"I got hacked"

This was the message I got last night from a friend, who was asking me for urgent help. Their laptop was hacked by someone, who was asking them to buy and send some bitcoin to a specific address. If not, he claimed he would post their private stuff online. Needless to say, it is a scary and very stressful time for anyone to deal with. Right now, nearly all of us are staying at home and most of the time we are doing something online all day long. It may also become the best time period for hackers to phish for private information and blackmail for as much money as possible. This may happen to each of us and therefore I thought to share with you about this real story and hopefully all of us can at least exercise some alertness and stay safe not only physically but also cyberly. Here are a couple of points to consider as part of safeguard for our cyber safety:

• When you get such a blackmail for money or bitcoin etc, first do some google search to see if anyone has reported something similar and what previous experiences exist. For this incident, my friend fortunately ended up doing just that and found out that the blackmailer per the email, named Wittie Haggerty, was reported in www.bitcoinabuse.com.  It appears to be a scam as there are six other instances starting from April 10, 2020 where this person did something similar to others, but "Total Bitcoin Recived = 0." So they decided to ignore the blackmail instead of sending the bitcoin as asked. So before following the blackmail's request, stay calm and do some research first. 
• Always use 2-step verification process whenever possible for any password protected personal accounts.
• Open a free account at protonmail.com. ProtonMail is incorporated in Switzerland and all their servers are located in Switzerland. This means all user data is protected by strict Swiss privacy laws.
  All emails are secured automatically with end-to-end encryption. This means even protonmail staff cannot decrypt and read your emails. As a result, your encrypted emails cannot be shared with third parties. This is especially important to send sensitive information between parties, both of which should all use protonmail. 
• Use VPN whenver online. I'm using Hotspot Shield, which has a high rating and I like it very much. But there are many other VPNs available, which can add a lot safety protection to your online privacy. 
• Always use a cyber security software to protect your device.   
  
• Last but certainly not least, use nontransparent tape to cover your laptop camera when not in use. You may not believe how easily your camera may be accidentally turned on without knowing and your privacy may be broadcasted online.     

Hope this helps and please do stay safe at home and online!!