There are generally two kinds of hackers – white hat hackers and threat actors. Whilst white hat hackers work for the betterment of users and companies to protect them from web dangers, it is threat actors that use different ways to steal the information of users and cause monetary damage. Also known as hackers from the dark side of the web, the dangerous practice that they use the most to steal from others is phishing.
Phishing can be of many specific kinds that include spear phishing, vishing, and Pharming. A threat actor hacks a system or a series of systems using phishing attacks and release malware that can:
- Encrypt your information and ask for a ransom in exchange.
- Copy all the sensitive information and misuse it to carry out more specific and targeted attacks via spear phishing.
Which is why cybersecurity experts suggest certain techniques that, when incorporated, make the systems safer and better guarded. Those techniques have been listed below. Have a look at them, and do not forget that the results that they offer when used collectively are much better than the results they yield individually.
- Complicate Backdoor Passwords as Much as You Can
The first thing that a hacker tries in order to get access into a system is trying different combinations of passwords. Which is why it’s always a wise decision to complicate a password.
If you’re wondering how to do that, then here’s how it’s done.
- Start with a very random choice of words.
- The entire length should be no less than 12 characters.
- The characters shouldn’t be simple. Use numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters randomly. It makes the password very complicated.
- Manage the Passwords Smartly
Some silly password errors that can compromise the safety of extremely strong passwords too are listed below.
- Sharing the password with others.
- Using one password for all accounts and systems.
And the worst of all is saving passwords in an unprotected file that’s not even encrypted. What you should do instead is:
- Use a password manager tool.
- Never use public Wi-Fi.
- Use Multi-factor authentication or 2-factor authentication
Using 2 or 3 factors in addition to backdoor password is a very handy cybersecurity practice and here’s how it helps.
- Backdoor password does not have the sole authority to grant system access.
- The system cannot be accessed as long as all authentication layers are crossed.
All in all, manage your accounts and devices on the internet as best as you can to protect your assets from getting hacked and misused.
