Today, life without a smartphone has become impossible, but attention is required as your cell phone could prove to be much more vulnerable than you think. Hacking is no longer just a fascinating subject for Hollywood, nor does a risk run exclusively by large companies and multinationals. Here, we gonna discuss some steps that help to save you from hacking.

Beware of shady messages

This is, in most cases, the main means used by hackers to enter the computer system of a company or the accounts of an individual: “phishing” is to send an e-mail. It looks legitimate but contains an attachment hiding malware or a link to a tricky web page that prompts you to enter a password to steal it or to download malware.

Many scammers use this technique. It is quite simple to pretend that an e-mail message comes from another address than the one that actually sent it. As a result, a hacker who has taken control of a box e-mail can easily send fraudulent messages to all of the account address books.

However, there’re several elements to locate trapped messages that can make you think. They are most often written in bad English and are very brief. They sometimes only contain a link. By hovering the link with the mouse cursor, its destination will be displayed at the bottom left of your browser: check if the link points to the page it claims to be. For example, this link seems to refer to the front page of Mavenwebsol.com but actually refers to the Pixels section: http://www.hackers.com

Another vital element is all the pages that use passwords or sensitive information in transit are (tax sites, EDF, banking, and insurance, but also electronic mail) use a secure protocol to prevent confidential information is stolen. These pages display on the left of the address bar a small closed padlock, which confirms that the connection is secure. False pages that imitate them and try to trap Internet users do not have them: if in doubt, check that this padlock is present.

Choose a “good” password (and change it regularly)

While in most cases, hackers use phishing techniques to get into the mailboxes of their targets. There is software that can try to crack a password by trying all possible combinations. This is the so-called “brute force” approach. Furthermore, someone who knows you well – or who has been researching your online interest centers may try to guess your password.

It is therefore recommended to use a “passphrase” instead: the longer the secret code, the more difficult it is to break or guess. There are several methods for generating passphrases that are both complex to guess and easy to remember.

Finally, many e-mail or social networking services offer an option “Secret Question”, to which you must respond when you request a password renewal. Be careful not to use an answer that can be easily found elsewhere, such as your mother’s maiden name: prefer information that only you know.

Do not share passwords by e-mail

When many services used with a password, it is not always easy to remember all. That’s why many people store their passwords in their box e-mail or a stored document online. But if this approach is practical, it is very dangerous. It is sufficient for a malicious person to enter your mailbox to have instant access to your Facebook page, or YouTube account, or even your login information for your bank’s website.

If you share the password by e-mail, you increase the chances that a third party can read it even if you have taken all the precautions to secure your mailbox. For example: if you send keys by mail – are you sure your recipient’s mailbox is locked, and you can’t slip your hand in it?

To share a password, nothing beats a more traditional method: give it orally, or write it on a post.

Use double authentication

Double authentication is a very simple security principle. It adds a “second validation” before letting someone connect to an account. Most banks have adopted a dual authentication system for online payments. You generally have to enter the details of your credit card along with a password. You receive this password with SMS.

Web services increasingly offer this option, notably Gmail, Apple iCloud, PayPal, Facebook, and Twitter. This is a slightly restrictive feature, but one that very firmly secures an account.

Take some precautions with your phone or laptop

The most strict security measures are of no use if anyone can access your computer or your phone to check your e-mails or install a spy software directly. Simple things to prevent it, put an unlock code on your phone, or even choose a password when your laptop starts. In case of theft or borrow, it will avoid malicious third party access to your personal information.