This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube video titled "Numerous websites hacked because of poor user security and poor passwords" (Fox 25 Morning News segment, created 2013-12-06). The excerpt is an on-air interview between a news anchor (SPEAKER A) and personal security expert Robert Siciliano about a large cyberattack that exposed login information for nearly 2 million accounts across services like Facebook, Google, Twitter and Yahoo. They discuss causes (phishing links, visiting infected sites, weak/simple passwords) and practical defenses (use stronger mixed-character passwords, password managers such as RoboForm, antivirus/anti-spyware, firewalls, VPNs, secure Wi‑Fi, and keeping browsers/operating systems updated).
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Welcome back, everybody. About 5 minutes to 8 o'clock this Friday morning. Thanks so much for staying with us. A massive cyberattack is raising new concerns about internet security this morning. If you use Facebook, Twitter, or even Gmail, you could be a victim. Here with advice on how to protect yourself, we have personal security expert Robert Siciliano live from our Beacon Hill studio. Thanks so much for being with us. Good morning.
Good morning.
Okay, so according to a new report from Chicago-based security firm, cybersecurity firm called Cybersecurity Hackers, stole login information of nearly 2 million accounts on Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo. More than 100 countries affected here in the US, about 3,000 incidents like this. First of all, why is this happening? What are people doing to make themselves vulnerable?
Generally, they are clicking links in emails and they're infecting their devices. They are visiting websites, clicking the same links and not having proper protection. And when you're out in you have an unprotected device, it can be infected.
Okay, one thing that I read in what researchers found here is that a lot of the victims are doing exactly what specialists advise us not to do regarding passwords, which is using simple passwords that are easy to guess. So common knowledge is you want to change your password often, have a lot of different ones. That's really a headache though, which is why I know I don't do it. What's the bare minimum?
So 123456 is not a good password. The word password is not a good password. A good password. And criminals know this. They have technology that scans the web, tries usernames and passwords, and they use simple passwords. They use what's called a dictionary attack— words from the dictionary, simple known passwords— and they use a brute force attack, and eventually they're going to get in. So you have to use uppercase, lowercase, numbers, letters, and so forth, and that will prevent, in most cases, a bad guy from getting access to your accounts.
Uppercase, lowercase, because I've heard some of the common ones that people are using are, are like pets' names, princess, Right. You know, the numbers, that sort of thing. What are the kind of the really obvious ones that are no-nos?
Well, like I said, you know, using the word password is not good. The key is to update your antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, and a firewall. You know, one of my clients is McAfee. Using an antivirus like that, using a secure wireless connection to the internet, a VPN like Hotspot Shield is a really good one.
Okay.
You know, using technologies that are designed to lock down and secure your accounts. Using a password manager Password manager to manage multiple passwords is very effective. I use a password manager. I have several hundred passwords. I can't possibly remember them all, but a password manager will help you out there.
Is there a particular one that you would recommend?
So, um, RoboForm is a really good one. McAfee has one with their LiveSafe product. I mean, that— this way you can handle multiple passwords without having to actually remember them.
Right, right, because obviously a lot of companies invest in that kind of protective software, but individuals don't do that. In fact, a lot of our viewers are probably hearing for the first time how they can do it on their own.
Yeah, this isn't rocket science. Keeping in mind that hacking, criminal hacking, is actually science. There's a process to that. And bad guys know what your vulnerabilities are, and they know what you're doing and what you're not doing to protect yourself. And they're, you know, taking advantage of what you're not doing. So if you're doing certain things, if you up your security intelligence, if you install certain products and services— antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, a firewall, you know, a VPN, password manager— if you do these basic things, If you don't click links in emails, don't randomly click links on the web.
Okay.
Update your browser, update your operating system. These are basic things that you do that you could protect yourself.
Alright, well thank you so much for your advice this morning, our cybersecurity expert, uh, Mr. Robert Siciliano.
Thank you.
Alright, the Fox 25 Morning News at 8 starts right now.
