If a friend or family member alerts you about an email they've received from "you" that seems fishy, your email may have been compromised. We'll explain what may have happened, my advice for the next steps you should take, and my prevention tips.

Has my email been compromised? 

It's more common than you might think. Maybe you've received a fishy email from a friend or family member, or maybe one of your contacts alerts you to an email they're not sure if you sent. 

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How to check if your email address is being spoofed or hacked 

What does it mean if your email is spoofed or hacked? If your email address is being spoofed it means a hacker has made it appear as if an email to your contacts is coming from you, but it actually isn't. If your email's been hacked, someone may have access to your account. 

So how can you check which one has happened in this case? 

Check your "sent" messages in your email. If you see unusual emails going out, you've likely been hacked. If you don't, hackers may have just spoofed your email address. If your email was spoofed, there's not much you can do except protect yourself from it happening again.

How did my email address get in the hands of hackers? 

You may have clicked a link in another email accidentally, which could've given the sender access to your contacts list. Malware is hiding everywhere, but your email may also have been in a random email generator and was just used by chance in hopes they could hack someone else. 

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Next steps if your email address has been hacked

1. Change your email password 

While your account may have been compromised, if you can still access it, be sure to change your password immediately. 

 2. Turn on 2-Factor authentication

Make sure you have a backup way to log in to your email. Head to your email settings to add a phone number or second email account so that if your account ever falls into the wrong hands, you can take care of it quickly. 

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3. Alert your friends and family 

If you have a Facebook account, it's good to post a status warning to friends and family that your account has been hacked, and they shouldn't click any links they receive in messages from you. 

You should also send an email to your contacts list to let them know the "fishy" email didn't come from you - and they should be careful of clicking any emails from you in the near future.

4. Turn on an Antivirus program so your email doesn't get hacked again 

A good Antivirus software will alert and prevent you from clicking any strange links. That way, your account is safe even before you get a chance to get hacked. See my top reviews of the Best Antivirus protection for any device at LockUpYourTech.com 

5. Secure your email 

If you're still worried about your email and hackers potentially accessing your private information, it may be time to switch to a private and secure email server. 

The top private email providers are expert-reviewed and rated at CyberGuy.com/Mail. 

Nuclear energy is a key tool to reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas while also helping provide a cheaper alternative as Europe faces a heating crisis this winter, according to Sweden’s minister for foreign affairs. 

Tobias Billström, who assumed his role in October as minister of foreign affairs told Fox News Digital his government believes it needs "to step up when it comes to building more nuclear power" because Sweden is a small nation and needs "safe, clean, secure energy" that is "cheap." 

"We want to see more nuclear reactors being built," Billström said during an interview at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington, D.C. "We're talking about doing this with a system of credits, but we're in close collaboration and contact with Swedish industry to be able to finance the building of new nuclear reactors."

Nuclear energy has proven a contentious issue in Europe over the past decade, with Germany moving to shut down its plants and France planning to build new plants as various nations reconsider the best direction when it comes to nuclear power. Germany's Minister of State, Tobias Lindner, recently told Fox News Digital "resistance against nuclear energy" is part of the "DNA of German society."

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Energy prices have soared due to sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and as a result of Moscow drastically reducing gas supplies to Europe, including indefinitely shutting down its Nord Stream 1 pipeline. 

Asked if Europe should do more to reduce its energy dependence on Russia, Billström agreed, and noted that Russia’s "aggression in Ukraine" showed "exactly how precarious [the] whole situation is."

"We should all take very seriously the situation that has occurred with so many countries facing a dire situation when it comes to the cost to households due to steep energy pricing," Billström said.

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In contrast with many other European countries, Sweden does not depend on Russian gas, but Russia remains a chief concern — so much so that Sweden voted to join NATO after decades of neutrality over security concerns. 

Stockholm has worked to strengthen its ties with the U.S. and other allies to better secure itself in the face of potential threats, including cyberattacks. 

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"We would like to have closer collaboration and cooperation on a bilateral level between the U.S. and Sweden, because we know and we believe that we can offer a lot of things for cybersecurity, both with technological resources, but also with intelligence," Billström explained. 

Billström noted that the U.S. and Sweden have a "very good" relationship, relating how he has experienced "nothing but goodwill from representatives of the Congress and from the administration" during his visit to Washington D.C. 

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"I really look forward, both as the foreign minister of Sweden" and in Sweden’s capacity as the incoming holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union "to maintain those good relations, to expand them and to see that the U.S., Sweden and Europe are in a good concerted mode," Billström said. 

That partnership extends to addressing the People’s Republic of China, with Billström noting the need for "close cooperation between the E.U. and the U.S. when it comes to China issues." 

The U.S. and Sweden are also providing a united front against Iran. Stockholm strongly condemned Tehran's recent execution of a protester after three months of demonstrations following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. 

"We look on very seriously as we see Iran now embarking on this method of trying to quench what is ultimately, you know, a belief of freedom and a will of freedom among these women and girls in the streets of Tehran and other cities," Billström said. 

"I personally have been very vocal on the need to have this on the agenda. On the next Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Brussels, Iran will be a specific item on the agenda thanks to the Swedish government’s efforts to bring it there."

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"I think we should stand side by side with those who want to have freedom of expression on the streets of Iran," he added. "The women and girls are now paying a very high price for the brutality being beated out by security forces," he added. "We have to show Iran that that kind of method is unacceptable."