Want To Protect Your Data? Here Are Ways To Prevent Your Password From Getting Hacked

NEW DELHI: Cybercriminals use a variety of password-hacking techniques, but the simplest is to buy your passwords on the dark web. On the black market, you can make a lot of money by buying and selling login credentials and passwords, and if you’ve been using the same password for a long time, it’s likely been compromised.

A Kukatpally driver recently lost Rs 1.30 lakh to fraudsters after attempting to make his ATM card as well as other e-wallets’ four-digit PIN as easy as possible by using the passcode 1234. This happened when his mobile was seized by complete strangers in a market. The smartphone had Paytm and Google Pay apps, as well as other e-wallets that were all connected to his local bank using the same passcode.

The person who snatched the phone, figured out the passcode by making a wild guess, resulting in a fraud of Rs 1.30 lakh in payments, including gold.

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Many people use their mobile phone number’s digits or a series of numbers like 1234 or 0000 as their password, according to officials. Phone numbers can be obtained via hacking into social media accounts or guessing passwords.

Here are various attacks that could be used to hack your accounts or a database of hashed passwords that have been exposed.

1. Brute force attack: This attack attempts every possible combination until it finds yours. The attacker uses software to try as many choices as possible in the shortest amount of time possible, and there has been some unpleasant progress in that technology’s advancement.

2. Dictionary attack: This is exactly what it sounds like – the hacker is using a dictionary to attack you. Unlike a brute force assault, which attempts every possible combination of symbols, numbers, and letters, a dictionary attack uses a predetermined list of words from a dictionary.

3. Phishing attack: This is when hackers use social engineering to deceive, scare, or coerce you into doing something they don’t want. A phishing email may claim (falsely) that your credit card account has been compromised. It will instruct you to click a link that will take you to a counterfeit website that looks exactly like your credit card company’s website.

Now that we know what tricks the hackers use to get hold of a user’s password, here are some ways that you can generate a strong password and protect yourself from getting conned.

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Let’s start with the basics: what is a good password?

Outsiders will have a hard time deciphering a decent password. Passwords are, after all, like keys to our digital information. They are the first line of defence we have against cyber-attacks. As a result, it’s in your best interest to design strong passwords that are tough for outsiders to guess. The idea is to design passwords that are both difficult to crack and simple to remember. It only takes a rudimentary understanding of the laws and a dash of creativity.

A compromised password frequently results in unauthorized access. Depending on the severity of the breach, the implications for potential victims can range from moderate to severe. In a minor breach, your email or social media accounts may be hacked. A more catastrophic breach could result in the theft of sensitive information, such as personal or professional files. Meanwhile, a serious breach might result in the loss of your banking information, money, and even your identity.

The strategies listed here will help you come up with strong, memorable passwords of your own. If you use one of these helpful hints, you’ll be doubling down on your digital security.

1. Complicated: The goal of a complex password is to make it difficult for hackers to guess your password. You want a password that is personal to you yet difficult to decipher for others. To avoid being compromised, you want it to be unpredictable, unreadable, and completely obscure.

2. Character mix: The more letters (upper- and lower-case), digits, and symbols you include, the more powerful your password will be and the more difficult it will be to crack using a brute force attack.

3. No personal information: Don’t include names, dates, or locations that are personally identifiable to you when generating a password.

Hackers can use sophisticated software to try to guess your password using these words.

4. Password Manager: A password manager stores all of your usernames and passwords on your computer in an encrypted area. The best feature of password managers, however, is that they automatically recover your password whenever you need it.

5. Using Multiple Passwords: This is something that most of us have done at some point. It’s critical to regard your accounts as distinct entities and retain a list of passwords that you don’t repeat, especially for accounts that handle your financial information (e.g., credit card, banking).

6. Don’t use genuine words: Hackers and cybercriminals have a plethora of sophisticated technologies at their disposal in order to achieve their illicit objectives. If you can’t trust the terms in the dictionary, it might be time to invent your own. You can even make up your own words using dictionary words. Make-believe words like “spritleydoff” or “poodlepie” may suffice.

7. Alter your passwords: One of the good password ideas you should follow is to change your passwords periodically. Changing your passwords every two to three months is recommended, especially for financial accounts. This keeps your passwords “fresh” and hackers off of your trail.

8. Two-factor authentication: Adding two-factor authentication to your online accounts is one of the most important things you can do to keep them safe. This form of security offers additional levels of security to your online accounts. It protects your accounts in the event that your log-in information is stolen.

9. Use misspells: Hackers prefer to utilize software to crack passwords, so employ deliberate misspellings. These programs are amazing at identifying words that don’t exist in the dictionary, but they’re not so good at identifying words that don’t exist. They will have no notion what to look for if you purposely misspell a word or phrase.

Some additional tips to employ in order to be sure that your password is untraceable are-

1. Using Antivirus- When it comes to safeguarding your computer, antivirus software is a must-have. Antivirus software provides two layers of security for your devices. Their main function is to scan all of the files you download and import onto your smartphone. They can also scan your downloads and the websites you visit for viruses.

2. Using a VPN- A virtual private network (VPN) is essentially a program that encrypts your data packets as they go through the network. It encrypts your data first, then replaces your IP address with the servers for a short period of time. No one on the network can view your data or track it back to you this way.

3. Staying Alert- It’s critical to practice caution whenever you use the internet. Always be cautious about the websites you visit and the people and places with whom you share information. It’s also a good idea to learn about cybersecurity hazards so you can spot them if you come across them. It’s also a good idea to invest in security software and back up your files on a regular basis as a precaution.

The most important conclusion from this article is that no single approach will totally protect you.

A single compromised account can quickly snowball into a slew of other compromised accounts until you’re left with nothing. As a result, never underestimate a hacker’s capacity to gain access to your accounts, and take all necessary safeguards.

However, combining the tactics will considerably improve your odds.

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