5 Easy Ways to Get Hacked
If you’re guilty of any of these, you should be concerned.
Studies show that every 39 seconds, a device with internet access is attacked. That means that by the time it would take you to finish reading this paragraph, another device would have already been attacked and potentially compromised. Whether or not it is actually compromised is a lot of the time up to us. Sometimes we unknowingly give attackers everything they need to be successful in their attacks. Yes, you read that correctly. If you are guilty of doing any of these below, you are essentially opening your virtual front door to attackers.
1. Easy & Repeated Passwords.
Yes, we know how much you love your dog. And yes, we know they may be the cutest thing to ever exist. But please do not let the love for your pet be the reason you get hacked. Attackers know that users are more likely to choose personal passwords, like their birthday, their pet’s name, or perhaps someone they love for their password. Attackers also know that users are more likely to reuse the same password on multiple websites. So if they gain access to one site using your credentials, it is highly likely that they have gained access to other sites where you are reusing the same password. And guess what…there are ways to tell what other applications your emails and usernames are being used for, so all they would really need is your easy or reused password to gain access to these accounts.
2. Not Updating Your Apps.
I don’t know how hard I can stress this, but please update your applications. I know that you would rather keep the old Instagram layout, but I promise you there’s more in those updates than just user design upgrades. Updates also tend to contain security patches for vulnerabilities discovered by the company; which can leave you open to attacks if not implemented. There’s a conspiracy theory that software companies (who shall not be named) push updates to intentionally slow down devices, forcing users to buy the latest model out of frustration. But even if such a theory were true, you have to think about whether you’d prefer a slow or compromised device.
3. Social Media Quizzes & Challenges.
This type of social engineering is a pretty big on social media. You may see a seemingly harmless quiz prompting you to participate in order to find out your pizza personality or celebrity rap name. Or, you may be asked to answer a series of random questions disguised as an opportunity for your followers to learn more about you; but is really just a ploy to get answers to some of your password security questions. For instance, for a while there was challenge circulating that asked users to list every teacher they’ve had from kindergarten to grade 12. Now of course that would be a fun challenge to see if you actually remember every teacher you’ve ever had. But it is also the easiest way for an attacker to get the answer to the notorious “Name of your 1st grade teacher” security question.
4. Curiosity
Curiosity really kills the cat when it comes to phishing emails. If you know that your grandfather was not an oil tycoon or an heir to the British throne, then there is no reason to click on email stating that your inheritance is waiting for you at the bank with your assistance being required for a wire transfer. Now let’s talk about a more simple and common phishing email. If you know that you do not have a Netflix account, then there should be no reason for you to click on any emails claiming that your subscription has expired. You should question why this notification email is even coming to you. Attackers know that many individuals nowadays have a streaming subscription of some sort, so they would send out a large number of phishing emails with the hopes of someone taking on the bait. Now let’s say you actually do have a subscription to Netflix, what should you do? I would recommend signing directly into your Netflix account to confirm that what the email is saying is valid. So rather than following the link in the email to sign into your account, you should instead open a new browser and log in from there. Clicking on links embedded in phishing emails can allow for malware to be installed on your device. In some instances, this can allow the attacker to watch and record your activities, and even take control of your device.
5. Public Wifi
Now to clarify, I have nothing against public Wi-Fi itself. Who doesn’t love free Wi-Fi? I’ve used public Wi-Fi on numerous occasions to complete class assignments. There are concerns however with certain uses of public Wi-Fi. For example, if you’re using public Wi-Fi to load Google maps or to watch YouTube videos, then you’ll probably be fine. But if you’re using public Wi-Fi to do your online personal banking, then you should be concerned. The reason why this is so troubling is because on open public Wi-Fi networks, anyone (who knows what they’re doing) would be able to see data that is being sent across the network. So they would be able to see your login credentials as you are logging into your bank account, and may then use these credentials to access your account later on. If you absolutely must use public Wi-Fi, it’s best to use a VPN(Virtual Private Network) to ensure your network traffic is encrypted. This keeps your data secure should you need to do any personal or financial browsing in public spaces.
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