The other day I learned about someone who got hacked and lost over 100 Bitcoin.
Just imagine. One hundred Bitcoin.
His computer got hacked, because he had a lot of malware on it.
How does malware get on your computer?
- From downloading lots of free games or movies.
- From clicking links in strange emails.
- From using the same email and password everywhere.
I used to be pretty careless, too. But ever since I entered the crypto space, I've kept my computer 100% clean. I do not sign up to every shiny free thing. I do not stream any movies from questionable sites.
Now that I have wallets - my money - stored on my computer, I am very very careful what I expose my devices to.
Please be careful, too.
- Don't use public wifi that is not password protected
- Keep your computer clean
- Change your passwords often
- Don't use the same email address for all your online accounts
Once hackers have your login details for one account, they can just put two and two together and figure our the login details of your other accounts, too.
You can check whether your Email Address has been compromised on this page: https://haveibeenpwned.com.
You can also click on Passwords in the menu on the same site and test your passwords.
If you get a red alert, please take action and change your login details for your accounts immediately. Not only your crypto- or bank accounts, but any accounts that contain valuable personal data you don't want anyone to have.
This is an absolute basic security step you can take right now to make your crypto wallets a little safer on your computer.
Please do not put this off til later. You wouldn't believe how many people lose money because they "didn't expect" security breaches to happen to them. No one does, which is why this is one of the most expensive lessons to learn. Sometimes it costs as much as one hundred Bitcoin...
About the author:
Anja Schuetz helps absolute beginners to become confident crypto investors. She also consults as a Customer Communication & Operations Manager for blockchain start-ups.
Anja is the author of How To Stay Safe in the Crypto Space and offers Free Bitcoin Education For Beginners on her website.