How to protect yourself from online blackmail: practical steps and recommendations

[N.047294323]

Recently ran into a situation that really scared me. One of my old accounts, which I haven't used for a long time, was hacked. Someone wrote to me that they had my data and started demanding money. I immediately blocked them, but then I wondered, what if it was true? Now I sit and think: what is the best way to act in such situations? Is there any way to protect yourself in advance? If anyone has experience, please share. I think it could save many people.

[N.047294105]

Look, I know this always sounds creepy. I had something similar a couple months ago. I got a threatening text message, but honestly, it looked suspicious. Immediately started looking for information to figure out what to do. Found one article that outlined key steps to take if you are being blackmailed online. Here's a link that might be helpful: https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleas...mailing-online. The main thing is not to panic or react immediately, but to think things through first. It helped me, by the way, to contact the support team of the platform where I was blackmailed. They quickly blocked the attacker's account.

[N.047293547]

I was listening to a podcast the other day where they were discussing internet security. They talked a lot about the importance of using two-factor authentication. Even if someone hacks your password, you can't access your account without a code from your phone. They also advised to change passwords regularly, especially on old accounts. I think it's better to spend a little time on this beforehand than to deal with problems later.