25 Nov 2022
Dan DeMichele, Vice President (VP), of Product Management for LastPass, said “The latest wave of cyberattacks is a powerful reminder of their increasing sophistication. But there has been a significant target shift – Cybercriminals aren’t just coming for governments, large-scale enterprises, and critical infrastructure, individuals and SMBs are on their radar too."
He adds, "The message is clear – everyone at every level needs to be prepared. The good news is that when it comes to cybersecurity, there are proactive things you can do to protect yourself."
Three steps
Dan DeMichele continues, “When you receive an alert that there may have been a breach, there are three steps to take."
- "Firstly, you should always change your account password. Leaked passwords are usually sold on the dark web or added to hackers' databases to crack passwords. Changing a breached password ensures hackers can't log in to your account. If you were using the same password for other web accounts, those need to be changed immediately too."
- "Secondly, consider using a password manager to help create and store strong passwords, then enter your credentials when you return to a website to log in. Some can also help you keep an eye out for suspicious activity involving your personal information on the Dark Web so you can take action accordingly."
- "Thirdly, use two-factor authentication to make your accounts more secure. This is when you use an app to generate a code or get a notification on your device and helps to prove the person logging into the account is who they say they are. Any unauthorised access, therefore, gets shut down in real-time.”