How to protect your account from hacking – the most relevant security measures

Fraud and theft of data on the network is a fairly common problem for both ordinary users and corporations. Every day, attackers come up with more and more sophisticated schemes and ways to steal confidential information. What do they want to get by guessing your password?

• Access to your network;
• numbers of bank cards, accounts;
• personal data in order to create copies of SIM-cards, EDS, and so on;
• contacts: telephone database, e-mail addresses, alternative sources of communication – instant messengers, social networks;
• documents: passports, certificates, diplomas, certificates, etc.;
• access to corporate information, personal correspondence, secret information, etc.

Take care of account security it is necessary for every Internet user, regardless of the type of his activity, because each of us has hundreds of contacts in the database. Many people may think that protection against hackers is an unnecessary reinsurance, and the tricks of scammers are easy to recognize. But as long as they do not personally encounter unauthorized withdrawals from the account or damage to the company’s reputation.

But it is better to prevent the situation than to deal with its consequences, right? And the first step is to try to be as informed as possible. Before knowing how to protect your account from hacking, let’s look at what you can be of interest to attackers, and what opportunities they have to harm you today.

Types of scammers and areas in which they specialize:

• hackers – hack not only accounts, but also websites, servers, using their vulnerabilities; they steal confidential data for the purpose of selling, publishing, or just out of curiosity – checking the reliability of the site;
• mobile scammers and telephone blackmailers – they pretend to be bank employees, collection services or charitable organizations in order to take money from your accounts;
• specialists in the field of social engineering – fake SIM-cards in order to carry out a variety of frauds, because with the help of SMS you can confirm a payment, access to some service, an application for participation in a tender, etc .;
• Virus writers – create data-stealing spyware or ransomware;
• carders – often use skimmers that are attached to an ATM to read bank card data, but they also steal data remotely, for example, using phishing;
• fraud in social networks — the creation of entire bot farms in order to lure you into a trap, collecting your data on fake sites (phishing), selling non-existent goods, blackmail after stealing data in personal correspondence, and much more;
• document forgers – have a very wide scope for their “talents”: from creating fake passports for their frauds to real estate transactions, taking huge loans against your signature, creating front companies or shifting criminal responsibility onto you.

Fraudsters often unite in groups to exchange data, update knowledge and build more effective schemes. Therefore, to the average user, in order to ensure account security, you need to monitor information about modern protection methods from time to time.

Below we offer you to get acquainted with the most relevant data for today.

Checklist for protection against hacker attacks and more

• Proven – passwords cannot be trusted. Moreover, simple. Set up two-factor authentication on all accounts where this option is available. Pay special attention to public service websites, corporate accounts, and protecting personal mail.
• Don’t store passwords on deviceswith access to the Internet. Use password managers like 1password or offline media like a flash drive.
• Set up alerts by mail, instant messengers, push notifications or SMS about any transactions performed in online services: about reissuing a digital signature, confirming a payment, debiting funds from an account, changing passwords, requesting a credit history, etc. Instantly respond and cancel unauthorized requests.
• Don’t enter payment details on unverified sites, even if you see a very tempting discount offer that is running out quickly. It is better to check the site address again and buy the original guaranteed in the seller’s store.
• Don’t autosave passwords on devices or browsers. They can be decrypted. It is better to trust encryption to devices with cryptographic protection, because their code is extremely resistant to hacking.
• Check application permissions and revoke access to data and contacts where it is not critical.
• Protect your mobile login with your fingerprint (if available), PIN, or pattern. Then, if you lose your smartphone, you will at least gain time and have time to block the cards.
• Install reliable antivirus software on all devices.
• Don’t answer unknown calls right away. Check with Google if the number is listed as a scam.
• Having received a link from a friend by mail or in a messenger, do not rush to open it. Do not rush to believe the tragic blows of fate and pleas for help. Try to make sure that the information was actually sent by the person for whom he claims to be. Even better, give him a call. To protect your account from hacking, you need not be afraid to look paranoid in the eyes of others. Remember, checking the information you receive will save you money, nerves, time and reputation.

What is the most reliable method of protection against hackers

Today, the most effective way to protect accounts from hacking is to use stand-alone portable hardware devices – security keys. The most important thing is to choose them correctly.

• • The keys must be internationally certified and support commonly accepted two-factor, multi-factor authentication protocols such as FIDO/FIDO2.
  • Choose devices that are guaranteed to be compatible with your favorite services (by list of supported devices or form factor).
  • Make sure your devices are reliable. How resistant are they to mechanical damage? Are the devices waterproof?
  • Decide what you will use the devices for. You can either protect your account from hacking or purchase a package to protect the accounts of your company’s employees.

YubiKey as an account protection method

Above, we mentioned the YubiKey hardware as one of the best ways to protect your account from being hacked.. Let’s see why this is so.

• YubiKey hardware devices manufactured in Sweden and the USA since 2007. They have cryptographic encryption, and reliably protect accounts from hacking and phishing. New versions released annually, in accordance with the requirements of realities and user requests. There are devices suitable for protection against hackers for ordinary users, there are funds for government agencies, with enhanced protection. Latest of the versions YubiKey Bio — FIDO, released at the end of last year, has a biometric scanner.
• The reliability of devices has been proven by time — they do not have retractable parts in the assembly that wear out and require replacement over time. There are also series with IP68 water resistance.
• Yubikey security keys support international open authentication standards and are not tied to a proprietary platform that can become outdated or more expensive.
• YubiKey keys support hundreds of popular services. Among them there is a fairly common postal service Gmail,giving access to widely used Google services.
• Now you can buy YubiKey in Ukraine!

For advice and assistance in choosing devices, call our managers!