Q&A for How to Protect Your Email Account from Hackers

It's actually extremely uncommon. People tend to think that this kind of thing happens all the time, but it's actually pretty rare. These days, the main way you're going to get in trouble with emails is if you open a phishing scam.

Windows actually has a built-in anti-virus program called Windows Defender. I know it feels like you're getting extra protection when you pay for an antivirus program, but those paid programs are actually not all that better than the built-in version on your PC.

You can typically get a read on this just by reading the domain where the email came from. So, if you get an email from "James at Amaz0n," you're not actually getting an email from anyone at Amazon. Some of this boils down to common sense, but scanning the email address is always a key step.

Yes, if they have, get, or guess your password (otherwise you'd lose access to your email every time you changed your IP or got a new computer). You can prevent this by using two-factor authentication. This means that if anybody tries to log in from a device you don't normally use, they'll have to prove they're you by entering a temporary passcode that is sent to your mobile phone (these passcodes don't last long enough for the hacker to be able to guess them). Then, if you get sent a passcode without requesting one, then you know that someone else has your password and you need to change it.

You can try resetting the password, but if that doesn't work, then you may need to contact the sites directly to let them know about the fraud.

No it won't. The only thing that―for sure―will protect them is a strong password. There are many sites where you can check whether your password is strong enough and how much time a computer will take to hack into your account. There are sites, too, where you can generate a strong password. Remember, you need to keep your password such that it is easy for you to remember and hard to hack into. If you are still confused, enter in some OTP's of your favorite books. It always works, every time.

No. This is two-factor authentication, which is more secure. Without it, a hypothetical hacker would just need your password. With two-factor authentication, the hacker would also need to have stolen your phone - and you can have your carrier block your number as soon as you realize your phone is missing.

No, you don't. If you received an email claiming to be from Yahoo that asked you for money, it was a scam, and you should report the email to Yahoo.

If someone is able to recover your computer, then they can still look at your search history. Without your physical computer though, no one can see what you've searched for.

Change your password frequently and do not tell your friend the password.

I would not recommend giving out your email address to strangers, although there isn't a lot they could do in the absence of other information.

You should change your password, as well as the password of other accounts linked to your email (like your Facebook or blog). They could have gotten your email address by hacking into one of your other accounts.

You don't have to do anything, you really can't get hacked by someone if they only have your IP address, but you can change it if you want.

Tell your parents. They won't be mad, especially if it's not your fault, and they will help you fix the problem.

Simply follow the guide. Set up 2-step authentication, security questions, and make sure your password is long, hard to guess, but also easy to remember. You can write your passwords down as a note on your phone or on a piece of paper that you can store in a safe location in case you ever forget the passwords.

Contact support directly and tell them what happened. Do the same for your recovery email. How has your phone been hacked, by the way? Is it acting weird and doing things on its own? In that case, you should scan it with an anti-virus program, and then set up security for both your main email and the recovery email.