There are many hackers operating today that target vulnerable accounts. These hackers want to gain access to sensitive information, data, and even money. The good news is that there are several ways to avoid a data breach. This article discusses some tips to help you stay clear of hackers.
What do hackers look for?
To avoid getting targeted by hackers, you must first understand the type of targets they look for. Most hackers are after money. They are looking for people to scam or blackmail so they can receive a huge payout after the process.
Some hackers want to gain access to private data. They will then use this information to expose or harass the target. Other hackers even target governments or enemies of the state to gain sensitive state information.
If hackers are after a big payday, they usually target people who are not well-versed in using the internet. The older generation is a usual target for financial hacks. This generation is not as experienced in using websites and applications as the younger users.
While most hackers do it for the money, some just do it for kicks. They don’t mind what the effect of their hacking will be. They focus on a target, get the information they want, and broadcast it to the world. This is why even if you don’t fit the common profile of a target, it is best to keep your online accounts secure to avoid being targeted in the first place. For businesses, implementing a pragmatic security program is a good way to avoid getting targeted by hackers.
Tips to Avoid Getting Targeted
The good news is that you can apply several techniques to avoid becoming a target of hackers. These techniques are easy to use and simple to set up. But they will go a long way in securing your accounts and deterring potential hackers.
Use a password manager.
One of the first things users create online is an account. Whether it is an email account, social media profile, e-commerce account, or any other type of account, you will need a strong password to protect it. A password manager can help you create strong passwords and store them securely.
A password manager is software that helps users generate and manage their passwords. It can also autofill online forms with your stored credentials. There are many password managers available, and it is best to read up on the features of each before selecting one.
Once you have chosen a password manager, all you have to do is create a strong master password. This will be the only password you need to remember from now on, as all your other passwords will be stored in the software.
Remember that you still need to create strong passwords that are a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols! A password manager will be useless if all your passwords are as simple as “1234” or “password.” You should also have different passwords per account. This way, in case one of your accounts gets hacked, the others will still be safe.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
Two-factor authentication provides an added layer of security on top of a strong password. With 2FA enabled, you will need to enter a code sent to your mobile phone. Alternately, an authenticator app generates the code in addition to your password when logging in. Setting up 2FA makes it difficult to access your account. Hackers would also need to have your mobile phone or the authenticator app, which is much harder to acquire.
You can enable 2FA for your email, social media, and other online accounts. Check the security settings of each account to see how you can enable 2FA. For email accounts, you can also set up two-step verification.
Exercise caution when clicking links.
Hackers often use phishing scams to bait users into clicking on malicious links or opening infected attachments. Once the user clicks on the link or attachment, the malicious software will be installed on their device without them knowing.
To avoid falling for a phishing scam, always check the sender of an email or message before clicking on any links. If you don’t know the sender, or if the email looks suspicious, do not click on any links! You can also hover your cursor over a link to see where it will lead you before clicking.
Avoid using public Wi-Fi.
Public Wi-Fi is convenient, but it is also one of the most insecure ways to connect to the internet. Hackers can easily set up a fake Wi-Fi network and lure users into connecting to it. Once the user is connected, the hacker can then snoop on their internet traffic and steal sensitive information.
If you must use public Wi-Fi, avoid doing any activities that require you to enter sensitive information, such as online banking or shopping. You should also use a VPN, which encrypts your internet traffic and makes it more difficult for hackers to eavesdrop on your activities.
Keep your software up to date.
One of the best ways to avoid getting hacked is to keep your software up to date. This refers to all the software that you have installed on your device! When a new security update is released, hackers will often try to take advantage of it by targeting devices that have not yet installed the update. By keeping your software up to date, you can make it more difficult for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities.
Setting up automatic software updates is the usual way to go. But it is still a good idea to check for updates manually from time to time. To do this, open the settings or preferences menu for each software and look for the update option.
By following the tips above, you can make it more difficult for hackers to target you. However, it is important to remember that no security measure is perfect. Hackers are always finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest security threats. Staying one step ahead of hackers is an effective way to keep your accounts secure.
Kuna wahasibu wengi wanaofanya kazi leo ambao wanalenga akaunti zilizo hatarini. Wahasibu hao wanataka kupata habari zenye kuvutia, data, na hata pesa. Habari njema ni kwamba kuna njia kadhaa za kuepuka uvunjaji wa data. Makala hii inazungumzia vidokezo fulani vinavyoweza kukusaidia kuepuka kuathiriwa na wahasibu. Watumiaji wa kompyuta hutafuta nini? Ili kuepuka kuwa shabaha ya wahasibu, lazima kwanza uelewe aina ya malengo wanayotafuta. Wahasibu wengi wanatafuta pesa. Wanatafuta watu wa kudanganya au kutisha ili waweze kupokea malipo makubwa baada ya mchakato. Baadhi ya wahasibu wanataka kupata upatikanaji wa data binafsi. Kisha watatumia habari hiyo kumfunua au kumsumbua mtu huyo. Wahasibu wengine hata huwadhuru serikali au maadui wa serikali ili kupata habari nyeti za serikali. Hackers wanajaribu kupata pesa nyingi, kwa kawaida wanawalenga watu ambao hawajui kutumia mtandao. Kizazi cha zamani ni shabaha ya kawaida ya udanganyifu wa kifedha. Kizazi hiki hakina uzoefu kama watumiaji wachanga katika kutumia tovuti na programu. Ingawa wahasibu wengi hufanya hivyo kwa ajili ya pesa, wengine hufanya hivyo kwa ajili ya kujifurahisha. Hawana wasiwasi nini athari ya hacking yao itakuwa. Wao hukazia fikira shabaha, hupata habari wanayotaka, na kuitangaza ulimwenguni pote. Hii ni kwa nini hata kama wewe si fit profile ya kawaida ya lengo, ni bora kuweka akaunti yako online salama ili kuepuka kuwa walengwa katika nafasi ya kwanza. Kwa biashara, kutekeleza mpango wa usalama wa vitendo ni njia nzuri ya kuepuka kuwa lengo la wahasibu. Njia za Kuepuka Kuwa Lengo la Hackers Habari njema ni kwamba unaweza kutumia mbinu kadhaa ili kuepuka kuwa lengo la hackers. Mbinu hizi ni rahisi kutumia na rahisi kuanzisha. Lakini watafanya kazi kwa muda mrefu katika kulinda akaunti zako na kuzuia wahasibu wa uwezekano. Tumia meneja wa nenosiri. Moja ya mambo ya kwanza watumiaji kuunda online ni akaunti. Ikiwa ni akaunti ya barua pepe, akaunti ya mtandao wa kijamii, akaunti ya e-commerce au aina nyingine yoyote ya akaunti, unahitaji nenosiri kali ili kuilinda. Meneja wa nenosiri anaweza kukusaidia kuunda nenosiri zenye nguvu na kuzihifadhi kwa usalama. Meneja wa nenosiri ni programu ambayo husaidia watumiaji kuzalisha na kusimamia nenosiri zao. Inaweza pia kujaza fomu za mtandaoni kwa njia ya kiotomatiki kwa kutumia hati zako za kuidhinisha zilizohifadhiwa. Kuna wasimamizi wengi wa nenosiri, na ni afadhali kusoma juu ya sifa za kila mmoja kabla ya kuchagua moja. Baada ya kuchagua meneja wa nenosiri, unachohitaji kufanya ni kuunda nenosiri la msingi lenye nguvu. Hii itakuwa ni password pekee unahitaji kukumbuka kutoka sasa, kama nywila yako yote mengine itakuwa kuhifadhiwa katika programu. Kumbuka kwamba bado unahitaji kutengeneza nywila zenye nguvu ambazo ni mchanganyiko wa herufi, tarakimu, na alama! "Msimamizi wa nywila atakuwa na faida ikiwa nywila zako zote ni rahisi kama ""1234"" au ""nywila"" - unapaswa pia kuwa na nywila tofauti kwa kila akaunti." Kwa njia hii, ikiwa akaunti yako moja itavunjwa, zingine zitakuwa salama. Kuwezesha uthibitisho wa sababu mbili (2FA) Uthibitisho wa mambo mawili hutoa safu ya ziada ya usalama juu ya nenosiri lenye nguvu. Ikiwa 2FA imefungwa, utahitaji kuingiza nambari ya siri kwenye simu yako. Vinginevyo, programu ya uthibitishaji hutengeneza nambari pamoja na nenosiri lako unapojisajili. Kuanzisha 2FA hufanya iwe vigumu kupata akaunti yako. Hackers pia wanahitaji kuwa na simu yako ya mkononi au programu ya uthibitishaji, ambayo ni vigumu sana kupata. Unaweza kuwezesha 2FA kwa akaunti zako za barua pepe, media ya kijamii, na akaunti zingine za mtandaoni. Angalia mipangilio ya usalama ya kila akaunti ili uone jinsi ya kuwezesha 2FA. Kwa akaunti za barua pepe, unaweza pia kuanzisha uthibitisho wa hatua mbili. Uwe mwangalifu unapobonyeza viungo. Mara nyingi wahasibu hutumia udanganyifu wa ujanja ili kuwashawishi watumiaji wabonyeze viungo vyenye madhara au kufungua viambatisho vilivyoambukizwa. Mara tu mtumiaji anapobonyeza kiungo au kiambatisho, programu hasidi itawekwa kwenye kifaa chao bila wao kujua. Ili kuepuka kuanguka kwa udanganyifu wa udanganyifu, daima angalia mtumaji wa barua pepe au ujumbe kabla ya kubonyeza viungo vyovyote. Kama hujui mtumaji, au kama barua pepe inaonekana mashaka, usibonyeze kwenye viungo yoyote! Unaweza pia kuweka kiashiria chako juu ya kiungo ili uone ni wapi kitakuongoza kabla ya kubonyeza. Epuka kutumia Wi-Fi ya umma. Wi-Fi ya umma ni rahisi, lakini pia ni moja ya njia zisizo salama zaidi za kuunganisha kwenye mtandao. Hackers wanaweza kwa urahisi kuanzisha mtandao bandia wa Wi-Fi na kuvutia watumiaji kuunganisha nayo. Mara tu mtumiaji anapounganishwa, hacker anaweza kuchunguza trafiki yao ya mtandao na kuiba habari nyeti. Ikiwa ni lazima utumie Wi-Fi ya umma, epuka kufanya shughuli zozote zinazohitaji uingiza habari nyeti, kama vile benki ya mtandaoni au ununuzi. Pia, unapaswa kutumia VPN, ambayo huficha trafiki yako ya mtandao na hufanya iwe vigumu kwa wahasibu kusikiliza shughuli zako. Weka programu yako ikiwa mpya. Njia bora ya kuepuka kuingiliwa ni kuweka programu yako hadi sasa. Hii inahusu programu zote ambazo umeweka kwenye kifaa chako! Wakati update mpya ya usalama ni iliyotolewa, hackers mara nyingi kujaribu kuchukua faida yake kwa lengo vifaa ambayo bado si imewekwa update. Kwa kuweka programu yako hadi sasa, unaweza kufanya iwe vigumu zaidi kwa wahasibu kutumia udhaifu. Kuanzisha updates moja kwa moja ya programu ni njia ya kawaida ya kwenda. Lakini bado ni wazo zuri kuangalia kwa ajili ya updates manually mara kwa mara. Kufanya hivyo, kufungua mipangilio au mapendekezo orodha kwa kila programu na kuangalia kwa ajili ya chaguo update. Kwa kufuata vidokezo hapo juu, unaweza kufanya iwe vigumu kwa wahasibu kukusudia. Hata hivyo, ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba hakuna hatua ya usalama iliyo kamilifu. Watekaji wa kompyuta daima hupata njia mpya za kutumia udhaifu, kwa hiyo ni muhimu kukaa juu ya vitisho vya hivi karibuni vya usalama. Kuendelea hatua moja mbele ya wahasibu ni njia bora ya kulinda akaunti yako.