Security Breaches and Lessons Learned: Protecting Your Digital Life

Has anyone here ever experienced a security breach? It is a terrifying and inconvenient experience that gathers momentum as the day goes on.

Ignoring Security Measures Leads to Disaster

Let me share a personal experience with you. I often ignored security measures, not understanding their importance. I never installed a browser guard such as Malwarebytes for Chrome and had no antivirus software. My ignorance led to a serious cyber attack. When I downloaded a cracked game, I remembered to turn off Windows Defender as a measure of deregulation, and never thought about turning it back on after the game was installed.

Unfortunately, the hacker managed to delete all my files, including some operating system files. When I realized what had happened, my settings app had become unavailable, and I was forced to reset my laptop. It turned out that a rootkit was in the system, leading to a complete loss of three months' worth of work on Archicard.

I conducted a scan with Malwarebytes and found 22 viruses left behind by the hacker. This experience taught me the importance of taking cybersecurity seriously, from installing basic security software to keeping systems updated.

Precautions and Breaches in Social Media

It's not just personal computers that are affected by security breaches. One of the most recent instances of a security breach involved my wife's Facebook account. The breach was discovered in the morning, causing a moment of panic.

According to the latest TRAI policy, if a mobile number is not used for more than three months, the service provider can cancel the subscription and reallocate the number to another subscriber. If a new subscriber gains access to an old account using this method, they can change the profile picture or other personal information.

Our wife's number was reallocated, and someone else logged into her Facebook account, changed the profile picture, and accessed her online banking. Thankfully, we noticed this in the morning and immediately took steps to secure her account.

We registered a police complaint and recovered the account. It serves as a wake-up call for everyone to map primary mobile numbers to their social media accounts and avoid alternative numbers that are seldom used. The use of non-usage mobile numbers can have serious consequences, as they can be misused or even reallocated to other users.

In this digital age, it is crucial to stay informed about security policies and take necessary precautions to protect your online presence and personal information.

Stay alert, stay safe!