....is a combination of assessing how likely something is to happen and how bad it will be if it does happen.
It's not likely, verging on the impossible, that any of your accounts, be it your bank account or your Facebook account will be hacked.
What happens is one of a few things;
1) Some account you don't care about much and share no personal data with, like a newsletter subscription or similar, is hacked.
Immediately if you have used that username/password combination elsewhere, then that account may be accessed, not hacked, through your lax awareness of security.
2) Your password is something ridiculous like 1234 or 'password' and will be easily guessed by an automated program.
You have lost that account through your lax awareness of security.
3) You are phished. Basically someone with some dumb a*** reason or excuse manages to get you to share your personal or account or login details. It'll be either fear (HMRC are after you) or greed (I am a Nigerian princes with a billion pounds I want to share)
And you, through your lax awareness of security, hand them over.
Fundamentally the core security risk is you.
Never use the same password twice
Never use a guessable password
Never share your password (or any other details).
Use all the security going (in particular two-factor).
I am reasonably sure that everybody here is aware and capable (If not, ask, I or someone else will help, and I'll get on the phone and talk you through it if you want) however those around you may not be so aware.
Everybody around me is aware, from my stubborn I-know-best wife through to my everything-will-be-fine-and-I-can't-be-a***d nieces.
You should make sure that both you and everybody around you is equally aware.
Of course, if you don't put the information out there then it can't be stolen. I remember in the early years of my work at Digital Equipment, the mantra was, "if you're not prepared to print it out and put it on the village noticeboard, then don't write it in the first place"
It may not be likely, but it can be a most terrible thing if it does happen.
|
Risk... new
Risk... new