Do Mixi and actor Tran Thanh were both victims of YouTube account hacks. Illustration
According to a representative of Metub Network, one of the largest YouTuber networks in Vietnam, the reason why many celebrities have had their channels hacked recently is related to account security issues.
“Through our experience in handling rescue efforts for many YouTubers, we have found that the cause of account loss mainly comes from hackers entering through links, software, extensions, etc.“, said Mr. Huy Pham, representative of Metub Network.
Metub’s representative also said that there have been situations where hackers impersonated brands sending offers of cooperation. Therefore, digital content creators need to be vigilant and carefully check links and documents on emails before clicking or downloading. Account owners should also set up a channel co-owner email as a backup plan.
According to experts, to better protect their accounts, celebrities, KOLs (influencers), and KOCs (influential consumers) should be careful in channel management.
Not only celebrities, even normal users should only use copyrighted software and stay away from pirated software. “Cracked” (unlocked) versions often contain many risks of malicious code, which can lead to unpredictable consequences.
To limit the risk of losing channels, social network account owners need to perform 2-step authentication, do not log into accounts on unfamiliar devices, and do not click on links with unclear origins.
Besides, celebrities should participate in multi-channel networks. In these types of cases, MCN will be the representative of content creators to work with platforms like YouTube. For freelance content creators who do not belong to a fixed MCN, if they lose their account, they will have to look for external support services at a high cost.
