Some see them as the perfect present. More thoughtful than cash… less chance of getting the wrong thing.
Cyber criminals like a gift card too.
They’re using brute force attacks to target gift cards and steal them.
If you don’t know, a brute force attack is when they try thousands of passwords against your email address. They hope you use a weak password. Then, they can guess it by trying thousands of easy passwords.
This does work for them, because they mass test millions of username and password combinations against the world’s major email providers every day.
They’re smart, too. They avoid being caught by stealing small amounts regularly over long periods of time.
Brute force attacks aren’t just used for gift cards. They’re used to break into all systems and apps.
Your email is a favorite, as it’s the gateway to resetting passwords and getting access to dozens of systems.
The usual advice applies here:
- Use a password manager
- Always use different passwords across all of your online accounts
- Use multi-factor authentication (where you generate a code on a separate device) or biometrics
If you need security help for your business, give us a call.