Sometimes hackers just want to disrupt businesses for revenge. Other times it's to hold computers for ransom. And sometimes they're stealing credit card and banking data, then selling to other hackers, over and over again.
These are scary headlines, but they also happen to be true. You cannot ignore what's happening around us daily. But there are more ways you can prevent this:
Using the same password on a whole raft of logins is a rookie mistake. Once hackers get one password, they’ll try it on everything else they can connect you to.
Use auto-updates to get the latest patches for apps, software and operating systems.
Get yourself decent anti-virus and firewall software – and turn it on! Some insurance companies and banks only cover fraud and theft if you can prove you had security in place.
Be very suspicious of emails or messages asking for login or account info, and check that any links are legit (i.e. not hsbo-bank.co.uk) and secure (https not http). This is known as phishing and is one of the easiest ways for passwords to be nicked.
Where possible, buy online using a credit card. If you're a victim of fraud you'll have a better chance of getting your money back. If you can't get accepted for a credit card, use a prepaid card instead – while this won't insure your stolen cash, hackers will only have access to what you've topped up rather than your entire bank balance.
