I’m mad as hell! I don’t mind saying that, I just want you to know. Last month (February) I had several accounts, both personal and this blog which were compromised by some fool who thought it would be fun to share spam and other inappropriate items from my accounts.
Seriously? Was it because I have such great stuff someone was jealous and needed to knock me down a peg or two? Was it because I was an easy target? Were my passwords not secure enough? Who knows. Here’s what I do know…someone has waaaay to much time on their hands when they feel the need to take someone’s life and turn it upside down for no apparent reason.
The good news, I’ve learned a few things by going through this experience.
- Nearly 30,000 websites are infected with some sort of malware every. single. day. Really, every day!!
- 90% of all businesses have been hacked in some form or fashion in the last 12 months. What does that do for a business? Nothing good I’m telling you.
- 73% of all Americans fall victim to cyber crimes! That’s a heck of a lot of hacking, spamming, and identity thefts going on and that’s MADNESS!!
source: Stellar Blue Technologies
Most of the businesses that are affected by hackers are small businesses and you do not want to be one of them! Personal blogs, company websites, and large news sites, are just a few examples of the things hackers can target.
(source: Stellar Blue Technologies)
So what are we to do?
Well…according to the FBI you can;
– Keep Your Firewall Turned On: A firewall helps protect your computer from hackers who might try to gain access to crash it, delete information, or even steal passwords or other sensitive information.
– Install or Update Your Antivirus Software: Antivirus software is designed to prevent malicious software programs from embedding on your computer. If it detects malicious code, like a virus or a worm, it works to disarm or remove it. Viruses can infect computers without users’ knowledge. Most types of antivirus software can be set up to update automatically.
– Install or Update Your Antispyware Technology: Spyware is just what it sounds like—software that is surreptitiously installed on your computer to let others peer into your activities on the computer. Some spyware collects information about you without your consent or produces unwanted pop-up ads on your web browser.
– Keep Your Operating System Up to Date: Computer operating systems are periodically updated to stay in tune with technology requirements and to fix security holes. Be sure to install the updates to ensure your computer has the latest protection.
– Be Careful What You Download: Carelessly downloading e-mail attachments can circumvent even the most vigilant anti-virus software. Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know, and be wary of forwarded attachments from people you do know. They may have unwittingly advanced malicious code.
– Turn Off Your Computer: With the growth of high-speed Internet connections, many opt to leave their computers on and ready for action. The downside is that being “always on” renders computers more susceptible. Beyond firewall protection, which is designed to fend off unwanted attacks, turning the computer off effectively severs an attacker’s connection—be it spyware or a botnet that employs your computer’s resources to reach out to other unwitting users.
One thing I would add –
– Create a Better Password: according to Stopthehacker.com “it takes only 10 minutes to crack a lowercase password that is 6 characters long. Add two extra letters and a few uppercase letters and that number jumps to 3 years. Add just one more character and some numbers and symbols and it will take 44,530 years to crack.”
I’m over being hacked! I’m over feeling like a victim. I’m over you hackers!!
It’s time to start out-smarting the smart asses who think this is OK!
and that’s my one (well maybe more than one) minute mind.
♥R
Just Bits and Pieces 