How not to get hacked

January 16, 2018

link: https://code.org/curriculum/csp/docs/hownottogethacked

I learned that getting hacked is a lot more easier and common than I think. There are 9 essential tips in total. The first is to check for the lock in your browser or "https" to make sure your connection is secure so that information you send to the server is secure and not accessible to hackers. The second step is to check the URL and make sure that it's not a fake site, because you might be prompted to log in to a website that's not really what you were looking for. The third step is to only download from trustable sources, because you might download a virus that spies on your browser or does worse. You should also regularly install software security updates because this is an aspect of security that you can't control and you must install in order to not be vulnerable. Next, private data should not be emailed. I already knew this though, since my school makes this very clear in our rules. Sixth step is to use strong passwords, and by this they mean longer passwords rather than combinations of letters and characters — and on the subject of passwords, don't use the same one for every website. To be secure, we should enable two factor authentication, so that if a hacker does guess your password, they still can't log in unless they have your phone or other email address. The last step was a surprise to me: don't plug in devices or accessories from strangers because they may be infected with a virus that would go directly into your computer.