Protect yourself from hacks – don’t drop the ball like Becks.

If you’ve read the news in the past week, you’ve probably read some of David Beckham’s emails, too. Since Beckham is both a private individual and a corporate brand, his misfortune is a lesson for everyone. Hacks like Beckileaks aren’t just embarrassing – they’re costly.

It’s been reported that Beckham’s PR agency was the subject of a £1mil attempted blackmail over this leak. We’re not sure how Becks was compromised. It’s likely someone forgot to log off on one of their devices, or chose a password that was too easy for a hacker to guess. (This is how the vast majority of breaches occur.) Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to secure yourself and your business against the most common kinds of attack.

1. Use multiple passwords.
   Since most hacks are opportunistic, you can ward them off easily by setting different passwords for every device, and changing them regularly.




2. Use a password generator.
   Despite growing awareness of security threats, the most common password is still ‘123456.’ Replacing ‘e’ and ‘s’ with 3 and 5 won’t fool hackers either – so don’t set your password as ‘54ndy’ if your daughter’s name is visible to everyone on Facebook.




3. Better yet, use password management software.
   One of EveryCloud’s most requested services, these programs let you manage your entire teams’ password requirements and update schedule. Preventing a single person’s insecure password from compromising your entire company.




4. Enable 2FA authentication on your accounts.
   If you’re a Google user, you’ve probably encountered this already. Two factor authentication requires a ‘second opinion’ whenever someone tries to sign into your accounts from another device. It might seem like a nuisance, but it’s often enough to stop hackers even if they do manage to crack your password.




5. Work with a professional.
   A cloud security broker like EveryCloud will identify compromised accounts, encrypting and protecting your data, and securing your online presence. And we’re much more affordable than the personal security experts that many celebrities are beginning to hire.

That’s my public service done for the week. Now, where’s my knighthood?