ESET: A 26% of mobile phones are hacked by hackers with great ease because PIN that users use to lock their devices are very simple and common combinations of numbers, which cybercriminals can guess with only a few attempts.
Citing relevant SANS research InstituteThe ESET encourages users to carefully choose the PIN they use to unlock their device, so if they are stolen or lost, hackers will not be able to break it.
According to the results of the survey, the 20 most common codes PIN That are used is (in random order): 0000, 1004, 1010, 1111, 1122, 1212, 1234, 1313, 2000, 2001, 2222, 4444, 3333, 4321, 5555, 6666, 6969, 7777, 8888 and 9999.
Using so simple PIN is mainly due to the need for users to use an easy-to-use code, especially when they need to import 50, maybe 100 times a day to unlock their mobile phone.
Many times, they can use numbers that mean something like, for example, birthday. This is a very dangerous practice, according to Jake Moore, Its Security Specialist ESET, as cybercriminals can search for users in open sources (for example, onyin the social medium) and based on the personal information they will find, test various possible codes.
Even with the introduction of larger codes, Face ID ή touch ID, people rarely change their PIN regularly and usually complain with just one code they use on each device.
At the same time, many users mistakenly believe that functions Face ID or Touch ID protect them enough so that they do not need a difficult one PIN. "Remember that there is a default code to unlock the device and a hacker will prepriceto deal with this code rather than inventing ways to fool the facial or fingerprint reader functions”, notes the Jake Moore.
According to ESET, the best practice for a secure mobile phone is to use unique, long-length complex codes and even alphanumeric codes where available, coupled with instant Face ID / Touch ID activation to speed up the entry.
Users should also be very careful with their environment when they import it PIN, especially in places with a lot of people, such as e.g. on public transport. Finally, after the creation backups of their device, it is suggested that they add an extra layer of security by enabling the “Find my iPhone"For iOS devices or"Find My Device»On Android devices.
In case of theft, this function allows remote deletion σημαντικών δεδομένων, οπότε, ακόμη κι αν δεν βρεθεί ποτέ η συσκευή, τουλάχιστον οι κυβερνοεγκληματίες δεν θα μπορέσουν να έχουν πρόσβαση σε προσωπικές πληροφορίες.