As users are losing access to their accounts by the dozens, we offer a
few tips to help keep your streaming subscriptions safe
The
long-awaited streaming service Disney+ was launched to the cheers of many. But
it wasn’t without technical issues; in addition, within hours of the service going
online many users were reporting that their accounts had been hijacked,
writes ZDNet. The hacked accounts then started to appear on the
dark web and were up for grabs for prices ranging from US$3-11, or even for
free. To be sure, this account hijacking spree is not an isolated incident, and
other popular streaming
services have been battling
such incidents for years.
Nevertheless,
there are a few easy steps you can take to lower the chances of having to go
through a similar ordeal in the future. The following advice should apply to a
majority of widely used streaming services.
Fix your passwords
As basic as
this recommendation may sound, a strong
and unique password or
passphrase can make a world of difference. Importantly, you should never
recycle your password across
various services or even use any variation of the same password or passphrase,
as that can be easily guessed, too. Also, you may want to consider using a
password manager to generate and store your passwords, which will require you
to remember just one master password.
Another good
precaution is to use a service such as Have I Been Pwned to check if any of your credentials may have
been compromised in a past data breach. You can also sign up for notifications
in case your login details show up in future breaches. Both Chrome and Firefox offer their own versions of password checkups.
Generally
speaking, two-factor authentication (2FA) is an efficient way of bolstering
your account security but, sadly, as of the time of writing many streaming
services don’t offer this
option.
Something smells phishy
Password-guessing
isn’t the only technique that criminals leverage to hijack accounts. Bad actors
often resort to social engineering and impersonate official channels of
communication to hoodwink you into surrendering your
personal data. Indeed, it
may be safe to say that everyone from politicians to regular people has
received a phishing email.
Although
email service providers have ramped up their security measures and try to catch
as many attempts as possible before they reach their targets, some wriggle
through their nets from time to time. In these cases, you must rely on your
wits – especially as many
phishing attacks are no longer riddled with grammar mistakes and may
overall look
believable.
As a rule of
thumb, you should never open any attachment or click on any link unless you are
100% sure that the message is authentic. If needed, contact the sender through
other verified channels to make sure that they sent it. You can check out our
earlier article that deals with phishing attacks in greater
detail.
Prevent
Having
healthy cybersecurity habits, taking a common-sense approach and using a
reputable security solution will generally go a long way towards keeping you
safe in the digital realm. In the words of Benjamin Franklin “An ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure” – and that applies a thousand-fold for
cybersecurity.