Republican vice-president candidate Sarah Palin learned a lesson that many of us often forget: The Web isn't safe.
A hacker was able to get into Governor Palin's Yahoo Mail account through the "reset password" feature, which allows users to retrieve or change their login password if the user can confirm their identity with personal information—their birthday, spouse's name, etc. As some news outlets have reported, Palin's cyber-attacker was able to easily fool Yahoo by finding such information about the politician online.
But a word of warning: Celebrities and politicians aren't the only ones who are vulnerable to such hacker tricks. With an increasing number of people posting personal information on Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and blogs, nearly anyone can fall victim to such online account hijacks. One security expert noted how he used such trickery on a friend (with permission) to successfully gain access to that person's e-mail—and many other online services, such as that person's bank accounts. (Read his account, "How I Stole Someone’s Identity," on Scientific American.)
To avoid becoming a victim like Sarah Palin, follow these simple tips:
- Choose your security questions—and answers—carefully. Avoid those that ask for answers that might be easily obtained or guessed. Birthdays, home addresses and spouses' names might be obtained through various sources, including government Web sites where such information might be available as part of official "public records."
- Use strong passwords. These are codes that contain a mix of numbers, letters and special characters. Such pass-phrases don't have to be hard to remember, either. "1Mgr8@th!s" looks like gibberish, but you'll easily remember it if you think of it as "I'm great at this."
- Don't use the same password for all your logins.
- Avoid using public computers to check Web accounts. These public PCs—ones at an Internet café or public library—might contain "keyloggers" or software programs that record where users go online and what they type.
- Don't use unfamiliar public WiFi hotspots.
TheyAccess points not clearly associated with a nearby business offering suchdummywireless services can be dangerous traps set up by hackers, looking to capture login IDs and passwords. But even if you do use a trusted public WiFi hotspot, don't use it to check your e-mail or conduct other sensitive online business. - Turn on your home WiFi's security. Enable WEP protection and other security protocols to prevent any outside computers from joining your home network—and possibly installing spyware on your home computers. If you don't, every word you send can be easily seen by anyone nearby with a laptop and some freely-available software.
For more online safety and ID theft prevention tips, see our free online security information center. And read our 7 online blunders report to learn of other unsafe practices to avoid.
—Paul Eng
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