Account Takeover
Account takeover is considered one of the more harmful ways to access a user’s account. The attacker typically poses as a genuine customer, user or employee, eventually gaining entry to the accounts of the individual they’re impersonating. Scarier yet, user credentials can be sourced from the deep web and matched against e-commerce sites with the help of bots and other automated tools for quick and easy entry.
What is Account Takeover?
Account takeover is a type of cybercrime in which an attacker gains unauthorized access to a user’s account. Once the attacker has access to the account, they can use it to make unauthorized purchases, transfer money, or steal personal information.
How does Account Takeover happen?
There are many ways that account takeover can happen. Some common methods include:
Phishing: Phishing is a type of social engineering attack in which the attacker sends an email or text message that appears to be from a legitimate source. The email or text message will often contain a link that, when clicked, will take the victim to a fake website that looks like the real website. Once the victim enters their login credentials on the fake website, the attacker can steal them.
Brute force attacks: Brute force attacks involve trying every possible combination of letters, numbers, and symbols until the attacker guesses the victim’s password.
Malware: Malware is software that is designed to harm a computer system. Malware can be installed on a computer through a variety of ways, such as clicking on a malicious link, opening an infected attachment, or downloading a file from an untrusted source. Once malware is installed on a computer, it can steal the victim’s login credentials and other personal information.
Who needs to know about Account Takeover?
Account takeover can affect anyone who has an online account. This includes people who have bank accounts, credit card accounts, email accounts, social media accounts, and other online accounts.
How to protect yourself from Account Takeover
There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from account takeover. These include:
Use strong passwords: Passwords should be at least 12 characters long and should include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
Never reuse passwords: Use different passwords for each of your online accounts.
Be careful about what information you share online: Don’t share your personal information, such as your Social Security number or date of birth, with anyone you don’t know and trust.
Be careful about clicking on links in emails and text messages: If you’re not sure if a link is legitimate, don’t click on it. Instead, type the website address into your browser directly.
Keep your software up to date: Software updates often include security patches that can help to protect your computer from malware and other attacks.
Use a security solution: A security solution, such as antivirus software or a firewall, can help to protect your computer from malware and other attacks.
If you think you have been a victim of Account Takeover, there are a few things you can do:
Change your passwords: Change your passwords for all of your online accounts, especially your bank accounts, credit card accounts, and email accounts.
Contact your bank or credit card company: If you think your bank account or credit card has been compromised, immediately contact your bank or credit card company.
Report the attack to the authorities: If you think you have been a victim of a crime, you should report the attack to the authorities.
By following these tips, you can help to protect yourself from account takeover.