When a Hack Turns Into Blackmail: What You Need to Know

Picture this: You’re on your computer when you notice a severe decrease in performance. Pages are loading much slower and you are receiving unusual pop-up notifications. You check to see if you have any unclosed programs running in the background only to find software with names you don’t recognize.

Your heart begins to race as the realization sets in that your device has been hacked. All of the private data that you store on your computer may now be accessible to an unknown number of unfamiliar individuals. Your anxiety is heightened when you receive a message confirming your fears with a list of demands. This natural state of panic is exactly where they want you to be.

Hacking and blackmail are being increasingly used by cybercriminals in connection with crimes where fear is used to extort money, images, or silence. However, there are immediate steps you can take to secure your data and regain control, including working with cybersecurity professionals like the ones at Digital Investigation Inc.

Recognizing the Signs of a Hack-and-Blackmail Attack

You need to know the tell-tale signs of hacking and blackmail to recognize these threats when they present themselves and differentiate legitimate attacks from fear mongering. Real cases progress rapidly, so it’s imperative that you pick up on these attempts and act quickly.

Warning Indicators That You’ve Been Hacked

If you’ve truly been hacked, you may notice abnormal activity coming from your device. The following can indicate that your security has been compromised:

• Unauthorized logins or access to online accounts
• Password reset attempts or unfamiliar security notifications
• Unexplained device behavior, such as slowdowns, pop-ups, or settings changes
• Unusual patterns in network traffic and unexplained downloads
• Friends or contacts receiving strange messages from your accounts

How Blackmailers Typically Operate After a Hack

After you’ve been hacked, you will likely receive blackmail threats accompanied with an ultimatum; comply or have your sensitive data released to the world. Almost every cybercriminal is looking to profit from their scheme, whether they directly ask for money or request favors that could be extorted down the line.

Blackmailers use social engineering to manipulate their victims, capitalizing on their fear and shame and creating a sense of urgency to succumb to their scare-tactics. This is amplified by their anonymity, as most cybercriminals hide behind fake aliases and dark web messaging.

What To Do Immediately If You’re Hacked and Blackmailed

Being hacked is a terrifying experience that is burgeoned by blackmail threats, but it’s important to do your best to remain calm. You will need to act swiftly, and this requires rational thinking and an understanding of the necessary steps to recover from online extortion.

Preserve Evidence Without Engaging Further

Everything that has transpired from the point of infiltration through the messages between you and the blackmailer can be used as evidence. Take screenshots of usernames, email addresses, threatening messages, and extortive requests. You should also document any unauthorized activity from your device or accounts.

While it may seem like the best route to delete your accounts, you will want to hold off on this until you have completed an investigation and collected all relevant evidence. You may think that meeting the blackmailer’s demands will end the torment, but this will likely only result in you losing money and perpetuating the extortion cycle.

Disconnect and Secure Your Devices

You should immediately disconnect your device from your internet network. Depending on the type of attack, hackers may be able to access other devices on the same network as your compromised device. Once you’ve removed the impacted device, run a reputable anti-malware to detect and remove any malicious programs.

After this, you will want to access your online account from a secure device to change your passwords and end any sessions that are not from you. You should enable two-factor authentication on all of your accounts that provide it.

Why You Should Avoid Paying the Blackmailer

You should absolutely never pay a blackmailer or meet their requests for additional access to your data. This almost never stops their attacks and recovering extorted funds is not guaranteed. So, it’s in your best interest to invest your efforts and resources into combatting rather than complying.

Payment Rarely Solves the Problem

Fulfilling a blackmailer’s demands is highly unlikely to stop their threats. In fact, it almost always results in the exact opposite as the blackmailer feels emboldened to come back more frequently with heightened requests. This can lead to harassment from a wider web of cybercriminals and, in some instances, paying may actually place you in legal trouble.

Focus on Regaining Control Instead

Instead of paying the blackmailer, put your money behind identifying the scope of the hacking and legally combatting the perpetrator. Begin by reporting the incident to the platform it occurred on and law enforcement. You may want to consider working with digital forensics experts to discover the access point of the hack and limit exposure.

How Digital Investigation Inc. Assists in Hack-and-Blackmail Cases

Here at Digital Investigation Inc., we have a team of expert forensic investigators who have helped thousands of online blackmail victims who were in your same position. This experience has allowed us to develop proprietary techniques to uncover evidence that will enable you to combat the cybercriminal and recover from the extortion.

Tracing the Source of the Attack

Our digital forensics professionals use metadata, IP tracing, device analysis, and social engineering footprints to identify and locate perpetrators. We will comb through everything, investigating emails, phone logs, and other online interactions to identify whether the blackmailer is a known contact, ex-partner, scammer, or organized threat actor.

Recovering Evidence and Supporting Legal Action

We will document the entire investigation and recovery process from start to finish to establish the chain of custody and ensure your report can be used in legal proceedings. If needed, we can coordinate with privacy attorneys and cybercrime units and provide expert testimony to support cease-and-desist orders and civil suits.

Protecting Your Digital Life After the Attack

Our job isn’t finished once your case has concluded. We will continue to help safeguard your sensitive data by providing guidance to recover your accounts and implement security practices to improve your digital hygiene. We offer ongoing monitorization to help you avoid future extortion attempts.

Preventing Future Hacks and Digital Exploitation

After you’ve resolved your case, it’s important to remain steadfast in your security efforts. The next threat is always looming, but by implementing the following practices you can lower your risk of falling victim again:

• Strengthen Password and Authentication Practices: Use strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts and utilize 2FA when it’s available. A password manager can help create, store, and regularly update your passwords automatically.
• Recognize and Avoid Common Threat Vectors: Messages that urge you to click suspicious attachments are likely phishing attempts. Review the URL of any website that requests your credentials and avoid unsecure websites and networks like public Wi-Fi.
• Review Privacy Settings Across Platforms: Increase your online security by limiting who can view the information on your accounts and removing access from third-party apps. Additionally, you should avoid oversharing sensitive data on online platforms.

Final Thoughts on Digital Blackmail After a Hack

Facing blackmail after being hacked is a serious threat and victims need to take a level-headed and well-planned approach when responding. While the psychological toll can be just as significant as the digital one, you need to do your best to remain calm and follow the process outlined above for the best chance at emotional and electronic recovery.

You need to not only address the pressing matter at hand, but also the underlying vulnerabilities that brought it about in the first place. Handling all of this under such duress can be excruciating, but Digital Investigation Inc. is here, and we are happy to help.

If you’re facing blackmail and extortion threats after being hacked, begin your recovery today. Reach out to our Blackmail Helpline for a free consultation with one of our specialists and begin taking back control.