Has Facebook password been hacked?
My iphone, which is several years old, has started showing warnings saying that my Facebook password has appeared in a data leak. It offers an option to change the offending password ‘on website’ or to do nothing. For now, I’ve done nothing – but I’m worried. So far as I can tell, my Facebook account hasn’t been hacked and I can still log into it just fine, admittedly using a password that is also several years old. What should I do?
QFirst, don’t panic – this probably isn’t about your specific Facebook account. Data leaks are sadly frequent events and Apple is, in this context, merely comparing any passwords stored on your iphone against a list of passwords known to have appeared in previous breaches.
So, it doesn’t automatically follow that your personal Facebook account has been hacked. Rather, it means the particular password you use for it has appeared in a data leak. So in theory it could be compromised.
However, if your password is reasonably common, then it’s just as
Alikely to be a coincidence, as many other people probably use the same password.
To check what your iphone thinks about this and other passwords it has stored, including what it thinks you should do, first launch Settings, then tap Passwords followed by Security Recommendations. Then, tap an entry in the list to see what Apple says about it.
In most cases, you’ll be told simply a variation of the above – and that sensibly you should change the password you use for the associated account.
That is the best bet, but we want to stress that these are general warnings about passwords, not specific accounts – and it’s unlikely that your particular account (or accounts) are compromised.
Nonetheless, to change your Facebook password, for example, start at www. facebook.com. Click your account icon at the top right, followed by ‘Settings & privacy’ and then Settings. Next, on the left, click ‘Security and login’ and then, on the right, under Login, click ‘Change password’ (see screenshot below).
Now just type in your current password, followed by the new one – then retype the new one to confirm before clicking the ‘Save changes’ button.