The FBI reports that hackers are focusing on your most personal photos, in addition to your passwords.

      Account takeovers are being exploited to obtain intimate images and videos, often through fraudulent support messages and phishing attempts.

      The FBI has issued a warning that certain cybercriminals are infiltrating social media and personal accounts with a distinct aim. Their goal is to acquire intimate photos and videos that they can share online, sell on illicit marketplaces, or use to further exploit the victim once the account has been compromised.

      In an alert dated August 10, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center noted that these attacks target both adults and minors. Criminals may leverage personal information revealed in previous data breaches to guess passwords or PINs. Alternatively, they may utilize phishing sites and fake support messages to mislead individuals into giving up their account access.

      This warning coincides with an FBI and NCAA initiative directed at student-athletes, highlighting that their public profiles can provide offenders with additional personal data and perceived leverage.

      The methods attackers use to access accounts are unfortunately quite familiar. They often work with readily available information online, attempting passwords or PINs associated with the data they have gathered.

      Social engineering techniques can be even more straightforward. A message masquerading as legitimate customer support might claim there’s an issue with your account and then request a verification or password-reset code. If you provide that code, the attacker could potentially gain control of your account. A convincing phishing page can lead to similar outcomes.

      To mitigate the risks of these attacks, the FBI advises using unique passwords and PINs, enabling multi-factor authentication, and opting for credentials that do not depend on easily accessible personal information.

      Messages from unexpected support sources should also be viewed with suspicion. It's best to access the service through its official app or website rather than clicking on links provided in texts or emails. If you receive a verification code that you did not request, do not share it with anyone claiming to be from the platform.

      For particularly sensitive material, the FBI also recommends against storing it on social media or other internet-accessible platforms.

      If you become a target, preserve any relevant messages and images, cease communication with the perpetrator, and report the incident via IC3.gov. The FBI further advises against paying the attacker or sending additional materials in hopes of preventing further distribution.

      Once intimate content leaks online, regaining control can be extremely challenging. Maintaining robust account security is a worthwhile minor inconvenience when the files involved are so personal.