There isn't any. That's all folks! Roll credits... Seriously, the
Twitter Hack or breach or whatever is incredibly unsettling. Major accounts from the blue checkmark glitterati were used in a Bitcoin scam that unfortunately many people got swept up in. How did it happen? The FBI is investigating, but initially it seems that the bad guys gained access to an administrative tool to take over the accounts. Yes, scary.
So what can be done to protect yourself and your online accounts? The Twitter Hack shows that two-factor authentication and passwords can be circumvented. Does that mean all hope is lost? No. You still have an incredible amount of control, but that control takes time and effort. There is no magic blue pill that can protect your accounts. No password manager can secure you 100%, but there are best practices that you can put into effect now.
1.) Good, Strong, and Varied Passwords - I know I sound like a broken record on this and you are probably sick of me writing about it. You must, must, must have strong passwords of at least 10 characters, and they need to be unique for each and every account. Yes, as I mentioned above, passwords can be circumvented, but just like locking the doors to your house, the more roadblocks that you put in place, the less likely it would be for you to become a victim.
2.) Use Two-Factor or Other Types of Secondary Authentication - Just like #1, the more barriers the better. Having a secondary option for authenticating your accounts in addition to a password is a must (if available).
3.) Enable All the Account Alerts - Where available, enable all the alerts that you can for login, activity, and for any transactions in your financial accounts. That way you should know immediately if your account has been breached.
4.) Close Unused Accounts - If you have any old accounts, no matter how minor, close them if they are not being used. Some sites don't let you delete accounts, but if you have old Facebook or Twitter profiles that you are no longer using, get rid of them. If the account doesn't exist it can't be breached.
5.) Clean Up Your Logins - Audit your logins to make sure that you are using your current primary email address. Overtime, many of us have used different email addresses as usernames. If you no longer use a particular email, update the username to reflect your current address.
