Getting hacked
We take a lot of preventative measures to make sure we don’t get hacked, but it can still happen. Keep reading to learn about the signs that your about to get hacked so you can stop the problem before it gets out of hand.
You give away too many hints on social media
“Posting sensitive information on social networking profiles like your date of birth, your pet’s name, family names—these can all be used against you.”—Jason Hart, VP and CTO for Data Protection at Gemalto.
You don’t have a passcode on your phone
“Sure, everyone knows it’s more than just a good idea—it’s the smart, responsible thing to do—but still, so many people fail to put a passcode or password on their smartphones. A recent survey by Pew Research found that 28 percent of smartphone owners say they do not use a screen lock or other security features to access their phone. But even if you (mistakenly) think you have nothing to hide, remember that your phone holds troves of data regarding just about everything in your life—from your bank accounts to your grocery shopping lists. Without a passcode or password, it’s just an open book, waiting to be hacked.”—Andrew Newman, Founder of Reason Software
You are doing your banking via public Wi-Fi
“A common mistake that we see consumers make that puts them at risk for being hacked is connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots. While it can be convenient to plug into free Wi-Fi while on-the-go, it is very easy for attackers to intercept internet traffic sent over an unsecured network. Some cybercriminals even create fake Wi-Fi hotspots in public locations in an attempt to steal data from those who connect. Avoid connecting to Wi-Fi networks that are not password protected, and never connect to banking or other sensitive sites when on any public Wi-Fi network.”—Brian Anderson, a security expert at Kaspersky Lab North America
You gave info to an unencrypted site
“Entering sensitive information—like your credit card number—on an unencrypted website is risky. When entering personal information online, ensure the site is encrypted. How? Browsers like Firefox and Chrome will put a lock icon next to the URL to signal if a site is encrypted. Or, check to ensure the URL is ‘https’ not just ‘http’.”—Ashley Boyd, VP of Advocacy at Mozilla.
You never update your apps and OS
“Software updates are like oil changes—they may seem bothersome at the moment, but they prevent major problems down the line. By neglecting updates and running older versions of software, you could be operating programs with known vulnerabilities.”—Ashley Boyd, VP of Advocacy at Mozilla.
You have a weak password
“Most people are afraid of forgetting login information, or they simply don’t feel their password use is a security risk. When someone is apathetic towards passwords, they resort to weak password behavior leaving themselves open to risks. People create short, easy to remember passwords and then reuse those passwords across accounts. In addition, most individuals haven’t changed a password in the last year even after hearing of a breach in the news. That same research found that 15 percent of consumers would rather do a household chore and another 11 percent would prefer to sit in traffic than actively change their passwords.”—Rachael Stockton, director of product marketing for LastPass.
You have the same password for everything
“When we recycle passwords, we increase the chances that hackers gain access to not one, but many of our online accounts. Instead of repeating an easy-to-remember password across multiple sites, a user should choose a unique password for each site. Or use a password manager.”—Ashley Boyd, VP of Advocacy at Mozilla.
You got a suspicious email and phone call
“Today’s hackers often use a coordinated hybrid approach that includes the computer, phone, and other means. For example, a person will call you on the phone, claim to be from your bank, and ask you to update your credentials because they’ve just updated the system. If you say you’d prefer to do so via a website rather than over the phone, they’ll give you the URL to a site that looks exactly like your bank’s site, but isn’t.”—Mark Gazit, CEO of ThetaRay, a provider of big data analytics solutions
