If you clicked a phishing link, entered a password or approved an unexpected MFA prompt, act quickly but avoid making changes from the affected device.
Prepared and reviewed by IT Life-Raft
UK-based IT support and cyber recovery guidance. Last reviewed September 2026.
Assume the password may be known. Use a trusted device to secure the affected account and check whether the attacker changed recovery settings.
If you've been hacked, start with our step-by-step recovery checklist. It explains what to secure first, how to protect your email and accounts, what evidence to keep, and what to do next.
Recovery checklistIf this is happening, preserve evidence and move carefully before deleting messages, wiping devices or changing settings from a suspect device.
If this is happening, preserve evidence and move carefully before deleting messages, wiping devices or changing settings from a suspect device.
If this is happening, preserve evidence and move carefully before deleting messages, wiping devices or changing settings from a suspect device.
If this is happening, preserve evidence and move carefully before deleting messages, wiping devices or changing settings from a suspect device.
Keep the order simple: contain the issue, recover control, then strengthen the account or device so the attacker cannot return.
Record what you changed and keep screenshots or reference numbers where possible.
Record what you changed and keep screenshots or reference numbers where possible.
Record what you changed and keep screenshots or reference numbers where possible.
Record what you changed and keep screenshots or reference numbers where possible.
Record what you changed and keep screenshots or reference numbers where possible.
For organisations, identify who clicked, what credentials were entered, what systems are linked and whether other staff received the same campaign.
If money, customer data, Microsoft 365, business email or a website is involved, get advice before wiping evidence or assuming the issue is closed.
These links help confirm the official recovery route. Use them alongside the checklist, especially when account recovery, fraud reporting or business data may be involved.
Not always, but entering credentials, downloading files or approving MFA should be treated as urgent.
Change it from a trusted device, sign out other sessions and check account recovery settings.
Yes. A short alert can stop more people clicking the same message.
Tell us what happened, what is affected and whether money, customer data or business systems may be at risk.