Could Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lawrence saved themselves from a lot of XXXposure and embarrassment if they just used some common sense?
Most definitely, says computer security expert Gregory D. Evans.
The hackers — who leaked yet another set of celebrity nude photos over the weekend — aren’t geniuses, Evans says. He believes they broke into the A-listers accounts the old-fashion way — cracking their passwords by using security question answers that are easily found on Wikipedia pages, such as “What city were you born in?”
Evans offers Perez users — whether they’re celebrities or just fans — these tips to stay safe online:
1. Create a new email ASAP.
“Home Depot didn’t even know they had been hacked,” Evans said. “The only reason they found out was because somebody was on a hacker’s website where they sell credit card numbers and one of the hackers admitted they came from Home Depot. And then Home Depot was notified.” You may already be a victim, so start anew.
“Every celebrity starting right now, no matter how long they’ve had their email address, create a new email for you and your people,” he recommends. Only share it with people you trust.
2. Strengthen your security question answers.
“If they ask you what city you were born in, don’t put ‘Los Angeles,’” Evans says. “Put a number in front of it, like ’1LosAngeles.’ Or behind, like ‘LosAngeles9.’”
“Lie, lie, lie,” Evans says. “If you were born in Los Angeles, put where your mom as born instead.”
“Or lie about your birth date. Everyone lies about their age in Hollywood, anyway,” he joked. “Instead of being 45, become 25, and put that birth year in. Remember, your true information is searchable information.”
3. Use multiple email accounts with different passwords.
“You wouldn’t use the same key for every lock, so use different accounts with different passwords. Use one for shopping like JohnDoeShop@gmail.com. If you are paying bills, it can be JohnDoeBills@gmail.com,” Evans says. “You have multiple keys for multiple things.”
4. The less information you put out there, the better.
Don’t just Google yourself, Evans says. “Bing yourself and Yahoo! yourself on a regular basis and see what people are talking about.” To get a complete sense of your online presence, use multiple search engines.
For more tips from Gregory Evans, check out his website or follow him on Twitter.
Tags: celebrity nude photos, cyber hacks, email accounts, exclusives!, gregory d. evans, media minute, nude photos, tips
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