Help! My Password Has Been Cracked

You’re not really sure How the Heck They Got Your Password, but they did, and now you’re freaking out. The password to one of your accounts has been cracked and you don’t know what to do to get control back of your account.
Let’s look at several things you can do to get control of your account and get things back to a secure state:
If Someone Cracked Your Password But You Can Still Log Into Your Account
The worst case scenario is that your account password gets hacked and the hackers change your password. Hopefully the security questions that you answered when you set up your account will help you regain control of your account and allow you to reset your password back and lock them out.
What if there aren’t any security questions? Many accounts have a password reset process that will allow you to initiate a reset using an email account that you have on file with the account provider. Unless the hacker has changed this email address, you should be able to regain control of your account by having the password reset link sent to your email.
If They’ve Taken Control Of Your Account and Locked You Out By Changing The Password
If the person who cracked your password has locked you out by changing your password then getting it reset might be a little more complicated. You may need to contact the account support line of the account provider and explain the situation, they should be able to verify that you are who you say you are via other means such as by looking at the phone numbers you have on file, verifying your address, or reviewing the answers to your security questions.
Make sure that you inform the account provider that this just happened and that any new information recently added to your account is false and that you want to place your account on hold until everything is sorted out. Reporting the password hack quickly is essential to limiting the damage.
If The Account Was Your Main Email Account
If your main email account is hacked then things can become even more complicated because, chances are, you have a lot of other accounts pointing to your email account for password reset purposes.
Thankfully most email providers have multiple ways of verifying that you are whom you say you are. Follow their account password reset procedures and if all else fails contact their account support.
The next step you should take after resetting your main (hacked) email account password is to change all passwords for any other account that you have that point to that account for password reset purposes. The reason: the password crackers could have initiated password resets for those other accounts.
Steps to Take To Prevent it From Happening Again:
Make Your Next Password Much Stronger
When creating passwords to replace ones that have been cracked, you need to create a much stronger, longer, and more complex password. For tips on creating strong passwords, check out our article: How to Make a Strong Password.
Use Two-factor Authentication If It’s Offered
Another way to prevent future account compromises is to enable two-factor authentication on the accounts that support it. Two-factor authentication usually requires some kind of token, such as a PIN that is sent by the account provider via an already established communication line that you have verified, such as a mobile phone or secondary email account. Other methods of two-factor authentication use fingerprint readers such as those featured on newer iPhones, iPads, and some Android devices.

5 Ways to Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target

Hackers seem to be everywhere these days, on the news, in the movies. You can’t turn around without seeing a news story about a major data breach or massive hacking attack that took down a huge company’s online operations.

You just want to be left alone to play your PC games, browse Facebook, the basics. You don’t want to become a target and/or victim of a hacker. So the question is, what can you do

to make your computer a less attractive target to a hacker.

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Make Your PC a Less Attractive Hacker Target:

1. Enable “Stealth Mode” on Your Router’s Firewall

Some routers feature a mode called “stealth mode” where the firewall on the router does not respond in the traditional manner when a port scan is run against it. If your router offers this feature you should consider turning it on to make your network (and the devices behind it) less conspicuous to hackers attempting to probe your network.

2. Use a Personal VPN Service

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), once the domain of the privileged few who could afford to use them, are now available to the common man. You can purchase personal VPN service on a monthly basis for little more than the price of a decent cup of coffee.

VPNs offer a plethora of security features such as encryption of all network traffic, anonymous browsing via proxied IP addresses, as well as some great features that take advantage of the ability

to choose an IP address from your home country when you are traveling abroad. For an in-depth look at the other benefits offered by personal VPN services, check out our article: Why You Need a Personal VPN.

3. Encrypt Your Wireless Network

Not seeing a padlock icon next to a network name when a hacker is scanning for available Wi-Fi networks is a huge turn-on for them. This tips them off to the fact that there is essentially free Wi-Fi available because there is no password required to access networks that don’t have encryption turned on (hence, the lack of a padlock icon).

If you don’t have wireless encryption turned on, you are basically advertising to hackers and neighbors that your bandwidth is freely available for the taking. If hackers happen to use the free Internet that you are graciously providing them to carry out hacking and other crimes, guess who it will be traced back to? That’s right, YOU. You can plead ignorance but there is no guarantee that it will be an acceptable excuse.

Lock down your Wi-Fi with WPA2 (or better) encryption with a strong password to avoid being an unwitting accomplice to a hacker’s misdeeds

4. Make Sure Security Patches Are Installed And Up to Date

Hackers love to see a system with unpatched vulnerabilities that they can exploit, gain entry to, and take control of. You need to make sure you're using the automatic update feature of your operating system so that as soon as a security patch is released it will be pushed to your PC. You should periodically do a manual check as well to ensure that the auto-update process is working as it should be.

Check for updates of your Internet-connected apps (web browsers, plug-ins, etc) on a frequent basis as well and turn on their “check for updates” feature (if available). Don’t forget to check for updated wireless router firmware, as your router manufacturer might have updates waiting in the wings as well.

5. Educate Yourself and Hack-proof Your Brain

When it comes to your PC’s security, you don’t want to be the weakest link. You definitely don’t want to get tricked into installing malware or fall for some other scam that puts your PC and your personal data at risk.

Common Network Security Mistakes

Have you ever been scammed or had a computer virus take over your system. You're left wondering: “how the heck did this happen to me”? You thought you had followed all the standard advice on securing your network and computer, but you still ended up with a security breach or malware infestation.

Here Are 5 Common Network Security Mistakes You Might Be Making:

1. You're Not Using Strong Encryption On Your Wireless Network
Are you scratching your head because hackers broke into your network, even though you had wireless encryption enabled? You may have been using encryption, but you might have been using the outdated and highly vulnerable Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption. WEP was cracked years ago and hacking a WEP-encrypted network is now trivial, due to a proliferation of easy to use WEP hacking tools. Even a novice hacker can break into a WEP-based network.
The Solution: replace your network's WEP encryption with Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2). WPA2 is a much more robust wireless protection method and is the current standard for “secure” wireless networks. Some older routers may be too old to support an upgrade to WPA2 while others can be upgraded via a firmware update. Check your router manufacturer’s support page for your specific router to see if it supports WPA2.

2. Your Passwords Aren’t Strong Enough

A weak password can be a hackers gateway into your network, your system, and your online
accounts. Increased computing power has decreased the amount of time it takes for password cracking tools to crack a password.

You need to make your passwords as long, complex, and random as possible. Avoid use of dictionary words in your password as cracking tools test for these. Having one embedded in your password will help the tool find your password much quicker than if it had random characters in it.

Check out our article on How to Create a Strong Password for tips on composition.

3. Your System Doesn’t Have The Latest Security Patches

Hackers love to find systems with unpatched vulnerabilities because they can be exploited with specially crafted attacks that take advantage of the unpatched weakness. OS vendors are constantly detecting new threats in the wild and developing security patches to close the holes.

Most OSes feature a set-and-forget “auto update” capability that will automatically download and apply the latest security patches on a regular basis.

The Solution: turn on auto update for your OS security patches as well as any apps that have auto update capability. You should also periodically run a manual patch check to ensure that the auto update process isn’t broken.

4. You Don’t Have a Backup Strategy

When things go bad, your first question might be “do I have a backup of those files”? You shouldn’t have to ask yourself this question, you should know the answer, and the answer should be "let me go pull up my backup of those files”.

Backups are critical resources. Some computer malware such as ransomware can encrypt your files and hold them hostage. If you have a backup of your files then you can laugh at the ransom demand and tell those hackers to go stick it in their ear or some other orifice.

Check out our article on Developing a Backup Strategy for some tips on how to go about backing up your stuff.

5. You’re Not Aware of The Latest Threats And Scams

Scammers and hackers are constantly evolving their tools and tactics. Educating yourself on the current threats is key to not falling victim to the newest and most dangerous scams and hacks happening in the world.

Facebook account has just been backed !, What to DO ?

You've just got a text from one of your friends saying that he is wiring some money to your hotel in Paris and that he hopes you are OK. The only problem is that you're not in Paris, you're in Michigan eating Cheetos and watching Judge Judy. Before your orange cheese covered fingers can text him back, you start getting more texts from other concerned friends who also say they are wiring you money ASAP. What the heck is going on?

It looks like your Facebook account has just been backed and the hackers who did it are impersonating you and hitting your friends up for cash. Before things get further out of hand, follow the steps below to bring things back to normal.

If you believe your Facebook account has been hacked:

1. Go to the Facebook Account Compromise Reporting Page

2. Click the "My Account Is Compromised" button

3. On the "Identify Your Account" page, enter either your e-mail address, phone number, Facebook user name, or your name and and the name of one of your friends.

4. Follow the instructions provided to report your account as compromised.

5. Once your account has been reinstated and is back under your control, reset your Facebook password from the Accountt Settings" page by clicking the "Change" link under the "My Account" Password section.

6. From the Facebook Privacy Settings page, click on "Apps and Websites". Under the "Apps You Use" section, click "Edit Settings" and then click on the "X" to delete any suspicious / malicious apps that may have been used to compromise your account.

7. Alert your friends that your account was hacked and warn them not to click on any links that the hackers who compromised your account may have posted on their walls, in chat sessions, or in facebook e-mails that the hackers sent to them.