Avoid becoming the next “Celebrity Nude Photos” victim

To most of us, the headline of celebrity nude photos is at the very least, intriguing. Some  us may go link clicking to ‘see’ what all the buzz is about.  Other’s won’t give the idea of seeing their favorite Hollywood star nude a second thought. Who knows, someone out there might even be feeling for the celebrity whose private parts aren’t so private anymore.

Think about how you would feel if it were your private parts that were now public? What if it was your name in your local news feed,

“Local business woman available on the Internet for all to see.”

Some hackers take nothing more than personal pride to be able to get into someone else’s accounts. They get a rush breaking through the complexities of people’s most secure information…their password.

1234, Password, Birthdate, Anniversary Date…these are just some of the most popular passwords ever created. Not much for a hacker to really bust through, but an accomplishment just the same. Here is a list of the most popular passwords used.

Don’t think to yourself;

“Well I’ve never had a naked photo of me taken!!”

Congratulations and good for you, but what about your banking data? Your tax returns? Your investments? The contact information for your friends? Ever consider how much data you are actually just a few keystrokes away from giving up?

What about something simple like your social media accounts being taken over?

So, how do you keep you information secure against people who mean to do you harm or those just looking to add you to their accomplishment list?

Set a STRONG Password

Passwords that are easy to remember are easy to steal. Here are 4 tips to making great passwords.

1. Use number and letters
2. Make your password at least 8 characters
3. Use special characters
4. Make your password unique having nothing to do with ‘you’

Can’t come up with something on your own? Try a tool to help you out. Password Creator is very simple and has lots of flexibility.

PasswordCreator.com

Password Safety

Creating a strong password is one thing. Protecting your password and your identity is another.

1. Never share your password.
2. Use 2 Factor Authentication on everywhere it is available.
3. Don’t use the same password everywhere.
4. Create different passwords for different places.

I love 2 factor authentication. Two things have to be in place. Your password (something you know) and a device (something you have). Here is an excellent article on 2FA. Creating unique passwords can be a pain, but it is a very good way to keep insulated levels of security for yourself.

Device Safety

Getting into your device should never be a simple thing. Your device’s need protection too. Make sure you exercise any password settings available for your device.

Turn it up a notch with an access key to some of your devices. Many of you may have them for work but did you know you can get them for your own stuff as well?

Here is an example of a key fob you can use for when you step away from your computer.

lastpass.com

I love LastPass for helping to secure accounts. Think of it as a vault for all your passwords. All you need to remember how to do is open your vault while it takes care of the rest.

Don’t let yourself become the next Hollywood Starlit that is the victim of an online security attack. Protect yourself.

While nothing here will guarantee you won’t be hacked, you will be making it a lot harder for people to turn you into a victim. Remember, remove the opportunity; remove the crime.

Disclaimer: I don’t have an agreement with any of the products or services listed in this post, nor did I receive anything for mentioning them.

Final note: If you are searching the web for naked pictures of people who have been hacked to see what all the buzz is about, think for a minute…would you like it if people were doing that to your loved one? Every time someone views the pictures or shares them, the victims are being victimized again. Don’t be that person.