When a hacker attempts to breach a device, he/she typically does it for two reasons. The first reason is to get as much private data as possible in order to sell it on the dark web to other malicious individuals and corporations. The second reason is to get financial remuneration. This way, the cybercriminal could target a specific individual with considerable net worth to attack. The hacker could also get several financial details to siphon money from different accounts into the hacker’s own account.
Without a secure VPN, internet traffic is open to snooping by the government, ISPs, and most dangerously, malicious actors. Launching attacks on personal users are easier than you think, and phishing and Wi-Fi attacks are extremely commonplace.
The typical methods cybercriminals use to breach devices’ privacy are explained below.
Techniques Used For Privacy Breaches
Phishing
Phishing is one of the oldest methods used by hackers. It was one of the prominent ways they got private information from people in the early days of the internet. One of the primary ways phishers use to siphon information is by sending emails to individuals.
Typically, when you go through your email account, you’re likely to ignore the many promotional and newsletter emails sent to you. Cybercriminals understand this and use a different approach to get you to open the emails they send to you. They make their emails seem urgent, prompting you to take immediate action.
A hacker looking to steal your financial information would send an email that would be similar to the mails your bank sends. The email would warn you of suspicious activity and the need to change your password immediately. Once you click on the email link, you’d be redirected to a website cloned to look like your bank’s sign-in page. Immediately you insert your details on the phishing page, it would get sent to the hacker who could then gain access to your account to transfer funds.
Public Wi-Fi Breach
Hackers find areas with public Wi-Fi connection to be juicy spots for siphoning financial data. What hackers do in this case is to hack the internet session between numerous devices and the Wi-Fi network, effectively spying on data transferred between both.
Chances are a few people who will try to use their internet banking to make payments or facilitate transfers. Through Wi-Fi spying, the hacker would then have the information needed to log in to the victims’ accounts. Public Wi-Fi breaches by hackers could also be dangerous because the hacker could be able to get any file from your device if he/she decides to.
Boosting Security for Your Internet Banking
Be Wary of Emails Sent to you
To avoid getting phished, you should properly check the emails sent to you. Even if the mail seems urgent, take your time to assess the situation. You can also train yourself to observe your web address box in your browser anytime you’re loading a new webpage. Cybercriminals that use phishing methods make use of web addresses that are not similar to that of your bank. This way, you can stop yourself before fixing your banking details.
Engage a VPN’s Services
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is used to secure online data flowing between your device and the public Wi-Fi network or Internet Service Provider (ISP) you’re connected to. Basically, a VPN acts as a wall between both parties using the internet connection.
Utilizing a VPN would make it possible to login to your online banking on any network without the fear of your details being stolen. Even if a cybercriminal attempts to spy on your information while you’re connected to the public Wi-Fi network, it would prove impossible.
VPNs also provide several benefits for users like hiding IP addresses and allowing individuals to bypass geo-restrictions to enjoy services.
Hackers are frequently looking to steal financial information from people. They frequently use methods like phishing and Wi-Fi breaching to facilitate this. By using a VPN and scrutinizing emails sent to you, you’ll be able to frustrate their efforts.