Don't be a victim of Cybercrime

With so much of our personal information stored on the internet, it has never been easier for a hacker to steal your identity or access your private data. Learn how to protect yourself from these vulnerabilities by following some simple tips that will help you avoid getting hacked! A hacker's goal is to gain access to your accounts and use them in an illegal way such as sending spam emails. You want to make it difficult for a hacker to get what they are after.

The most important step you can take is to create strong passwords that are hard to crack. Password cracking tools are readily available and can be used by anyone; even you can use them if you want. These tools will guess at a password using commonly used words or simple variations such as replacing the letter "o" with a zero. If your password is easy to guess, it's very likely that someone else will guess it as well!

Below we have provided some tips that will help strengthen your passwords and protect your data:

1. Use a Password Manager

A password manager is a software tool that will help you manage your passwords and logins more efficiently. Some of these will generate strong passwords for you, while others are just electronic versions of a paper notebook. When using a software version, make sure it is one that offers two-factor authentication so your accounts are even more secure. Two-factor authentication requires you to enter not only your password but also some other piece of information when logging in. It could be something you know, such as your password or a pattern that only you would know, and/or something you have such as an SMS code or access to an app on your phone.

2. Never Use Commonly Used Passwords

It is never a good idea to use your pet's name, your birthday, or even the name of a celebrity that you really like as a password. There are so many people that have these names as their passwords and it's likely that at least one of them has been hacked already. Here are some examples of hard-to-remember yet easy-to-guess passwords:

"password", "123456", "qwerty", "iloveyou", and "rockyou" – all of these are extremely common passwords.

"p455w0rd", "Letmein", "P00ki3", and "Baseball" – these can be memorable for you but will probably be easily guessed by someone else.

Instead of using common passwords, consider using a random combination of letters, symbols, uppercase characters and lowercase characters. Try to use a different password for each account; there is no point in making it easy for a hacker to gain access to all of your accounts if they manage to crack one account! If you are worried about remembering complex passwords, here's some good news: password managers create random passwords for you and remember them so all you have to remember is one password; your Master Password that unlocks the app.

3. Keep Your Computer Up-to-date

One of the most common ways of hacking is to infect a computer with malware. Many computers are unsecured with software that can accidentally be downloaded; this malware can then log keystrokes and make it easier for a hacker to access all of your data or steal your identity. Make sure you stay up-to-date with the latest version of Windows that is available through automatic updates; this should be set up on any computer that you do not personally use everyday. Additionally, if you are using Internet Explorer, make sure you are running the latest version available especially if it is automatic.

Conclusion

Information technology is a great tool that can help us accomplish our goals, but it can also be a huge vulnerability if not used carefully. It is important to be proactive in protecting your data and personal information from cybercriminals. If you have any other tips or tricks that you would like to share with other students we would love to hear them! Be safe and stay current with the latest developments in technology!

Source: hackread.