Where the internet goes, hackers will follow. It’s one of the most inevitable occurrences that can (and does) happen in an increasingly digital era. Whether it’s a business, government agency, or individual, the creepy specter of potential hacking hangs over everyone’s devices.
It’s such a common happening that many Americans have no trust in major entities (such as government agencies and social media giants) protecting their personal data. In fact, it’s difficult not to see news pop up where there’s been a major data breach. In short, hacking will happen. Here are some of the most common ways that internet users get hacked.
Digital Wallets
Hackers love to go where the money is, and digital wallets are full of the good stuff. While many internet users are prepared to be hacked from the outside, many people who use cryptocurrency may not be aware of the dangers that are lurking from the inside.
Some tokens, NFTs, and contracts are already compromised before the user even gets a chance to flex their crypto muscle. If a wallet has granted malicious permissions, it’s a free road to a crypto wallet being decimated. In fact, there are developers who create tokens just to take advantage of these scenarios in what is known as hard rug pulls. A trusting investor who only wants to increase their investments would never see this type of scam coming until it’s too late.
Phishing Links
These days, taking great care not to click on suspicious links has been advised to the point of ad nauseam. However, that overly preached advice should probably never grow old to tired ears because phishing links are prevalent and pervasive. One report estimated that 98 percent of businesses have dealt with at least one phishing attack.
Crypto-based companies and software are no exception and are frequent targets of phishing scams. There is a lot of money invested and floating around in the cyberspace of blockchain technology, making it a hotspot for cyber thieves on the lookout for a dirty, digital steal.
Malware
Speaking of maliciousness, internet users can add malware to that package of hacking discontent, too. Malware is software with evil intent. It is literally designed to disrupt, destroy, and dismay. There are tons of anti-malware programs in the market to try and counter this type of hacking. However, it’s common for new malware to be developed at such a fast rate that many of these protective programs are too slow to catch.
Physical Device Access
Of course, there’s always the standard hacking technique that directly involves other people. If a person can gain access to sensitive information by getting their hands on a device, then hacking can happen. While passcodes and two-step verification processes go a long way toward protecting people from being hacked, not everyone uses those deterrents.
In the same vein, there are people who would want to be able to take advantage of such protection but may have older devices or technologies that don’t provide as much protection as newer ones. It’s also common for people to lose or forget their phones, giving would-be hackers unfettered access and time to access sensitive information.
