Instagram users are getting caught up in a mysterious hacking epidemic that appears to be linked to Russia.
A growing number of frustrated users report being locked out of their accounts – and no one seems to know why. There’s been a spike in reports of cyber-attacks on Instagram across various social sites.
Some of the hacked accounts have two-factor authentication: this means you not only need a password to log-on, but a unique code sent over email or text message, too. This is to prevent hackers who guess your password from getting into your account. But it seems some digital crooks have found a way to skirt these safeguards.
“Although most of the accounts that have been taken over do not use 2FA, there have been anecdotal reports that some of the accounts were using this security option,” Rob Shapland, Principal Cyber Security Consultant at Falanx Group, told The Sun.