Cem Karakaya is an expert in cybercrime and helps private individuals and companies to protect themselves against cyber attacks. We asked him what private individuals can do to keep the dangers lurking online at bay.
1) WLAN router as a source of danger. Let’s assume that I have broken up with my girlfriend. Our Wi-Fi router, which I configured at the time because I’m more familiar with such things, is still in our former shared apartment. So I still have all the access data after the break-up. My ex-girlfriend has a new door lock installed, but she doesn’t change the access data for our router. This means I no longer have access to the apartment, but I do have access to her digital life. A similar example: I bought a new iPhone after the separation and logged in with her access data. As a result, I have a copy of her smartphone in my hand and therefore access to her emails, messages and much more. That definitely sounds like a horror movie, but the bottom line is that I definitely need a new digital me after a break-up.
2) The password thing. People tend to use the same password for all applications, typically in online stores. It is human laziness that wins out here. I therefore suggest the following: If you use a password manager, you can use the same password everywhere, because the manager takes care of creating and storing different passwords.
3) Data minimization. If you make sure that you only provide relevant data, you will save yourself a lot of trouble afterwards. For example, if you are asked for your home address when buying a movie ticket, you should question this. Or even the surname. Why should that be important? I have never experienced being greeted by my name when entering the movie theater.
4) Better safe than sorry. It is definitely worth activating 2-factor authentication. If a perpetrator gets hold of your access data, they will usually change your passwords first. With 2-factor authentication, you can regain control. https://militaeraktuell.at/wir-werden-nicht-gehackt-wir-lassen-schlupfloecher/
5) Small fish, big trouble? Owners of small companies and SMEs tend to assume that they are not a target for hackers. This is a misconception because hackers usually know that smaller companies take fewer protective measures. 6) Only secure is secure. I cannot emphasize this enough: Backups and data backups can be lifesavers. This way, even encryption Trojans can’t do you much harm.(Note: Encryption Trojans are a specific family of malware that encrypts files on the victim’s computer and on connected network drives, making them unusable for the victim).
7) Nobody is perfect. When anything is connected to a network, there is always a risk. I have been working in this field for 30 years, but even I sometimes make mistakes.
