Technology

7 Best Ways To Protect Yourself Against Hackers

The internet has revolutionized the way we do business and communicate, but to an extent it seems that this great technology may also pose some risks. According to McAfee’s 2011 Threats Report, instances of hacking are on the rise. The report reports “an 866 percent increase in malware over last year, with credit card stealing Trojans up an awesome 3,566 percent.”

Hackers are a frightening bunch whether or not working as a part of a criminal syndicate or an idealist with a political timetable, they were given the information and the energy to access your important record. Down below are the 7 best Ways To Protect Against Hackers.

This article’s aim is to focus on some most common ways that hackers access your information and give you a brief overview of how to defend yourself from their tactics.

Think of your home laptop or PC as a company. What are you able to do to shield it towards hackers? Or opposed to sitting again and ready to get inflamed, why no longer arm yourself and combat again?

Here are 7 best ways to protect against hackers:

1. Keep Your Software Up-to-date

Keep Your Software Up-to-date

Keep updating your Operating System and other software programs regularly. This keeps hackers from accessing your laptop via vulnerabilities in old packages.

For additional protection, enable Microsoft product updates in order that the Office suite may be updated on the regular basis. Keep in mind retiring especially old software program including java or flash.

According to a survey by Microsoft Corp., security breaches fell by 40% in 2010 as a result of criminals targeting older versions of software with known security flaws.

To protect yourself, always update your operating system and web browser to the latest version. Also, enable Auto-updates on all your other applications that have them available.

2. Download Updated Antivirus Software’s:

Protect Against Hackers Updated Antivirus

Keep up to date protection programs, together with antivirus and anti-malware software program, anti-spyware, and a firewall. To trick even the maximum villainous hackers, don’t forget investing in anti-exploit technology, such as Malwarebytes anti-exploit so that you can prevent attacks earlier than they show up.

Make sure that you are downloading antivirus software from legitimate software providers.

There are many websites that offer free downloads of antimalware program, but they are not the official website.

Be very careful when installing them because many of them come with spyware or malware programs.

While most antivirus software has their own updates, it is still important that you download the latest updates to fix security holes.

You can do this by checking the antivirus software’s website for updates or you can set your computer to automatically update it.

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3. Do not Use Open Wifi:

Protect Against Hackers

Hackers use open Wi-Fi connections to gain access to user’s personal information. Protect your wifi with an encrypted password, and remember fresh your device every few years.

Some routers have vulnerabilities which can be never patched. Newer routers let you provide guests with segregated wireless access. They make common password changes very easy.

This is very easy for people that are using mobile phones or laptops because most wireless networks are unprotected for anyone to use. There are several ways that hackers can gain access to your personal information by using open wifi.

One way is to put up a fake wifi connection that looks very real. When someone tries to connect, the hackers can capture all of their personal information. This is known as a man in the middle attack.

Another way is through IP spoofing. This is when the hacker changes their IP address to match yours so they can get access to your internet.

All they have to do is enter the same IP address, subnet mask and default gateway as yours. The last way that they can gain access is by using packet sniffing. This happens when a hacker watches all traffic being sent from you or to you without being detected.

4. Use Complex Password to Protect Your Devices:

People can hack into your accounts if you use very easy passwords to access them. They might use a dictionary or they might try and figure out your password with trial and error. An easy way to make sure that your information stays secure is by using complex passwords.

This will make it harder for hackers to access your information. You should also try to change your password regularly so that it is always secure. People can access old passwords very easily if you haven’t changed them for a long period of time.

The ubiquity of mobile devices makes them mainly vulnerable. Lock your phone and make the timeout pretty short.

Use fingerprint lock for the iPhone and passkey or swipe for Android. This makes difficult for hackers to access your devices.

5. Remove Unknown Emails:

Remove Unknown Emails

In case you receive e-mails from a random person, do no longer hassle to open the email, simply delete it. If you have any doubts after reading the call and the situation, it’s probably not a person you recognize. Never download or open attachments unless you are positive it’s from someone.

People are most likely to become hacked by opening the wrong email. This is because most people don’t even bother checking their emails anymore. You should always check your emails before you download something or click on a link inside it.

If you have an email that doesn’t have any writing or pictures in it, this means that it is spam. You should delete these emails because there might be a virus or some kind of malware attached to them.

You should also watch out for fake emails from companies that you do business with. These fake emails will have similar names as the company’s CEO and they will ask you to disclose personal information such as your password.

This is a trick to get your information so that they can hack into your account.

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6. Keep Sensitive Data Off the Clouds:

Many people use services like Dropbox or Google Drive to keep copies of their files in the cloud, but even if you encrypt your sensitive data with a long password before uploading it, there is still a good chance hackers will be able to gain access. It’s not because these services are insecure.

They may have very high levels of security — but because they are a type of cloud service that allows you to share files with others. So, if your password is compromised and someone else uploads a virus or spyware to your account, suddenly your sensitive data is easily accessible by hackers.

Keep sensitive data off the cloud. No matter which way you cut it, data stored in the cloud doesn’t belong to you. There are very few cloud storage solutions that offer encryption for ‘data at rest.’ Use the cloud accordingly. If it’s important, don’t.

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7. Avoid Clicking Ads:

Clicking Ads

Most of us are used to clicking on ads but have you ever stopped to think about where these ads are taking you?

If the ad contains a link, it is most likely going to be an affiliate website. These websites will try and get you to sign up for different things so they can earn money from your clicks.

You have to surf the internet smartly. Avoid clicking on ads if you can. Especially the one’s ads where something is flying around and if you shoot the duck, you win a few prize! advertisements have come to be more sophisticated in that they are trying to make the advert interactive so you’ll be tempted to play it like a game.

Conclusion

As the world becomes more and more connected, hackers are going to find new ways of making money. However, you can protect your data by following a few simple steps outlined here in this blog post.

What else do you think is important for protecting your digital life? Let us know what we missed!

Technology

Pintarnya raises $16.7M to power jobs and financial services in Indonesia

Pintarnya, an Indonesian employment platform that goes beyond job matching by offering financial services along with full-time and side-gig opportunities, said it has raised a $16.7 million Series A round.

The funding was led by Square Peg with participation from existing investors Vertex Venture Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures.

Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan founded Pintarnya in 2022 to tackle two of the biggest challenges Indonesians face daily: earning enough and borrowing responsibly.

“Traditionally, mass workers in Indonesia find jobs offline through job fairs or word of mouth, with employers buried in paper applications and candidates rarely hearing back. For borrowing, their options are often limited to family/friend or predatory lenders with harsh collection practices,” Henry Hendrawan, co-founder of Pintarnya, told TechCrunch. “We digitize job matching with AI to make hiring faster and we provide workers with safer, healthier lending options — designed around what they can reasonably afford, rather than pushing them deeper into debt.”

Around 59% of Indonesia’s 150 million workforce is employed in the informal sector, highlighting the difficulties these workers encounter in accessing formal financial services because they lack verifiable income and official employment documentation.

Pintarnya tackles this challenge by partnering with asset-backed lenders to offer secured loans, using collateral such as gold, electronics, or vehicles, Hendrawan added.

Since its seed funding in 2022, the platform currently serves over 10 million job seeker users and 40,000 employers nationwide. Its revenue has increased almost fivefold year-over-year and expects to reach break-even by the end of the year, Hendrawn noted. Pintarnya primarily serves users aged 21 to 40, most of whom have a high school education or a diploma below university level. The startup aims to focus on this underserved segment, given the large population of blue-collar and informal workers in Indonesia.

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“Through the journey of building employment services, we discovered that our users needed more than just jobs — they needed access to financial services that traditional banks couldn’t provide,” said Hendrawan. “We digitize job matching with AI to make hiring faster and we provide workers with safer, healthier lending options — designed around what they can reasonably afford, rather than pushing them deeper into debt.”

image credits: Pintarnya (Founders of Pintarnya Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan)

While Indonesia already has job platforms like JobStreet, Kalibrr, and Glints, these primarily cater to white-collar roles, which represent only a small portion of the workforce, according to Hendrawan. Pintarnya’s platform is designed specifically for blue-collar workers, offering tailored experiences such as quick-apply options for walk-in interviews, affordable e-learning on relevant skills, in-app opportunities for supplemental income, and seamless connections to financial services like loans.

The same trend is evident in Indonesia’s fintech sector, which similarly caters to white-collar or upper-middle-class consumers. Conventional credit scoring models for loans, which rely on steady monthly income and bank account activity, often leave blue-collar workers overlooked by existing fintech providers, Hendrawan explained.

When asked about which fintech services are most in demand, Hendrawan mentioned, “Given their employment status, lending is the most in-demand financial service for Pintarnya’s users today. We are planning to ‘graduate’ them to micro-savings and investments down the road through innovative products with our partners.”

The new funding will enable Pintarnya to strengthen its platform technology and broaden its financial service offerings through strategic partnerships. With most Indonesian workers employed in blue-collar and informal sectors, the co-founders see substantial growth opportunities in the local market. Leveraging their extensive experience in managing businesses across Southeast Asia, they are also open to exploring regional expansion when the timing is right.

“Our vision is for Pintarnya to be the everyday companion that empowers Indonesians to not only make ends meet today, but also plan, grow, and upgrade their lives tomorrow … In five years, we see Pintarnya as the go-to super app for Indonesia’s workers, not just for earning income, but as a trusted partner throughout their life journey,” Hendrawan said. “We want to be the first stop when someone is looking for work, a place that helps them upgrade their skills, and a reliable guide as they make financial decisions.”

Technology

OpenAI warns against SPVs and other ‘unauthorized’ investments

In a new blog post, OpenAI warns against “unauthorized opportunities to gain exposure to OpenAI through a variety of means,” including special purpose vehicles, known as SPVs.

“We urge you to be careful if you are contacted by a firm that purports to have access to OpenAI, including through the sale of an SPV interest with exposure to OpenAI equity,” the company writes. The blog post acknowledges that “not every offer of OpenAI equity […] is problematic” but says firms may be “attempting to circumvent our transfer restrictions.”

“If so, the sale will not be recognized and carry no economic value to you,” OpenAI says.

Investors have increasingly used SPVs (which pool money for one-off investments) as a way to buy into hot AI startups, prompting other VCs to criticize them as a vehicle for “tourist chumps.”

Business Insider reports that OpenAI isn’t the only major AI company looking to crack down on SPVs, with Anthropic reportedly telling Menlo Ventures it must use its own capital, not an SPV, to invest in an upcoming round.

Technology

Meta partners with Midjourney on AI image and video models

Meta is partnering with Midjourney to license the startup’s AI image and video generation technology, Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang announced Friday in a post on Threads. Wang says Meta’s research teams will collaborate with Midjourney to bring its technology into future AI models and products.

“To ensure Meta is able to deliver the best possible products for people it will require taking an all-of-the-above approach,” Wang said. “This means world-class talent, ambitious compute roadmap, and working with the best players across the industry.”

The Midjourney partnership could help Meta develop products that compete with industry-leading AI image and video models, such as OpenAI’s Sora, Black Forest Lab’s Flux, and Google’s Veo. Last year, Meta rolled out its own AI image generation tool, Imagine, into several of its products, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta also has an AI video generation tool, Movie Gen, that allows users to create videos from prompts.

The licensing agreement with Midjourney marks Meta’s latest deal to get ahead in the AI race. Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg went on a hiring spree for AI talent, offering some researchers compensation packages worth upwards of $100 million. The social media giant also invested $14 billion in Scale AI, and acquired the AI voice startup Play AI.

Meta has held talks with several other leading AI labs about other acquisitions, and Zuckerberg even spoke with Elon Musk about joining his $97 billion takeover bid of OpenAI (Meta ultimately did not join the offer, and OpenAI denied Musk’s bid).

While the terms of Meta’s deal with Midjourney remain unknown, the startup’s CEO, David Holz, said in a post on X that his company remains independent with no investors; Midjourney is one of the few leading AI model developers that has never taken on outside funding. At one point, Meta talked with Midjourney about acquiring the startup, according to Upstarts Media.

Midjourney was founded in 2022 and quickly became a leader in the AI image generation space for its realistic, unique style. By 2023, the startup was reportedly on pace to generate $200 million in revenue. The startup sells subscriptions starting at $10 per month. It offers pricier tiers, which offer more AI image generations, that cost as much as $120 per month. In June, the startup released its first AI video model, V1.

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Meta’s partnership with Midjourney comes just two months after the startup was sued by Disney and Universal, alleging that it trained AI image models on copyrighted works. Several AI model developers — including Meta — face similar allegations from copyright holders, however, recent court cases pertaining to AI training data have sided with tech companies.

Got a sensitive tip or confidential documents? We’re reporting on the inner workings of the AI industry — from the companies shaping its future to the people impacted by their decisions. Reach out to Rebecca Bellan at [email protected] and Maxwell Zeff at [email protected]. For secure communication, you can contact us via Signal at @rebeccabellan.491 and @mzeff.88.

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