So this article popped on our screens today –

Malaysia fitness model Joey Tng regrets paying Bitcoin ransom. https://says.com/my/news/m-sian-fitness-model-wired-rm1-700-worth-of-bitcoin-to-hackers-to-retrieve-ig-account

Now that most Malaysians are under Controlled Movement Order (CMO), it’s a good time to review your own security management protocols to secure all your social media accounts and avoid ransomware.

You definitely DO NOT want hackers to gain access to your precious 10 year old Instagram accounts.

1. Beware of phishing emails. Double check the sender’s domain and email address from your email app. (Some spammers use fake domains that look similar to social media sites)
2. When in doubt, double check the domain of the website via a large monitor or laptop. Small screens on phones may prevent you from checking the correct domain names on the browser.
3. Install Chrome extensions or Firefox addons that identify and detect fake or phishing websites (we love the Uppward chrome extension)
4. Never reveal 2FA codes to fake websites.
5. Always enable 2FA. Install apps on your phone e.g Authy or Aegis Authenticator. Backup your 2FA codes.
6. Install free firewalls e.g Comodo.
7. Install an antivirus e.g AVG, Comodo, Bitdefender.
8. Report phishing or spam emails when you find them. These will prevent it from affecting other users. You will get good merits.
9. Add the correct email address of social media sites to your address book once you receive it.
10. Use a good password manager to save your passwords and generate secure passwords. e.g http://lastpass.com