In line with the recent news about the data leak from the COMELEC database, I would like to post these security measures I've read from the net as to help everyone deal with the possible identity theft that may arise from this data breach. As a former employee of Trend Micro (my husband still part of this company as of this writing), we had been very meticulous regarding our internet security. As IT people, we do most of transactions/business online. And for that, we make sure that we share very limited details about us since hackers/identity theft are everywhere now and we should more careful than ever about what particular detail about ourselves we could share online.
Certainly, there is no perfect system. But for a database system as big as a nation's voters' profile, the government should have known that establishing a solid and well-built security system for these records is a necessity. How can we trust that our government is all-out in securing the vote of the people not to tampered when they can even protect our personal details and put in safety?
While I am not an expert on this, here are some useful tips I follow in order not to be easily hacked by millions of strangers in the net. I hope these could help you in a way or two:
1. Make sure your laptops, gadgets have an internet security software. And make sure its always updated.
2. Review all your log in credentials (username and passwords): emails, online bank accounts, and yes even your social network accounts. If your password is somehow related to the information you submitted to COMELEC during registration, make sure you change it. Example, some people have the habit of using the birth date as pins or their street name as passwords. Some people also use their mother's maiden name as answer to security passwords. Though easy to remember, its not very secured at all.
3. If your online accounts have two factor authentication (2FA), please enable it. That is one way to secure your account even if password has been hacked. What is 2fa?
According to secureenvoy.com
Two Factor Authentication, also known as 2FA, two step verification or TFA (as an acronym), is an extra layer of security that is known as "multi factor authentication" that requires not only a password and username but also something that only, and only, that user has on them, i.e. a piece of information only they should know or have immediately to hand - such as a physical token.
In other words, it is a two step verification before you can access your account.
For parents like, please don't treat this as a simple exposure of your personal details. It can have a big impact in your life if your very own identity has been robbed out of you. COMELEC may have downplayed the situation saying all these information are supposed to be public but no, its not that. Its a different thing when you have your data stored in an online portal for the government or any other legal institution to use it and it is definitely another thing when your own personal data are in the hands of hackers.
To conclude, we cannot get back anymore what had been stolen by these cybercriminals from COMELEC but let us all be vigilant with our online transactions and let us try to learn more about our internet security. We should not just go online for the purpose of liking pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Internet is more than just that. If you are willing to learn the things you can do over the web, you will realize how powerful the Internet is. I suggest you do. After all, its already becoming a neccesity.
Please stay positive in spite of all these troubles, and pass the positivity on!
P.S. I'll try to add more to the list of what we can do to protect our online accounts but for now I hope the above suggestions would be helpful.
If you want full details about this, please visit:
http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/55m-registered-voters-risk-philippine-commission-elections-hacked/
Certainly, there is no perfect system. But for a database system as big as a nation's voters' profile, the government should have known that establishing a solid and well-built security system for these records is a necessity. How can we trust that our government is all-out in securing the vote of the people not to tampered when they can even protect our personal details and put in safety?
While I am not an expert on this, here are some useful tips I follow in order not to be easily hacked by millions of strangers in the net. I hope these could help you in a way or two:
1. Make sure your laptops, gadgets have an internet security software. And make sure its always updated.
2. Review all your log in credentials (username and passwords): emails, online bank accounts, and yes even your social network accounts. If your password is somehow related to the information you submitted to COMELEC during registration, make sure you change it. Example, some people have the habit of using the birth date as pins or their street name as passwords. Some people also use their mother's maiden name as answer to security passwords. Though easy to remember, its not very secured at all.
3. If your online accounts have two factor authentication (2FA), please enable it. That is one way to secure your account even if password has been hacked. What is 2fa?
According to secureenvoy.com
Two Factor Authentication, also known as 2FA, two step verification or TFA (as an acronym), is an extra layer of security that is known as "multi factor authentication" that requires not only a password and username but also something that only, and only, that user has on them, i.e. a piece of information only they should know or have immediately to hand - such as a physical token.
In other words, it is a two step verification before you can access your account.
For parents like, please don't treat this as a simple exposure of your personal details. It can have a big impact in your life if your very own identity has been robbed out of you. COMELEC may have downplayed the situation saying all these information are supposed to be public but no, its not that. Its a different thing when you have your data stored in an online portal for the government or any other legal institution to use it and it is definitely another thing when your own personal data are in the hands of hackers.
To conclude, we cannot get back anymore what had been stolen by these cybercriminals from COMELEC but let us all be vigilant with our online transactions and let us try to learn more about our internet security. We should not just go online for the purpose of liking pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Internet is more than just that. If you are willing to learn the things you can do over the web, you will realize how powerful the Internet is. I suggest you do. After all, its already becoming a neccesity.
Please stay positive in spite of all these troubles, and pass the positivity on!
P.S. I'll try to add more to the list of what we can do to protect our online accounts but for now I hope the above suggestions would be helpful.
If you want full details about this, please visit:
http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/55m-registered-voters-risk-philippine-commission-elections-hacked/
