106 How not to get hacked
Most of us barely remember when Paris Hilton’s BLACKBERRY was hacked back in 2005 because truth be told, most of us didn’t have much that was worth hacking on our phones back then. It was, simply put, a simpler life, so it was mainly those with celebrity address books who were most at risk.
Cut to a decade or so later, and during the charmingly named ‘The Fappening’ (don’t Google it), celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Gabrielle Union, Scarlett Johansson and hundreds of Hollywood
celebs, had their phones hacked – and their nudes exposed. By now, the situation felt a little more relatable: even those of us who aren’t famous actresses usually have something that’s racy, or awkward, or just plain personal on our smartphones.
It’s easy to say that the simple solution isn’t to take naked pictures of yourself, but that’s a little absurd. You’re an adult who should be allowed to take whatever harmless pictures you choose. Besides, if you’re anything like me, there’s plenty of other things on your phone to be embarrassed about, like your bank balance.
No one’s immune: in February, tech billionaire Jeff Bezos had his privacy compromised when a nude image of him was shared by a man named, um, Pecker (you couldn’t make this stuff up). Even seemingly untouchable tech giant Google had to shut down its Google+ service after a security breach. Meanwhile, in one of the many profound ironies that 2018 gave us, the world at large discovered that Japan’s Minister of Cybersecurity, Yoshitaka Sakurada, had in fact never used a computer. Outside of being extraordinarily underqualified, he’s as secure as one could be. But for those of us who plan to remain immersed in the digital world, it pays to avoid being part of the willfully ignorant majority who could more easily imagine themselves the victim of a shark attack than a cyber attack.
Last year, millions of South Africans were the victim of cybercrime, not to mention governments, hospitals and hotel chains. These are staggering numbers and scary ideas, all making two things clear: those who hold your data don’t really care if it’s stolen, and those who steal it have gotten very good at doing so.
Why would anyone want to hack me?
Chances are, they don’t. Bad news: that doesn’t matter. While high-profile targets are chosen for the blackmail potential of their private data, in your case a hacker is more likely to simply take control of one of your accounts. Hackers use automated protocols (codes), called botnets, that can actively and consistently run without their presence in order to sweep open connections for vulnerabilities, like an unchanged password or a piece of outdated software, which they can then exploit in order to run their own code on your system.
You might get hacked and not even know it, with many of these attacks being done with the intention of stealthily gathering data about its victims that can either be sold
online or even used to further infiltrate your systems.
how do they even do that?
If you’re not very security-conscious, someone who gets a single password of yours can use it to gain access to other accounts. First, it’s your Facebook, then your Uber, and finally it’s your bank account. It’s a domino effect. Hackers use personal information found on one platform to try and solve for another platform’s password. That status about your childhood puppy from four years ago? Now those with ill intent have the answer to your security question – and access to another of your accounts. The majority of computing has been happening on smartphones since 2016, especially in developing countries like SA, so it comes as no surprise that hackers are taking a greater interest in handheld devices. “As South Africans, we’re not taking [cybersecurity] seriously enough,” says tech journalist Nafisa Akabor. “In 2018, the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) said SA had the third highest number of cybercrimes worldwide, which costs R2.2 billion each year.” Her advice to keep that kind of risk under control in your own financial life? “Always physically type in the URL of the website you’re visiting, from banking to tax and online shopping. And it may sound like common sense, but no company will ever ask you to verify personal information or passwords over email.”
so, should I be scared?
Despite all that you’ve read so far, you probably have no reason to be afraid. If you’ve got an iPhone, you’re probably already safe. The Android vs IOS debate might always be a point of contention in the tech community, but it’s difficult to deny that Apple is superior in terms of protecting your data. If you run an Android OS on your device, enabling full state encryption in your settings should be your first priority. This is relatively simple to do: go to your settings and find ‘Security’, then put in your pin and tap ‘Encrypt Device’.
Ultimately, your best defence is common sense and a little caution. After all, as the age-old adage goes: better safe than sorry. And wouldn’t it be nice to go back to the good old days when your most stressful cell-related scenario was accidentally messaging the wrong person in your contacts?
“Your best defence is common sense and a little caution. After all, as the age-old adage goes: better safe than sorry”