How to Secure Your Online Accounts from Hackers

It is difficult to determine exactly how many account hacks happen in the US each year, as many hacks go unreported or are not publicly disclosed.

However, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), there were 1,480 reported data breaches in the US in 2020, which exposed over 46 million records. This is a significant increase from the previous year, when there were 1,257 reported data breaches exposing over 25 million records.

It is likely that the actual number of account hacks is much higher than the number of reported data breaches, as many hacks go undetected or are not disclosed to the public.

To protect yourself from account hacks, it is important to use strong, unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, be cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments, keep your software and devices up to date, and use a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your accounts.

Securing your online accounts from hackers is essential to protecting your personal and financial information.

There are several steps you can take to protect your accounts from being hacked:

Use strong, unique passwords

Using strong, unique passwords is an important step in protecting your online accounts from hackers. A strong password is one that is difficult for others to guess or crack, and a unique password is one that you don’t use for any other accounts.

There are several characteristics of a strong password:

Length: A longer password is generally more secure than a shorter one, as it is more difficult for a computer program to crack. Aim for a password that is at least 12 characters long.
Complexity: A complex password contains a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. This makes it more difficult for a computer program to guess your password using a “dictionary” attack, which involves trying common words and combinations of words.
Unpredictability: Avoid using passwords that are based on personal information or easily guessable patterns (e.g. “12345” or “qwerty”). Instead, use random combinations of letters, numbers, and special characters.

By using strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts, you can make it much harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts, even if they manage to obtain your login credentials.

You can use a password manager to help you generate and store strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an extra layer of security that requires you to provide an additional piece of information in addition to your password when logging in to an account.

This additional piece of information is often a code sent to your phone or email, but it can also be something that you have, such as a security token or a biometric identifier like a fingerprint.

By requiring an additional piece of information to log in, 2FA makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts, even if they manage to obtain your password. Without the additional piece of information, they will not be able to log in to your account.

Many online accounts, including email, social media, and financial accounts, offer 2FA as an optional security feature. It is highly recommended that you enable 2FA on all of your accounts that offer it, as it provides an additional layer of protection against account hacks.

To enable 2FA, you will need to follow the steps provided by the account provider, which may involve installing an app or entering a code sent to your phone or email.

Once 2FA is enabled, you will be prompted to enter the additional piece of information each time you log in to the account.

Be cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments

Being cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments is an important step in protecting your online accounts from hackers.

Hackers often use phishing attacks to trick people into revealing their login credentials or downloading malware.

A phishing attack is a type of cyber attack that involves sending fraudulent emails or messages that appear to be from a legitimate source, with the goal of tricking the recipient into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware.

To protect yourself from phishing attacks, you should be cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments, especially if they come from unfamiliar sources.

Be sure to verify the authenticity of any links or attachments before clicking on them. Some signs that a link or attachment may be fraudulent include:

The sender’s email address does not match the name of the sender
The email or message contains grammatical errors or typos
The email or message asks for personal or sensitive information
The link or attachment seems out of place or unexpected

If you are unsure whether a link or attachment is legitimate, you can try hovering over the link with your mouse to see the destination URL, or you can contact the sender to verify the authenticity of the message.

By being cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments, you can protect your accounts from being hacked through phishing attacks.

Keep your software and devices up to date

Keeping your software and devices up to date is an important step in protecting your online accounts from hackers.

Hackers often take advantage of vulnerabilities in outdated software or devices to gain access to your accounts. By keeping your software and devices up to date with the latest security patches, you can reduce the risk of being hacked.

Software updates often include important security patches that fix vulnerabilities in the software.

It is important to keep your software up to date to ensure that you have the latest security protections in place. Many software programs offer automatic updates, but you should also check for updates manually on a regular basis.

In addition to keeping your software up to date, it is also important to keep your devices up to date. This includes your computer, phone, and any other devices that you use to access your online accounts.

Device updates often include important security patches and other improvements that can help protect your accounts from being hacked.

By keeping your software and devices up to date, you can protect your accounts from being hacked through vulnerabilities in outdated software or devices.

Use a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your accounts

Using a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your online accounts is an important step in protecting them from hackers. An encrypted connection helps to protect your data from being intercepted by third parties, such as hackers or government agencies.

To use a secure, encrypted connection, you can access your accounts through a website with “https” in the URL, rather than “http.” The “s” in “https” stands for “secure,” and it indicates that the connection is encrypted.

You can also use a virtual private network (VPN) to establish an encrypted connection when accessing your accounts from a public network, such as a public Wi-Fi network.

By using a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your accounts, you can protect your data from being intercepted by third parties and prevent your accounts from being hacked.

It is especially important to use a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your accounts from a public network, as public networks can be vulnerable to hackers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several steps you can take to protect your online accounts from hackers.

By using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), being cautious when clicking links or downloading attachments, keeping your software and devices up to date, and using a secure, encrypted connection when accessing your accounts, you can significantly reduce the risk of your accounts being hacked.

It is important to take these steps to protect your personal and financial information, as well as your reputation and privacy.

By following best practices for account security, you can protect yourself and your accounts from being compromised by hackers.