An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It

Hacking is a word that’s used a lot when people talk about computers and security. This piece will aim to provide you with more info on this topic. I’ll tell you what it is, and how you can prevent it. You can find all the relevant information below.

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An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It

What Is Hacking?

In computer terms, hacking refers to any attempt made to change the behavior of a network and connected systems. It’s the art of manipulating things to make them into something different. I use the term ‘art’ because it is a highly complex thing, and not everyone can do it. Hacking requires a high level of skill, and can be useful at times. I’ll speak more about useful hacking later on in this piece.

Typically, hacking involves malicious programs and software. Someone will hack into your network, and plant a virus there. This can be incredibly problematic, and cause problems for all the devices connected to the network.

But, this isn’t the only way hackers operate. These days, they use various methods to hack into all sorts of things. Some hackers will hack into your network and gain sensitive information such as important passwords. They could then use these passwords to access your social media accounts or emails. This is a serious problem for businesses, as a hacker can destroy their online presence in seconds. In the past, they’ve even hacked into news networks and posted false stories on websites. They operate in different ways, but all are dangerous.

So, you have to know the best ways to deal with hacking, and prevent it from occurring.
Cyber Crime, Hacking

(Link to source: https://flic.kr/p/ubq3Lj)

Find A Security Service

One of the easiest ways to prevent hacking is to shift the problem onto the experts. It’s not difficult to find an IT security service that will help you out. They’re professional and know all the tips and tricks to stop hackers getting into your network. They’ll have specialist software and hardware that will make your network impenetrable. As part of their service, they often employ friendly hackers to hack into your network. The aim is to find the weak points, and then strengthen them. This is an example of how hacking can be used for good!

This option is great for businesses that are in serious need of help. A security service will be there for you at all times, protecting your network. If any problems occur, they’ll be on-hand to sort them out in no time at all. It’s probably not the best option for individuals that want to protect their home network. Hiring a security service would be a little bit over the top. Especially as it’s rare that a hacker will hack the network of an individual. Businesses are the most at risk, so, they need all the protection they can get.

Log Out Of Your Accounts

For individuals, there are plenty of simple tips that help prevent hacking. The first of which couldn’t be easier to follow. All you have to do is log out of all your accounts. No doubt you’ll have plenty of accounts open when you’re using your computer. When you do this, you leave yourself at risk of being hacked. An open account is far easier to hack than one that’s closed and needs a password to access it.

Naturally, many of us forget to logout of everything when we finish using our PC. So, we leave everything open, which is not very safe. All it takes is a few moments after every session to ensure you’ve logged out of everything. It’s especially important for things like your internet banking account. Don’t leave this open, especially if you’re in public.

Free Wifi Zone

(pixabay: http://goo.gl/vnEZyB)

Avoid Public/Open Wifi Networks

Usually, free Wifi is an amazing thing. We’ve all been in a situation where we see a public network is available, and jump for joy. However, joining these networks is an excellent way to increase the risk of getting hacked. The main reason for this is simple; they aren’t secured. When a Wifi network isn’t secured, it has no protection at all. This means anyone can join it, and a hacker can easily get into the network and mess with your stuff. If you’re going to do important work or access some accounts, don’t do it on a public network.

Similarly, you have to ensure your home network is fully secured too. Some people decide to make their network open, as they can’t be bothered remembering the network key. It seems incredibly silly, but it’s the truth. You have friends come over and can’t be bothered telling them the password every time so just make the connection open. Again, this will just make your network the least secure thing around. Please ensure your connection is secured, and password protected. It's so simple, and it makes it that little bit harder for a hacker to gain access and wreak havoc.

Take Greater Care With Passwords

If a hacker knows a password, then life is so much easier for them. The obvious advice is to ensure your passwords are good and hard to guess. The trouble is, this isn’t good enough to keep yourself as secure as possible. Some people have one password that they use for everything. As an individual, you might be able to get away with this. But, there’s no way a business can get away with it. Businesses and their employees must have various passwords for various accounts. Make them hard to guess and include numbers, letters, and special characters. Also, It’s recommended that you change your passwords from time to time. Updating them just makes it harder for a hacker to guess them and gain access.

Another thing you should do is stop saving your passwords. All web browsers have a feature that allows you to save your passwords. It’s seen as a genius way to improve browsing convenience. Never again will you forget a password, as it’s saved for you! However, it makes you so much easier to hack. All a hacker needs to do is gain access to your network and web browser. Then, they find the ‘saved passwords’ section and have a list of all your passwords in one place. Take greater care with your passwords, and you’ll be harder to hack.

It’s not too difficult for a business and individual to prevent hacking. The main thing to consider is that you have to take greater care whenever you’re online.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments, Questions, Answers, or Reviews

Comments (Total: 4)

To protect your privacy, please remove sensitive or identifiable information from your comments, questions, or reviews. We will use your IP address to display your approximate location to other users when you make a post. That location is not enough to find you.

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July 25, 2019 at 4:23 AM by
An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It
an anonymous user from: Vitry-sur-Seine, Ile-de-France, France

How can I become hacker, thanks?

Delete

February 16, 2018 at 11:36 AM by
An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It
an anonymous user from: West Columbia, South Carolina, United States

How do I find the name for the following address 192.227.130.18 that comes up on my security program as a unsecure site?

Delete

February 16, 2018 at 1:24 PM by
An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It
info

Go to whatismyipaddress.com, enter the IP address and click the Search button.

Delete

December 11, 2017 at 10:43 AM by
An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It
an anonymous user from: Dallas, Texas, United States

I think the password section at the end will confuse people by stating "stop saving your passwords". This will only encourage the horrible practice of using the same password for all account. I maintain that you should save all your unique & complex passwords - but - in a secure password manager (not in a browser). Then only 1 password must be remembered.

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

An Introduction To Hacking and How To Prevent It