When YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s (@beerbiceps) YouTube account, with a combined following of 17.33 million subscribers, got hacked on 25 September, he feared for his career. "Cyber security is a real threat, be serious about it...This is what crime looks like in the modern day," he said in a statement.
A study by cyber security firm Kaspersky says that 20% of Indian internet users fell prey to cyber threats in the first half of 2024. In fact, most hackers get access via social media footprint.
While YouTube helped Allahbadia retrieve his account within a day, this incident raised serious concerns for the content creator community in India. How can influencers prevent cyber attacks?
The creator community's go-to steps for cyber protection are enabling two-factor authentication, a security method that requires two different ways to verify a user's identity, and limiting access points of the official accounts to a few secure devices.
Google, which owns the video-sharing platform, said that as of February 2022, more than 2 million YouTube creators have embraced two-step verification, resulting in a 50% decrease in accounts being compromised.
Tech creator Dhananjay Bhosale, who has over 1 million subscribers across social media platforms, told Mint that he uses a physical device called Titan Key by Google for two-factor authentication to minimize cyber risks. The key allows him and his team to verify their authenticity and access his accounts.
"Cyber safety is paramount to secure the content you have worked hard on and posted over the years. Any creator who has not turned on the two-factor authentication is digging up his own grave," he emphasised. He also said that there is only one laptop in his office and two phones, which he permits his team to use for his accounts.
The creators also invariably rely on their management agencies to coordinate with the respective platforms as a reactive measure, instead of proactively preventing cyber breaches.
“We take account security very seriously, and if a user believes their account has been compromised, they can notify our team to secure the account and regain control. We have dedicated teams that investigate if a user has reasons to believe their account was compromised. We also have clear processes in place to educate users on how to secure one’s YouTube account," YouTube said in response to queries emailed by Mint.
Allahbadia and his company Monk Entertainment did not respond to Mint's queries.
While platforms like YouTube are responsive in account restoration, as seen in Allahbadia's case as well, there is a growing need for the creator industry to seek professional help.
Over time, there has been rise in cyber breaches, and there are areas where agencies and creators can work together to improve it. "I feel as an industry, we should also seek support and guidance from independent cybersecurity firms and organizations," said Shubham Agarwal, director of operations at creator management agency OpraahFx, adding that content is the only asset for full-time creators.
This thought resonates with professionals as well. Explaining hackers' motives, Prasanna Kumar, executive vice-president and head of financial services and professional group at Aon, said they either hack accounts as a display of power, to give a message, or to pull pranks or demand ransom. Hacking of accounts happens mostly to demand money, he said.
He said that with the growth of the creator economy and the importance of digital assets, creators and their management agencies should actively seek professional help for cyber protection like companies do, adding that mentioning that it doesn't cost more than a few thousand or lakhs and is not very expensive.
There is also a lack of awareness about the laws around cybercrime and remedies for it, especially among youngsters.
"It is critical for young adults to know the difference between a prank and a crime. This may be feasible only with sufficient awareness of their liabilities under applicable laws. Knowledge of remedies in law is also critical for victims." said N. S. Nappinai, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India.
Section 43 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 deals with civil liability for damage to computers and computer systems. This includes unauthorized access to a computer, downloading or extracting data, introducing a computer virus, damaging a computer system, and disrupting a computer system.
Cyber threats do not just concern influencers; they also worry brands investing in influencers and digital marketing, and they rush to cyber experts seeking professional help.
"Post-covid, as brands have started investing heavily in digital marketing, including through influencers, a lot of them are approaching us to ensure the protection of their digital assets," said Dhiraj Gupta, chief technology officer at software company mFilterit. He said that these clients mostly include consumer goods and financial services companies.
