Virtual Attacks – As the volume of confidential information stored on online systems grows , so do attempts to attack that data. Knowing curiosities about the virtual attacks that occur in 2020 can be a way to prevent it.
Although prevention methods have evolved considerably, hackers’ boldness has also grown to the same extent and they are always looking for new scam alternatives. The financial sector is the main target of these invasions, but that does not mean that these institutions are the only ones vulnerable.
Also Read : How to Secure Your Mobile Device Data ?
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More than 8.5 billion records were compromised in 2019
The successful virtual attacks grew by almost 200% compared to 2018. According to experts, there were no less than 8.5 billion records breached in the past year alone. In the vast majority of cases, not using two-step verification for login is a major cause of the problems.
The tip, therefore, is to activate this method in your main passwords. Whether for personal or commercial use, double the care in places where sensitive information is circulating. The chances that an attack will be successful are greatly reduced when double checking is enabled.
“Unique” password is not a good deal
Using the same password for different online services is also not a good idea. If your password is compromised on one service, it means that you are in danger of all others that you use automatically. The so-called millenials – born between 1980 and 1995 – are the ones that most commit this type of error.
The biggest danger is in the use of passwords on sites with a low level of security. Data accessed through them can serve as a springboard for hackers to gain access to more secure services, such as Google, Facebook or Microsoft. The tip is to use a password for each service and minimize the risks.
Also Read : Things you know about Ransomware 2019
USA is top 5 in botnets
Attempts to crack a password, most of the time, are not made manually. Bots are run to try to discover user data and these networks are frequent in USA. Studies show that the country is the fifth placed in the world in botnets, behind only the United States, France, Holland and Russia.
For that reason, it is never too much to remember that you must double your attention. We American are much more subject to attempted attacks than Argentines, for example. In addition, check the origin of the services you use. If they are from one of the countries mentioned above, be even more careful.
Google and YouTube are most targeted in phishing scams
Phishing practices are among the most frequent in terms of the methodology used by hackers. The idea is to throw a bait at the user with a malicious link, capable of stealing data from your machine. In more than 60% of cases the scams are related to YouTube or Google, services used by most users.
The techniques employed for this are varied. Baits use fake pages and redirect to websites that run malware . To avoid this type of scam, keep an antivirus active on your machine and always check the URL of a website before accessing a page through a link received.
Scams take time to be noticed
Even among large companies, it can take up to six months for them to realize that sensitive data has been hacked or stolen. Throughout this time, hackers just monitor the information and take advantage of the situation, collecting as much data as possible.
The same is true for us, ordinary users. Malware installed on the PC and running in the background can take months to be perceived naturally. The tip, therefore, is to always keep an antivirus active and perform the necessary checks at least once every 15 days.
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