Hi there, my name's Likhwa and welcome to Building Africa's Next Tech Unicorn. on this platform I give a behind the scenes look at what it takes to build a startup within the African context. In today's video, I'll be doing something different- I'll be talking about how you can stay safe online.
This isn't meant to scare you or get you all paranoid, but to help you be more vigilant in protecting yourself and your loved ones from cyber threats.
Most people underestimate the dangers of the internet, but the more I am exposed to it, the more I wish I didn't need it. At times I wish I could just disconnect, get rid of all my devices and not have to worry about the constant threats that come with being online. I believe some of us are fortunate by default- especially those who live in countries like my Zimbabwe- because we hardly use credit cards to transact online and even when we do, its not like we have a lot of money- otherwise we would be a hacker's goldmine.
Most people think hacking is this complicated thing where you write sophisticated code- drink some coffee, write some more computer gibberish then you click enter- and boom- youre in. That's not quite how it works. Most hacking is done through social engineering and it often involves a lot of trial and error. Social engineering is simply the manipulation of people into divulging confidential or sensitive information, or performing certain actions that compromise security. In the context of cybersecurity, social engineering involves exploiting human psychology and behavior to gain access to systems, data, finances, or facilities.
Common social engineering tactics include:
1. Phishing:
Using fake emails, messages, or websites to trick victims into revealing sensitive information. So someone can send a fake message saying the world bank is hiring- then they give you a link where you can fill in your details.
2. Pretexting:
Creating a false scenario or story to gain the victim's trust and obtain sensitive information. This can be a message from Elon Musk saying he's stranded on some island and he doesn't want people to know where he is... then he asks you to send him $1000 and he'll give you back a million when he gets back. That's obviously not the real Elon Musk.
3. Baiting:
Leaving malware-infected files, devices or storage media, such as USB drives, in public areas to entice victims into using them.
4. Quid pro quo:
Offering services or benefits in exchange for sensitive information or access.
So now let's get a bit technical... I'll give a scenario of how a hacker might try to get access to your accounts, and your challenge is to figure out what you need to do at each step to protect yourself. Deal?
Scenario
if I want to hack you it starts with getting as much information about you. How can i do that? I could start following you on social media or send you a friend request. This is likely to give me your name, nicknames, it will give me the names of your family and friends, your birthday, address, and any other info. With this info it becomes easier to make some educated guesses about a person- and this includes guessing stuff like their password. So to figure out your password, I can start with the obvious ones- I could try combining your name with your year of birth or the names of your loved ones- like your baby or your lover. So if your name is Amanda and you were born in 1992, we could variations like- amanda1992 or mandy92 and so on. If that fails we can then mive on to more complex methods, but now that you have a basic idea how it works, the next step to protecting yourself is trying to cover any potential vulnerabilities.
Here are a few things you can do.
1. Set up strong passwords or passphrases for all your accounts.
Use a combination of lowercase, uppercase, numbers and symbols. Also avoid using common words or phrases- the more random and longer, the better. Instead of something like: kim2000... Something like: c+H)aR$_3zI6 or if you want something you can remember, you can use a passphrase. A passphrase is a sequence of characters that is easy for you to remember but hard for others to guess. Here are a few examples:
- "Giraffes#LemonTrees88!"
- "MyCat@HomeLoves2Sleep!"
- "ILoveToEatPizzaOnFridays!"
2. Keep your password secure
Once you have your password, the next step is to store it somewhere safe. The safest place you can store it is in your mind, but since a lot of people struggle with that- I'd recommend using a password manager from a reputable organisation. I've seen passwords written on calendars, some even stuck on the laptop itself. You don't want to be that guy.
3. Enable 2 factor authentication.
This is whereby when a login or something happens in your account, a message is sent to your phone. That way, even if someone does figure out your password, they still can't get access to your account.
4. Keep your devices secure.
Do not leave your computers or phones in places where people can easily access them. If, you have to- Make sure they have passcodes and you lock the screen. If possible, also avoid sharing devices and accounts with others.
5. Verify the authenticity of all messages
Verify that all your messages, emails etc. are from the person who is claiming to have sent them. Be very careful about misspellings. For example- Fabebook and Facebook are 2 totally different words- but at first glance you might not notice the difference.
6. Avoid clicking dodgy links
Avoid clicking unsolicited links, or those Pick-N-Pay or Amazon is giving away 50000 dollars links. Be careful even when clicking links from people you know- at times they might have been compromised.
7. Be careful who you deal with
Avoid random strangers online- particularly beautiful girls who contact you randomly with a business opportunity- then they show you screenshots of people claiming they've just received their payment.
8. Avoid downloading apps from untrusted sources.
Download all your apps from the appstore or playstore. Make sure you use the official version of whatever app- not modified versions like Whatsapp GB. I am on a lot of developer platforms- TRUST ME- those modified versions leave you more vulnerable than you know.
I hope you found this helpful. If you did, remember to like, share, comment and subscribe... and hit the notification bell to make sure you never miss an update. Thank you for watching.
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