Prepping isn’t always about survival when the SHTF. There are times when we need to prepare for the bad things that could happen tomorrow. Because of that, here are a few ways to protect your online accounts from hacking.
The improvements in technology have brought us instantaneous communication with people around the globe as well as faster and easier ways to pay bills, start businesses, and complete tasks. But with this, comes the problem of security. There are some ways that you can protect yourself, and prepare in advance for a possible hacking of your accounts.
1. USE SECURE CONNECTIONS ONLY
Make sure your Wi-Fi connection is secure. As tempting as public Wi-Fi usage can be, its best to only access your accounts with personal information from a secure connection. Also, do not access your accounts from public computers. These computers may have malware installed on them that could allow hackers an avenue into your accounts. If you do choose to use public but secure Wi-Fi connection, always log out when you finish using your computer. It is usually better to use a cellular connection than public Wi-Fi when accessing sensitive data, like your banking information.
2. CHOOSE GOOD PASSWORDS
This should go without saying, but make sure your password isn’t one anyone could guess. Password12345, your name, or your birthday make poor passwords as they are easily guessable. Choose passwords that are difficult to remember. Strong passwords generally have 12 characters and include numbers, letters, capitalization, and special characters. Passwords should be different across platforms and multi-step authentication should be used whenever possible. Multi-step authentication usually requires a temporary code sent via e-mail or text message. Hackers won’t receive the temporary code if they discover your password, thereby restricting their access to your account, and you will know immediatly if someone is attempting to hack in.
3. UPDATE OPERATING SYSTEMS FREQUENTLY
Older operating systems often don’t have the same security as the news one. By updating when a new one becomes available, you’ll be helping to prevent hackers from accessing your private information through the vulnerabilities in older programs. Operating systems and software programs frequently offer updates that include security improvements.
4. OPEN EMAILS WITH CARE
Do not click on links in emails that don’t come from trusted sources. Opening links from hackers is the perfect way for them to enter your device. Even if you know the person sending you the link, hover over the URL before clicking it to ensure it is legitimate. Look at the body of the email and take note of things that seem “off.” It’s always a good idea to check the e-mail address of suspicious emails and take a look at the sentence structure of the body of the e-mail. If it doesn’t feel right, it is probably better to simply delete the message.
Hopefully, these four tips will help you keep yourself safe and prepared in advance against hackers. There are a few additional things that can be done, but just these four will make it difficult for anyone attempting to access your account.
Never 10! Yes, I’ll be paying the microsoft extortion fee to keep win 7 alive. The Liberty Daily had a link to an article that tried to dns hijack me the other day, had to perform a safe start to get that out. Be careful out there. I really love the original ad block plus which does not allow advertisers to buy their way past it. Also Ublock Origin is really nifty, and gives you optional notices that your data is being distributed if you choose to proceed to this particular website or not. All of these news hub people should operate with these tools on so they know what the conditions are for literally half of the viewing audience. Also the old hat stuff like turning off history, turning on manual permissions security, turning off all remote desktop and bluetooth and wifi, auto deleting cookies at end of session. Turn on hover show link and lower corner of the screen show redirect website paths. Ffox is good for that. For passwords you simply have to have a unique one for every single website, do not save, do not use master keys, and keep a written journal for your passcodes. No other way around it. I like Spybot S&D free tools the immunization and quick usage track cleaning are still effective all these years later. If you’re surfing routinely with anything other than a personal computer on hardline ethernet, you’re just asking for trouble. Have a good one.
1. USE SECURE CONNECTIONS ONLY – Ummmm..
#1 – Never use WiFi ever. There is NO secure WiFi. And surely never do any banking on any WiFi period. And you do not want the Radiation that WiFi Gives off anyway. No Brainer. Hard wire your laptops and devices.
2. CHOOSE GOOD PASSWORDS
#2 – Change them frequently and never use the same password for various accounts.
3. UPDATE OPERATING SYSTEMS FREQUENTLY
#3. Total BS. Never do any updates on any devices ever. That’s how you get hacked. Each phony update is the device sending all of your browsing data to the Update Manager to put your Browsing info into a data base to exploit you later.
4. OPEN EMAILS WITH CARE –
#4, No NOT uses these email services. Google or Yahoo or AOL or Hot Mail. Get a service that includes encryption. All of these other services track your every word in every email as Google is another tentacle of the Government to Spy on you. Totally ditch everything Google. And shut off all Google Admin features on your Cell phone or throw it away and get a new phone and remove all Google Apps and Admin features, before you even add any of our info to the device.
RE: Cell phones, never install any 3rd party Apps on your phone. You are begging to get hacked. Never use GPS feature on your phone as every place you go you are being tracked and all your Photos you take will be GEO Tagged as a location will be added to the properties of your photos. Never buy an Apple Device or iPhone. Biggest targeted and hacked cell phone device out there – 7 entries points into any Apple cell phone device. And Never use WiFi period.
Tips,, Also never use any public charging station for your cell phone, and never charge your cell phone using your USB port on your laptop as your devices will start a Sync mode to share our info between devices. Never charge your phone in your cars cigarette lighter if you have an onboard computer as that device will capture all your data and sent that off to 3rd parties. Also remove all factory installed GPS devices on vehicles. Get a separate GPS and never do any updates on that either, as your info and routes of travel will be shared with the device manufacture.
Bottom line, never plug in or update or load 3rd party apps or use WiFi or GPS on your cell phones.
I also suggest you try the Linux operating system.
It is virtually impervious to “malware” of any sorts.
Text authentication is better than nothing but not very secure, because if you’re accounts are worth the trouble, your sim card and phone number can be spoofed with a little social engineering. A 2 factor auth app like ‘authy’ is way better.
recent sim card spoofing: https://www.zdnet.com/article/fbi-warns-about-attacks-that-bypass-multi-factor-authentication-mfa/
Another way to secure your accounts is to STOP using tablets, computers, and cell phones to pay bills, write emails, and purchase goods over the internet.
We love the convenience and ease that using the Internet affords us, but the trade off is PRIVACY.
Big business/big government knows EVERYTHING about us.
Our medical records are online, and everything we purchase in grocery stores or gas stations (if we use the various “club cards” or use a credit/debit card) is recorded.
Social media records our every thought, inclination, deed, and political/religious affiliation.
We post EVERYTHING about ourselves online, our likes, dislikes, hobbies, photos of our friends, children, relatives, acquaintances, and pets.
Cable TV and streaming services profile us according to what we watch and listen to.
We have stupidly handed over every single shred of information about ourselves and our families to government (and other entities) all in the name of convenience, ease and entertainment.
Time to stop and withdraw as much as is possible from this rigged system.
VPN (Not a free vpn, buy a good one).
Password generator & Password manager software
uMatrix / uBlock Origin / HTTPS – type browser extensions
Secure Browsers (Not Google/IE/Chromium)
Use TOR and Tails when appropriate
And use TOR.
(And others)
And use TOR.
(And others)
I have no problems with getting hacked. My problems are banks, credit reporting agencies, doctors offices, retail establishments, and government agencies. No way to protect yourself from their stupidity.
Can’t say I always agree about updating your OS and the reason: good to wait until white hats vet the updates. Lots of back doors and other nefarious things do get added into updates. And don’t update all, just critical updates.
Windows 10 has made it more difficult, Apple sold out awhile ago. Linux is a viable way to go . . .