Lindsey L. works in the tech industry, so she is used to making cybersecurity a top priority.
One day, she plugged her cell phone in to sync her phone with the music on her computer.
When she plugged her device in to sync it, she had to approve the connection.
Trouble is, when she synced her phone, it opened the door to a malicious virus that allowed hackers to record and control all of the activity of the smartphone.
“The user connects to a malicious computer one time – and chooses to trust the computer. That’s the only experience from the end user that you see in this attack.
From now on that malicious computer can still communicate with the device via Wi-Fi – and there is no indication of this for the end user,” said a cyber security expert.
All it takes is for the smartphone user to tap on the device when the two are connected and the attacker can take control of the smartphone.
There is nothing else the hacker has to bypass, and they have continued access and there is nothing that tells the victim that the device is compromised.
Even worse, the hacker can view the victim’s device screen in real time and capture screenshots from the compromised device.
This type of cyber-attack is often referred to as sync jacking.
What is sync jacking?:
Sync jacking occurs when hackers take control of the syncing feature of the device.
In many cases, hackers compromise the syncing feature of the internet browser.
Think of it this way: many people store passwords in their internet browsers.
The passwords sync automatically, and once a hacker breaks into the sync they can access all the passwords.
It’s like the hackers have the keys to all your data and the victim doesn’t even know it.
Hackers can easily steal passwords, bookmarks, and browsing history across all your devices that use the same internet browser and are synced together.
Since sync jacking can lead to a lot of personal information being stolen, here are a few things you can do to limit the risks.
Update the browser:
Most people know to always check for updates on their devices.
Whether it’s a computer or a smartphone, you always want to make sure to have the latest and most current version.
But a lot of folks don’t think about updating the internet browser.
You need to open your internet browser and find the settings to check for updates.
Whether you have Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, go into the settings and check for the latest update within the browser.
Less syncing:
Some people feel like they constantly need to sync their devices and the programs they use.
The problem is the more you sync the more you open the door to hackers.
It’s best to set a reminder once a month to manually sync all your data.
This way you control when it happens, and it’s not automatically done.
Also, if you don’t need your browser to sync across multiple devices you should turn it off.
It’s one more door you can close on hackers.
Avoid autofill:
Autofill is a popular feature that many people use. Instead of remembering hundreds of passwords you can save them all in your internet browser.
If you store data in autofill such as your credit card there is always the risk that hackers will grab the data.
Consider disabling autofill on your internet browser and devices.
Only give autofill information that you aren’t worried about being stolen.
Sync jacking is one of the latest ways that hackers will steal data.
The scary thing is that there is a ton of data for them to steal from internet browsers.
So, as you pay bills online and buy things, remember to use a VPN and erase your browser history every so often.
The less data you have the less there is to steal.
In addition to those basic tactics, you want a comprehensive strategy to keep your information secure online.
