You can protect yourself from hackers and scammers by doing these nine things

Scammers use AI tools to create increasingly convincing methods to trick victims into sending them money and to gain access to the personal information necessary to commit identity theft. Deepfakes allow them to impersonate a friend’s voice or a family member’s, and even fake video calls with them!

This can lead to criminals taking on thousands of dollars in credit card debt or loans in your name. There are ways to protect yourself from even the most sophisticated scams. Here are some security and privacy checks you can run to make sure you are safe.

Use a password management program

In the past, we might have been told to use strong, unique passwords on each website and app we used. But today, we use so many passwords that it is only feasible if we use password managers. Passwords on Apple devices makes it super-easy to do this

. Use the Passwords app or your preferred password manager to store and set the password each time you register for a service.

Replace old passwords

If you’ve been online before password managers, you probably have weak passwords. If you’ve been on the internet before password managers were available, you may have used some passwords on more than one site. This is a big risk, because your security is only as strong as the website you use.

Attackers break into a poorly secured website, grab the logins and then use automated software to test these logins on hundreds different websites. If you re-used your password, the attackers now have access to all of your accounts at sites where you used that password.

Update your older passwords using the password change feature. Start with the ones that are most important – those that could put you at the greatest risk if your account was compromised. You should have strong, unique passwords on all your financial accounts, as well as any other important ones, such as Apple, Google and Amazon.

Include any accounts that have already been compromised. You can identify them by entering your email address in Have I been Pwned?

Passkeys are gradually replacing passwords. The difference may seem insignificant in terms of login, but it’sa huge in terms security.

A website or app that uses a passkey doesn’t require a password. Instead, it asks your device for verification of your identity. Face ID or Touch ID is used by your device to verify that you are indeed who you claim to. It is important to note that it does not send a password to the service. This means that there is no way to hack this. All the service sees are confirmations of successful biometric authentication.

Use two-factor verification

An increasing number of accounts allows you to use two factor authentication (2FA). This means that an attacker would not be able access your account even if they got your login credentials.

2FA requires a rolling code every time you login. Text messages can be used, but we strongly recommend against it, as they leave you vulnerable to SIM swap attacks, which have become increasingly common. Never use text-based 2FA on financial services accounts. Select the option to use a authenticator app instead. You will see a QR code that you can scan to add the service. The next time you login, open the app and you’ll see a 6-digit code that you will need to enter. This feature can be found in the Passwords application, or you can also use a separate app like Google Authenticator

Check the last login details

Certain services, such as banking apps, display the date and hour of your last successful log-in. Check this every time you log in, as it may indicate that your account is compromised.

Use a VPN for public Wi-Fi Hotspots

When you use a Wi-Fi public hotspot you are at risk of what is known as a Man-in-the-Middle attack (MitM). Someone uses a small device that uses the same name of a public WiFi hotspot to get people to connect. Once you connect, they can monitor all your internet traffic.

Nearly all modern websites use HTTPS. This provides an encrypted connection, making MitM attacks safer than they used be. The exploit can still expose you to privacy and security risks. Using a VPN, however, is highly recommended. Choose a reputable VPN provider, ideally one that does not keep logs and is subject to independent audits. I use NordVPN is the best option for this.

AI chatbots shouldn’t be given personal information

AI bots use the conversations they have with users to train. This means that anything you type or say could end up in a database and could be used when answering a question from another user. Never give out any personal information that you wouldn’t want to be seen on the internet.

Consider data removal

Many of your personal details have already been collected by data brokers. Your email address and telephone number can be used to send spam, which can be annoying, but they can also by scammers. You may want to remove your data from all broker services. You can Do this yourselfor use Incogni is a good service to use.

Triple-check all requests for money.

Lastly, if someone asks you to send money, be on alert. Never trust anyone, even if they seem to be a family member, friend or boss. Always contact them through a known, alternative communication channel. If they emailed, call them. If they called you, send them a message or an email. Some people even agree codewords to use with family members in the event of an emergency.

Anyone who asks you to send gift cards to them and buy them is a scam. Money transfer requests are usually scams, unless you have arranged it in advance.

Even when you expect to send someone money and are expecting them to change their bank account, be on the lookout for claims they have done so. This is almost always a fraud. Contact them again via a known, different communication channel.

Photo taken by Christina @ wocintechchat.com.via interfelness.

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