All of My Online Accounts Are Being Taken Over—How Can I Stop It?

Use a trusted, separate device to create installation media and begin the recovery process if possible. After reinstalling the computer and securing the phone, update both devices, install only necessary software, and scan any files before restoring them. Change passwords again after the cleanup if you entered them on a device that might still have been infected. Two-factor authentication helps a lot, but it won’t protect an account if someone can steal the password or hijack an active session.

A factory reset may not be enough if the computer itself is compromised. Consider completely wiping the system drive and performing a clean operating-system installation using installation media created from a trusted computer. Once the device is clean, change every password from it. Use a reputable password manager to generate long, unique passwords rather than reusing one password with a different number or symbol. Also sign out of all active sessions and revoke unfamiliar devices or connected apps.

Start with the email accounts linked to everything else, since access to those can let someone reset your other passwords. Secure the email accounts first, enable authenticator-based two-factor authentication where possible, and check recovery addresses, phone numbers, forwarding rules, and login history. Then reset every other account with a completely different password. If you suspect a keylogger or other malware, don’t enter new passwords until the device has been cleanly reinstalled.