Since we live in an age where we rely so heavily on technology, it’s important to be remembered about its security risks, from time to time. The situation in our homes, but in public as well, is not as it used to be. We’re no longer safe just because no one’s openly threatening us, and most of the attacks on you will be hidden, stealthy, quiet, and it will probably cause more damage than a regular mugging. We’re talking about the safety and security of your data that you carry around with yourself every day, not even realizing that you might be walking around so unprotected, that a regular hacker could find out everything about you without even saying a word to you.
We’ve relied on technology for some time now, and a few decades have passed since we’ve got computers, mobile phones, and alike. There are also newer devices, like iPhones, tablets, smartphones, iPods and more, but the difference that the new age has brought is that all of these devices are now constantly connected to the internet. We’re literally constantly surrounded by devices with an internet connection and a faulty security, and it’s as if we’re walking around virtually naked.
And the worst part is that nobody takes the security of these devices seriously. When we think of hackers and what might they attack, we always think of computers and laptops, but not many people realize that anything, and we do mean anything that has internet connection can be hacked in a matter of seconds. From your PC to your smart TV, nothing is safe if you can connect it to your WiFi. We’ve prepared for you a list of 5 ways that hackers can use to infiltrate your device and steal your data.
Spyware via Email
Many hackers have been known to use emails in an attempt to infect you with malware, send in a Trojan and generally breach your defenses. If they can’t sneak their way in past your security, they can try to trick you into inviting them in, and many do just that via email. They’ll often send videos, links, pictures, documents, or even games that are designed to keep their victim’s attention while the malware is being downloaded on their device in the background, and once they’re in, they’re not going back out easily.
Hotspots
If you’re away from home, somewhere in public, and you find an unsecured WiFi network, of course, you’ll connect, it’s free internet! These conveniently placed WiFi networks are what’s known as “hotspots”, and they’re a hunting territory for all those hackers who want to get access to your device. Some experts estimate that over 90% of the public WiFi are not secured, or could even be dangerous. At home, you have your router that acts as a firewall and protects you, but out there, in public, you’re completely open and vulnerable.
Phone to Phone
Smartphones are devices that most of us have and constantly carry around, and not many people think of them as a security risk. After all, why would anyone think that there’s anything on your phone except for a few dozen Instagram pictures, and a couple of your favorite songs, right? Wrong. Through the use of your phone, hackers can find out a lot more about you, including your habits, personal information, contacts list, email addresses, social media credentials, and even bank account info and other financial data.
You must remember that your phone has become a lot more than just that and that it’s now a device that allows access to pretty much anything that you’re connected to in any way. As you use it to gain access to other things in the world around you, someone else might use theirs to gain access to your device. Hackers that are close by when you’re talking or browsing the web have open doors to everything about you, and only a high security can protect you.
Malicious Websites
There are websites on the internet that are made to look more attractive than regular ones, with insane offers and an amazingly interesting content, something you wouldn’t expect to see and that attract your curiosity. There are many ways for you to find yourself there, it might be spammed with keywords so that it would appear in your search results, or you might get a link to it in an email. In most of the cases, websites like these are actually another hunting ground for hackers, that are only waiting for someone to get tricked and click on the wrong thing. And that’s pretty much what they all need, one wrong click on your end, and they might get unlimited access to your device and everything on it.
Buying Used Devices
Even though buying used phones or other devices might seem like a pretty good idea – they are quite cheap, after all – it might lead to a lot of trouble for you. You can never be sure that the previous owner wasn’t a hacker that has installed a malware or a spy program on the device that’ll start transmitting your data as soon as you get the internet connection. The only thing you can do, if you insist on buying used devices, is to scan it or to let a professional check it out and search for malicious content.
Smartphones are in most danger of being hacked, especially since they’re the most common and their security is rarely taken into consideration. Remember that everything that you can connect to the web, someone else can hack.
How To Protect Yourself
There are several ways or steps, you can do to protect yourself. Of course, there’s no perfect protection, but you should try and add as many layers of protection that you can.
Be Aware Of Your Surroundings
While you’re in public, you should limit your searches and should never try and access your bank accounts. You never know if one of those people sitting nearby and looking at their phones are trying to hack you and use your data for their own personal gain.
Know Your Contacts
It happens from time to time that one of those people who never send you anything suddenly send an email with an app or pictures, links or documents, and that something seems a bit off. If you find yourself in that situation, it’s probably best to first confirm with the person that they actually sent it, before you download or open anything. You never know, maybe they’ve been hacked, and the hacker is now trying to expand his playground.
Get An Antivirus And Keep It Up To Date
Antivirus programs are one of the best solutions when you need to keep your device safe and protected because they’re always getting updated with information of newly discovered threats and how to fix them. That’s why you should get one, and keep it updated as much as you can. There’s no “too much” when it comes to your safety and protection.
Get A VPN
VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are also one of the best ways to boost your online security. And not only that but privacy as well. VPNs might cost about $40 a month on average, but they’ll give you an amazing number of benefits and new features. They’ll mask your IP address, unblock geo-restrictions, encrypt your data and hide it from anyone, protect you from viruses, worms, malware and hackers, and even allow you to secure several devices at once. The best VPNs in the market are TorGuard, GhostVPN, and IPVanish.
Always remember that the more you use your devices, the more useful information might be on them, and the more they’ll seem interesting to hackers. Don’t take risks and allow someone to destroy your device, and possibly ruin your life, take precautions and protect yourself.
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