Cheap and easy-to-use hacking tools put you at more risk than ever

Phishing attacks, ransomware and data breaches have been ramping up over the last few years and threatening our digital lives more than ever before.

You don’t need to be a professional hacker living off the grid in a remote location guzzling energy drinks while you ply your crooked trade. Hacker toolkits are available online for anyone to purchase and they’re shockingly cheap and easy to use.

A dark marketplace

The Dark Web keeps internet activity private and anonymous. Dark Web content isn’t indexed by search engines, and you need special software to access it. You can imagine the applications for this, such as avoiding government censorship and keeping identities private.

The Dark Web is a hotbed for illegal activity, such as selling drugs and firearms. You can also find financial and personal information up for sale. Here’s to learn how much your stolen credit card is worth on the Dark Web.

Unsurprisingly, hacking tools known as Crimeware-as-a-Service (CaaS) or Malware-as-a-Service (Maas) are also on sale for as little as $40. Crooks who purchase these programs don’t need much know-how to deploy them. Last year phishing software purchased online targeted some of the biggest banks in the country.

Some malware is available as a subscription service. Fast Company reports that Eternity Stealer, which steals usernames, emails, and credit card numbers, goes for $260 per year.

Everything you do is at risk

Whether you’re buying something online or checking your email, you’re always a potential target for hacks and scams. With CaaS, the risk goes up even higher because the crooked tools are more readily available.

And as in any market, competition breeds innovation — hackers will compete with each other to make more sophisticated and user-friendly tools to get a leg up in the business. And that spells bad news for us all.

RELATED: Operation Cookie Monster brought down a massive hacker marketplace – See if your info was there

Now more than ever it’s important to protect yourself

While just having an internet connection puts you at risk, you can reduce your chances of being compromised by cybercriminals by following these steps:

• Use multi-factor authentication: Multi-factor or two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security when logging into an account and can protect you from future hacks. It could be a thumbprint, a bit of information only you know or a code sent to a device only you have access to. Tap or click here for more details on 2FA.
• Use passkeys: Whether you’re team Apple or team Android, passkeys enhance your security even further.
• Use strong, unique passwords: Here are 10 ways to get started.
• Watch those clicks: Think before clicking on any link you get through email or text or ones you see on a website.
• Always have a trusted antivirus program updated and running: We recommend our sponsor, TotalAV. Get an annual plan with TotalAV for only $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. That’s over 85% off the regular price!

Protect yourself with a virtual private network

ExpressVPN is among your first lines of defense against invasions of privacy. A VPN provides a layer of protection between your devices and the internet. It hides your IP address and location and encrypts your data after leaving your device.

Whether it’s a computer, smartphone or tablet, it connects to the internet through an internet service provider. Those servers send you information and they pick up information about you, your IP address, location, device and more.

A VPN blocks the two-way exchange of information. The IP address and location data come from the VPN host’s server, so the servers on the other end learn nothing about you or your data. Hackers, scammers and thieves won’t be able to get to you, your data, your travels or money.

We recommend our sponsor, ExpressVPN. Get the only VPN service that Kim uses on all your digital devices today. Get three months free when you sign up for one year at ExpressVPN.com/Kim.

Keep reading

Your stolen information is on the Dark Web – What to do next

The top tactics hackers use to break into your system – And how to stay safe