10 Ways Hackers Steal Your Identity and How to Protect Yourself

S1 Informatika – Cybercriminals are always looking for ways to steal personal information. With access to sensitive data, they can cause financial loss, damage your reputation, and compromise your privacy.

Understanding how hackers operate is the first step to protecting yourself. Here are 10 common tactics hackers use to steal your identity and tips to avoid falling victim:

1. Harvesting Information from Social Media Profiles

Hackers often exploit the personal information people share on social media. Details like your birthday, email address, phone number, or even your home address can be easily obtained from your profile if it’s public.

How to protect yourself: Avoid sharing sensitive personal details on your profile. Set your account to private so only approved connections can see your posts.

2. Stealing Data Through Third-Party Apps and Websites

Some apps or websites allow users to log in using their social media accounts. While convenient, this can be risky. Not all third-party platforms are secure, and some may misuse your data.

How to protect yourself: Avoid logging into third-party apps or websites using your social media credentials unless they are verified and trustworthy.

3. Gaining Information Through Your Friends’ Accounts

Hackers sometimes gather data indirectly by accessing the accounts of your friends or family. By analyzing their profiles, they can find connections and obtain details about you.

How to protect yourself: Agree with friends not to share your personal photos, videos, or sensitive information without consent.

4. Sending Phishing Links

Phishing scams trick users into entering their login credentials on fake websites. Hackers often disguise these scams as legitimate messages from banks or companies.

How to protect yourself: Be cautious of unsolicited links, especially from unknown senders. Always verify the authenticity of the sender by checking their official email address or website.

5. Extracting Location Data from Shared Photos

Sharing photos with geotags or locations can inadvertently reveal where you live or frequently visit. Hackers can use this information to track your movements.

How to protect yourself: Disable geotagging features on your camera and avoid sharing photos of sensitive locations, such as your home.

6. Recovering Deleted Information

Even if you delete a post or photo, it may still exist on the internet. Tools like Wayback Machine can retrieve previously uploaded content.

How to protect yourself: Think twice before posting anything online. Avoid sharing content you may regret later, especially sensitive or compromising material.

7. Exploiting Friend Requests

Hackers sometimes pose as new friends or followers to gain access to your private information. They might engage with you to gather more details about your life.

How to protect yourself: Be selective about who you accept as friends or followers on social media. Avoid engaging with suspicious accounts.

8. Using Fake Public Wi-Fi Networks

Hackers can set up fake Wi-Fi networks that mimic legitimate ones. Once connected, they can intercept your online activity and steal sensitive information.

How to protect yourself: Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) when accessing public Wi-Fi. Avoid performing sensitive transactions, such as online banking, on unsecured networks.

9. Exploiting Unknown Programs or Malware

Installing unknown programs or malware can compromise your device’s security. Hackers may use these to track your activity and steal your passwords.

How to protect yourself: Regularly scan your devices with trusted antivirus software. Avoid downloading files or programs from unverified sources.

10. Weak Wi-Fi Encryption and Lack of Router Security

Hackers can easily infiltrate Wi-Fi networks with weak encryption or no password protection.

How to protect yourself: Use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption for your Wi-Fi router. Regularly update your router’s firmware and set a strong, unique password.

Conclusion

By understanding the methods hackers use to steal identities, you can take proactive steps to secure your data. From social media precautions to using VPNs and strong encryption, every measure counts. Protecting your personal information isn’t just about technology—it’s about staying vigilant and informed.

Author : Rizki Ramadhan

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