r/ModSupport • u/TheOpusCroakus • 16h ago
Mod Topics The importance of account security, 2fa, and you
Hi there! OpusCroakus here today to talk about my favorite (or least favorite) topic, account security!Â
Account security is always important, but itâs really important for mods. If your account is not secure, it is vulnerable to being hacked. And while no one likes a hacked account, a hacked moderator account has the potential to cause quite the headache and do quite a bit of damage to the communities that they moderate. So letâs talk about some ways to keep your account secure! Donât worry! There are not that many! Itâs easy!
Use a strong password that you donât use anywhere else. A strong password should have both numbers and letters. Feel free to throw in a special character here and there if you want! You can use a password manager if that helps you. However, I would recommend keeping a hard copy of your passwords offline just in case something goes awry. This is where I recommend against sharing your password and/or your account with others.Â
Have an email address on your account that you will always have access to. Please make sure that you use good account security practices with that email as well. It doesnât do much good to have an email with a weak password that is associated with your mod account. If the email gets hacked, they can log right into your Reddit account. It also is not advisable to use an email account that you could lose access to one day, like one provided by a school or an employer. We made a post in r/help here the other day about this scenario.Â
Enable 2fa. Two factor authentication is an added layer of security where you will be prompted to enter a 6-digit code after entering your password.. Without access to the device on which the authenticator is installed, the account will be unable to be logged into. We would recommend choosing an authenticator that stores your credentials in the cloud so that if anything ever happens to your device, you can still get into your Reddit account to remove the authenticator. You can see 2fa in action here.Â
If your account is hacked and 2fa is enabled, we can help. Please write in using this form. Under "What do you need assistance with?", please choose "Account help". Under "What type of account issues are occurring?", please select "Security problems" and "I think my account has been hacked". Under âWas two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled onto your account without your knowledge?â, please choose âYesâ and fill out the rest of the form. Hacked account reports are generally responded to within 24 hours during the week.Â
If your mod account is hacked and your subreddit is vandalized, we can help with that, too. Please send a mod mail message to this sub and weâll get you squared away.Â
What do you think about account security? Because most people donât think about account security until itâs too late! After someone has been hacked, they think about it a lot! But Iâm really hoping to get folks to think about it before all of the hacking!