Protecting yourself online is more important than you might think, and here’s why.
Even if you don’t have a black belt in Krav Maga, you probably take some self-defense measures, whether it’s setting a burglar alarm, having a security camera, or even simply locking your doors and windows. But if your password to multiple online accounts is “Password123” – you’re not nearly as protected as you think you are.
At best, a small hacking breach could really mess up your Spotify algorithm. At worst, it could entail identity theft and monetary loss. You should assume that your chances of being hacked are 100% and take necessary, but ultimately simple, precautions.
Keep in mind that while cybercrime is a multi-trillion-dollar industry, there are also companies that operate solely to protect you. Take advantage of that! Following some simple guidelines will greatly reduce your chances of getting hacked, such as installing antivirus software, enabling multi-factor authentication on as many platforms as possible, creating strong and unique passwords (and not reusing them), and learning how to spot a phishing scam.
Multi-factor Authentication
99.9% of hacked accounts lack multi-step authentication. This means if your password falls into the wrong hands it’s like a burglar having a key to your front door. If you have multi-step authentication, that means the burglar would also have to have the code to your security system, which makes stealing your stuff a lot harder. Multi-step authentication often asks to pair with another of your trusted devices such as a cell phone, or sends you an email with a validation code. While this extra step can feel annoying at the moment, it is absolutely worth it to turn it on for every platform that offers it.
Password Best Practices
Your passwords probably aren’t great. Here are some best practices to help you create unique and strong passwords for every login, including why to utilize a password manager and why not to change your password every three months. (You just added another number to the old password, didn’t you?)
Phishing Scams
A phishing scam is a fraudulent message that tries to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers. Follow the three golden rules to avoid phishing scams: use context clues, remember the basics, and know thyself. Many phishing scams prey on human nature by offering you an outrageous deal you can’t help but click, only to invite malware onto your device, or by telling you you’re in trouble, causing you to panic and give up personal details.
Have you ever gotten a voicemail from the IRS telling you you’re going to jail? Even if you know it’s a scam, it’s still terrifying to hear! Remember that your bank, credit card company, and the IRS will never call you up and ask for your information. If you get a call from your bank, you should always call them back from the number on the back of your debit card to make sure it was really them. It’s also not a bad idea to double check phone numbers you find online.
When opening emails from companies, be especially aware of typos, strange wording, and graphics that don’t seem quite right. Most big companies such as banks or Amazon have huge marketing budgets, including graphic design. If the logo looks wonky, it’s not real.
It sounds overly simple, but don’t underestimate the power of running a Google search for a phone number, address, or “business” name along with the word “scam.” If they’re scamming you, they’ve probably done it to someone else, too. (Pro tip: you can reverse-search images on Google. Not sure if someone is catfishing you on a dating site? Reverse-search their photo see where else it has been used on the web.)
I got hacked. Now what?
Change the password for every account that shares the compromised one. (Which is only one, because you followed the passwords best practices and didn’t reuse passwords, right?)
Some platforms such as Spotify have a way to report hackers, so do that if it is available. Check all your other social media accounts for posts you didn’t make as well as run a search on your phone and computer to be sure no malware was installed.
Check your email’s sent and spam folders to check for notifications of logins from other devices as well as accounts being made and linked to your email address.
Check your bank accounts and credit card activity immediately. If you have any suspicion that an account was compromised, call the bank and put a freeze on the account. You may need to have new cards sent to you as well.
Here’s an additional guide for more information.
If you want to go the extra mile…
- Enable automatic software updates. Updates often occur to fix security breaches, and if you’re running outdated software, you may be at risk.
- Close accounts you don’t use anymore. That hotmail account you used for a few years and then abandoned could provide a link to your active online life for a hacker.
- Get a VPN if you regularly use public WiFi, especially for sensitive data such as logging into your bank account via a web browser.
- Check your bank accounts and credit card activity daily. Yes, daily! Sometimes fraudulent activity goes undetected for a long time. The quicker you can act to freeze an account or shut down a credit card, the better.
- Run soft credit inquiries through a company such as Credit Karma. This won’t affect your credit score, but you can scan for lines of credit you didn’t open.