Online scammers know no boundaries, and our email addresses are often at risk of being compromised, leading to data breaches and the potential loss of assets and money. This situation, commonly called “pwned,” can have serious consequences. To safeguard your email address from being misused for malicious purposes, it is essential to exercise caution and take proactive measures.
What does being pwned mean?
The term “pwned” originates from the word “owned” and is commonly used in the context of computer security and hacking, particularly by online gaming communities. It began as a typo, caused by the “p” and “o” positioned together on keyboards. Over time, pwned has become a widely recognised term in internet culture.
Being pwned typically refers to data breaches where significant amounts of sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or personal details, are stolen or exposed. If a company or organisation you have an account with experiences a data breach, your email and password for that account may be exposed to cybercriminals.
Fortunately, websites such as Have I Been Pwned allow you to check if your email address or username is compromised in any known data breaches.
How do I check if I have been pwned?
The Have I Been Pwned website helps individuals check whether a data breach has compromised their email addresses, user profiles and potentially bank accounts.
If your email address or an account has been “pwned,” someone unauthorised has gained control. Hacking can also compromise your account, allowing an attacker to potentially steal your identity.
Have I Been Pwned lets you enter your email address to check if it has been caught up in any data breaches. If your email address is compromised by a breach, take immediate action to secure your information and change your passwords.
What should I do if I've been pwned?
After discovering your email address is part of a data breach, immediately change your password on all accounts where it’s used. Ensure you use a unique password for each account, especially if you have reused the same password across multiple sites.
Here are some other measures you can take take to protect yourself and your money.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
Use two-factor authentication (2FA) on all your accounts. This extra security layer ensures that even if a scammer has your password, they can't gain access to accounts without a second form of verification, such as a code sent by text to your phone.
Monitor your accounts.
Check your bank accounts and credit cards regularly for dubious activity, especially after a breach. Look for unfamiliar transactions or changes in your account settings.
Update security questions.
Change your security questions and answers. Select questions and answers that are tough for others to guess and consider using bogus answers for additional security. Just be sure to remember the answers.
Beware of phishing.
Be cautious of phishing emails and texts. Cybercriminals often exploit data breaches to send fake messages that look like they come from legitimate companies, asking you to click on malicious links or provide personal information.
Use unique passwords.
Ensure your online accounts have a unique password and avoid using obvious choices like 123456. This helps prevent multiple accounts from being compromised if one password is leaked. Consider using a password manager to securely generate and store strong, unique passwords.
Essential measures to safeguard against being pwned.
You can safeguard yourself from cybercrime through various methods, such as maintaining up-to-date software and practicing secure email habits. Here are four essential tips to help you avoid falling victim to hackers.
Use strong passwords.
Create strong passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. The more complex your password, the harder it is to crack.
Use password managers.
Password managers generate and store unique passwords for each website or service you use, ensuring your passwords are both strong and secure – and better still you don’t have to remember them. For instance, Google Chrome offers a built-in password manager, and the Have I Been Pwned website is supported by the password manager 1Password.com.
Keep software updated.
Update all software on your devices regularly, including operating systems, applications, and browser plugins. Vendors release updates to fix vulnerabilities, so installing them promptly reduces the risk of being hacked.
Practice secure email habits.
Use unique passwords for each email account and implement best practices for email authentication to prevent unauthorised access and reduce the risk of phishing attacks.
It's crucial to protect yourself and your finances from cyber threats. By using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, and staying alert to phishing attempts, you can greatly reduce your risk and enhance your online safety.
Visit Intel for more ways to keep your money safe.
For more information on how to protect your finances by keeping scammers at bay, visit Intel - the Defence Bank blog.
Important note: This information is of a general nature and is not intended to be relied on by you as advice in any particular matter. You should contact us at Defence Bank to discuss how this information may apply to your circumstances.
