicious code embedded in it or if you download a file that contains malware. Once it gets into your computer, it can use all kinds of techniques to try and take over your account.
- Poorly secured accounts – If you’re not using a strong password or use the same password for all your accounts, you’re at risk. Someone can get a hold of it, log in and do whatever they want on your account. It is even easier in the absence of two-factor or multi-factor authentication software.
- Suspicious links – This is another common way people get hacked on Discord. You’ll probably get a message thinking it’s someone who wants to connect with you by sharing an invite link. Once you click on the link, it steals your login details.
- Brute force attacks – People often choose easy passwords, making them vulnerable to hacking. A good example is using 123456 as your password. It is easy for someone else to guess using a brute force attack, trying every possible combination until one works.
- Using public servers – If you want to talk with people who aren’t already in your group, you can use plenty of public servers. The downside is that you risk being exposed to predators and having your personal information stolen by hackers.
How do I know if my Discord account is hacked?
If you’re not sure whether your account has been compromised or not, here are some signs that might help:
- You can’t log in to your account – If you were previously able to log in but suddenly you’ve been locked out despite not having changed your password, your account may have been hacked.
- Your profile picture has been changed – If you did not change it, it is a huge sign that someone else has taken over your account.
- Someone is sending messages from your account – If you check your messages and do not recognize the sent ones, your account is likely hacked.
- You have unexpected charges on your credit card – If you see a charge on your credit card that you didn’t make, it might be a sign that your account has been hacked.
How can I prevent getting hacked on Discord?
1. Use a secure password
If someone were to hack into your account, they’d need the password to get in. The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is by using a strong and unique password. The longer and more complex your password is, the harder it will be for anyone else to crack it.
Also, avoid reusing passwords across different sites or apps. Using the same password everywhere is tempting because it’s easy to remember just one password. But if someone gets hold of the data on one site, they could also access all your other accounts.
We understand remembering complex passwords for multiple sites can be tricky, but that’s why we have password managers.
2. Use two-factor authentication (2FA)
In order to make it more difficult for hackers to gain access to your Discord account, you should enable 2-factor authentication (2FA).
When you have 2FA enabled on your Discord account, you must enter both your username and password when logging in from a new device or browser. A secret code will also be sent to your chosen device that only you have access to for verification.
This makes it harder for hackers to access your Discord account because even with your password, they still couldn’t log in.
3. Avoid bots
Bots are programs that can send direct messages to your friend’s list or users in general. They are used for legitimate purposes like helping players find teammates for games or chat rooms.
However, hackers who want to phish for sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and email addresses can also use these bots.
A common way for hackers to gain access to accounts is by impersonating bots and asking for a password reset. If you see a message from a bot that looks suspicious, don’t click on it. Instead, just ignore the message or report it as spam if it continues to bother you.
4. Avoid clicking on links in messages
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This one seems obvious, but people often click on links in Discord messages sent by strangers. Always check the email address or username of the sender before replying to any messages.
This is especially true if it is from someone you don’t know personally. You can hover over the link to see if it will reveal its source.
5. Install an antivirus
Antivirus software is designed to protect your computer from viruses and other threats. Hackers can also gain access to personal information about you because of security flaws within the app or your PC.
Using outdated software is one vulnerability they can exploit and gain access to your personal information. The best way to keep your computer secure is to ensure you’re up-to-date on all your software, including your browser and antivirus.
This way, any sites hiding malicious code and software will be flagged before they get into your PC and make unnecessary changes.
How safe is Discord?
Over time, Discord has become one of the most popular chat apps among gamers. With so many people joining the platform, you may wonder just how safe it is for you, given that you’ll be sharing your personal information.
Unfortunately, a platform with such a huge number of users makes it an easy target for hackers because the more, the merrier.
Since hackers are evolving and devising newer ways to hack into users’ accounts, Discord has stepped in the right direction to secure their users’ safety on the platform.
Discord uses a proactive spam filter to protect users from unwanted messages and bots. This means you don’t need to worry about annoying spam messages sent to your server or channel. Discord automatically detects them and stops them from reaching your device.
While Discord’s security is not perfect, it’s pretty good. Still, even with these measures in place, there have been incidences where hackers were able to bypass such restrictions.
You can still take other precautionary measures to enhance your security further. Depending on Discord’s security measures alone do not guarantee you a hacker-free life.
You’ll also need to be proactive and practice safety measures to avoid getting your account hacked. You can check out our list of social media protection software to keep you at arm’s length with all the viruses and other harmful software that may find its way to your PC.
We’d love to know how you keep safe on Discord. Have you experienced any instances that could be hackers’ attempts to take over your account? Let us know in the comment section below.
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