1 00:00:13,005 --> 00:00:15,325 Andy: You're listening to The Secure Dad Podcast. 2 00:00:15,685 --> 00:00:20,025 Discover ways to protect yourself and your family at home in public and online. 3 00:00:20,595 --> 00:00:21,355 Welcome friend. 4 00:00:21,365 --> 00:00:23,965 I'm Andy Murphy, the creator of The Secure Dad. 5 00:00:25,215 --> 00:00:28,815 This podcast serves to help people become proactive in their safety. 6 00:00:29,155 --> 00:00:33,585 The information I share on this podcast is for general information purposes only. 7 00:00:34,065 --> 00:00:38,545 My goal is to empower you to make safer decisions for yourself and 8 00:00:38,545 --> 00:00:43,585 your family because our safety is our own responsibility. 9 00:00:44,215 --> 00:00:46,745 Today, I'm going to share how hackers can get a wealth of 10 00:00:46,745 --> 00:00:50,285 information from our email accounts and what we can do to protect them. 11 00:00:50,775 --> 00:00:54,035 All of that and more ahead on The Secure Dad Podcast 12 00:00:57,055 --> 00:00:59,945 There's a scam that is getting a lot of attention, and it's 13 00:00:59,945 --> 00:01:01,635 called the pig butchering scam. 14 00:01:01,935 --> 00:01:06,015 Scammers want to fatten up their victims by building trust before 15 00:01:06,015 --> 00:01:07,915 they drop the real scam on them. 16 00:01:08,215 --> 00:01:10,755 It starts when you're targeted by a scammer. 17 00:01:11,025 --> 00:01:14,185 They'll text you under the guise that they have reached the wrong person. 18 00:01:14,325 --> 00:01:17,515 Then through social engineering, they'll entice you to invest 19 00:01:17,515 --> 00:01:21,835 money into fraudulent schemes or transferring funds into fake accounts. 20 00:01:22,255 --> 00:01:24,255 Then the scammer disappears with all the money. 21 00:01:24,455 --> 00:01:27,415 And it all started with them getting your phone number. 22 00:01:27,735 --> 00:01:30,025 This is where you need DeleteMe. 23 00:01:30,435 --> 00:01:33,975 They'll remove your information, like your phone number, from the internet. 24 00:01:34,290 --> 00:01:36,800 Go to JoinDeleteMe.com/Dad. 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:41,380 There you'll get 20% off a privacy plan when using the code DAD at checkout. 26 00:01:41,740 --> 00:01:45,550 With the information data brokers can provide, any scammer can make 27 00:01:45,550 --> 00:01:47,520 you think that they are legit. 28 00:01:47,790 --> 00:01:50,090 That's why DeleteMe is so important. 29 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:56,000 See why I find DeleteMe essential to my privacy at JoinDeleteMe.com/Dad. 30 00:01:56,060 --> 00:01:59,480 And use promo code DAD to get 20 percent off today. 31 00:01:59,690 --> 00:02:02,640 DeleteMe is a sponsor of The Secure Dad Podcast. 32 00:02:02,780 --> 00:02:06,560 If you're like me, you want your family to feel safe and secure at home. 33 00:02:06,670 --> 00:02:10,510 That's why I protect my home with FlipLok, the revolutionary security 34 00:02:10,510 --> 00:02:12,230 device that's changing the game. 35 00:02:12,540 --> 00:02:14,660 FlipLok is not just another lock. 36 00:02:14,910 --> 00:02:18,070 It's a brilliantly engineered device designed with simplicity 37 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:19,470 and strength in mind. 38 00:02:19,780 --> 00:02:22,310 Imagine having the peace of mind with just a flip. 39 00:02:22,570 --> 00:02:24,110 That's what FlipLok offers. 40 00:02:24,690 --> 00:02:28,240 Whether you're securing your front door, back door, or even your bedroom, 41 00:02:28,650 --> 00:02:30,740 FlipLok makes it incredibly easy. 42 00:02:31,060 --> 00:02:34,060 What I love most about FlipLok is its ease of use. 43 00:02:34,390 --> 00:02:38,650 No complicated installations, no fumbling with keys or codes, just a 44 00:02:38,650 --> 00:02:41,060 quick and easy flip to secure your space. 45 00:02:41,470 --> 00:02:44,780 It's so intuitive, even young children can use it with no trouble. 46 00:02:45,170 --> 00:02:48,680 FlipLok is built to last, with solid materials that stand up 47 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:50,140 to the toughest challenges. 48 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,040 It's not just a lock, it's a long term investment in your family's safety. 49 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,750 So if you want to take your home security to the next level, 50 00:02:57,980 --> 00:03:02,590 head over to FlipLok.com and use the discount code SECUREDAD to 51 00:03:02,590 --> 00:03:04,730 get 20% off your entire order. 52 00:03:05,090 --> 00:03:08,020 I protect my home with FlipLok, and you can too. 53 00:03:21,112 --> 00:03:25,282 In today's digital age, email security doesn't seem that important to the 54 00:03:25,282 --> 00:03:26,612 average person like you and me. 55 00:03:27,142 --> 00:03:31,442 I don't blame you if you were not fired up about the title of this show, but when 56 00:03:31,442 --> 00:03:36,682 you think about all that our email address contains, like our contacts, password 57 00:03:36,682 --> 00:03:40,516 reset emails, and our personal data, it becomes clear that we are not alone. 58 00:03:40,612 --> 00:03:43,992 That protecting your email is vital to your digital security. 59 00:03:44,862 --> 00:03:48,392 Our personal email addresses are gateways to a wealth of sensitive 60 00:03:48,392 --> 00:03:52,052 information, making them prime targets for cyber criminals. 61 00:03:52,522 --> 00:03:56,407 Understanding the importance of securing your email is crucial to 62 00:03:56,407 --> 00:03:59,057 maintaining your overall online safety. 63 00:03:59,337 --> 00:04:02,767 So let's talk about how our email addresses can be exploited and then 64 00:04:02,767 --> 00:04:04,187 what we can do to protect them. 65 00:04:05,137 --> 00:04:09,617 In my opinion, the greatest threat for a hacked email account is for bad actors 66 00:04:09,627 --> 00:04:12,367 to intercept our password reset emails. 67 00:04:12,597 --> 00:04:15,937 Not just your email account, but your accounts for your online 68 00:04:15,967 --> 00:04:19,517 banking, social media, Amazon, healthcare providers, all of it. 69 00:04:19,977 --> 00:04:24,637 All of those password reset emails come through your personal email address. 70 00:04:25,027 --> 00:04:26,337 That's the big danger. 71 00:04:26,907 --> 00:04:31,457 Recovery emails are a common method for regaining access to online accounts 72 00:04:31,457 --> 00:04:32,998 that you've forgotten the password. 73 00:04:32,998 --> 00:04:36,868 And let's face it, we've all forgotten the passwords for lots of stuff. 74 00:04:36,868 --> 00:04:41,098 Even if you have a password manager, sometimes one slips through the cracks. 75 00:04:41,138 --> 00:04:44,038 I know I have reset passwords plenty of times. 76 00:04:44,488 --> 00:04:49,108 However, if a hacker gains control to your primary email address, they 77 00:04:49,108 --> 00:04:52,658 can manipulate the recovery process to reset passwords on various 78 00:04:52,658 --> 00:04:54,718 accounts linked to that email. 79 00:04:55,168 --> 00:04:59,218 You'd be surprised at just how many of your accounts can be hijacked with just 80 00:04:59,218 --> 00:05:01,553 your email address and access to it. 81 00:05:01,783 --> 00:05:02,993 It's actually kind of scary. 82 00:05:03,783 --> 00:05:06,333 So you might be wondering how hackers find these accounts. 83 00:05:06,563 --> 00:05:11,293 So what they do is they simply just do a search in your email for your bank, 84 00:05:11,303 --> 00:05:14,533 your doctor's office, your social media accounts, all those sorts of things. 85 00:05:14,893 --> 00:05:18,913 So what happens here is the contents of your email tells hackers where 86 00:05:18,913 --> 00:05:20,873 they need to go to exploit you. 87 00:05:21,273 --> 00:05:23,313 And many people just never think about that. 88 00:05:23,863 --> 00:05:28,233 A hacked email address opens the door to a treasure trove of personal sensitive 89 00:05:28,253 --> 00:05:30,653 information about you and your family. 90 00:05:31,156 --> 00:05:35,286 Hackers can use your email address to phish your contacts and access your 91 00:05:35,286 --> 00:05:37,436 personal data like your cloud drive. 92 00:05:37,846 --> 00:05:41,866 Hackers often use compromised email addresses to send phishing 93 00:05:41,866 --> 00:05:43,176 emails to your contacts. 94 00:05:43,456 --> 00:05:45,656 This actually happened to me once years ago. 95 00:05:46,146 --> 00:05:50,126 These emails disguised as legitimate from you can trick 96 00:05:50,126 --> 00:05:53,756 your friends, family, colleagues into sharing their own information 97 00:05:53,876 --> 00:05:55,806 or clicking on a malicious link. 98 00:05:55,826 --> 00:05:58,646 Because again, they think it's from you, not the hacker. 99 00:05:59,606 --> 00:06:03,946 Phishing Is much easier for scammers with a legitimate compromised email address. 100 00:06:04,276 --> 00:06:07,666 It's harder for our friends and family, especially our older family 101 00:06:07,666 --> 00:06:12,506 members to spot a scam that comes from your real email address. 102 00:06:13,396 --> 00:06:16,786 Many people use their cloud storage accounts like Google Drive that 103 00:06:16,786 --> 00:06:18,146 comes with their email addresses. 104 00:06:18,546 --> 00:06:23,136 A hacker who gains access to your email can potentially access your cloud storage, 105 00:06:23,166 --> 00:06:27,116 compromising your personal photos, documents, and any sort of confidential 106 00:06:27,116 --> 00:06:28,526 files that you have stored there. 107 00:06:29,096 --> 00:06:31,666 Maybe you signed some paperwork and emailed it to a broker. 108 00:06:32,016 --> 00:06:35,596 Now they have that document and a copy of your signature. 109 00:06:36,276 --> 00:06:39,936 Hackers can use the information found in your email address to commit identity 110 00:06:39,936 --> 00:06:41,576 theft in a bunch of different ways. 111 00:06:41,846 --> 00:06:46,646 They can gather a ton of personal details about you, like your full name, your 112 00:06:46,646 --> 00:06:51,376 date of birth, email address, and phone number from your mail account settings. 113 00:06:52,006 --> 00:06:55,086 They can also intercept sensitive emails containing financial 114 00:06:55,086 --> 00:06:58,826 statements, tax documents, and other confidential information. 115 00:06:59,266 --> 00:07:04,441 With this data, hackers can impersonate you to open new credit accounts, apply for 116 00:07:04,441 --> 00:07:06,971 loans, and make unauthorized purchases. 117 00:07:07,461 --> 00:07:11,161 Additionally, they might be able to use the information to answer security 118 00:07:11,161 --> 00:07:15,931 questions to other accounts to gain even deeper access to your digital life. 119 00:07:16,151 --> 00:07:19,371 So the information in your email can lead to hacking of your 120 00:07:19,411 --> 00:07:21,361 other accounts pretty easily. 121 00:07:22,041 --> 00:07:24,911 Now that we understand some of the threats, let's now take a 122 00:07:24,911 --> 00:07:28,201 look at how we can be proactive to protect our email addresses. 123 00:07:28,811 --> 00:07:32,331 One of the most fundamental security tips for protecting your email account 124 00:07:32,621 --> 00:07:35,721 is using strong, unique passwords. 125 00:07:35,721 --> 00:07:39,241 Do not use the same password that you have used forever. 126 00:07:39,581 --> 00:07:40,531 That's not good. 127 00:07:40,801 --> 00:07:44,111 Maybe you're using an old email address from 10 years ago, and you've 128 00:07:44,111 --> 00:07:45,691 only updated the password once. 129 00:07:46,331 --> 00:07:47,701 That's not good. 130 00:07:48,041 --> 00:07:49,741 This is your wake up call. 131 00:07:50,031 --> 00:07:52,791 Or perhaps you think that you're not important and no one will 132 00:07:52,791 --> 00:07:54,081 ever want to Hack your email. 133 00:07:54,271 --> 00:07:59,831 So your password is password 1234 They know that one. 134 00:08:00,161 --> 00:08:03,751 That's a very common one That's the one that they're gonna try like first. 135 00:08:04,101 --> 00:08:06,291 So just be aware either way. 136 00:08:06,481 --> 00:08:07,991 You're gonna need to make some changes. 137 00:08:08,671 --> 00:08:12,641 A strong password significantly reduces the likelihood of 138 00:08:12,701 --> 00:08:15,091 unauthorized access to your accounts. 139 00:08:15,421 --> 00:08:19,831 It should be unique for every single account to prevent a domino effect if 140 00:08:19,831 --> 00:08:21,391 one of your accounts is compromised. 141 00:08:21,651 --> 00:08:25,191 So if your, your password is password one, two, three, four for, you know, 142 00:08:25,241 --> 00:08:29,381 Gmail, your bank account, logging on to even your work email address. 143 00:08:29,741 --> 00:08:33,131 Well, that's bad because they're just going to copy it over and over again and 144 00:08:33,131 --> 00:08:37,696 then access all of your data with just that one password that you've set up. 145 00:08:38,226 --> 00:08:41,556 And you may be thinking that it's hard enough to think of these unique passwords, 146 00:08:41,556 --> 00:08:43,926 let alone remember them, though. 147 00:08:43,926 --> 00:08:46,246 This is where a password manager can be helpful. 148 00:08:46,666 --> 00:08:50,556 Password managers like Bitwarden or NordPass will help you create 149 00:08:50,566 --> 00:08:52,406 and manage all of your passwords. 150 00:08:52,501 --> 00:08:56,511 These services will generate passwords of letters and numbers 151 00:08:56,651 --> 00:08:57,931 and even use whole words. 152 00:08:57,931 --> 00:09:01,051 They use dashes and commas, special characters, all this sort of cool stuff. 153 00:09:01,454 --> 00:09:04,594 Then they can save your credentials for either faster logins. 154 00:09:05,054 --> 00:09:09,134 Just be sure to create a strong master password for that service. 155 00:09:09,884 --> 00:09:13,544 Cause if you don't and you don't remember it, then even they can't help you and 156 00:09:13,544 --> 00:09:17,264 you're going to have to reset all of your passwords and that'll become a 157 00:09:17,264 --> 00:09:21,244 whole lot of password reset emails that come to your address, which is 158 00:09:21,324 --> 00:09:23,184 dangerous as we've already talked about. 159 00:09:24,224 --> 00:09:26,774 For those of you who are long time listeners, you know that in 160 00:09:26,774 --> 00:09:30,974 the past I haven't really trusted password managers because I had a bad 161 00:09:30,974 --> 00:09:32,964 experience with one a few years ago. 162 00:09:33,304 --> 00:09:36,264 Well, I've recently started using one and I really like 163 00:09:36,264 --> 00:09:37,714 it and it's been very helpful. 164 00:09:38,054 --> 00:09:42,174 So I think my experience in the past was just one of these one off situations. 165 00:09:42,474 --> 00:09:46,484 And so I am using a password manager now and I highly recommend 166 00:09:46,484 --> 00:09:47,734 that everybody else use them. 167 00:09:48,564 --> 00:09:52,204 Another way to secure your email address, and really any other account, 168 00:09:52,424 --> 00:09:54,724 is to enable two factor authentication. 169 00:09:55,574 --> 00:09:59,144 This adds an extra layer of security to your email accounts, making it much 170 00:09:59,144 --> 00:10:00,994 harder for hackers to gain access. 171 00:10:01,194 --> 00:10:06,564 Two factor authentication, which is called 2FA, requires two forms of verification 172 00:10:06,574 --> 00:10:08,584 before granting access to an account. 173 00:10:09,034 --> 00:10:11,904 Something you know, like a password, and then something that 174 00:10:11,904 --> 00:10:13,864 you have, like a smartphone app. 175 00:10:14,194 --> 00:10:15,464 or a security token. 176 00:10:15,864 --> 00:10:20,124 Yes, two factor authentication is a pain, and it does slow you 177 00:10:20,124 --> 00:10:22,584 down, but trust me, it is worth it. 178 00:10:22,764 --> 00:10:25,014 I do this multiple times every day. 179 00:10:26,024 --> 00:10:29,124 You can always remove your email address from the internet so 180 00:10:29,124 --> 00:10:32,704 the bad guys can't find it, and DeleteMe can help you with that. 181 00:10:33,124 --> 00:10:36,584 They can get your personal information off of data broker sites, and 182 00:10:36,584 --> 00:10:40,664 make it harder for just anybody to outright buy your information. 183 00:10:41,144 --> 00:10:45,614 DeleteMe can remove data like your email address, home address, birthday, photos, 184 00:10:45,904 --> 00:10:50,524 social media handles, marital status, property value, and a whole lot more. 185 00:10:50,779 --> 00:10:52,999 A lot of stuff that you and I just don't think about. 186 00:10:53,569 --> 00:10:57,229 Can you imagine how easy it is for scammers to pretend to be 187 00:10:57,229 --> 00:11:02,509 you with all of that information, plus access to your email address? 188 00:11:03,039 --> 00:11:05,159 That's a really bad scenario. 189 00:11:05,579 --> 00:11:09,179 Personally, I have been a customer of DeleteMe since 2018 and I 190 00:11:09,189 --> 00:11:10,809 highly recommend their services. 191 00:11:11,099 --> 00:11:14,919 You can learn more about them at JoinDeleteMe.com/Dad. 192 00:11:15,599 --> 00:11:21,079 I hope by now you see that email security, is a crucial aspect of protecting 193 00:11:21,089 --> 00:11:22,659 your personal information online. 194 00:11:23,039 --> 00:11:26,669 By following key security tips, such as using strong passwords, 195 00:11:26,929 --> 00:11:30,899 enabling two factor authentication and utilizing services like DeleteMe. 196 00:11:31,189 --> 00:11:35,369 You can significantly improve your email security and safeguard 197 00:11:35,369 --> 00:11:36,629 your sensitive information. 198 00:11:37,089 --> 00:11:41,639 Remember staying vigilant and proactive about your email security practices 199 00:11:41,849 --> 00:11:47,079 can go a long way and preventing cyber attacks and protecting your identity. 200 00:11:57,659 --> 00:11:59,959 That's everything that I have for today's episode. 201 00:11:59,959 --> 00:12:01,389 Thank you, friend, for joining me. 202 00:12:02,119 --> 00:12:05,419 Take back your privacy and personal data with help from DeleteMe. 203 00:12:05,949 --> 00:12:09,689 Get 20% off our privacy plan when using the code DAD at checkout. 204 00:12:09,939 --> 00:12:11,819 There's a link for you in today's show notes. 205 00:12:12,419 --> 00:12:14,209 Fortify your home with FlipLock. 206 00:12:14,426 --> 00:12:18,896 For more, go to FlipLok.com and use the discount code SECUREDAD 207 00:12:19,006 --> 00:12:21,066 to get 20 % off your entire order. 208 00:12:22,106 --> 00:12:24,816 If you'd like for your child to have a smartphone, but not access 209 00:12:24,816 --> 00:12:28,051 to the entire internet, You might want to consider a Troomi phone. 210 00:12:28,531 --> 00:12:32,871 Use code THESECUREDAD at checkout for $50 off a phone of your choice. 211 00:12:33,241 --> 00:12:35,581 My family uses a Troomi phone all the time. 212 00:12:36,581 --> 00:12:39,111 For more from The Secure Dad, consider subscribing to the 213 00:12:39,111 --> 00:12:41,201 official Secure Dad YouTube channel. 214 00:12:41,561 --> 00:12:44,921 There you can watch all of my interviews and find exclusive content. 215 00:12:45,231 --> 00:12:48,491 Just search for The Secure Dad the next time you're on YouTube. 216 00:12:49,141 --> 00:12:53,931 I'm Andy Murphy reminding you that our safety is our own responsibility.