A news report on the website of GMA 7 showed that Liberal Party’s Deputy Speaker Congressman Erin Tanada was the victim of “e-mail hacking”. The report says that hackers broke into his e-mail and sent messages to people in the contact list asking for financial assistance so the Congressman can go back home. The good thing that came out from this is that lawmakers are now scrambling to come up with a stronger cybercrime bill.
My honest theory though is that no one actually breached the network of the House of Representatives to get the e-mail access codes of Congressman Tanada. My bet is that he actually either logged in some virus-infested PC or station, went to a dubious website, or downloaded a bad file which led to the “hacker” gaining access to his e-mail account.
How does one get hacked?
For another user to gain access to your e-mail, they need your username and password. “Hackers” exploit weaknesses in your network or they take advantage of your browsing habits so that they can install a program in your PC that will record your log-ins and send it back to them. This is usually in the form of viruses that get into your computer or stuff that you download via e-mail and then you execute the program by clicking on it.
Web Security Tips
Here are basic tips that one should always keep in mind so that you’re protected from the basic and simple “hacks”:
- Scan and purge your computer regularly – does your PC have an anti-virus? Make sure it’s always on and make it a habit to scan your computer at least twice a month. I have friends who actually scan their PC’s 2-3 times a week. Always remember that keylogger programs usually come with viruses so you have to make a conscious effort to avoid getting infected.
- Don’t visit “evil” websites – this is really more applicable to men. Adult websites usually have viruses masked in the pop-ups or the actual downloaded files.
- Be careful with downloading files – One haven of viruses, trojans, and other keylogger-type programs is torrent applications like Transmission or Limewire. You have to be very careful with what you download and install in your computer.
There are more advanced ways to keep your PC safe like setting up a decent Firewall. Some even go as far as purchasing various security programs to safeguard their network. You can avoid a lot of hassle if you regularly maintain a clean network and PC (or you can buy a Mac since Macs don’t have a lot of viruses yet).
Don’t get me wrong though, there are really insanely good hackers out there. But most of the hacks that hit e-mail probably come from the reasons I mentioned above.
In other words, never leave a trace
Great article Carlo. Perhaps this incident will trigger the creation of the right bill all the more.
I think our politicians should go under some form of social media or web security training, haha.
It only shows how weak the security systems here in the Philippines.People are not concern of their security online.one good theory is that he was keylogged
Like what I said in the article I think he was the victim of a keylogger