I was hacked 😞

Scary stuff, and a warning because it could happen to anyone.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [UNSTUCK]() From the desk of Pat Flynn January 31, 2023 --------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, it’s Pat! 👋 On Thursday, January 12th, I got a text message from one of my team members: [Text picture reading: OH NO Channel got hacked Not a joke] ​ Not good. Not good at all. You never think it’s going to happen to you until it does. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. In this email, I’ll share exactly what happened, where we stand now, and what to do to avoid this situation. Let’s get unstuck. QUOTE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- “Passwords are like underwear. Don’t let people see it, change it very often, and you shouldn’t share it with strangers.” — Chris Pirillo THE STORY --------------------------------------------------------------- I checked [my YouTube channel](. It was obvious that someone had broken in and bad things were happening. My Pokemon channel, [DeepPocketMonster](, was now named Tesla Live, and there was a live video featuring an Elon Musk interview with links to a cryptocurrency scam. [Screenshot of DeepPocketMonster YouTube channel that was hacked] ​ Then, my phone started blowing up. Hundreds of notifications came in through Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and even text messages letting me know what was happening. To make things worse, I had just arrived at the dentist. I asked everyone at the office if I could use one of their computers to try to fix things, but quite understandably, they said no. Apparently, channel takeovers like this are one of the most popular hacks on YouTube right now. Just the day prior, the [Think Media Podcast]( YouTube channel by [Sean Cannell](=) was taken over in the same exact way. How does this happen? Sometimes, it’s simply having a poor password, and other times it’s because of a company’s data leak, like the most recent one from LastPass. I’m very diligent with passwords and 2-factor authentication to protect my accounts, but hackers are finding even more clever ways to run these scams. The latest method is through a very official looking email from a reputable company wanting to sponsor your YouTube channel. After several seemingly-normal back and forth email correspondences, it comes time to look at the terms of the agreement. You click on an attached PDF file, and that’s when the trojan horse comes in and steals all of your information. The trouble is, I never clicked on any attachments to allow for this to happen. Again, I’m very sensitive to this kind of stuff, so it was still a mystery how this particular hacker got in. We finally realized it wasn’t my account that was hacked, but the account of one of my editors — someone who has access to upload and publish videos on my YouTube channel. That’s how they got in. Thankfully, all it took to get the account back was to use the channel’s admin account to remove my editor’s access. I had taken back control over the YouTube channel in just under two hours. Other channels, whose main accounts get hacked, aren’t as lucky. It can take several days to get the account back to normal. Through this process, I found out that YouTube itself has the ability to “revert” a channel back to before the hack or takeover happened. Sort of like the restore ability on a PC. That’s nice to know in a worse case scenario, and if something like this ever does happen to you, the way to initiate that process and get your account back is through a contact form. ​[Here’s a link]() to that form just in case you ever need it (I hope you never do). It can take time to get a channel back, mostly because you have to verify your identity and that you’re the rightful owner of the channel, but again, I hope you never have to go through this. Your Call to Action Let this story serve as a reminder: - Update your passwords often and make them stronger. - Always keep 2-factor authentication on your accounts. Email, social media, YouTube — all of them. Yes, it’s one additional step, which is a hassle, but the consequences are way worse. - Never click on attachments or links in emails unless you really trust who they are from. - Even if you know who they are from, if the links or attachments look suspicious, be very careful. Perhaps their email address was hacked. Hackers suck, but if something like this happens to you, try not to panic. My son was wondering why I wasn’t freaking out when this was all going down. When he asked, I replied with: “Panic doesn’t do much to help solve the problem.” Deep breaths, ask for help, and be aggressively patient. SPONSORED BY CONVERTKIT Kickstart Your Email List Are you ready to grow your audience and build a powerful email list? With ConvertKit, it's easier than ever. Join the Grow Your Audience Challenge to kickstart your email list in just 30 days. Throughout the challenge, you'll get access to landing pages and on-demand workshops where you'll learn effective list building tips. In less than 10 minutes you can have your next big idea live and ready to share with the world - sign up today! [Start Growing Your Audience]( ​SPI NEWS AND NOTES --------------------------------------------------------------- We work hard at SPI to remain unstuck and consistently provide you with the latest news, trends, and events to support your businesses. Check it out: - Does it feel like AI is everywhere you look? From image and content generators to conversational chatbots, the uses for artificial intelligence seem endless. But how do you use AI tools and how can they help your business? By becoming a member of the [SPI Pro Community](, you’ll get access to a live event on that very topic: How to Use AI Image Generator Tools on February 1st. [Apply today!](​ - Networking events are a great way to expand your connections and get answers to your business struggles; receiving and providing insight to other industry entrepreneurs can be both helpful and rewarding. [RSVP for our next virtual networking event]() on February 8th from 2-3:00pm ET and connect with [All-Access Pass members](=) and the SPI team. Looking forward to the conversations! - Some of the best conversations you’ll ever have are while you’re on the road and in person. These are golden opportunities that don’t have to be wasted … if you’re prepared. [In this feature article](), learn valuable tips and the equipment needed to record a podcast interview on the fly. - The entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely one if we don't take the time to nurture supportive connections. How do we build a business network and leverage it to amplify our message? On the [Smart Passive Income Podcast](, Pat Flynn is joined by [Selena Soo]() who helps clients build powerful relationships and become industry leaders. Tune in to learn strategies for leveling up your brand using influencer partnerships within your business space. [Click here to listen.]()​ DAD JOKE OF THE WEEK --------------------------------------------------------------- How did the computer hackers get away from the scene of the crime? I think they just ransomware. ​ Did a cool person forward you this email? [Sign up here for free.]( Want to reach over 125,000 entrepreneurs? [Become a sponsor.]( ​ Thanks for reading! You are receiving this because you signed up for Pat Flynn’s newsletter at [smartpassiveincome.com](). If you'd like to adjust which emails you receive or update your name and email address, [click here to update your Subscriber Preferences.]( If you'd like to stop receiving all emails from SPI, simply [unsubscribe from my emails.]( No hard feelings. 10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 524, San Diego, CA 92127