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When Accounts are "Hacked" Due to Poor Passwords, Victims Must Share the Blame

Troy Hunt

It's just another day on the internet when the news is full of headlines about accounts being hacked. The second story was about a number of verified Twitter accounts having been "hacked" and then leveraged in Bitcoin scams. And then there's the account holder, the one who chose the password. Without doubt, blame lies with them.

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GUEST ESSAY: Lessons to be learned from the waves of BofA phone number spoofing scams

The Last Watchdog

They may claim that a new credit card or checking account has been opened in the victim’s name, providing specific details such as addresses and alleged deposits to sound convincing. He received a call claiming a new checking account was opened in his name, complete with his correct address and a $5,000 deposit.

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On the Twitter Hack

Schneier on Security

Not a few people's Twitter accounts, but all of Twitter. The hacker used that access to send tweets from a variety of popular and trusted accounts, including those of Joe Biden, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk, as part of a mundane scam -- stealing bitcoin -- but it's easy to envision more nefarious scenarios. There is no accountability.

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GUEST ESSAY: Until we eliminate passwords, follow these 4 sure steps to password hygiene

The Last Watchdog

With so much critical data now stored in the cloud, how can people protect their accounts? After breaking a password, cybercriminals don’t only access that single account. Silo your risk by generating a unique password for each of your online accounts. 3) Activate 2FA on all accounts. 4) Use a password manager.

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NY Man Pleads Guilty in $20 Million SIM Swap Theft

Krebs on Security

Truglia admitted to a New York federal court that he let a friend use his account at crypto-trading platform Binance in 2018 to launder more than $20 million worth of virtual currency stolen from Michael Terpin , a cryptocurrency investor who co-founded the first angel investor group for bitcoin enthusiasts.

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Intimate Partner Threat

Schneier on Security

Princeton's Karen Levy has a good article computer security and the intimate partner threat: When you learn that your privacy has been compromised, the common advice is to prevent additional access -- delete your insecure account, open a new one, change your password.

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What Are the Risks of a Data Breach?

Identity IQ

This can include information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, credit card numbers, and bank account details. Stolen personal information can be used to impersonate individuals, opening the door to identity theft and fraud. Consider using a reputable password manager to securely store and manage your passwords.