I hope everyone has been staying safe out there and doing their best to accumulate supplies and assets. It is always good to stay a couple of weeks ahead in case of a storm or other emergency. With the way things are going, it is better to be prepared for anything.
I have been hearing a lot about ransomware online and just how insecure the internet and your computer really are. I wanted to dedicate some of my time and energy to showing everyone different ways you can secure your computer and your Crypto.
A 2019 report found that security breaches had increased by 67% over the last five years.
Always activate 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) whenever possible! I can not stress this enough. This is an excellent way to put a second layer of protection on whatever account it is you are using. If you do not have this, you better have a password that is damn near impossible to break or change your passwords frequently. Even having the craziest password you are still vulnerable.
There are multiple ways you can harness the 2FA power. All programs and websites are different but the majority of them allow you to use google's 2FA.
This is one of the easiest to use and is pretty self-explanatory once you go to set it. You will need to download the Google Authenticator on a secure device. I would suggest a device you can always keep in a safe place and not on your everyday phone just in case it is lost or stolen. I know this is easier said than done, and the majority of people do not have an extra device sitting around. This is what brings me to my next topic and I think one of the greatest ways to secure your accounts.
Yubikey is (I think) your securest and safest option out there. This allows you to have your keys on you at all times. No one can get on your phone and just see your generated passwords.
YubiKey allows you to take your 2FA to the next level of security. You will have a timed code but on top of that will not be able to get your timed code without your key. If you want to take your security to the next level this is the step I would take.
73% of black hat hackers said traditional firewall and antivirus security is irrelevant or obsolete.
Never keep your passwords on your phone or any other digital device. If you are going to keep them anywhere keep them written down on physical paper and hide them somewhere safe in your house. If your phone is hacked and you have used 2FA and not stored any sensitive passwords on your phone then the majority of your information will be safe. If you have your passwords stored somewhere in your phone and you do not have 2FA enabled then you will most likely lose all of your sensitive data.
On average 30,000 new websites are hacked every day.
This is happening more and more as people and technology get smarter. 2FA is your best friend especially if you use Crypto which brings me to my next topic. In the next section of this article, I would like to go over securing your Crypto. You can use 2FA on the majority of Crypto earning sites but how do you secure that hard-earned Crypto.
SecuX V20 is one of my top physical Crypto wallets. There are other cloud-based wallets like CoinBase or Atomic Wallet which I love but if you want to take the security of your Crypto to the next level then SecuX is for you.
There are other versions out there but the V20 is my favorite. Not only the security but the design has won me over. Physically and technologically secure.
Another great hardware wallet out there is the Ledger. I have never owned one of these but I have heard a ton of great things. I have heard that it is easy to use and is almost as secure as SecuX.
I know what you are thinking. What if I lose my hardware wallet? Do I lose my Crypto? This is one of the main questions I have been asked when I brought these devices up in conversation.
This is where your 12 to 24-word passphrase comes in handy.
If you can find a wallet that supports BIP-32 and you have your recovery phrase you will be able to retrieve your Crypto. This is why your passphrase is so important and should only be written down and never stored digitally.
I am just sharing my personal opinion so I suggest you do your own research and look into securing every site and app you use. You will always think it could not happen to you until it is too late.
I just recently had someone from out of my country try to sign into my Instagram. If I did not have 2FA activated I would have probably been hacked. Keep your guard up and always make your password out of the ordinary and write them down.
I hope everyone stays safe out there in this ever-evolving world of technology.
A study made in 2003 (remember, it's 2021 right now) found that there is an attack every 39 seconds on average on the web. Insecure usernames and passwords give attackers greater chances of success. Unfortunately, the web has grown so much that such studies are not accurate anymore.
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I hope you have enjoyed this article. Please comment if you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to add or discuss.
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