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Your Mobile Number Is a Target for Identity Theft

Jeannie Mark — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Identity theft takes many different forms. While most people are conscious about protecting personal information such as their social security numbers, banking information and passwords to various accounts, one often overlooked item is their mobile phone number.

How Hackers Steal Your Phone Number
Hackers can hijack your mobile phone number in the same way they can take over your email account. Known as porting, cybercriminals use stolen personal information to impersonate you and contact your mobile carrier to make changes to your account. The term porting comes from Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP), a law dating back to 2003 that requires carriers to allow mobile users to move their existing number to a new carrier.

To help prevent this from happening, use the Identity Theft Reports feature to track multiple logins and ensure none of your data is breached:

What is Porting?
Porting is dependent on social engineering, or the use of deception to manipulate someone into divulging personal information to commit fraud. In this case, the hacker gains access to personal information to convince your wireless carrier they are you to get your mobile number moved to another service without your knowledge. In order to accomplish this, the hacker needs security information such as your social security number, date of birth and other personal data that is generally obtained through phishing attacks.

The Impact of a Stolen Number
Once hackers port your phone number, they can change passwords and security questions on your account, add unauthorized charges to your bill such as long distance calls, text charges and data usage fees and even add additional devices and services. Additionally, they can bypass two-factor identification such as verification codes texted to you for security purposes.

There are several ways you can protect yourself and prevent thieves from porting your number.

ONE, keep your number safe is to use an alternate Virtual Phone Number (also called a VOIP). These services are readily available and you can keep your real number private and set up the service to forward calls and texts to your phone.

TWO, regularly check your monthly statement for suspicious charges and activity. If your service is abruptly disconnected or you begin receiving authentication codes you didn’t request, you should contact your service provider immediately.

THIRD, dfndr security also protects your phone from phishing attacks. Features like Anti-hacking can alert you to potential malware links in texts, messengers apps, and emails.

FOURTH, never give out sensitive information from anyone that contacts you directly claiming to be a representative from a company you do business with. Instead, find out what they are calling about, what information they need and why, and then contact the business at a published number to verify the problem.

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4th of July: Awe Inducing Fireworks, Cold Drinks, and Thieves?

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 21:50:27 +0000

The 4th of July is when we celebrate America’s independence with friends and family by cooking hamburgers on the grill and sharing an ice chest full of cold drinks as fireworks light up the sky. Whether you’re traveling for the holiday or staying put for a local event, be prepared for not just fun, but awareness of your surroundings. All night celebrations and festivities that draw a crowd can sometimes leave your belongings vulnerable to thieves or snoops, such as your smartphone.

Consider securing your Android phone by installing dfndr security, which offers an applock feature to keep wandering fingers from accessing your apps and an anti-theft feature to quickly lockdown or locate your phone should it go missing.

Let’s give you a few more safety tips so you can hit that Independence Day event with confidence.

Use a Passcode
Worried about leaving your phone behind at a table or aside so that you can go for a swim? Stop wandering fingers and curious minds from getting at your device by ensuring that you have a secure passcode on your device. We suggest choosing an alphanumeric passcode, or at the very least a numeric passcode, to remain safe. Try to avoid any ‘pattern passcodes’ as they can be considerably easier to break.

Ensure Anti-Theft is Watching Your Back
The instance that your smartphone is stolen be ready to track it down by employing the anti-theft feature in dfndr security. Without any form of anti-theft protection, your device is good as gone, but with a security app installed you might have a chance of getting the phone and your digital life back. If it seems like your device is unrecoverable, you do have the option to remotely delete your sensitive data.

Store Your Device Smartly
There’s nothing more inviting than a phone sitting out in the open. With so many smartphones that look similar, a thief might not even receive a single glance when your device is nabbed. Use smarts and keep your device stored in a pocket, backpack, or another area on your person that can hide a phone.

The 4th of July is a fun and exciting but don’t wake up the next day without a phone and with a killer hangover. Both situations would not be ideal! By remaining responsible and safe, your phone and your good time will remain intact.

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Your Android Device is a Slave to Cryptocurrency Malware

PSafe Newsroom — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 12:00:32 +0000

Hackers have quickly discovered that they can infect Android phones with cryptocurrency malware, forcing devices into using precious CPU power to serve them. A new piece of malware, known as ADB.Miner is doing just that. The general term is called “mining for cryptocurrency”. A cryptocurrency is an asset that can be used similar to any other currency, trading for goods or services, but the difference is it’s digitally based and untraceable. The mining process itself allows for the discovery of new bits of digital currency. If a hacker is sneaking in on your device, how might it be affecting you?

Once a piece of mining malware has attached itself to your Android, it will relentlessly use the CPU and battery life to obtain digital currency. In the process, you may find the battery life of your phone draining or even heating up suddenly. Scarily enough, some bits of mining malware have learned to clone themselves, which means the virus can transfer to other devices on a network that your phone is connected to.

Take these tips to heart to better protect yourself from nasty viruses such as the recently discovered cryptocurrency malware attack.

Third-Party Apps Don’t Play Around
While there’s no way to guarantee that malware won’t be nested in the apps you download, you can reduce your chances of infection by sticking to a reliable store such as the Google Play Store or the Amazon Appstore. Just this past January, Google removed sixty different compromised apps from its store. Sticking to reputable app stores is a smart way to stay away from shady sources.

Listen When Apps Are Speaking
When you download a new application to your Android phone, it will typically make you aware of any permissions it requires such as scanning your contacts to modifying the device itself. Determine what an application probably doesn’t need and understand what each permission allows an app to access. Use common sense here, if a calculator app needs access to your camera, microphone, and contact list – something is dodgy. You’re better off deleting the app than taking a risk.

Call in the Virus Scanning Reinforcements
Truthfully, it’s nearly impossible to stay up to date, detect, and avoid every strain of malware out there. The good news is there are antivirus applications that can help. dfndr security is one reliable app that has a full-virus scan feature, which scans your Android phone’s memory and SD card for any threats, removing them completely.

Just you alone can’t fight off these cryptocurrency miners, but having these tips and a strong security app will no longer make you a slave to hackers looking to hog your phone’s power.

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Don’t Know How Phishing Scams Work? Here’s Lesson 101

PSafe Newsroom — Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:00:25 +0000

Not to be confused with your father’s favorite pastime activity, the act of phishing is when a hacker pretends to be someone else in order to obtain sensitive personal information.

One of the best solutions for avoiding these scams is vigilance, but software providers do offer solutions to help guard against an attack. For Android users, dfndr security’s Anti-Hacking and advanced Anti-Phishing protection can alert you to possible scams received over SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or your web browser before even clicking on their traps.

Some of the most common examples of scams include hackers attempting to procure usernames, passwords, credit card details, or bank information. In recent years, the number of phishing scams has skyrocketed, making it more critical than ever to be aware of how these scams operate.

Here are 2 of the most common tricks to avoid with phishing scams:

Manipulative Web Links
A typical phishing trick is to send users a link that seems as if it might be heading to one website, but instead, it directs you to a malicious alternative; this can be accomplished by showing you the text of a trustworthy site, while the link itself sends you to a more malevolent option. For example, the link you click on may say ‘google.com,’ but thanks to tricky web coding, the results may direct you to a different site designed to harvest your information.

This trick can easily be identified by holding down on the link with your finger to see what web link it truly directs itself towards. Depending on the smartphone and mobile browser you are using, the true link will typically be displayed in a pop-up dialog.

Remember to eye the web link carefully before you click on it. Using slight typos in a web link is an efficient way to make you think you are secure when you are really at risk – heading to y0urbank.com’ instead of ‘yourbank.com.’ Other keywords may even be added to the web address to create a plausible-sounding, but unofficial, link such as ‘yourbanklogin.com.’

Social Engineering
The easiest way to obtain your personal information? Just have the scammer ask for it. Whether through an email, text message, or traditional phone call, scammers are more confident than ever in asking for your information. A hacker will merely pretend to be your banker, a government official, or an IT support representative. In many situations, phishing attacks rely on the fact that humans will typically obey a perceived figure of authority.

The Moral of Lesson 101
Do not trust anyone who asks you for a password or other personal information. Just delete the email, ignore the text-message or hang-up the phone call without giving any personal details. Then contact the institution or company that person claimed to represent by visiting their official website to verify the phishing attempt.

Phishing scams can be dangerous to our personal security and be confusing to identify, but rather than feel powerless at this sentiment there are options to keep your personal information safe. Use antivirus software on all your devices and follow best security practices to help you avoid becoming caught in a phishing scam net.

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Avoid Being Hacked When Shopping Online

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 19:42:07 +0000

There are a range of benefits to shopping online: less hassle, no waiting in lines, no carrying hefty bags around the mall, and no fighting the crowds. Even though the convenience is beneficial, remember that shopping online can put you at greater risk of being hacked. If you’re searching for deals or receiving them via email or SMS, always turn on dfndr security’s anti-hacking feature to protect yourself from phishing attacks and malicious websites:

With anti-hacking turned on, you can shop with some assurance, since our phishing detection is so advanced you’ll be alerted of malicious links even before you click on them. Regardless, these easy tips will keep you more protected from hackers that are waiting to steal your banking information.

Avoid Using a Debit Card
When you’re using a debit card rather than a credit card to shop online, it can put you at an increased risk of your information being hacked and fraudulently used. Credit cards are insured against fraudulent charges, making them the safer option, whereas debit cards do not have that advantage.

Use Different Passwords
Using a myriad of passwords for all of your different accounts is a great way to ensure that you’re not hacked. Never use the same password more than once. If you do, it allows hackers to access all of your accounts if they crack one. Also, avoid using “common” passwords such as the word “password” or popular number or letter sequences.

Use Two-Factor Authentication
Another precaution to take against hackers is to strengthen your email accounts with two-factor authentication. This is like having a second password on your account that adds an extra layer of security, which is particularly important when you know you’re going to be doing an abundance of online shopping. This makes it difficult for hackers to access your account, even if they successfully bypass or guess your first security key.

Turn Off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in Stores
This may seem like an unexpected tip, but turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you’re in a store can stop stores from tracking you and your information while you’re there, which they keep on file to use in the future. This unauthorized network access can be put to a halt by simply turning off these phone features as you shop with some peace of mind.

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If a Ransomware Attack Happens to You, Should You Pay?

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 23:00:47 +0000

Just imagine: you try to open the screen on your phone, hoping to message a friend and suddenly a note pops up on your screen. It says your files have been encrypted, and you can’t access them unless you pay hundreds of dollars. To prevent this scenario, you should back up your files and avoid suspicious links and downloads. Further, you should regularly scan your device for malware. Click here to use security scan to quickly remove hidden security threats to ensure you are never a victim of ransomware:

Ransomware is a lot like scareware — it gains access to your computer when you click on infected popup ads or websites. Unlike scareware, though, ransomware restricts users’ access to their own data, making people panic and think they have no choice but to pay up. If you’re a victim of ransomware, here are some steps to take.

Should You Pay the Ransom?
On the one hand, hackers usually return stolen data if the ransom is paid since they want to maintain an incentive for paying. On the other hand, cooperating shows hackers that you’re an easy target, often leading to future attacks. The government tends to advise against paying ransoms because it benefits the ransomware “business model” by encouraging hackers to keep launching ransomware attacks.

Determine the Type
There are two main types of ransomware: encrypting and screen-locking. If you can’t open files such as documents, photos, and emails, but you can still browse the Internet and use apps, this is encrypting ransomware. If your computer or phone is stuck on the ransom note and you can’t use it at all, it’s screen-locking ransomware. On the other hand, if you can use your device normally and access most of your files, the ransomware is probably fake, and you can ignore the attack.

Encrypting Ransomware
This is the most common and, unfortunately, the most malicious kind of ransomware. First of all, if your computer is infected disconnect if from any other devices, and go offline to prevent the virus from spreading to other devices. Next, use antivirus software to remove the ransomware. This will not let you access the encrypted files, but it will stop the ransomware from encrypting more files. To recover deleted files and access encrypted ones, use online tools designed for that purpose. There are many available, both free and paid, so do some research, and use more than one if necessary. If you don’t want to handle it alone, take it to a computer specialist to help decrypt your files.

Screen-Locking Ransomware
This type is easier to handle than encrypting ransomware. Still, you’ll want to disconnect from other devices and go offline. Then, press the power button and the “S” key at the same time — this will put your computer in Safe Mode. Next, run antivirus software to eliminate the ransomware.

Finally, if you’re a victim of ransomware, remember that this is a crime and should be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The IC3 reviews the complaint and forwards relevant information to local or federal authorities. Stand up to hackers by reporting and don’t just wipe the device clean.

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Should You Cover the Camera on Your Smartphone?

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 13:00:07 +0000

Ever since laptops with built-in webcams became popular, it’s become a common practice for individuals to cover those cameras out of fear that they’d be watched, even when they didn’t turn them on. This isn’t a paranoid fear now, either — laptop and smartphone cameras can be easily hacked. That’s why it’s important to download dfndr security and activate the security scan feature on your device so that you can ensure your SD card and all files are safe:

Although technology has done a lot for all of us — it has connected us to people around the world, made our jobs and personal lives more convenient and easy, and so on — there is still the issue of privacy that comes about time and time again with these new innovations. If you find yourself covering your laptop webcam camera, you’re probably now wondering: Should you also cover the camera on your phone?

Should You Cover Your Phone’s Camera?
Like a laptop camera, it appears that a phone camera could be used by wandering eyes, hackers, and crooks to watch our actions. The problem with this is that our phones go virtually everywhere with us, giving malicious individuals the ability to see almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives and every move that we make — whether that be inside or outside of our homes. It gives people the advantage of knowing when we’re traveling, when our home may be vacant, and what our daily routines are — which could be dangerous.

Because our smartphones are more versatile and travel everywhere with us, they are also more of a target for hackers and crooks to break into. After all, once they hack a phone camera, they can easily see much more than what a laptop would be able to show since those are nowhere near as portable. This means that it would, in fact, be beneficial to cover our phone cameras when they’re not in use.

What You Can Do About It
There are simple ways to cover your phone camera without it looking sloppy or strange. There are now phone cases that are specifically designed to easily cover and uncover your camera lenses whenever needed. This is a simple solution to take advantage of — tape will only get you so far! Take the right precautions to have the peace of mind that no one is creeping on your day-to-day activities.

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How to Protect Your Data from Ransomware Attacks

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 01:00:54 +0000

Ransomware scams have grown in scale and strength over the years. Some of the most successful ransomware scams can yield anywhere from $3 to $18 million from victims. The hackers will threaten to publish the victim’s personal data, essentially holding their personal data for ransom, which makes the name “ransomware” very fitting. Ransomware doesn’t always strike instantly, either, so you may not know that you have it on your device until it’s too late. Click here to use the security scan feature to quickly scan your device for any hidden threats:

How Do Ransomware Attacks Work?
Typically, hackers get the ransomware tech to your phone or computer system through the downloading of a file or some vulnerability in your network’s service. The ransomware essentially acts like a lock and locks up your computer or phone so that you can’t access any of your data or information. The ransomware may then send itself your data so that it can blackmail the victim into paying the ransom to get their private information back. Once the victim pays the hackers, the hackers typically send them an unlock code that will get rid of the ransomware from the system.

What is WannaCry?
In May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack targeted computers that were running an outdated and unpatched version of Microsoft Windows as their operating system, which included much of the computers at the UK’s National Healthcare Service (NHS). During this large ransomware attack, the hackers encrypted the data so that the computers couldn’t access their data. After that, the hackers demanded that they get their ransom via Bitcoin because it’s practically untraceable.

However, before the NHS or the other 230,000 infected computers could pay the ransom, a young British computer pro cracked the WannaCry attack and shut down the malware himself. As it turns out, the ransomware attack was poorly designed, which made it easy for the computer expert to find the “kill-switch” and shut down the hack.

How to Keep Your Data Protected
In order to keep ransomware and hackers out of your phone, you should regularly scan all of your devices for malware to ensure that your device is free of viruses and ransomware. Another way to keep your data safe is by creating an additional authentication step for your accounts. By creating a special code or setting up a phone call verification to identify yourself, you can keep your data safe. Also, be sure that you use your own Wi-Fi on your devices because public Wi-Fi is more likely to be hacked.

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5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Phone’s Audio Secure

PSafe Newsroom — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:00:45 +0000

After the global ransomware attack in May, many people have become more concerned with keeping their personal information safe. In order to do this, tech users should make sure that their devices are receiving the latest software and security updates, at the very least. You should always regularly scan your device for malware, in order to catch any hidden security threats. Click here to use the security scan feature to quickly check your phone for viruses when you’re in a hurry:

Recently, tech users have become concerned with their devices recording them without their permission. This includes TVs, smart devices, and smartphones. The following are 5 ways to keep your phone’s audio secure.

App Permissions

Have you ever downloaded a less-than-credible app? You may have inadvertently given that app permission to your phone’s microphone. Once the app has permission to use your microphone, it can decide when to record you and may be recording you even when you’re not using the app.

Gyroscopes

Gyroscopes are different than your phone’s microphone, but they can still record you. Gyroscopes are the little sensors on your phone that are supposed to measure the phone’s orientation and the motion of the phone. All hackers have to do is download a piece of software that can allow the gyroscopes to pick up sound, turning them into a microphone. Be sure that any app you use doesn’t have permission to download software to your phone.

Facebook

You may not know this but the Facebook app already has permission to access your phone’s microphone and essentially can use that to listen in on your call. Be sure to go to Facebook’s settings and disable the microphone feature.

Google

The “OK Google” voice control has to constantly listen to everything you’re saying in case you say its name. The best way to get rid of their eavesdropping is to switch off the function.

Use Private Wi-Fi

Using a public Wi-Fi connection makes your phone generally more vulnerable to hacks and malicious attacks. If you try to stick to a secure and private connection, you’re less likely to get any malware downloaded to your phone that could compromise your phone. If you have to connect to public Wi-Fi now and then, make sure to avoid entering sensitive information (such as account information) while using the public connection.

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Is It Safe to Store Your Credit Card Information Online?

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 01:00:09 +0000

There are some pros and cons to saving your credit card information to various websites or to your web browser’s AutoFill. When shopping online, you should always be wary of malicious websites that are mimicking the appearance of your favorite sites. If you use AutoFill, you may quickly give your credit card info to an unsafe site without realizing. Click here to use anti-hacking to ensure that your information is never entered on a fake or dangerous website:

Pros to Storing Your Credit Card Info Online
One pro is that many online businesses, such as Amazon Prime, will give discounts and even free shipping to their customers that save their credit card online with them. Another benefit of saving your credit card information when online shopping is that it’s simply much more convenient. If you wanted to keep your information completely off of the Internet, though, that would require you to call a store and pay by phone every time you wanted to purchase something online.

Cons to Storing Your Credit Card Info Online
However, there are many drawbacks to keeping your private credit card information online. During the spring of 2017, as many as 56 million credit card numbers were stolen from Home Depot’s online data storage. Many major companies have had data breaches where hackers have stolen millions of credit card numbers. You may believe that there is not much you can do to stop the data breaches, which is often true — you just have to trust that the company you entrusted your credit card information with will keep it safe from hackers. Still, there are many steps you can take to be proactive in protecting your data and personal information.

Keep Your Credit Card Info Safe Online
Be sure to avoid buying anything from a non-credible website. Many scammers out there will set up realistic looking sites that will promise to keep your credit card info safe, which is why it’s important to use Anti-Hacking. Also, make sure that when you buy something online you’re not using public Wi-Fi. Whenever you’re on public Wi-Fi, your device is more vulnerable to hacking or attacks.

Finally, don’t store your credit card information on a website if you can avoid it. Many websites want you to save your credit card so that it’s easier for you to make a purchase again. But if your laptop gets stolen or hacked into, suddenly a hacker will have access to your saved credit card number, which can quickly turn into a case of identity fraud. Overall, if you want to keep your credit card information safe while you shop online, just be wary of any website that doesn’t look legitimate.

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