Electronic commerce is very present in our day today. We have more services and platforms at our disposal to buy and sell items. We also have the possibility to use different payment methods and services available. One of them, one of the most popular and that has been with us for many years, is PayPal. Now, hackers also set their sights on what has more users. In this article we will explain what techniques they could use to steal our data and how to protect us.
PayPal, one of the most used payment methods
PayPal is still one of the preferred payment methods when making purchases online. It is not a new platform, much less, since it has been with us for many years. This also causes cybercriminals to set their sights and update attack methods.
When buying online there are many platforms. We talk about both web services and more and more applications for mobile devices. This allows us to buy anywhere, anytime. Something that could also lead to a decrease in security on certain occasions.
PayPal offers us the possibility of making instant payments. We can add a bank account that is linked and where those payments are charged, as well as enter money and have it available directly in the account. It is a secure means of payment, but there are methods by which they could steal our information if we do not pay attention.
Techniques to steal PayPal data
The theft of data and information on the network is one of the most present and serious problems we face today. There are many methods that hackers can use to attack users. We will explain what techniques they can use to steal PayPal information.
Phishing attacks
Undoubtedly one of the most used techniques by hackers to steal data from PayPal and anywhere else are Phishing attacks. As we know it is a technique that seeks to supplant identity. In this way he manages to capture the victim's attention and carry out the attack.
Normally they use a bait that usually consists of a problem or something that we must solve. For example, they can tell us that our account has suffered an attack and that it will be closed if we do not enter with our credentials to confirm that it is us. We are actually delivering that data to hackers.
Fake buttons
It may also happen that we run into fake PayPal buttons. We refer to the links to make a payment on certain pages. They may have put them there on purpose, to steal money from users, but in most cases, it is due to an external attack. They inject malicious code into that website and manage to change the real account for one controlled by the attackers.
We must always observe very well the buttons to which we access. We must verify that we are really sending the payment to who we want and not to an imposter.
Fake application
Something similar happens with fake applications. Sometimes we can download an add-on or application that can be modified maliciously. They could collect user information, and even steal the password.
It is another of the methods by which they could steal our PayPal information. This can happen on both desktop computers and mobile devices.
Keyloggers and other types of malware
The keyloggers are a type of malware that is designed to steal passwords. Its objective is to register all the keys that we write when entering keys or user names. Normally it reaches our device through a malicious file that we have downloaded.
There are also Trojans and other varieties of malware that could collect information from our device and our accounts. It is, in short, one more technique that they use to steal our PayPal accounts.
How to avoid attacks on PayPal accounts
Luckily, we can take into account a series of techniques to avoid such attacks. We can secure our information and not allow our data to be stolen when browsing the Internet or accessing these services.
Encrypt our accounts
The first step to avoid attacks on our PayPal accounts is to encrypt them correctly. By this we mean creating a password that is really strong and complex. It must contain letters (upper and lower case), numbers and other special symbols.
But in addition to this, it is also convenient to enable two-step authentication. This is something that is increasingly present in the different Internet services that we can use. Basically, it consists of a second step, a code for example, to enter our account.
Security tools
The use of security tools cannot be missing on our devices. Having a good antivirus, for example, can prevent malware from entering our computers. It is important to apply it regardless of the type of device we are using.
Updated devices
Of course, our teams have to be updated and with the latest security patches. Sometimes vulnerabilities may arise that are exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks. It is vital that we have our systems updated and do not leave doors open.
Official and updated applications
In the same way, the applications and add-ons we use must be official. Avoid installing programs from third-party sources, as they could have been modified maliciously.
It is also necessary that these programs be updated. For the same reason we mentioned earlier, it is vital that we have the patches installed and the latest versions available.
Common sense
Finally, although most importantly, common sense. Many types of attacks require user interaction. We speak for example of Phishing, which is going to look for the user to access an external link where they can steal their data. It is important that we always use common sense and not fall into such traps.
