Read More: Google Introduces Over 20 New Security Features to Protect Users

You still need a security app on your device to fully protect yourself from phishing scams. Download dfndr security and you can block phishing attempts by activating the anti-hacking feature. With advanced AI built in — this feature can block attacks coming from your web browser, SMS, or chat apps.

The Facebook phishing tool has some advantages, particularly in identifying homograph attacks. Uh, what are those you might ask?  

Homograph Attacks
Some phishing attacks come in the form of a homograph attack. Hackers create websites with domain names that are almost identical to a brand name site, with the sole purpose of fooling someone and getting them to unknowingly input login credentials.

The only way to tell a site is fake is by examining the name of the site. A fake one usually has a letter or a punctuation mark out of place. Unless you’re watching closely, you could easily be fooled. This is where the Facebook tool comes in.

What the Tool Does
Named Certificate Transparency Monitoring, the tool is a Facebook-hosted application that any webpage owner can access for free with a Facebook account. The tool has been around since 2016 but it was recently updated it, allowing webmasters to detect homograph domains that are spoofs of their websites.

Webmasters add their domain to the tool’s dashboard which will scan the public Certificate Transparency (CT) logs. The logs have information about new domains that recently got an SSL certificate. The tool will then warn website owners about fake sites in the CT logs that use a similar name to theirs.

Will the Tool Help You Really?
As someone concerned about your security, the Facebook tool can help you identify phony websites, but in the end, it’s really for domain owners to suss out imposters. While the tool is useful, it will not actively block phishing scams lurking out there.

Once again, it’s wise to take security into your own hands, and have an antivirus app downloaded and ready to be your eyes and ears against hacking attempts.

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Windows
A simple trick for Windows is to merely place your sensitive information within a folder and then mark the folder as ‘hidden,’ which will hide it within the file explorer. To hide a folder, right click on the folder and select the properties option. Once the properties dialogue is open, ensure there is a checkmark next to the hidden label – that’s all there is to this method! When you want to view that hidden folder, simply select the view tab within the file explorer and check the option to display hidden items.

Read More: 3 Private Messenger Apps That’ll Keep It Confidential

MacOS
The process isn’t as easy on Mac and does involve a bit of time in the Terminal application. If you’re unfamiliar with using Terminal, we suggest checking out a quick tutorial first. Start by opening the Terminal app from your Applications folder and navigate to the directory in which your folder is placed. Once you are within the proper directory type the following command, followed by the enter key,’ to hide the folder: “chflags hidden [name of folder].” For example, if we have a folder named ‘photos’ which we want to keep hidden, we would type: “chflags hidden photos.”

Android
Due to the open nature of the Android platform, one of the best options for hiding sensitive data is a third-party solution. One such option is dfndr vault, an app that easily allows you to create a hidden gallery of photos and videos; it even offers a feature known as applock, which can prevent access to certain apps by letting you add a secure passcode. No need to worry anymore about friends snooping around your Tinder profile or co-workers discovering embarrassing snapshots. Android users can also take advantage of dfndr performance, which has a ‘quick cleaner’ feature to remove any private information that might be in your device’s temporary files.

iOS
If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you can choose to add your private photos or videos to a ‘hidden gallery’ built into the device. Simply visit your Photo app and navigate to the media you wish to hide, once there tap the share button (the square with the upward facing arrow), and select hide from the menu. The photo you just chose to hide will no longer be viewable from the main camera roll or any of the adjacent photo features. To view the private collection, head to your albums and locate the folder named Hidden. Sadly this option won’t keep the most curious of individuals out, but it will prevent any private images from popping up while scrolling through your camera roll.

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Read More: My Apps Gave Up Personal Info Again

One wickedly smart way to protect your Android or IOS phone is by using dfndr vpn, a virtual private network that hides your IP address and location, especially on campus Wi-Fi. With a VPN, you can keep your gaming, snapchatting, or Facebook sessions totally anonymous from snoops or hackers.

Here’s what you should know about cyber attacks before you land at college.

The Stats
Last year alone, there was an average of 12 DDoS attacks per week. These types of attacks can infect entire colleges by hitting multiple computers or devices at once, causing them to lose Internet access. Additionally, about a quarter of all colleges or universities were the victim of cyber attacks in 2017.

Devices Get Targeted
Plenty of institutions have a policy that requires you to bring your own device, which can expose any personal info stored on tablets or smartphones to potential hacking attempts. Criminals sometimes take advantage of anyone not using security apps or VPNs and hack into their devices to steal data, oftentimes planting ransomware in order to get a fast payoff.

Your devices should always have security software downloaded, as well as the right authentication methods to make sure cybercriminals have a hard time gaining access.

How Do Hackers Target College Kids
In addition to attacking single devices, hackers also target full-on networks with DDoS attacks and viruses. Phishing scams are also common, so steer clear of any weird emails that could contain malware. Make sure your password is randomized and has a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. While it feels like a hassle, change your passwords frequently, at least every 6 months during college life.

And while it’s fun to exchange files with your friends, don’t download any files when using a public computer because these are accessed by other people (ahem, potential hackers). Always log out of public computers after you use them, especially if you send a file from your smartphone to your email or vice versa.

Bad News… Colleges are Huge Targets
The main reason why hackers go after higher education institutions is that they can easily access a lot of personally identifiable information (PID) such as social security numbers, payment information, medical records, and more. Also, the average cost of a data record belonging to a university is worth roughly $200 with registration, which can net hackers money if they steal school records and put it for ransom.

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How to Check if You’ve Been Compromised
To begin, head over to Equifax’s security website and use your social security number to check if your private information was included in the stolen data. Unfortunately, Equifax does not detail exactly what parts of your private data was compromised. With the scary possibility that your personal information is going to the highest bidder, we recommend obtaining identity theft protection as soon as possible. Luckily, Equifax provides this service at no charge.

Read More: What Should You Do After Losing Your Phone?

If you have reason to believe that your passport may have been included in the Equifax breach, take a few measures to enhance your security. For example, the DMV recommends that you contact them in regards to the stolen document. A passport is an official piece of government identification that could allow malicious individuals to impersonate you.

Replace Your Passport
If you’re a frequent traveler, you can quickly replace your passport through a United States passport agency office in under 2 weeks. Otherwise, you can visit a local post office to have your passport renewed, but the process may take over 2 weeks to complete. Don’t forget to bring a secondary piece of identification such as a driver’s license when applying.

Besides replacing your passport, you should also be aware of any activity on future credit reports. If a cybercriminal decides to use your information, your credit report will log this. To be safe, consider ‘freezing’ your credit report so that none of them can be used without prior authorization.

Look Ahead at Credit Reports
If you discover possible fraudulent activity on your credit report, go to this Equifax page to report any fraudulent activity, The reporting tool will also alert the 2 other major U.S credit bureaus, Experian and TransUnion that fraud may be at play.

Equifax’s critical data breach is a cybersecurity blunder that affected us all, but with careful attention, we can all remain safe by being diligent and aware.

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Read More: The Danger of Spoofed Websites: Learn to Tell the Difference

The best way to protect yourself from cyber threats is to ensure you download antivirus software on all your devices, your phone included. For Android users, we recommend dfndr security, which has a security scan feature that combs your entire device, even the SD card, and blocks viruses or malware.

How It All Began
A cyber drive-by attack wasn’t much of a threat in the early days, mainly it was used to gain free access to Wi-Fi. Hackers would drive by the streets of a town, locate a Wi-Fi signal and If the signal was insecure, they would hack through to siphon Internet.

How They Evolved
Now cybercriminals use this same practice but in more sophisticated ways. They often target badly secured routers and first figure out the router manufacturer. Once they’ve gotten that information, they’ll next tap in and listen to the traffic and find ways to compromise the password, which eventually gives them access to a computer or phone.

With all systems weakened, the next stage of an attack is to introduce malware or a keylogger, and once this happens, tapping into someone’s sensitive information is child’s play.

A keylogger can bait a victim by having them visit a legitimate website that’s infected through a popup or ad, or by slyly redirecting the person to an infected site. Information like bank accounts, logins, or social security numbers could be discovered and used in illegal ways.

Criminals are also targeting businesses with this type of attack, which requires no user interaction at all and depends on the vulnerability of a device or modem.

In other cases, cybercriminals use ‘man in the middle’ software, by having attackers spy on victims by setting up conversations between multiple parties.

Last Words and Tips
In addition to downloading a security app, individuals and companies should update devices regularly with the latest security patches and script blocking plugins. Additionally, businesses should ensure employees don’t have local administrative access to their devices. Set them up with a separate account instead.

Other measures to take include segmenting a company’s network so that everyone isn’t running on the same server, which ensures that malware doesn’t spread throughout an entire office.

Finally, all work and personal data should be backed up as frequently as possible on external hard drives or a cloud service, which should not be left connected to the main network.

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Read More: Vulnerability Found in Alexa App, What Should You Do?

There are lots of positives to using these devices, but they may know more about you than you’d like. Here’s a breakdown of why Alexa and Google Home could be a detriment and not a help.

How It Works
These devices may not be listening to everything you say, but once you request an interaction with “Alexa” or “OK Google,” they will record you. As soon as these devices hear these keywords, they will instantly upload everything uttered to cloud servers.

The reason for this action is Alexa and Google Home need to store information in the cloud in order to respond back to you. The data is processed into machine-comprehensible instructions and the devices return with an answer to your command. For example, if you ask Alexa to read you an email or an SMS, this information could be stored on cloud servers forever.

What Else Should I Know?
An estimated 31 million Alexa devices have been sold already, as well as 14 million Google Home devices, which is a dream for marketers. Your data could be compiled and used for marketing purposes and all your data will be concentrated in a central place. Having all your data exposed in one area could make it easy for hackers and cybercriminals to target you.

What Can I Do?
You are able to delete the information that Alexa and Google Home collects about you by going to your Amazon or Google account and deleting old recordings. But, if you do this, the devices will unlearn some of the information they know about like your email account to read messages out loud or your musical preferences.

Be careful which devices you link to Alexa or Google Home. Remember that sensitive, personal information may belong to the device as much as it belongs to you. Another option is you can choose when to turn off a smart home device’s connection to your information. For example, if you’re not using an online shopping feature on your device, turn it off.

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Read More: How to Prevent Identity Theft When You’re Online

As a parent, you should ensure that your children are protected from cybercrime. If they use your Android device frequently to play games, install antivirus software on your phone, like dfndr security. This AV-TEST approved app has a full virus scan feature that checks your mobile device for any malware or potential threats, eliminating them instantly. If your child is older and you’ve generously granted him or her with an Android, be sure they have dfndr security installed and have activated the full virus scan feature.

It can feel helpless on how to protect what’s most important to you, but knowing how this faceless enemy operates gives you the power to support your children as they grow up in the digital age.

The Stats on Child Identity Theft
Listen to these sobering stats. In 2017 alone, there were more than 1 million children targeted by cybercriminals. The stolen information was commonly used to extort money from parents. $2.6 billion in losses were caused by hackers who stole the data of children, regardless of age. Out of that $2.6 billion, families endured losses of approximately $540 million, while the rest was spent by the authorities and government.

While 60% of adults who fall prey to identity theft likely knows the perpetrator (a vengeful ex-partner or cousin, for example), only 7% of children were found to be connected to a perpetrator. Another shocking stat is that 11% of households in the U.S. reported that at least one child had personal information compromised in 2017. It’s also easier for criminals to target children because their parents are unlikely to check their child’s credit report.

The Tell-Tale Signs
The Federal Trade Commission outlines some ways your child’s identity may have been stolen. First, if your child is rejected for benefits because an account was already opened elsewhere, that’s a huge clue. Another example is if the IRS sends a notice claiming your child should have paid income taxes but didn’t, or you discover your child’s Social Security number appeared on another tax form — these are both red flags to pay attention to.

Additionally, if debt collectors begin calling regarding unpaid products and services that your child never purchased or used, this could be identity theft.

Don’t Feel Paralyzed; Get Proactive
Monitor your child’s phone or your own phone to ensure apps are locked down with parental controls, so only certain apps can be opened. It’s also important to have a conversation with your child about being prudent when sharing photos, videos, or any sensitive data with friends. Having an open, honest dialogue means your children are more likely to admit sharing the wrong information or experiencing oddities when using apps.

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Read More: 5 Phishing Scams You Need to Pay Attention to

Don’t Just Use 1234
This may seem like an obvious step, but for some, it’s the last thought and often neglected. You might be tempted to think, ‘I have nothing of value on my device’ or ‘no one wants what I have,’ but you’re underestimating what you carry. Even something as simple as your email account can be used to send spam or malicious material to your contacts.

Take the time to create a secure passcode; many smartphones now offer fingerprint verification, which is unique to you and no one else. For a passcode, four digits is a decent length, but six digits are quickly becoming the new standard. Avoid repetitive numbers or easy to guess combinations – ‘0000’ and ‘1234’ are not valid options.

Use Cloud Backups for Those Puppy Photos
Your data might be safe and secure behind a passcode, but what happens to all your photos and videos? Memories from nights out with friends and special occasions could all be lost in the blink of an eye. Don’t let forgetting your phone in an Uber mean that you need to lose a world of personal memories.

No matter your smartphone platform, you can utilize a service such as Google Photos to always keep your photos backed up. A free service available for both Android and iOS, Google Photos allows you to backup all your pictures to a single, centralized location. Lose your device? No worries, merely download the app to your new device, and your memories are back.

Add an Extra Layer of Frosting to Sensitive Apps
While a passcode is a good way to keep thieves from accessing your phone’s content, it’s only one layer of security. Consider adding another step to protecting your apps, like an Applock. This type of feature allows you to lockdown specific apps with a secondary password.

Apps that carry sensitive information, such as your bank account, can be configured to have a second password, even if your device is already unlocked. Secondary lock applications also come in handy if you need to temporarily give your phone to a friend and don’t want them having rogue access to everything on your smartphone.

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1. Grabbing It Right Out of Your Hands

The preferred method for many smartphone thieves is to quickly yank the phone from a victim’s grasp. Although this may sound like a crazy idea that would never work, it’s surprisingly effective. Many people have a loose grasp on their phone and aren’t protecting it because they don’t assume someone will take it right from their hand. This also is typically done at concerts and festivals. Phone thieves will run through a crowd during a song and steal and phones that are raised above the victim’s head to record the band. So many people film or record songs during a concert so they make easy targets for phone thieves. These criminals will go through the crowd and steal phones without much of a consequence because the crowd is so tightly packed that it’s almost impossible for the victim to find them or chase after them. Keep a close eye on your phone at a music festival or event.

Read More: Going Incognito Isn’t Enough to Keep Your Searches Private

2. They’re Looking for Certain Models

You might think that a smartphone thief will grab any phone, but there’s actually phones that they prefer to steal. These phones are more valuable and will get them more money when they sell it. A phone thief will not want to waste their time and risk getting caught just to steal a phone that isn’t valuable. Some of the most valuable phone models that smartphone thieves are looking to steal are the HTC M8, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, and Samsung Galaxy S6.

3. They Look for Victims That Aren’t Paying Attention

The majority of smartphone thieves have done this before and know who to look for. The criminals are looking for victims that are distracted or busy, and aren’t paying much attention to their phone. Be sure to keep track of where your phone is even if you have a lot going on. Never leave your phone sitting on a ledge away from your or outside of your sight.

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Read More: What Should You Do After Losing Your Phone?

Start with a Powerful Software Offense
dfndr security’s anti-theft feature is a godsend if your phone is suddenly gone.  In addition to providing you with the ability to locate your device on a map, you can sound an alarm to track it nearby, or even remotely wipe your device through your Google account. It’s smart to enable the feature as soon as possible, ideally before your phone is gone. Why not do so now? 

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings
We live in a fast-paced digital world, which can cause us to become stuck in our devices. Whether you’re walking down the street or sitting on a subway train, it’s imperative to remain cautious about your surroundings. Thieves will commonly target individuals who appear unaware and ‘lost in their screens.’ By the time you realize what’s happening, a thief has already grabbed your smartphone and bolted away.

Add a Password
If you ensure that your device is password protected, a possible theft might be avoided. Some thieves carefully watch individuals to see who is genuinely present but also who has an unsecured device. More advanced thieves may not care if your device has a passcode, but still, having one setup can deter the type of thief looking to make a quick buck off a stolen phone.

Any or all of these insider tricks can help you be more conscious of your belongings and still enjoy the benefits of your digital world. Let’s be honest, there are so many!

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