Protecting Yourself From Hackers
As more and more devices become internet capable, cyber-security threats are increasing. The importance of identifying vulnerabilities in your internet security, understanding current security trends and protecting your data against threats can save you from a lot of unwarranted headaches.
DATA TARGETED
The primary data type targeted by attackers, dating back to 2011, was cardholder data.
98% of stolen data are from card payments and used in fraudulent transactions.
2% from Confidential Information and Intellectual Property.
1% from Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).
1% from Business Financial Account Numbers.
Identity theft if the leading reason why hackers attack personal information. The 2017 Identity Fraud Study, released by Javelin Strategy & Research, found that $16 billion was stolen from 15.4 million U.S. consumers in 2016, compared to the $15.3 billion and 13.1 million U.S. victims the year before. Over the past six years, identity thieves have stolen well over $107 billion.
7% of all American households are victims of identity theft and reach a financial loss of approximately $4,900 per household. Makes you think twice about who you’re giving you information to, doesn’t it?
THE HACKER CHECKLIST
- Usernames, Password & PIN number
- Social Security number
- Phone and utility account numbers
- Bank and credit card account numbers
- Driver’s license and passport numbers
- Insurance identification numbers
- Employment and student ID numbers
- College or university financial aid information
- Professional license number
HOW DID THEY FIND YOU?
The various ways that hackers are able to steal you private data and information may come as a surprise.
Remote Access (47%) – Remote access allows hackers to access data or resources from a remote location. A perfect example is tapping into an unknown wifi server; you allow access into your database.
Client-Side Attack (2%) – Client-side attacks exploit the trust relationship between the user and the website that they visit. .
SQL Injection (26%) – SQL Injections take advantage of improper coding of your website and steal data.
User Interaction (2%) – User interaction depends on the user to interact with a specific element in order to access data.
Unknown (18%) – Cases where the method of entry are unknown had weak and/or default credentials. This happens when you have accounts set for automatic login. Always log out of all of your accounts.
Remote Code Execution (3%) – Remote Code Execution gives hackers the ability to execute commands on your server from a remote location.
Remote File Inclusion (2%) – Remote File Inclusion enables hackers to include a remote file through a script on the web server.
Authorization Flaw (1%) – An authorization flaw allows remote unauthenticated users access to files and trigger malicious attacks.
Physical Theft (1%) – A thief has physically taken private property such as a computer or credit card to access data and resources.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media sites are also subject to user interaction hacking because they are filled with personal data that make you vulnerable to hack attacks.
16% of students became victims of a controlled phishing scam, while 72% of students fell victim when they believed their friends were sending fraudulent links. You may have received some of your own.
68% of people share their birthday information on public social media profiles.
63% share their high school name.
18% list their phone numbers.
12% share their pet’s name.
This information may not seem too serious to share, but all information listed is personal information that can be used to steal you identity! Is your pet’s name a password to any of your accounts? Be careful. Add something tricky that only you will remember to ever password sequence.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
Hackers can remotely access you home Wi-Fi network within rage and steal data and personal information. Your best line of defense is WPA-2 encryption. Don’t be fooled just yet… they can also create their own hotspots and disguise them under the names of popular places like your local coffee shops or airports.
89% of Wi-Fi hotspots are unsecured.
MALICIOUS WEBSITES
SQL injection is used by hackers to collect personal information user’s form filed inputs. You’ve seen this plenty of times; websites that are filled with offers and fake search results are loaded with malware that allow hackers to download your personal information and private data.
48% of all attack investigations are due to E-commerce site accounts.
HOW ARE THESE HACKERS DETECTED?
Malware easily goes undetected by system administrators despite the clear visibility to investigators. Attacks have also grown significantly in complexity due to ineffective antivirus programs. Proper antivirus programs and regulatory detection are still most likely to fight off hackers by 48%. Although law enforcement agencies are committed to identifying and interfering with cybercriminals, remaining aware of your own security will help you detect and report any intruder yourself.
DEFENSE AGAINST HACKERS
Password Security: More than 60% of people use the same password combination for multiple sites. Birthdays? Your pet’s name? Don’t use anything easy to guess or easily accessible information. Use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, characters and numbers to create a strong, unique password.
Browser Security: Do you know 44% of people don’t know how to protect their browser information? Always log out of your accounts! If you don’t, you’re giving authorization to snoop.
Network Security: Malware usually comes from a download you didn’t notice happening. On Windows, disable AutoRun to stop 50% of malware threats. Customizing your security settings protects your network. Never default. Default network security settings enables hackers to get into your computer.
Wi-Fi Security: (Home Wi-Fi) Change the default settings on your home router by enabling a non-default password and network name. Use WPA-2 protocol; the strongest security protocol for wireless networks. (Public Wi-Fi) Disable sharing and use VPN services to prevent security breaches, especially when you’re using the internet away from your home network.
TO SECURE YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION, USE A VPN SERVICE
Virtual Private Networks (VPN) disguises your IP address and protects your data by encrypting your internet traffic.
- Protects your privacy online
- Prevents hackers from stealing your data
- Encrypts all your data and information
- Prevents online spying