Yesterday I wrote about the attacks hitting the internet right now. Here are the big questions people have, with my honest answers.
1. Is my bank account safe?
Right now, it should be. A lot of the risk comes from what you do, not from your bank. Follow the same advice from yesterday. If your bank calls you, make sure it's really them. And only type your bank login into your bank's own app or website. Until your bank tells you something is wrong, you're probably okay. Keep an eye on your account, though. This could change in the coming days.
2. Should I pull my money out?
I don't think so. I'd rather not have money in transit right now.
3. Should I change all my passwords?
It depends. Change a password right away if:
- a company has told you it was exposed,
- you use the same password in more than one place, or
- you keep your passwords in a note on your phone.
Use a random alphanumeric password: a jumble of letters and numbers, like k7Rq2xT9mWp4. Your password can't be your dog's name or your hometown anymore. Apple's Passwords app (or Google's on Android) will make them for you and remember them, and that's what I recommend. The fewer places your passwords live, the better.
Not sure where to start? Think about everything you have online. Which account would scare you most if someone else got into it? Work backwards from there.
4. Is my iPhone (or Android) affected?
We don't know yet. I haven't heard anything about phones. But keep everything updated like crazy. Updating is the best thing you can do right now.
5. How do I know if a website I use has been hacked?
Often, you can't tell from the outside. A few signs to watch for:
- Check your email address at haveibeenpwned.com. It tells you which known breaches your email has turned up in.
- Read emails from companies saying your data was exposed. Then go to their site yourself to check, not through the link in the email.
- Watch for login alerts you didn't trigger, or charges you don't recognize.
If any of those show up, change that password first.
6. Is it safe to shop online this weekend?
Yes, at big, well-known stores. Pay with a credit card rather than a debit card, because it's easier to get your money back if something goes wrong. The bigger risk right now is fake "problem with your order" emails and texts. Don't click those. Go to the store's site or app yourself.
7. Which websites are safe to visit right now?
Stick to the big guys. The software with the hole runs roughly 70% of the websites out there, and plenty of small sites haven't installed the fix yet. Right now, you don't want to be going to some random website.
8. Is it safe to connect an AI assistant to my bank?
Not yet.
9. Someone called saying they're from my bank. What do I do?
Hang up and call the number on the back of your card. And set up a code word with your family now, so you can tell if a call is really from them. Send them this email, and get ready together.
10. How do I get my parents to actually do this?
Send them my email from yesterday. It explains what's actually going on.
11. When does this end?
Honestly, I think it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I don't know exactly, but folks at Anthropic are estimating it could be eighteen months.
What else do you want to know? Hit reply and tell me. I read every one, and reply to as many as I can.
— Matt
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