Right now, millions of hackers, spammers and scammers are hard at
work. They're after your Social Security number, bank account
information and social media accounts. With any of these, they can steal
your money or trick your friends into giving up theirs.The scary part is that anyone can be a hacker. For as little as $3,000, you can buy a complete and fully operational exploit kit. This kit does most of the illegal work for you automatically. You get to sit back and rake in the cash, unless you get caught.
Between semi-amateurs with automated systems and serious hackers who are masters of technology and trickery, how can you possibly hope to stay safe? The best way is to know how hackers do what they do.
Once you know that, you can counter their malicious acts. Here are five popular hacker strategies you need to know about and how to counter them.
1. Phishing scams
Lucky you! A Nigerian prince emailed to say he needs help smuggling a fortune out of his country. For a little bit of effort, such as making a few simple wire transfers, you'll get a substantial cut of the loot. You'll be rich! Of course, if you go along with it, the only money you end up transferring is your own, and it's impossible to get back. I bet you're asking yourself, "Who would fall for that?"Well, tens of thousands of people do every year. That's why Nigerian scams, or 419 scams, are still very popular. But that's just the classic version of a phishing scam; there are more variations than you can count. Other versions might say you won a contest or have a job offer. Maybe the email says someone wants to meet you, or you can make money for shipping some goods. It might say there was a problem shipping you an item, or it pretends to be an important message from a real company you do business with.
The catch is that you have to respond with personal or banking information, pay fees upfront or download a file. Of course, your information and money is going straight to hackers, or the file contains data-stealing viruses. Use common sense before reacting to any email, text or social media link online. Scams rely on making you act quickly. If you think about things long enough, you can usually see through them. Just remember the old saying, "If it looks too good to be true ..." Click here to see a real phishing email and learn how you can tell it's a fake.
You can also get security software that warns you about potential phishing scams, like my sponsor Webroot. More on that later, including how to save 50% when you buy.
2. Trojan horse
Hackers would love to slip a virus on your computer. Once it's installed, a virus can steal your information, send out spam email or attack other computers. The easiest way to get a virus on your computer is to disguise the virus as something harmless or that you really want. If you read "The Odyssey" in school, it shouldn't surprise you that this tactic is nicknamed a Trojan horse, or just Trojan.One of the most popular ways to deliver a Trojan is a phishing email scam. For example, the email might say it's from a shipping service, bank or other reputable company. There's been a problem with a transaction! To learn more, you have to download and open an email attachment. The attachment might look like a normal file, but it really contains a Trojan. Clicking on the file installs it before you can do anything. Click here to learn one way hackers disguise malicious files as harmless ones.
Similar scams appear on Facebook and Twitter. You think you're going to watch a funny video your friend posted, but instead you get a message saying you need to update your video player. If you install the "update," you're really installing a virus.
The key to defeat this tactic, as with phishing emails, is common sense and not trusting attachments and files you aren't expecting. However, security software, like Webroot, is essential for those times when you click before you think. It can spot malicious programs and keep them from installing before they do any damage.
3. Drive-by downloads
Security software is essential, but it isn't always enough. Out-of-date programs on your computer might have weaknesses hackers can use to bypass your security software and install viruses without you needing to do a thing. To make this happen, hackers set up websites that have malicious code on them. You can end up on these sites by clicking links in phishing emails, social media or even in a Web search. Hackers can also slip malicious code into ads on legitimate sites you might visit regularly.Once the code is in your browser, it scans your computer programs for security holes. If it finds one that's open, it can trigger a virus to download and install. A security program like Webroot can warn you when you're about to visit a malicious site, and block most virus downloads, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't patch up the security holes on your computer.
To stay safe, you have to keep your programs up to date. Every month, Microsoft releases updates for Windows and Internet Explorer. These updates close critical security holes that hackers exploit. Click here to learn how to update Windows.
Other critical programs to patch are Adobe's Flash and Reader, and Oracle's Java. Using old versions of these programs is like sending hackers an engraved invitation. Click here to learn more about keeping these programs up to date.
You should also be using the latest version of your programs, especially your browser. Click here to find out if your browser is the latest version.
4. Bypassing passwords
In Hollywood movies, hackers are masters of guessing passwords. In the real world, however, very few hackers bother. Instead, they go around passwords. They might get your password from one of the many data breaches happening monthly at major companies. Maybe they guess the basic security question on your account. It could be they slipped a password-stealing virus onto your system.You can stop a virus with good security software and following the directions I gave above. However, it's up to you to guard against the other dangers. It's important to use a different password for every account. That way, if hackers get their hands on one, they won't get access to all of your accounts. Click here for instructions to create strong, memorable passwords.
If you create weak passwords so you can remember them, or reuse passwords because you have too many accounts, consider getting a password manager. This will securely store everything for you so you don't have to give up security for convenience.
For your multiple gadgets, you want a password manager that works everywhere with no hassle. Part of Webroot's excellent security package is an online password manager that you can access from any computer or mobile gadget. It's the perfect solution to the password puzzle.
You should change how you answer security questions. Give a random answer that has nothing to do with the question. That way, no one can guess it. Click here for tips to create security questions and answers only you will know.
5. Using open Wi-Fi
I'm sure you have a Wi-Fi network at home. Is it encrypted? If you don't know the answer, then it's probably, "no." That means hackers, and neighbors, can connect to your network from outside your house. They can see and record everything you do. Even worse, they can surf to bad websites and download illegal files on your connection, which means you might be getting a visit from the police.You need to take a few minutes right now and secure your network. Trust me; it's worth it. And if you have secured your Wi-Fi, but you haven't looked at the settings in a few years, it might time to update them. You could be using an older encryption like WEP that hackers can break through in seconds. The instructions for securing your network will be in your router's manual. Or click here for my step-by-step instructions to secure a Wi-Fi network. You'll be glad you did.
Speaking of things you'll be glad you did, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of the security company Webroot. Not only does Webroot provide world-class security for your PC, it can cover Macs, smartphones and tablets with a single account. No need to mix and match programs and apps. Webroot uses cloud-based scanning, so it's blazing fast and won't hog your system space. Plus, it's always up to date, can spot brand new threats no one knows about yet, and can warn you about malicious websites and phishing scams.
Webroot is one of the best services at stopping viruses, but even it might occasionally miss a tricky one. If that happens, and Webroot can't wipe out the virus normally, Webroot is able to roll back your computer to a point just before the virus invaded. It's similar to Windows' System Restore, but works a lot better.
If you get a really nasty virus that just won't go away, you can signal for help and Webroot technical support will have a representative hop on your computer remotely and wipe out the virus manually, free of charge.
