{"id":446,"date":"2020-03-22T13:21:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-22T18:21:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4951studios.com\/blog\/?p=446"},"modified":"2021-09-18T16:30:31","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T16:30:31","slug":"ive-always-considered-myself-an-extra-careful-person-i-check-my-bank-accounts-regularly-call-the-bank-if-there-is-a-penny-missing-i-keep-my-software-up-to-date-but-as-i-soon-learned-hack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.4951studios.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/ive-always-considered-myself-an-extra-careful-person-i-check-my-bank-accounts-regularly-call-the-bank-if-there-is-a-penny-missing-i-keep-my-software-up-to-date-but-as-i-soon-learned-hack\/","title":{"rendered":"Turn off your phone verification- A cautionary tale on account security."},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Incident <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always considered myself an extra careful person. I check my bank accounts regularly, call the bank if there is a penny missing. I keep my software up to date. But as I soon learned, hackers have gotten more sophisticated with their approach, we are more vulnerable than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for me, it all started with a seemly weird alert on my device. One that we all may get very often. About someone trying to log into your Yahoo<\/a> account. I brushed it off as just another run off the mill attempt to hack into my aged email account. But that is where things began to get scary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next alert I get is from Coinbase<\/a>, my password was just changed and my attempt to verify my account by my driver\u2019s license failed. I didn\u2019t do any of it! And this is where things get worse. I pick up my cell to call Coinbase<\/a>, only to realize that I have no service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This started the painful process of finding a way to contact T-Mobile<\/a> to look into my account since I currently have no landline, the was a nearly impossible process. Luckily I have a third party VOIP application called Text Now<\/a>. While in the process of contacting T-Mobile, I receive another alert, ” a new phone number has been added to my Yahoo account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I finally get a hold of the representative from T-mobile and they informed me that I requested a SIM card change on my account. I didn\u2019t. It was then that I realized that I was the victim of a phone number take over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though I had a PIN set up, the hackers were able to exploit an online vulnerability through Tmobile which allowed them to use my phone number to possibly access my other accounts.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set Up Multi-factor Authentication <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My one saving grace (knock on wood) was that multi-factor authentication set up on most of my accounts. So as a word of caution, avoid using your phone number to verify sensitive accounts and set up multi-factor authentication as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are few options available for both Apple and Andriod users, and some great third-party ones as well. I prefer Google’s Authenticator App<\/a>. Also set up additional security and verification methods with your provider, if they don\u2019t exist switch providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign up for updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sign up for updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t
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