Skip to main content

Worried your Netflix account has been hacked? Try this easy fix

No one wants to have that Goldilocks and the Three Bears feeling: “Who’s been signing into my Netflix account?” Getting hacked is disconcerting, even if all the culprit managed to do was watch 13 straight hours of Daredevil. No matter how impressed you are with their dedication, taking away their access is still your priority number one. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix, as described by Motherboard‘s Rachel Pick, who recently found her account infiltrated by a Narcos fan.

Since Netflix accounts are often shared, it can be hard to be sure that your account has actually been infiltrated. If you notice movies and TV shows showing up on your list of “Recently Watched” content that seem out of place, that’s a strong clue. Pick initially thought her account was simply experiencing a glitch, but then she realized that her viewing history was more than a little suspicious.

Recommended Videos

After consulting with a colleague, she went to the website haveibeenpwned.com. There, she was able to check out the email address associated with her account. Lo and behold, she found that a hacker had shared her information with the public, making it freely available to anyone who wanted to binge watch without getting their own Netflix subscription.

If you see strange activity on your account, you can follow Pick’s lead and investigate whether or not you’ve been pwned. Of course, if you’d rather be safe than sorry, you can skip that step and go straight to the fix: change your password. The important thing to remember is that you should change the password of any other account that uses the same one. Quora recommends making your new password longer and more difficult.

Fortunately, as Pick points out, Netflix obscures your credit card information, so the Goldilocks in your account is basically just after the TV show that’s “just right.” While inconvenient, it shouldn’t lead to any larger problems.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
How to tell if your webcam has been hacked
Razer webcam sitting on top of a monitor.

Having your webcam hacked is a terrifying prospect for many -- and a good reason to use a dedicated webcam cover. Not only does it represent an incredible invasion of privacy, but it has the potential to grab biometric data and other personal information that could be used to further expose you and steal your identity.

Often a hacked webcam is just part of a comprehensive malware assault, though, so protecting yourself against it involves having some of the best antivirus protection you can, while keeping your system updated. Even with robust protections in place, though, you should always keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs of a hacked webcam. Here's what to look out for.
The light on your webcam turns on at strange times

Read more
Netflix gears up to increase prices again, report claims
3D Netflix icon.

Netflix is planning to increase the cost of its ad-free tiers, a new report claims.

The subscription rates are expected to go up a few months after the actors' strike has been settled, according to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. The higher rates will reportedly affect customers in the U.S. and Canada first before rolling out to other markets.

Read more
Max not working? Why the HBO Max successor’s launch has been wonky
HBO Max app icon.

Today's a big day for the new Max streaming service. After months of fanfare from execs, the combined HBO Max/Discovery streaming service has launched. But despite all the talk of a better tech platform (which might well be true!) and all the new content (which definitely is true), Max is not working for some. Or the idea of having to download a new app is awkward and annoying at best.

Here's what you need to know about the whole transition.
Why isn't Max working?
There are a few things that could be a play here, but there's one obvious one: Unlike HBO Max, the new Max service is only available in the U.S., including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Read more