How Hackers Can Easily Steal Your Passwords
Do you ever save your passwords on your browser? If so, you are putting yourself at risk for a hacker to steal your information.
Although it might seem convenient to have everything saved in one place, especially when the pop-up prompt asks if you would like to automatically fill your credentials! But by doing so, you are compromising the security of your entire computer system. If someone were to hack into your browser history, they would be able to access all of your accounts at once without having to log in.
So, what can you do to protect yourself? In this blog post, we will discuss how hackers can easily steal your account details and some tips on keeping yourself safe!
It summarises how hackers can access your online accounts without having to enter any password information by simply navigating their way through your browser history. It then provides instructions on avoiding this issue by disabling the password saving feature on your browser and using password managers instead.
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Stop saving your passwords in your browser!
If hackers get access to a number of protected online accounts, they could cause you a world of trouble if they intend to exploit them for malicious purposes. Hackers can not only access your email and banking information, but they can also easily reset the login information of all your other online accounts in a matter of minutes.
If hackers gain access to your Facebook, Google, and email accounts, they can easily reset the passwords of all your other online accounts without you knowing about it. This is because most websites do not ask you for multiple forms of identification before allowing a reset.
Hackers can use a device called a rubber ducky, they plug it into an unsecured computer which causes the computer to execute a program. The program sends all of the usernames and passwords on the computer to the hacker's phone or server.
Many hackers also use keylogging software that runs in the background on your computer, watching for any passwords you enter into websites. After they have obtained enough information, hackers will use password recovery tools to access all of your accounts at once.
What can you do to protect your passwords right now?
We urge you to erase all of your passwords from your browser right now and never allow your browser to save them again because they are just too simple to obtain by hackers.
Here's how to manage your passwords in each browser type:
Chrome: Go to the three dots in the top right corner > Settings > Autofill>Passwords. Delete saved passwords, turn off "offer to save passwords" and also "auto sign-in", also make sure 'save and fill payment methods' are turned off too.
Microsoft Edge: Go to the three dots in the top right corner > Settings > Passwords. Delete any passwords and turn off the extra options.
Mozilla Firefox: Press the three bars in the top right > Options > Privacy and Security > Scroll down to Logins and Passwords.
Safari: In Safari > Preferences > Press the Passwords tab.
Opera: Press the menu button top left > Settings > Privacy and Security > Passwords > Manage saved passwords.
Password Managers
You've undoubtedly got hundreds of account details to remember! If you still wish to keep track of your sign in details, we recommend using a password manager.
A password manager saves your passwords in the cloud rather than on your computer. It does this by asking you to input a master password, which is then used to access all of your other passwords. This means that if hackers were to gain access to your vault, they would be unable to get into your accounts without knowing the master password which is saved on secure servers, so hackers would have to access the password manager servers to steal your password.
A password manager will also generate and store strong unique passwords for you so that you don't have to remember them. These passwords are usually a string of random numbers, letters, and symbols. Most password managers also allow you to change your passwords on all of your other accounts with just one click. This makes it very easy to keep your accounts safe, secure and updated each time you change your master password.
They can provide two-factor authentication, which means that even if someone has your password, they will not be able to log in without the second factor of authenticating. The most common form of two-factor authentication is a code sent via text message or email, which you must input before being allowed to log in. Many password managers can also store other information such as birthdays, addresses, credit card numbers, etc.
Change your Passwords Regularly
Finally, you must change your passwords regularly, especially for passwords you use for accounts where financial transactions occur, such as your online banking account and email.
A good policy to follow is to change these passwords at least every 90 days or sooner if you suspect any suspicious activity on your account. The latest password managers monitor the darkweb to advise you of any potential breaches, alerting you to change your passwords.
Another thing to keep in mind is not to use the same passwords for multiple accounts. If hackers manage to obtain one of your passwords, they will access all of your other accounts that have the same password.this text to edit it.
Conclusion
The most crucial thing is to remain vigilant when using the internet browser. Ensure that nothing sensitive like credit card numbers or bank details are entered into forms.
Be sure to disable the password saving feature on your browser and use a manager like LastPass and be sure to change your passwords regularly for added security.
Additionally, be careful when accessing your accounts on public computers, don't save passwords and, if you do need to login on to a public or shared computer, be sure to log out when finished.
We hope this article has helped you better understand how hackers can easily steal your passwords and what you can do to protect yourself! By being proactive about online security, you can help protect yourself against hackers and keep your private information safe.
If you need help finding the right password manager for your company and getting set upgive us a call today!
Also, to help you start thinking about how your business might improve its cyber security practices, we've compiled a downloadable list of 15 Ways To Protect Your Business From A Cyber Attack and conduct a gap analysis check it out now, it's free!
Think Cloud are the North of England's award-winning and outsourced cyber security provider and managed IT provider based in Hull. We have all the resources you need to protect your business from cybercriminals, prevent data loss, ransomware infections and more.
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