Let’s make an effort to understand and deal with today’s cybersecurity scares that are sweeping the nation and discover the pinnacle methods to stop unethical hackers in their tracks.
Few of us are strangers to unsolicited mail, but something more sinister has been appearing in inboxes these days which might have you in a panic.
A mass round of blackmail emails is blasting its way around the world, with cybercriminals making evermore increasing demands of everyday people, with hackers claiming they have access to your critical passwords, threatening to reveal your details, gain entrance to your key accounts or, worse, bring your company down.
Why is this taking place?
The hackers have found your email address on a breached database. You might be aware that your details have been breached – for example, you may have received an email from the company to which you gave your email in the first place or you could have been a victim of a high-profile attack covered in the media – however, more often than not, you could be completely oblivious to the breach.
Most normal email addresses consist of your full name, making it simple for wrong-doers to personalise an email to you. The hackers have received your email address and the password to the site that was originally breached. This may be a password you use for other sites you use regularly and can cause panic when it’s quoted back to you in a blackmail email.
But, there are some easy steps you can take to be protected and block the blackmailers there and then.
How can I stop the hackers winning?
In the event that you presume you have been hacked or have had your details leaked by a third-party company, you can check this at Have I Been Pwned. By entering your email address, the site gives you a rundown of cases where your credentials have been leaked. You may be one of the fortunate ones and never have been on a breached list: be that as it may, on the off chance that you have, the site gives you further approaches to keep yourself protected and ensure that your accounts stay secure.
Best ways to protect your programmes and keep hackers at bay.
Use 2FA (for everything!)
Be proactive with regards to your security and protect your programmes with two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA implies that regardless of whether hackers get hold of one of your passwords, it is futile without knowing your second log-in. UKFast gives you the alternative to use 2FA for your server solution. If you aren’t using it already, head to MyUKFast to update your account settings.
Create solid passwords
There are external sites that can do this, nonetheless, you can guarantee your passwords are solid by including punctuation and numbers as well as upper and lowercase letters. Passkeys can be actual words, a combination of random characters or passphrases (longer, complex sentences) which are super-tricky to crack: make your password totally unique.
Never use the same password for anything!
While we know it’s dubious to monitor each one of those full stops, digits and peculiar manners of expression, ensure that you have a different (solid) password for everything you use. One of the most common errors that people make is using their LinkedIn password for their work programmes. You can store (and create) your complex passwords in a password manager.