How to Protect Your YouTube Channel from Getting Hacked

April 18, 2023, 08:33 AM
by Rifat Tabassam

UNB News
Publish- April 18, 2023, 08:33 AM
Rifat Tabassam
Update- April 18, 2023, 09:08 AM

How to Protect Your YouTube Channel from Getting Hacked

(Representational Image: Collected)

Nowadays, millions of people around the world create YouTube channels and publish videos for diverse purposes like recreation, knowledge-sharing, experience-sharing, brand promotion, and earning. Hackers target successful channels which may waste the time, passion, and hard work of talented YouTubers. However, YouTube channels can be protected from hackers, by following a few simple steps. Let’s find out the ways to ensure a YouTube channel’s security.

14 Effective Tips to Protect YouTube Channel’s Security and Prevent Hacking

Create Dedicated Google Accounts

Multiple YouTube channels can be created using one Google account. Though it saves time, it is the least secure way to manage multiple YouTube channels. If a hacker gains access to that specific Google account, all YouTube channels connected to that account may get hacked. Therefore, it is recommended to create a separate Google account for each YouTube channel to prevent hacking.

Opening a YouTube channel with one’s regular Google account can be risky too. However, if someone’s YouTube channel is created using his or her regular Google ID, then it would be wise to switch the YouTube channel to a separate Google account.

Keep the email ID Private

Many people have a tendency to use the same email address for several related online business accounts. For instance, many Youtube channel owners create business-related accounts with the same Gmail IDs that have been used to create their primary YouTube channels. This practice enhances the risks of hacking.

When one uses an email address on any other website, there is a high risk of a breach of privacy and security. As hackers may attempt to access the email address, the Google account may be in danger. Having said that, a YouTube channel owner or manager should never divulge the email address (which is used to manage a YouTube account) to anyone or anywhere.

Set a Strong Password

There is a great chance of being hacked if one uses the same password across multiple apps, websites, and online platforms. A hacker can access someone’s Google account by obtaining the password from a less secure website where the user has previously applied it.

One should use different passwords for each website one registers with and each account one creates. A unique and strong password needs to be created while opening a new channel under a dedicated Google account. The passwords should be stored somewhere safe; it can be saved in memory or documents. Under no circumstances, the password should be shared with anyone else or reused again.

To assure security to a higher level, encryption programs can be used to encrypt the password and save it safely digitally. To decode the password from its encrypted form, all it needs is to remember the decrypt private key. Only the Google account’s real owner can interpret the original password because it is encrypted with a secret key.

Use Password Managers Carefully

Password managers can store passwords safely in one place. However, relying on password manager apps blindly can be risky. Not every password manager app or tool is secured.

Still, today, storing passwords offline is the best way to preserve a YouTube channel's Google account password safely.

If the YouTube account’s manager wants to sync and store across multiple devices, the Google Password Manager can be used. This default feature of Chrome browser has lots of facilities. Chrome Password Manager notifies the account holder if any password gets compromised. Furthermore, offline passwords can be imported into Google Password Manager.

Before using a third-party password manager, don’t forget to check reviews in different forums, and communities about any security breach news.

Change Account Password Regularly

It is crucial to routinely change the passwords of Google accounts. There is always a danger that one’s credentials can be exposed online or on the dark web. If someone uses the same password for a very long time and it is accidentally disclosed online, he or she may not find time or scope to protect the Google account and YouTube channel from hacking.

One can create their own highly safe password using a combination of numbers, symbols, small letters, and capital letters. Different apps and software can be used to generate strong and secure passwords randomly.

Use Two Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is the top-level protection one can give to one’s Google account apart from the password. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google (Alphabet Inc.), has recently revealed his trust in 2FA as the best measure to protect his accounts.

If someone’s YouTube channel’s dedicated Google account is not secured with a 2FA, it is high time for the channel owner to enable it. One can easily step up the Google account security with the Authenticator app from Google. It’s recommended to use a dedicated app and not your mobile number for 2FA. Hackers might clone your SIM card and get access to your 2FA codes if they already have access to your password.

When 2FA is enabled on a Google account, for every signing attempt, the system will verify the confirmation code sent on the account owner’s primary phone. Thus, hackers will fail to hack that Google account even if they somehow get the password.

(Representational Image: Collected)

Enable 2FA on Each Manager's Account

Activating the two-factor authentication feature on a Youtube channel’s primary account can’t give foolproof security when the channel has several admins or managers. Therefore, the Google accounts of all managers or admins need to have 2FA enabled. If hackers can somehow access one account, they may get control over the YouTube channel.

Beware of Sign-In to Multiple Devices

Nowadays, people carry several gadgets at a time including smartphones, desktops, laptops, smartwatches, etc. One can sign in and stay logged into a group of devices with the same email ID and Google account.

It is a common tendency to check out the current stats of a YouTube channel from any smartphone or laptop while roaming outside the home, traveling in a place, or passing through the road. But this simple habit can be risky for the YouTube channel, but how?

If someone signs in to his or her Google account from a spyware, virus, or malware-affected device, the YouTube channel connected to that account can get hacked. Therefore, the tendency of signing in to all devices at a time should be avoided. One should sign in only to the necessary device at a time.

Use a Dedicated Browser with Minimal Extensions

Not to mention, the facility of signing in to multiple Google accounts at a time is user-friendly. But, for the sake of protecting Youtube channels from hacking, the personal and professional stuff should be kept apart to avoid mixing things and maintain the proper distinction. Such cautions can help a YouTube Channel manager protect the YouTube channel if any threats arise through the browser, extensions, emails, or Google accounts.

It would be wise to use a dedicated browser profile or a different browser to manage the YouTube channel. For instance, to manage a YouTube channel, the manager or admin can create a fresh Chrome profile and sign in with his or her dedicated Google account.

Installation of unwanted browser extensions, tools, or apps can risk the safety of a browser or browser profile. One should only keep the most essential extensions in the dedicated Chrome profile or specific browser where one signs in to the YouTube channel’s Google account.

Remove Suspicious Browser Extensions

Browser extensions and plugins help to do diverse tasks. Usually, these extensions can access the blogs, channels, websites, or web content one visits. Therefore, it is recommended to use safe extensions and remove unwanted ones.

To see all the installed and active extensions on a Google Chrome browser, follow this path: Menu > More Tools > Extensions. With a single click, any Chrome extension can be disabled and removed from the list.

Carefully Select Channel Managers

When a YouTube channel has huge content and subscribers it may need more people to handle things smoothly. The YouTube channel owner or admin can add managers to the channel for the continuity of the operations efficiently. However, adding inefficient, unwanted, mischievous, and unskilled people as YouTube channel managers can be risky for the channel. One needs to be selective when choosing a manager or admin for one’s YouTube channel.

One should stay cautious about spam emails or spam links from unknown profiles that want to be the manager or admin of one’s YouTube channel. Responding to or clicking on such spam can get the YouTube channel hacked.

Don’t Sign-in Unknown Apps with a Google account

While entering different apps and websites, many of us tend to click “Sign in with Google,” instead of regular email sign-up. Though it’s a common practice, hackers can use this process to get access to a Google account, YouTube channels, and associated information.

Not all apps and websites offering Google sign-in options are protected. Moreover, pretentious scam websites or apps can also try to hack the email in this way. Therefore, unwanted and suspicious apps or websites connected to Google accounts should be removed for the sake of security.

Here is how to check the list of apps and websites that one has signed in with one’s Google account: Google My Account > Security > Third-party apps with account access.

Be Cautious While Installing Apps

Nowadays, many apps are available for online tasks. But not all of them are trustworthy. Spams can masquerade as useful apps and steal information. So it is recommended to be careful about where an app and software come from.

While installing apps on Android phones, apps outside the Google Play Store should be avoided. In Particular, the installation of illegal, unwanted APKs or modded apps can be risky.

Desktop or laptop users can install apps from secured platforms like Microsoft Store. If one needs to install an app using EXE files, one must be sure that the app is legitimate and fully trustworthy. Apps or software developed by reputed programmers, and downloaded from an original source can only be trusted.

Beware of Spam Emails, Suspicious Links

Nowadays, our email inbox is often filled with spam and phishing emails whether we reveal our email addresses or not. Clicking on spam or phishing emails, one may get hit by trackers, viruses, or hacking attempts. If someone is not sure about an email’s safety, then the email should be deleted without opening it. Apple Mail app can disable mail trackers on emails.

Many of us get links on social media. Caution is required before clicking such links as they may contain viruses, even if they appear legit. Even green padlock can’t assure a trustable source anymore as any website can buy an SSL certificate today at a cheap cost.

Many phishing links come with Google, Facebook, Amazon, or other reputed platforms’ lookalike sign-in pages, where people may accidentally give away their emails and passwords to their YouTube channels. Therefore, one needs to be extra careful and vigilant before clicking any link.

Bottom Line

So far, we have discussed the most common ways that a Youtube account can get hacked. A simple mistake can give hackers access to a Youtube Google account. Therefore, security measures and caution are needed for the Youtube channel’s primary Google account as well as additional managers’ Google accounts. Following the above-mentioned 14 tips, YouTube channel managers can enhance their channel’s security and prevent hacking.