Hang up and use this secret code to stop hack attacks.<\/p>\n
getty<\/p>\n
Your smartphone is likely at the very center of your life. It\u2019s the technological, corporate, leisure, educational, financial and social hub that brings everything together in one device we take everywhere, even to the loo for many users. It\u2019s also a primary target for those who would take it all away. Fortunately, there are several ways to secure your iPhone or Android device from attackers, whether they are opportunistic or sophisticated in nature. I have recently warned readers of the most dangerous passwords<\/a> that should never be used, as well as an article explaining why a list of PIN codes<\/a> need to be avoided at all costs. The advice today concerns another code, but this time it\u2019s not on any list, it\u2019s not something that you can find for sale<\/a> on the dark web<\/a>, but it could just save you from the most advanced of smartphone attackers. Here\u2019s what you need to know, and why you need to act upon that knowledge immediately.<\/p>\n ForbesChange Your PIN Code Now If It\u2019s On This ListBy Davey Winder<\/a> Most of the warnings that you read online, and the security advice that is distributed to mitigate them, tend to concern email attacks of the phishing variety. This is hardly surprising, given that such social engineering is the preferred method for getting victims to install password-stealing malware or take over their devices and accounts immediately. Yet email isn\u2019t the only hacking fruit. When it comes to perilous and extremely costly threats, it\u2019s hard to think of any more insidious than that of the AI-powered deepfake. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and increasingly more complicated to detect. Especially when delivered to your iPhone or Android smartphone, be that by way of a video or voice call from a loved one or work colleague. Don\u2019t believe me? Go take the \u201ccan you spot a deepfake?<\/a>\u201d test and find out for yourself.<\/p>\n A former U.S. government advisor, and current CEO of EclecticIQ, has told<\/a> the Press Association that with AI lowering the barrier for such sophisticated impersonation scams, \u201ceveryone should have a secret password.\u201d What Cody Barrow is referring to is a secret code, which is only known to you and your family, close friends or work colleagues. Or, instead, a different secret code for each of those groups if you want to keep that secrecy level as high as possible. The FBI has previously advised<\/a> the public to adopt the same mitigation strategy.<\/p>\n If you get a call, be it voice or video, from someone you think you know, asking for help in the form of a money transfer or something else out of the blue and out of character, then the FBI has advised you should ask them to quote the secret code that you have created in order to validate their identity. Even the most powerful AI won\u2019t be able to do this. Stupid robots. So, you know what to do: create a code with your family and friends, and stay alert in the moments of greatest stress when attackers will try to get you to make a knee-jerk emotional reaction that could cost you dearly.<\/p>\n
\nFBI And Cybersecurity Experts Say Use This Code To Stop Attacks<\/p>\n