Guide - How your data can be used against you

Introduction

You may not realize it, but you are a target for cyber criminals! Your computers, mobile devices, accounts and your information have tremendous value.

Malicious use of your data

See below for the different methods that a cyber criminal could use your information against you to make money (or to commit other crimes!).

Username & Passwords

Once hacked, cyber criminals can install programs on your computer that capture all your keystrokes, including your username and password. That information is used to log into your online accounts, such as:

• Your bank/accounts, where they can steal or transfer your money.
• Your Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox account where they can access all your sensitive data.
• Your Amazon, Walmart or other online shopping accounts where they can purchase goods in your name.
• Your UPS or FedEx accounts, where they ship stolen goods in your name.

Email Harvesting

Once hacked, cyber criminals can read your email for information, such as:

• All the names, email addresses and phone numbers from your contact list.
• All of your personal/work emails.

Virtual Goods

Once hacked, cyber criminals can copy & steal any virtual goofs you have and sell them to others, such as:

• Your online gaming collection.

Botnet

Once hacked, your computer can be connected to an entire network of hacked computers (controlled by the cyber criminal). This network, called a botnet, can then be used for activities, such as:

• Sending out spam to millions of people.
• Launching Denial of Service (DoS) attacks.

Identity Hijacking

Once hacked, cyber criminals can steal your online identity to commit fraud (or sell your identity to others), such as:

• Your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Your email accounts.
• Your messenger accounts (Skype, WhatsApp, etc.).

Web Server

Once hacked, cyber criminals can turn your computer into a web server, which they can use for the following:

• Hosting phishing websites to steal other people’s usernames and passwords.
• Hosting attacking tools that will hack people’s computers.
• Distributing pirated material.

Financial

Once hacked, cyber criminals can scan your system looking for valuable information, such as:

• Your credit card information.
• Your tax records and past filings.
• Your financial investments and retirement plans

Extortion

Once hacked, cyber criminals can take over by:

• Taking pictures of you with your computer camera and demanding payment to destroy or not release the pictures.
• Encrypting all the data on your computer and demanding payment to decrypt it.
• Tracking all websites you visit and threatening to publish them.