What is the immediate course of action if you discover your social media account has been compromised and is spreading malicious links?

The immediate course of action if you discover your social media account has been compromised and is spreading malicious links is to immediately change your password, enable two-factor authentication (if available), and notify your followers that your account has been compromised. First, changing your password prevents the attacker from continuing to use your account. Choose a strong, unique password that is different from any other passwords you use. Second, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security, requiring a second verification method (such as a code sent to your phone) in addition to your password to log in. This makes it much harder for attackers to access your account even if they know your password. Third, notifying your followers is crucial to warn them about the malicious links being spread from your account and advise them not to click on them. You can do this by posting a message from another account, contacting friends who can spread the word, or using other communication channels. Finally, review recent activity on your account and delete any suspicious posts or messages that you did not create. You should also report the compromised account to the social media platform to initiate their security protocols and prevent further misuse. For example, if your Twitter account is compromised and spreading phishing links, immediately change your password, enable 2FA, tweet from a friend's account warning your followers, and report the incident to Twitter support.