As the build up for Super Bowl 54 was in full swing, on the cyber front, over half of the NFL’s twitter feeds were hacked by a Saudi hacker. These groups simply used a keystroke reader to essentially hack the passwords to their twitter accounts. This allowed them to vandalize their pages and leave their mark on the pages as the playoffs were underway.[1]
The fact that these hackers could mimic keystrokes and the relative ease in them being bought on the internet has made password-based security system look week to almost obsolete. What many people don’t realize is that these passwords can easily be bought on the dark web. Its no longer safe or recommended to rely solely on passwords.
One of the simplest ways to secure your accounts is to create a multi-factor authentication. This authentication is where on top of a password, a secondary device, normally your phone is sent a signal or number that only you get that you enter to unlock your account. If you never sent that request, its likely that someone is trying to fraudulently enter your account. Biometric data is also a viable way, however, increasing regulation on who and what can collect such data restricts how it’s used.
Criminals are getting smarter and therefore the public must continue to be vigilant. Multifactor authentication is an easy way to start with protecting said identity.
[1] https://dataprivacyblog.com/the-nfl-twitter-hack-shows-we-need-to-move-past-password-protection/?utm_source=Data+Privacy+and+Security&utm_campaign=6492a32661-Data+Privacy+and+Security+Email&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f2e361c434-6492a32661-76512003