10 Ways you may get Hacked this Summer

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Can you name 10 ways you can get hacked this summer? I can.

Hotel Hacking

4DThose hotel electronic card locks for doors aren’t as secure as you think. A criminal attaches a little electronic gizmo beneath the lock, and presto, he’s in your room. You can’t stop this, but you can make the burglary worthless by not leaving valuables in your room. Always have your door locked overnight.

Car Hacking

Forget the bent coat hanger trick — that’s for rookies. But even a dimwitted thief could hack into your car this summer. For only $5, the thief buys a “black box,” a key fob spoofer, that electronically forces car doors open. Short of disabling your keyless entry, what you can do is park your car in lighted areas and keep valuable out of it. Or have your mechanic install a kill switch.

Credit Card Skimming

Criminals set up those card readers at stores with devices that will steal your card information. If you can’t pay with cash, use a credit card since there’s a delay in payment, whereas a debit card takes money from your account at the point of purchase. Keep a close eye on your credit card statements and bank account.

Hacking a Charging Phone

Avoid charging up your phone at a public kiosk. It doesn’t take a mental giant to install malware into these kiosk plugs. Once your phone gets plugged in, it’ll get infected. Use only your plug or wall outlets.

Finders Keepers Finders Weepers

If you happen to find a CD-ROM or thumb drive lying around in public, leave it be, even if it’s labeled “Hot Summer Babes at the Seashore.” You can bet that a crook left it there on purpose and wants you to plug it into your computer. You’ll end up installing malware that will allow the thief to remotely control your computer.

Phishing for Victims

You get an e-mail with a striking message in the subject line such as “Pics of you drunk at my party!” A percentage of people for whom these messages apply to will open the e-mail and take the bait: a link to click to see the photos. The link is malware and will infect your computer.

Wi-Fi Sharing

Using a public computer is always risky, as anyone can monitor your online actions. Hackers can even “make” your device go to malicious websites that will infect your device. Stay away from public Wi-Fi or use a VPN (virtual private network) like Hotspot Shield. A VPN will protect you summertime and all time at public WiFis.

Photo Geotagging

Every time you take a picture and post online, your location will be up for grabs in cyberspace, unless you’ve disabled your device’s geotagging.

Social Media

Beware of clickjacking and XSS. Clickjackers place a phony screen over an obscured malicious link, luring you to click. The hidden link then is triggered and gives the hacker your contacts, taking you to a malicious site. XSS puts a malicious script right in your browser that will install malware. So be judicious about clicking on popular videos and whatnot.

Airplane WiFi Hacking

Connect while 35,000 feet high and you can be revealing all sorts of private goodies. Airplanes lack online security. The aforementioned VPN is your best bet when connecting to airplane WiFi

Start your summer off securely by avoiding becoming a victim of hackers.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.