Why would hackers want to steal your email address? Money, quite simply.
Our personal data is under attack. Americans are being turned into commodities on the dark web. Every piece of your personal information fetches a price online. Your details when bundled together with other stolen personal data are more attractive to the criminal buyers.
Podcast: Hackers are getting smarter at infiltrating our lives and this podcast will help you reclaim some of your personal privacy and help avoid getting suckered by cyber criminals.
Is your email address on the dark web?
Topics include:
06:08 What is the Dark Web? And are you for sale from hackers?
06:55 For those who say “I have nothing to hide, so I don’t care what hackers know about me."
04:28 The Facebook breach that got swept under the rug.
05:01 What’s “hashing” and why you want to avoid it.
07:09 What cybercriminals want from you.
08:02 Why a hacker wants your email address.
08:39 What to do if you think your personal info has been hacked.
10:12 A quick check can see if any of your email addresses are being exploited.
11:04 New ways to spot intrusions into your home technology.
12:30 The worst thing hackers use to get at your information.
These lawless hackers want your credit card details, account logins, cash from your accounts, working phone numbers, and email addresses to name a few of your assets on the market. With your email address alone, they can trick you and your friends into helping criminals gain more access into your personal data before you know what hit you.
What do I do if my data has been stolen?
Log out of all of your accounts
If you see that your information was part of any sort of breach, you should first log out of all your accounts on every web browser on your computer. Once you’ve done that, you should clear your cookies and cache.
Change your password: If your password was compromised, be sure to change it immediately. Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.
My tips and best expert-reviewed password managers can be found here
Remove yourself from the internet
While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously. By doing so, it would significantly decrease the chances of a scammer being able to get your information to begin with to then sell on the dark web for others to then target you.
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Invest in Antivirus protection
The best way to protect yourself from accidentally clicking a malicious link that would allow hackers access to your personal information is to have antivirus protection installed and actively running on all your devices.
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See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.
Do you need a new phone if your personal info is on the dark web?
Do a malware scan of your Android device. You should scan your phone with reputable antivirus protection and remove any suspicious apps or files.
- Phishing and malware are common tactics that hackers use to trick you into clicking on malicious links or attachments that can infect your Android phone with spyware or ransomware.
- You should be careful about opening emails, texts, or messages from unknown senders or sources that look suspicious or too good to be true.
- Avoid downloading apps from unofficial sources or websites that may contain malware.
Update your software: Make sure you have the latest version of Android and any apps you use on your phone. Software updates often fix security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. You can check for updates in your phone’s settings or in the Google Play Store. Learn how to update your Android or iPhone.
Use a strong password or PIN: Lock your phone with a password or PIN that is hard to guess or crack. You can also use biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or face recognition if your phone supports it. You should also change your passwords and log out of any accounts that may have been compromised.
Enable two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your online accounts by requiring you to enter a code or use an app to verify your identity when you log in. You can enable 2FA on services that offer it, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. You should also use a different device to receive the codes or use an authentication app like the ones described here
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