Don’t Get Hacked!

Overview

Someone is actively being attacked by a cyber hacker every 39 seconds! We always think, “Oh, that’ll never be me,” until it actually happens. Don’t wait until it’s you that is a victim of being hacked because then it may be too late.

Introduction

There are many different hackers out there that have their own unique reasons as to why they use their skilled computer tactics. Technology is used by individuals everyday, whether it is part of a job or just for social and entertaining purposes. While you are busy and going on with your everyday life on the internet, you are also likely being targeted by a hacker, or even many hackers, at once. Every hacker has their own specific reason as to why they are targeting people on the internet. In this article, I will discuss some different types and what their unique reasons are, because there are many, and I want you to be protected as much as possible. I will also discuss what hacking is and how to guard yourselves against online threats.

Computer Hackers

For those who may not know or are not aware of hackers, computer hackers are unauthorized users who break into computer systems in order to steal, change or destroy information. They often do this by installing dangerous malware without you knowing. Computer hackers use clever tactics that have detailed technical knowledge that helps them access your personal information. The different hackers that are out there are:

1. Black Hat
2. White Hat
3. Gray Hat.

Black Hat

The black hat is a hacker that aims to steal businesses’ financial data or bank details and use this information to sell it on the black market or leverage it for extortion, according to the online article I read to learn more about hackers. They may also release malware that can destroy files and other personal information. The technique that the black hats use is to find a way to access your computer by sending emails that may look like it’s meant for you, but it’s not. Most times, they set up traps on well-known websites or social networks. These traps and emails contain links that may be persuasive for you to click. However, as soon as you click the link, the hacker has succeeded. When this happens, there is only a little amount of time for you to be able to stop the hacker.

White Hat

Most hackers are intending to be malicious and have cruel intentions. However, according to an additional article, the white hat hacker is known as an ethical hacker and they are individuals who use their hacking skills and abilities in order to identify vulnerable spots in hardware, software, or networks. Their primary objective is to help businesses fight cyber-crime. White hat hackers set up security measures for companies to close loopholes that other hacker threats may target.

Gray Hat

Gray hat hackers perform both the activities of a black hat and white hat. These hackers look for vulnerabilities in a system without the owner’s permission. When the gray hat hacker finds any issues, they report it to the owner. However, they typically request a fee to fix the problem, according to the article I read. There are some gray hat hackers that hack into a company’s system because they feel that they are doing a good thing by helping out. However, no one likes an invasion of privacy, especially companies with very important information and files that do not need to be reached by outsiders. Also, there are gray hat hackers who simply have the intention of showing off their abilities in order to gain publicity.

Summary

Those are some commonly known computer hackers that you should be aware of. If someone is an expert at hacking into software and networks, good or bad intentions, stay alert and still protect yourself! Having those skills and techniques to be able to break into anyone’s personal information is not something to take lightly.

Tips to Protect Yourself Online

Here are some ways to protect yourself from online threats and cyber-crime.

Be Sure to Have a Strong Password

Having a strong password can be a start to ensure that hackers don’t succeed because it is the first part of defending yourself against unauthorized access into your personal information and networks. The key to a strong password is to not relate it to any of your personal background that is easy for someone to guess. For example, using your name and the day you were born is usually easier to guess if this is shared information about you. Using uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters to form a password is the best option in trying to create it to be the strongest password. In addition to having a strong password, you should be sure that you are changing your password often. Keep in mind that hackers are always working on their next target, so you should stay steps ahead of the game. Changing your password often gives you a better chance of not being a cyber-crime victim because this is your first line of defense against them.

For security questions that are asked when resetting a password, you should have answers that are specific to you. Common security questions, like your mother’s maiden name, are not reliable enough to keep hackers away from gaining unauthorized access. Choose security questions that only you would know and would be hard for an attacker to obtain.

Avoid Unknown Links

When checking your emails, you should be mindful of clicking attachments that are included with the email. You should also be cautious about the manner of an email that is persuasive about clicking a link that you don’t know anything about. Opening attachments or links that you are not familiar with is a serious security breach, precisely because you don’t know what it contains. This is a well-known way for hackers to embed viruses on your computer. And once your email is hacked, this is also a way for them to start sending spam mail from your account to others. It spirals from there! Once they’ve hacked your email, they can then have access to others in order to hack them.

While browsing on the internet there are ads and pop-ups that appear often. Those are so annoying and we want to get it out of our way so that we can continue to browse, right? So we immediately click the “close” button or the “red x”. This is another common way for hackers to access your phone, PC, or laptop. This is because once you click on it, you have downloaded a virus. Hackers use this method called phishing attempts. Phishing is a type of scam that tries to extract personal or financial information from you, or convince you to download malware, according to this article. Phishing attempts have targeted laptops and desktop but have now become a problem for smartphones as well. In order to stay safe from these hackers, you should stay cautious and think before acting online.

Stay Alert While Being Online

People on social sites tend to overshare a lot, and hackers feed off of such easy accessing information. Don’t make yourself such an easy target! Limit the personal information you post and keep personal and financial information out of conversations that you have online. Just because it is displayed as a “private conversation” or “direct message” doesn't mean that conversation is secured and only there for you and the other person to see. Hackers are very experienced people and can get into basically anything! Keep your private and financial information to yourself and off of web pages.

Be extremely cautious when accepting online friend requests and having a private page is beneficial also. Hackers make profiles and send requests so that they can collect more information on your personal life in order to gain access to your online accounts. This method is useful for hackers when they are trying to figure out passwords, which is why it is important to have a strong password that only you know. Hackers want to figure out as much information about you that they can because they know what is needed in order to gain access and crack verification into your accounts.

Conclusion

Overall, I hope that this article has helped you gain knowledge or more knowledge about online hackers, and that you’ve learned ways to protect yourself from being an easy target. For those of you who are alert and concerned about hackers, good for you! Keep that mindset and keep your guard up. However, those of you who are not so concerned and think that you won’t ever be a victim of cyber-crime, I would consider a shift in mindsets if I were you! Be aware and have insight about hackers and their work, so that you can be prepared to stop a hacker and ensure that you are steps ahead of them at all times.

Online References Used to Support This Article

• 13 Types of Hackers You Should Know — Infographic by Megha Shah

• The Dangers of Hacking and What a Hacker Can Do to Your Computer
• Black hat, White hat, and Gray hat hackers – Definition and Explanation
• White Hat Hacker by Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks
• Do pop-ups mean your iPhone is hacked?

About the Author

L’Nysia Johnson is a sophomore at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. Her major is in Psychology and her minor is in Criminal Justice.