Tough news for users of Spotify, Netflix and, ahem, more adult-oriented services: these are the most common sites attacked by cybercriminals, which means your identity and private data are seriously at risk.
That’s the conclusion reached by DynaRisk, a London-based cybersecurity firm that investigated the brands referenced most often in a popular hacking tool.
Entertainment (including gaming and streaming services) and adult sites accounted for the majority of hacked sites, while Facebook was surprisingly down at 16th place. Besides garnering valuable personal information, there are monetary benefits for hackers in attacking more commercial sites, according to DynaRisk. “Netflix and Spotify are the perfect targets for criminals who can resell stolen credentials to willing customers who want an account a fraction of the retail cost,” the company said in a press release.
The sites most targeted by hackers:
1. Riotgames.com
2. Netflix
3. Spotify.com
4. Origin.com
5. Ea.com
6. Sonyentertainmentnetwork.com
7. Live.com
8. Crackingcore.com
9. Realitykings.com
10. Xbox.com
11. Amazon.com
12. Adobe.com
13. Wwe.com
14. Steampowered.com
15. Deezer.com
16. Facebook.com
17. Beatsmusic.com
18. Yahoo.com
19. Rapidgator.net
20. Hitleap.com
So what can you do to protect yourself? Kate O’Flaherty, a cybersecurity journalist at Forbes, suggests using “strong and unique” passwords for each service you use (with help from a password manager), two-factor authentication, keeping your software up-to-date and checking the site HaveIBeenPwned to see if your email or sign-in has been compromised.
(Photo courtesy of QuoteCatalog/Flickr Creative Commons)
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