Email Recovery, So Simple
Almost all websites and apps provide a method to recover your password via an email address. If you forget a password, the system will send an email to the address you provided to register. Once you access the email, you can quickly update your password to something more memorable. It’s important to note with this method, that anyone who has access to your email inbox could potentially reset the majority of your passwords. Stay safe and first ensure that your email account is well secured.

Read More: How to Use a Password Manager Securely on Android

Your Smartphone Might be an Option Too
Some websites also request you submit a phone number when signing up for their service. It’s imperative that you enter a real number and not a fake one. If the day comes when you forget your password having a code texted to your device might be your only failsafe. Again, with the power to reset passwords, it’s vital to keep your phone locked down with a secure passcode.

Those Good Ol’ Security Questions
One option that isn’t so safe is the old-time tradition of security questions. In the event that you lose or forget your password, you can re-enter a number of personal questions that you provided the answers to when you first signed up for a service. Many individuals pick easy to answer questions that anyone could know – meaning that anyone could reset your password if they know a bit about you. If you opt to use this method, ensure the questions are unique to you and not common knowledge.

Getting Locked Out of Two-Factor Authentication
Setting up two-factor authentication is a superb way to keep hackers out of your account even if they discover your password, but there are flaws. If you were to lose your authentication device, this could be a potential problem. Bypassing two-factor once you forget it is a tricky ordeal and typically there’s only a single method to help you here. When you sign up for most two-factor systems, they’ll provide you with a list of ‘backup codes.” It’s essential that you keep these codes somewhere safe as they can unlock your account if you find yourself between a rock and a hard place.

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To begin protecting yourself from the start, consider using dfndr security, which offers an anti-hacking feature for your Android device. With the dfndr security anti-hacking feature on, malicious sites are blocked even before you have a chance to click on a link in an email or SMS.

Website Spoofing is Pretty Scary
Website spoofing is a conventional component in the criminal scam of phishing. Hackers have been creating lookalike sites since hacking was born, yet the alarm here is their methods are getting more sophisticated, so the average person can’t tell the difference between a legitimate site or a phony one. This is why educating yourself is one step away from getting hacked.

Read More: Phishing Attacks Can Be Stealthier Than You Think

The latest website spoofing trick is a technique known as a cloaked URL. By utilizing technical loopholes, a hacker can make a link in your address bar look completely genuine. Here are few things to look out for when attempting to avoid spoofed websites:

• • Double check the address bar. Many spoofers will utilize a slight typo in the web address that they hope you won’t notice. Instead of visiting ‘Money.com,’ you may indeed be visiting ‘M0ney.com.’
  • Verify the email address. Received a suspicious email? Tap on the name in the ‘to’ field to reveal the originating email address. The email may not be from who you’d expect. So it’s easy to conclude the web link may not be genuine either.
  • Keep your browser updated. Some ploys, such as the cloaked URL scam that we already spoke of is being addressed by browser manufacturers. Update your software to help fight phishing and blot out cloaked URLs.
  • Watch the language used. Not bad language, we mean pay attention to the information provided. If some of your private details seem spot on, but the rest is vague  – that’s a red flag. Watch out for emails that don’t address you by name, but instead use a generic greeting. Even spoofed websites can be full of general information that’s not specific enough – look out for that too.

Stay Safe by Staying Aware
Website spoofing is an issue that we all need to remain aware of when browsing the web. If you receive an email from your bank or other financial institution, be sure to read the link carefully before clicking on it. Even better, don’t click the link at all, but instead manually type the address into a new tab of your web browser and compare. If you’re 100% positive what lays beyond is safe, only then should you click a mouse or tap a finger to proceed.

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Before you lay down plastic to pay for a matcha latte or a magazine, here’s how to stay secure when using a system you have no control over.

Read More: Attacks on Mobile Banking Apps to Look Out For

Go Back to Old-School Green Paper
We all love to use credit cards because they’re more straightforward than carrying around a wad of cash, but the truth is paper money and coins remain the most secure way to pay for goods. With cash, it doesn’t matter if a payment system is compromised. Having some greenbacks stuffed into your wallet can help guard against unknown situations. Especially when dealing with a new store or traveling overseas. Cash is not hackable.

Keep Your Online Baking Safe Too
With all this talk of the physical world, remember that you’ll always start with the online world first. It’s critical to ensure your online banking is just as safe as your offline activities. Make sure you bank with trusted sites, who take security seriously. Always use a secure password that involves random numbers, letters, and symbols – avoid full words and other easily guessed information. And don’t forget to enable two-factor authentication if your bank offers the ability. Two-factor authentication is another deterrent against hacks.

Reloadable Card For Purchases
Using your debit or credit card when making a purchase can put your accounts at risk for a cyber attack, so consider one of those nifty reloadable prepaid debit cards. If something happens where your prepaid debit card is stolen or your information is compromised, the loss is less of a blow. You may lose the money on your prepaid card, but overall, your primary banking accounts and credit cards are safe. A win-win situation!

Start a Relationship With Your Bank
We live in a connected world, so take advantage of the features that your bank offers. Almost all banks provide the ability to set up alerts, so you’re notified of any strange activity like substantial withdrawals being made or unusually high purchases. If you want to get even more cozy, considering receiving an alert from your bank whenever your card is used to monitor account activity in real-time.

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Here’s what you should know about the dangers of this vulnerability and why it’s important to patch your browser right now.

Read More: How Vulnerable Is Your Email Account to Malware?

An ‘Arbitrary Code Execution’ Flaw
Mozilla released the Firefox update a week after the release of the company’s new Firefox Quantum browser, also known as Firefox 58. The new browser includes an improved graphics engine, as well as performance optimizations and patches for more than 30 browser vulnerabilities.

Cisco released a security advisory that stated this update for Firefox 58.0.1 fixes an ‘arbitrary code execution’ vulnerability.

Could Hackers Get to You?
The vulnerability opens the doors for hackers to run arbitrary code on a victim’s computer that tricks them into opening a file with malware containing malicious code. Cybercriminals could then take control of a user’s privileges and completely compromise their system. They could do everything from installing programs to creating new accounts, to changing or deleting data.

If a user’s configurations offer fewer user rights, the impact on their device could be less harmful. Owners of Firefox 56 (.0, .0.1, .0.2), 57 (.0, .0.1, .0.2, .0.3, .0.4) and 58 (.0) could be affected. You can download the update on the company’s website. The vulnerability was discovered by Mozilla developer Johann Hofmann and it does not affect Firefox browser for Android and Firefox 52 ESR.

How Can Chrome Users Protect Themselves?
If you don’t use Firefox, this update doesn’t apply to you, but Chrome users may have to deal with other vulnerabilities. Google recently released a new update for Chrome in version 64, which includes changes to the browser that should help deal with speculative side-channel browser attacks. These are malicious ways in which hackers try to gain access to a system’s memory.

The biggest lesson here? Always update your browser because important security patches within updates keep your online experiences safer than not.

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The best way to protect from such an attack is using an all-purpose online safety app such as  dfndr security, which is packed with antivirus and anti-phishing detection to guard your Android phone against hacker threats.

Read More: 5 Phishing Clues to Look for in Emails from Your Contacts

The more you know how these phishing scams are perpetrated, the better prepared you’ll be for a potential attack. Here’s what you should know.

More Than ⅓ of Trusted Sites May Be Vulnerable
A recent study discovered that out of the top 100,000 sites based on Alexa’s rankings, 42% may be at risk of being hacked. The software used for these sites are not always fully secure, paving the way for hackers to take advantage. The study also found 80,000 phishing sites in 2017, 80,000 of which are reportedly secure.

The vulnerabilities may appear on all sorts of websites, but the most popular targets are business sites, as well as adult and pornography domain names. Other websites that may be compromised include uncategorized sites, parked sites, shopping outlets, gambling hotspots, news, and media domain names, as well as personal blogs.

The Character Conversion Vulnerability
One sign of security that we all know about is websites that use the https:// prefix, along with the little green padlock that touts a website as being secure. However, hackers are able to exploit a vulnerability that can make a fraudulent site mimic the exact appearance of a real website, especially when it comes to websites that don’t use the Latin alphabet.

Common targets are domain names that use Chinese characters or Cyrillic. English-based browsers have to convert these characters into English using Punycode, which translates them. It’s through this conversion process that cybercriminals thrive and “break-in” within this process.

Internet users believe that they are opening a familiar domain name, even though they are taken to a different URL and web server. Following this process, phishing scams are pushed take over by asking you for personal information that can later be used for criminal purposes.

How to Avoid These
Always be cautious of any website that asks for personal information and always update your browser regularly since updates usually fix vulnerabilities and bugs. Take a close look at the link address for extra words that seem out of place for a trusted site and scan any information once the site has loaded for anything out of the ordinary.

Ultimately, the best way to avoid falling prey to a phishing scam that appears to be legitimate is by getting a security app that flags these threats for you.

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There’s a number of ways to avoid cryptocurrency miners from increasing their profit at your expense and here’s what you should know.

Read More: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself From Malvertising

Is My PC Being Used for Mining Cryptocurrency?
It’s hard for the untrained eye to tell whether or not your computer’s processing power is being used by miners to attain cryptocurrency, but one easy way to find out is by monitoring CPU usage. If your computer is acting especially slow, preventing you from using your browsers or applications effectively, you may be the victim of mining.

A way to notice this is happening is when a sudden, massive spike in CPU usage occurs for no apparent reason. Chances are it’s almost certainly cryptocurrency mining going on.

How Chrome Users Can Protect Themselves
Companies have designed a variety of add-ons and extensions on Google Chrome to combat cryptocurrency miners. One extension is called minerBlock, which blocks any activity while you surf the web.

The extension lists various websites that are known for cryptocurrency mining and stops the mining from happening. MinerBlock is constantly updated as new domains are identified with mining every day.

‘No Coin’ Is Also Effective
Another Chrome app worth considering is No Coin, which is a free and open-source answer to online cryptocurrency mining. The extension monitors whether or not there is mining activity on a particular website, protecting your CPU from being used in an efficient manner.

When using your browser, No Coin shows you pop-ups that detect if mining is happening, with a red symbol offering you the opportunity to block the mining. You can also use it to whitelist a website for a specific period of time.

Consider Paying for Anti-Malware
Some anti-malware and antivirus programs are also designed to stop cryptocurrency miners in their tracks. Although the integrated Windows Defender antivirus software doesn’t stop mining, there are other products on the market that do offer an alternative to protect your laptop or home computer from shady mining practices.

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But, for all that you share and enjoy, there are bits of information that you probably want to keep private. Apps like dfndr vault are a good start to prevent prying eyes from seeing you’re embarrassing party photos and videos. Let’s be honest, you probably also want to keep what you do with your friends hidden from curious parents.

February 6th is Safer Internet Day, which is all about being aware of protecting your information – here are 5 more security tips to keep you safe on campus.

Create Complex Passwords
While it can be tempting to use the same password for every website and service that you use, be sure to keep them different and complex. Avoid using full words, names, or other obvious options, such as the name of your pet or favorite sports team to stay safe online. Create passwords with a random combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, then keep track of them all with a trusted password manager. Using the same password for every account is like using a single key for everything you own – one breach and everything is compromised. Suddenly those cool snaps aren’t so private.

Read More: How to Protect Yourself from Potential Catfishers

Be Aware of What You Click On
Awareness is the number one defense against phishing and malware attacks, to create a safer internet you need to begin with yourself. If you aren’t fully aware of where a random web link will take you, then consider avoiding it. Unknown apps or links can introduce malware and viruses to your device, even gaining access to resources such as your camera or microphone. Stay safe online by know what you are clicking on.

Use Safe Payment Options
It is nearly impossible to not be drawn into shopping online; after all, you need to buy that latest game for your smartphone. Make sure you’re using trusted websites when making purchases and don’t save your credit card info if you can avoid it. One thing you could do is utilize an online payment system such as PayPal in place of your credit card to try and stay safe online.

Consider What You’re Sharing
You love to share your status with your crew (or family), but take a moment to consider what you may be revealing.  Don’t tweet details of huge purchases or post pics of new jewelry as that can draw the campus thief to your door. Sharing your location for your next party? Probably not a good idea to share with people you don’t know. To keep safe online turn on off location sharing whenever possible or choose to share your location with a select group.

Try a VPN
While we often recommend staying away from public WiFi as a secure practice, it isn’t exactly practical. Whether you are hanging out on campus or the local coffee shop, many of us need internet access to get school work done. Utilize a secure VPN, such as dfndr vpn, to keep your data private and encrypted from those snooping on the network or bypass annoying content filters. If you’re a gamer, you can enjoy the possibility of a reduced ping time if the VPN’s server has a quicker route to your game host – reduced ping means less lag and more responsiveness in online multiplayer games.

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1. Google URL Shortener

For most people looking to shorten their URL, Google URL Shortener is the go-to site. All you have to type is goo.gl and it automatically brings up the URL converter. This is an easy to understand interface, and it takes all of the confusion out of shortening your URL link. All you have to do is copy and paste your URL into the space that says “Your original URL here.” Then you click “I’m not a Robot” so that Google knows that you’re real. Finally, click the “Shorten URL” button. Google then spits out your new and improved URL and you’re ready to go. It’s quick, easy and free!

Read More: How to Clean Up Your Android and Combat Sluggishness

2. ShortLink

ShortLink offers some interesting features for you if you want a shorter URL. The Android app not only shortens your links and provides you with a new shortened URL. ShortLink also creates a QR code which you can share on your social media sites making it easy for clients to find your site. All they have to do is scan your newly created QR code with a QR code scanner application and it automatically brings up your website on their phone. For some businesses or websites, it may be more beneficial to have a QR code instead of a short URL because the QR code may get people to your site faster.

3. URL Shortener

This free Android app is a great way to make any URL shorter. This app brags that it can make your URL short enough so that it fits in any Tweet, Facebook post, or email without taking up much space. Twitter can be frustrating due to the limited character count, but if you shorten your URL, you can link to your website without using too many characters. By using a shorter URL, you’ll have more room to write your thoughts. URL Shortener also lets you access your history so you can quickly see what URLs you have used before and you can access them. Another great aspect of this app is that they have beautiful analytics reports for your URLs. This means that you can see how many people clicked and shared your short URL.

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However, it’s worth noting that most browsers have some safe-browsing tools built in. It comes as no surprise that Google has some of the best safety tools in their Chrome browser already, such as the Safe Browsing feature.

Read More: Is It Safe to Let Your Android’s Browser Remember Passwords?

A Brief History of Safe Browsing
Have you ever been stopped from visiting a site by your browser? Usually with a warning that informs you that proceeding to the site could leave you vulnerable to hacking? If so, Google Chrome may have just saved you from possibly losing passwords, personal data, or worse. Google and Chrome have been working to enhance safe browsing, and prevent hacking like the kind mentioned above, since 2007. Since then, they have regularly updated customers on the kinds of hacking that affects their devices, specifically malware and social engineering attacks.

Malware
Malware is a boogeyman word often heard when hacking is discussed. And with good reason, too. Malware can target just about anything, from a simple application to an entire device. Think of it as unwanted software being downloaded to your phone. A malware attack happens when this unwanted software is downloaded and subsequently infects your devices. This is why malware is often termed a “Trojan horse.” Further, many webmasters are unaware that files they allow users to download have malware. To prevent malware or a Trojan horse attack, Chrome’s Safe Browsing will ask users to confirm their decision after downloading content from the Internet, such as software or a file.

Social Engineering
Social engineering hacking is a little trickier than malware. In short, a social engineering hack convinces you to do something you wouldn’t normally do. Usually, this involves asking you to enter some form of personal information, like a bank account number or password, logging into what appears to be one of your accounts. In reality, hackers have disguised the page as a reputable source, such as Gmail. This is also known as phishing. Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature will stop users with a warning before proceeding to a page suspected of a social engineering hack.

Safe Browsing and Beyond
Thankfully for Chrome users, Google continues to increase security measure in the Safe Browsing feature. In the meantime, you’re still better off relying on third-party security software like dfndr security.

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The Issues With Auto-Login
Auto-login may save you time and energy, but it can also save thieves or hackers time and energy. If you have pretty much everything you use on an active basis set to auto-login, and if someone else gets access to your phone itself, they will have immediate access to everything you do. It can be a running scale, obviously — they might not be able to wreak havoc with access to your favorite gaming apps, but if they’re able to get into more secure areas, such as your email or banking information, your personal information is in jeopardy.

Read More: How to Make Losing Your Phone Less Scary

Okay, so you’ll just be more careful. You won’t leave your phone out, and you won’t use auto-login for those really important accounts. But unfortunately, things can still go awry. Even if someone doesn’t physically get their hands on your phone or computer, they can still use malware to convince your computer that they’re an administrator, and from there it’ll be easy to get access to your passwords.

Furthermore, though it is usually advised against, people tend to reuse passwords for multiple accounts. So while it may not seem like a big deal if someone gets a password to your favorite time-killing app, you may have forgotten of many old auto-logins that have the same password you use for your email.

What are the lines of defense? As mentioned above, it’s smart to reaffirm your use of different passwords each and every time a password is required. You should also use password protection programs and lock features to protect your information. There are more secure ways to auto-login, too.

Finally, if no one is able to access your phone, it won’t matter how weak your password protection is (though, again, that’s not an excuse to have bad password protection).

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