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This tip is about the how to protect yourself from a SIM-swap attack. So read this free guide, How to protect yourself from a SIM-swap attack step by step. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.
How to protect yourself from a SIM-swap attack – Guide
SIM swapping means a hacker gets your mobile carrier to transfer your phone number to another SIM card you own. For a retail employee, this is relatively normal, meaning someone asking for a trade won’t raise any red flags. (Imagine you bought another phone and now you need to change your mobile carrier to continue receiving text messages and calls on your new device.) The hacker doesn’t need any technical knowledge to do this, just a SIM card and a call to your carrier. Curious to know how easy it is? Check out this video where a woman invades another phone provider account in less than 2 minutes.
even if the phone If the provider perceives that the action being asked to take is unusual, hackers often bribe customer service reps with upwards of $100 per exchange (a big incentive for employees who earn around $10 an hour). . Once the exchange is made, it is very difficult to reverse it, as its phone will no longer work. Also, you will likely have to personally go to your provider to prove that the exchange was incorrect and that you own the account. Until you can do that, a hacker can intercept all your calls and messages – including SMS-based authentication codes for 2FA and text-based password reset options. In this way, the attacker can access your online accounts or blackmail you with information obtained through text messages and calls.
How to protect yourself from a SIM swap attack
Paste a PIN on it
All major US providers offer the option of PIN or password for your account. Take advantage of this option. This offers another layer of protection, another piece of information an attacker needs to compromise their identity. While this doesn’t help against an insider threat, it’s better than nothing. AT&T lets you set up a four- to eight-digit “wireless password” by accessing your profile, then Credentials, then Get a new password. You should also add what the provider calls “additional security”, which just means the password is needed to manage your account online or at a retail store. You can find this by going back to Credentials, then Wireless Passcode, and checking Manage Additional Security.
Verizon actually requires a PIN, but to set up or change yours, go to this site and log into your account. Enter the PIN of your choice twice, click Submit and you’re done. With T-Mobile you will need to call: From your cell phone phone, dial 611 and ask to add “Port Validation” to your account, for which you can choose a six- to 15-digit PIN. In Sprint, log into your account, click on My Sprint and go to Profile and Security. Scroll to Security Information and update your PIN there. Yes, it’s a hassle to remember another PIN, especially when you probably only need it every few years. But it’s worth the effort.
“Most people have it. feature disabled because if they don’t remember their PIN, they won’t be able to go to their local Verizon store and get a new one. phone,” says Chet Wisniewski, principal researcher at security firm Sophos. “If you can set up a PIN with your wireless carrier to prevent your number from being tampered with, you should. Go ahead and write it down. No one is going to break into your house and steal your notepad from under your panties in your secret drawer in the bedroom.
Use two factors better
We talked about this recently, but it bears repeating. Getting the two-factor authentication codes via SMS is better than nothing, but it won’t help anything in the case of a SIM swap. What will work? Instead, use an authentication app. Apps like Google Authenticator and Authy offer the same additional security as SMS-based two-factor authentication, but they are tied to your physical device rather than the number you use. phone company assigned to you. They show a six-digit code that updates every 30 seconds and is constantly synced with the service you connect it to.
Want to take your two-factor authentication even further? Opt for a physical authentication method such as a Yubikey. These small tokens fit on your keychain and plug into your computer’s USB port to verify your identity. “If you have a physical token and your password enabled and disable SMS feature, someone literally has to steal your keys. That takes the risk to another level,” says Wisniewski. Not all services allow stronger two-factor encryption. (Instagram is the best-known example, though the social network says it is working to expand the options it offers.) But turn it on whenever you can for the best chance of staying safe.
Extra Measures
If a hacker has a phone number associated with some of their online accounts, they can sometimes completely ignore the two-factor requirements – which brings us back to the problem of using phone numbers as identifiers in the first place. Breaking those seven figures is difficult on a large scale, but it’s worth a try at least for particularly sensitive accounts, or if you might be a high-profile target.
“If you have a specific account that you know a thief is targeting, like your bank account, bitcoin, or social media username, you should obviously separate that account from the rest of your online identity,” says Nixon. “If you are particularly paranoid, you may have a phone number you keep secret. I know it’s a bit far-fetched, but some people who want to protect themselves from this attack vector try things like that.”
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