Last updated: January 27, 2023
Today, banking services are being revolutionized by mobile applications. And yet, bank accounts are often hacked in this way.
It is then important tolearn how hackers gain access to your bank accounts.
This may allow you toavoid losing all your savings...
Indeed, you might be surprised how far these malicious individuals will go to steal your money.
We examine in this article how hackers target bank accounts and how you can protect yourself.
The 5 methods used by hackers to steal your bank details
1- The Keylogger
Let's start with the first method, that of the keylogger. A keylogger, also called keylogger, is a type of malware that records what you type on your keyboard. The hacker can then access your bank account once you enter your account information.
How to protect yourself from keylogger?
Make sure your computer is free of malware using anti-virus software. A good antivirus program will detect and remove keyloggers before they can do any harm. Keyloggers can indeed be deleted before causing damage.
Know that two-factor authentication can be a valuable security layer for mobile banking. A hacker will still need the passcode even if they got your login details.
2- Phishing
Another method widely used by hackers is phishing. Indeed, hackers are becoming more adept at tricking people into clicking on their links as the public becomes increasingly savvy about phishing tactics.
The goal of phishing is to hack into people's bank accounts and steal their information. The most devastating aspect of this hack is thatit is more difficult to detect it. Indeed, the hacker can even show your first name in the email sent.
How to defend against phishing?
First, treat any email with skepticism if the address looks suspicious. And whenever you see an address that looks legit, but looks weird, ask the sender. If the account has been compromised, however, it is best not to communicate by email (contact him instead by phone or via the website directly).
3- "Man-in-the-Middle" type attack
In order to obtain your personal information, hackers can target your communications with your bank's website. They can indeed initiate a Man-in-the-Middle attack (MITM) when they intercept communications between your computer and a real-looking online service.
Park guide walks MITM attacks typically involve monitoring an untrusted server and analyzing the data it sends and receives. Hackers take your login credentials on this network and steal them. They can, however, modify the web page you visit when you type in a URL by using DNS cache poisoning. Hacker clone site will be redirected to your site due to cache contamination. If you're not careful, you may end up giving your login details to the fake site because it seems to be the right one!
How to protect yourself from MITM?
Don't do anything sensitive on a public or unsecured network. If you want to be sure, you should use your home WiFi or tethering with your own 4G network. When you connect to sensitive sites, always look for https in the address bar. If not, it may be a fake website.
4- The SIM Swapping method
Do you know how to hack the SIM Swapping ? With it, hackers can access your bank account without having to enter your phone due to SMS authentication. This is a SIM card swap.
In most cases, mobile networks ask questions to confirm that the person requesting the transfer is who they say they are. This is why scammers usually collect your personal information before making a SIM card exchange.
Be aware, however, that there are still network providers that perform lax controls on SIM transfers, making it easy for hackers to pull off this trick.
How can you protect yourself?
Protect your personal information to avoid identity theft. It's also worth checking with your mobile operator to see if they protect you against SIM swapping. That way, if a hacker tries to swap SIM cards on your phone without your permission, your network provider will be diligent and the ID check will fail.
To protect yourself, you must choose a company that offers high security against SIM card swapping. Only enable two-factor authentication if you trust your service provider.
As soon as your SIM card no longer works, go to the nearest branch of your service provider and request that any new cards be deactivated.
5- Fake Mobile Banking App and Trojan Horse
Today, mobile banking apps allow you to manage all of your finances from your phone. Although it's not always easy to do, malware writers use it as a primary attack vector to steal your data.
How? 'Or' What ? With apps that aren't actually real.
Hackers actually create an exact copy of a bank's app and distribute it on dubious websites. The hacker asks for your username and password after downloading the fake app.
As to Trojan horse, here, hacking is on yet another level.
The apps are usually not disguised as an official banking app, but are rather unrelated to banking apps that contain trojans. As soon as you install the app, the Trojan starts searching for banking apps on your computer/smartphone.
When the hacker detects the opening of a banking application, it brings up a window that looks like the one you just launched. If done correctly, you will not notice the change and enter your credentials in the fake login tab.
The author of the fake application will then receive this information and download it. He can then ask you for confirmation by SMS in order to steal all your data.
How to protect yourself?
Board of : Be careful not to give apps access to your personal information. Be careful and don't install a mobile game or other app that asks for SMS permissions without clearly explaining why it needs them. Third-party websites may contain malware, which makes installing apps from such sites unsafe.