How to protect yourself from hackers

Due to recent events I decided to post this as a guide to help you keep your account safe when it comes to the ever evolving art of hacking. Hacking is an issue that doesn't have to be dealt with if you engage in the proper amount of security within your account in Dueling Network and Dueling Network Forums. Here are some tips that will prevent a hacker from entering your account if followed correctly.

Use different passwords in different websites
This may seem a bit inconvenient, but one way hackers get into your account is by using a phishing technique that allows them to see the passwords you put down in their fake but cleverly created versions of popular websites. Although Dueling Network and Dueling Network Forums are secure we cannot guarantee this for other websites where a phishing technique may be in place. By using a different password in different websites you are securing your accounts in the sites that are not trying to phish your password.

Use strong passwords
A strong password is also the key to avoiding other phishing techniques. A strong password should contain a combination of numbers, letters, and capital letters. It should look something like this:
TESTINGtesting123

Always check the URL and where you are logging into
The most common technique hackers use is a technique that can forward a "Log in" button in to a site or malicious link that looks identical to the Log-in page of the site in question. For example: if you click Log-in on Dueling Newtork Forums you should see the following: http://forum.duelingnetwork.com/login or http://forum.duelingnetwork.com/login?connexion. When logging into other websites make sure you are always directed to a similar link.

Do not share any passwords with anyone
Not even your friends. This should be common sense, but for the sake of protocol I must post this. Do not trust anyone you don't know on a more personal level (as in real life) with your passwords. Some people are malicious in nature and will go as far as befriending you to earn your trust so they can stab you in the back. Do NOT share your passwords.

Do not trust people pretending to be staff
Staff will never ever ask you for your password. Administrators have the power to change anyone's passwords at any given time so if there is a need for an account to be inspected it will be done, although it is very unlikely that we will take such action anyway. With this power staff does not need to ask for your password so if anyone pretending to be someone from the Dueling Network staff asks you for a password simply say no, and contact an administrator immediately with the details or user account from which the request was made.

Do not download unrecognized programs or email attachments
Quite simply, be careful what you download. When you receive an email, do not download any attachments unless it is from a trusted source. Key logger's can be maliciously injected into files that may seem legit. Make sure you have an email system that uses a spyware and malware scanner before downloading files. Also be sure you have malware and spyware scanner installed on your computer. Such programs will make sure that what you are downloading is safe before it is actually downloaded to your computer.

Do not panic
The administrator accounts on Dueling Network Forums are all very secure and it will take an actual hacker with extensive knowledge to get into them, not some twelve year old that learned phishing techniques off of google.

If anyone threatens to delete your account, this forum, and other things please ignore them as these are all false threats in order to fear monger. As long as you follow the above tips you this forum and Dueling Network will continue to be safe.

You might want to add be careful what you download when people email stuff to you. It may contain a key logger. A key logger is a software where the person controlling it can see every text in you read and type. They can easily access your password with this software. I mean it's a little complicated but simple enough.

Very wise. Do not download or click on links in emails unless you know and trust the sender of that email. Keylogging is a security breach that requires extensive work to fix (depending on the keylogger method used).

Good stuff det. I always put random URLs into Mcafee siteadvisor or Norton siteadvisor for extra safety precautions. Also, when going on a site like Yugioh wikia sometimes it is best to turn javascript off so some of the ads don't appear. I have had my internet security software detect and block a few attack attempts from the ads on that site.

Also, be careful on unprotected wifi connections and/or public computers.

Yes Det this will save alot of people

Nice acticle Detonator.
One thing that most people don't know though, is that Hackers are actually good people. The term Hacker is considered to a "Cracker," which is what we should really be worried about. Hackers are really just great Programmers that want to help improve Software and stuff. Crackers are programmers that breaks into your computer with Viruses, Malware, Spyware etc.
I really don't know when the term got confused and Hackers got mixed with Crackers, but now if some of you didn't know that, now you what Hackers and Crackers really are.
Thanks for reading.

Zero2Hero wrote:Nice acticle Detonator.
One thing that most people don't know though, is that Hackers are actually good people. The term Hacker is considered to a "Cracker," which is what we should really be worried about. Hackers are really just great Programmers that want to help improve Software and stuff. Crackers are programmers that breaks into your computer with Viruses, Malware, Spyware etc.
I really don't know when the term got confused and Hackers got mixed with Crackers, but now if some of you didn't know that, now you what Hackers and Crackers really are.
Thanks for reading.

That's why anonymous are amazing and my heroes in life If you don't know who they are you should look them up

hacker cracker shmacker. people who steal/hack/crack FREE online children's card game site accounts are simply called idiots.

i could see that...but how could they even do that to a DN site account? like figure out the password?

Black Duelist wrote:i could see that...but how could they even do that to a DN site account? like figure out the password?

The crisis of Chevalie12 says otherwise.
They got nothing to do all day except trying to get other's account