A must-read for all writers, journalists, and everyone involved in the digital world: protect yourself against password theft.
The news about Mat Honan’s case of password theft and iCloud account storage swiped remotely by hackers alarmed me. It stirred a sense of urgency to safeguard online information and passwords on various social media accounts and affiliates.
As knowledge increases, some people take advantage of technology and use it for selfish schemes. All eyes are on Apple support. Can we question the fruit company’s security measures?
However, this is a scary news. That’s why as writers and bloggers, we can’t ignore the fact that these things are inevitable. What’s more, if you’re using a simple 5-letter alphabet as your password, you’re one step closer to password theft.
The hacker’s first attack? Mat’s iCloud account, followed by his Twitter account, then Gizmodo’s Twitter account (where he used to work). His Twitter profiles were connected to his iCloud email, and a simple password reset allowed the hackers to access his iCloud account and Twitter profiles.
And the worst part? The hackers’ access to iCloud email then the access to Find My iPhone. Files on his iPhone, iPad, and Mac were remotely wiped out, and his Gmail and other accounts he had were all swiped. Gone.
Mat Honan’s statement on 9to5Mac:
I know how it was done now. Confirmed with both the hacker and Apple. It wasn’t password related. They got in via Apple tech support and some clever social engineering that let them bypass security questions. Apple has my Macbook and is trying to recover the data. I’m back in all my accounts that I know I was locked out of. Still trying to figure out where else they were.
Hackers were able to get access to his account via AppleCare support. They called up for Honan’s password.
So, how do you protect yourself against password theft?
Use passwords that you can’t remember. Safe passwords are combinations of numbers, symbols, and letters (small and caps), and you need to write them on a piece of paper or notebook.
Writers and bloggers using Apple services feel worried and scared. Hopefully, we’ll hear from Apple soon.
Tell me what you think.
