Closed How to keep your online accounts safe and secure (emails, social networks and passwords)

[Jeanh]

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he online services we’re signed up to are so many that we rarely think of them as being web accounts. We’ve just gotten so used to using them we rarely we give our usage a second thought. However, it’s worth giving them a second thought because we can then protect ourselves.

Our web-based accounts range from emails to various social media accounts whether they are chat platforms or professional networks. Web accounts are often You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. because they can open the door for frauds such as identity theft or simply cause mischief on a large scale. There are some simple tips to follow to ensure that your accounts remain secure and are not easy to häçk.

Before we get into the specifics, here are general tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t click on ‘Remember me’ after logging into your account unless it’s on your own computer.
• For online banking, follow all the suggestions from your bank and maintain a regularly changed, very secure password or pass phrase, if you use one of these (some banks have customer numbers for log in access).
• Beware that You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. appear regularly on Facebook as requests to access your profile. Never ever comply with these requests. The apps often attempt to control your computer.
• This one goes without saying but you’d be surprised at the number of people who forget it – never share your passwords with anyone whether it’s an online account, work, college or even shared projects
• Delete emails that appear in your spam folder and certainly don’t reply to them unless you’re set to receive an email from a trusted source and it ends up in the spam folder – it sometimes happens
• You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. or other device regularly for viruses and malware.
• Be wary of websites or software that offers you free smileys you can use in your social media chat functions. This is a well-known approach used by häçkers to implant malware that records all your keyboard strokes.
• Be guarded when using internet or cyber cafes. Sometimes häçkers install You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., specialized security utilities that decode passwords. We’re not advocating paranoia, just caution.
• We often unwittingly, or wittingly, allow access to third party apps such as Twitter or LinkedIn to our web accounts. You can often revoke access, which is typically found under ‘account settings.’

Email
The number one rule is to use a secure web-based email account. How do you know an email provider is secure? Some are notorious for their leakiness and the number of times they have been häçked. Shop around a bit, check online forums, ask questions. You’ll soon get a sense of which ones are robust and which ones are flaky.

When you’ve made a decision, for a new provider or whether you want to switch, make use of the verification processes the provider provides. These are usually additional layers of information that is known only to you and include things such as phone verification, SMS Verification and answering specific security questions.

Each email provider does have its own security measures and you need to make use of these. If security features are missing or seem a bit thin, give the provider a wide berth. Some further useful tips below:

Secure email accounts

• Make your email address hard to guess; you can include a number or an unusual word
• Protect your email password; don’t store it in your email draft folder or somewhere it can be accessed
• Add an extra phone number and alternative email address for a password recovery if your account gets häçked and the password is changed
• Add security questions related to password recovery so you can recover a häçked password later on

Spoof emails

• If you receive a message from your email provider don’t ignore it, read it carefully
• Sometimes häçkers put together fake emails purporting to be from your email provider – you can often identify these through bad grammar and spoofed logos. These emails often ask you to click on a link –DON’T DO IT. Your legitimate email provider would never send you an email asking you to change your password in an email. If you do need to change your password always do it from your account
• If you are concerned about an email that appears to be fake, contact your provider
• Think about using different email accounts for different purposes. If you want an email address to leave on networking sites for example, use a separate one and consider it less secure so don’t leave anything personal on it

Email scams

• häçkers love email addresses like the moon loves the sky. They use them to send an endless stream of scams such as ‘great’ prizes, big wins, eternal love, libidinous enabling medicines and even free money. Treat them with the suspicion they deserve; never replay and delete swiftly.

Social networks
Social networks are now so commonplace and ubiquitous even Gran and Grandad are on them – and don’t skanky scamsters know this? With well over a billion people using social media platforms, to häçkers they’re like pots of honey for bees; irresistibly enticing.

• Have a secure Facebook account if you use this platform. Follow all of the account verification processes provided to make your account as secure as possible
• Keep your password secure; don’t share it with anyone, don’t store it in your mail inbox. If you log on at a cyber cafe or similar, always remember to log right back off when you’re finished. If possible, avoid checking your social networking accounts on anything but your own devices. But if you have no choice, consider the following:
  - Never click “keep me logged in”, or similar long-term access checks, when entering the site.
  - Be aware of who is around you when you key in your password
  - Be discreet and don’t attract attention while using the site

Third party apps

• Be careful with third party apps on Facebook, Twitter and so on. Before installing an app research its safety and track record. If you have any doubts, don’t install it

Security features

• Use the account’s security settings to make things safer for you. If the platform allows you to enable login notifications do it. It will notify you should someone attempt to log into your account

Privacy settings

• Use the privacy features to limit who can see you
• Only share video, photo and other content with friends
• In Facebook, change the timeline and tagging to be friends only
• Friend only those people you really know. If you don’t know the person – you don’t know them, who are they?

Passwords
Despite the reams of advice and You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. that have resulted from easy passwords *****s, there are still a huge number of people who don’t seem to get the fact that they You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..

The tools available for häçkers to häçk passwords are many and varied. The best defence you have against password häçks are passwords that include numbers, alphabets and symbols. With this in mind consider the following:

• Don’t use obvious passwords such as your name, pet, girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, and children – the really obvious stuff.
• Use password strength checkers to test a range of passwords before using a password
• Change your passwords. Don’t be so confident about your strong password. It can be häçked by a determined häçker.
• Don’t use the same password in every web based account you have. Doing this could be the greatest pitfall ever. If a häçker gets to know one password you entire digital life could be wiped out.

You might agree with all the points above but wonder how an earth you can successfully manage many complex passwords that you change frequently? It’s a good point. Consider a password manager; you can change all of your passwords so every single one is different, and every single one is long and hard to *****. You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..

 

[derx]

Wrong section!

 

[Jeanh]

k

 

[🤖]

Dear @Jeanh,

Since 2 years have passed since the last reply in this thread, I am locking it to prevent necroposting. Feel free to start a new thread or contact any forum staff if you want this to be reopened.

Thread closed.