Dr Juice has fallen victim to social media hacking, having lost control of its Instagram account over the past few days.
WhosWho.mt got in touch after spotting a number of posts published on Dr Juice's instagram page that are completely unrelated to the brand.
In comments, a representative from the healthy food and beverage chain noted that within a few hours of the hack, "offensive posts" were being published to its account.
This includes a strange post depicting a dog, with the caption asking Dr Juice's audience whether they would kill the animal if it attacked them.
In addition, another post was made less than 24 hours ago, intended to body shame individuals ahead of summer, while using the hashtag “body positivity.”
“Unfortunately, at this point, not everyone realised that we have been hacked and so some people got offended in the comments section. This was obviously not our intention and it’s damaging our brand,” the representative said.
With nearly 23,000 followers and well over 1,300 posts, losing control of the account is significant for the business, especially when facing the risk of losing the account altogether.
He stressed that the team is “working very hard” to control the situation, including with the concerned department and the Directors.
“Ultimately, this is a crime because it is damaging a brand and posting on someone’s behalf. This is something that we’re not taking lightly from our end,” he continued.
He reiterates that the team behind Dr Juice will not stop until it gets the account back.
“We are the rightful owners of the account. We will take all the necessary steps to ensure that we get it back within the next few days, hopefully,” Dr Juice concludes.
This is the latest instance of high-profile pages based in Malta being hacked. The Maltese digital landscape has been inundated with hacking, scamming and attempts at fraud.Even Government pages have not been spared.
The Malta Film Commission was also targeted, however on Facebook. It’s profile picture changed from the organisation’s logo to that of a young lady and a post simply saying: “Oi.” The account remains as is to this day.
How can you protect your business account on social media?
Hacking can be tricky, annoying and unexpected. However, there are steps taken that can minimise the risk, or, at least, keep you aware of possible attacks.
Here are some steps businesses should take into consideration to protect their accounts on social media.
This goes without saying, however, having an elaborate password is key. Regular password changes are also beneficial to minimise risks, for anyone keeping tabs on the account.
- Use two-factor authentication
This system directly sends a code when someone attempts to log into the account. Whether it is a genuine log in or a hacker trying to find their way in, this should serve as an alert to the person in charge of social media.
- Monitor all log-in attempts
Instagram or any other social media platform will always alert the account owner if registering a log-in attempt. Keeping tabs on all alerts is essential as it also indicates the area where the log-in was attempted. Additionally, any suspicious attempts can be followed by a change in password to be on the safe side.
When hacked, time is of the essence. By trying to change the password and alerting Instagram, the chances of getting another hacking attempt will be smaller. Additionally, any potential hackers will be flagged by Instagram to prevent them from targeting other accounts.
If you lost all access to the account, then submitting a security claim to the platform would be the next step.
Main Image:Dr Juice's Valletta Outlet / Facebook
