Here in the FIRE community we save a lot of money. What if one day it all disappeared because of a... security breach?
There's nothing worse than being hacked and having issues with your accounts because of a security issue - and losing all that money you need to reach FI! Today we talk with David, a security expert who used to work for NASA and who now works for a computer company. He tells us the steps we need to take to keep all of our money safe and not have to worry about security breaches.
You'll love this story.
We also chat about...
What you need to know about security How to figure out the best passwords SIM hacking How to move away from phone numbers VPNs and buying stuff online David's personal FI journey
Enjoy this chat with David, and please subscribe to us in iTunes if you enjoyed it!
Show notes and links from today's episode
Listen Notes episode on the Snapchat Thief LastPass and KeePass ProtonMail Burner app YUBI keys Nord VPN and Express VPN FIREDrill Facebook LIVE David on Twitter
Key takeaways from our chat with David 1 - The amount of security you need depends on your threat model Your threat model is basically how important it is for you to be safe. If you have large amounts of money in accounts, if you have large investments or assets, then you want to be more careful. If you feel there is not much risk and you are already careful with your accounts, then your threat model isn't as high. David tells us that being safe does not mean throwing away your phone or creating an email account for every single website you sign up for, it's all about taking easy and simple steps to make sure you won't regret it in a future. 2 - How to move away from phone numbers David tells us how insecure phone numbers really are. Phone numbers are easy to access online - many people send them across social media and insert them into registers. David says that to protect yourself from people harassing your phone number or even SIM hacking, you can use a service such as Google Voice which will create a new phone number especially for online services. Other programs such as Burner app also create temporary numbers. David also tells us that for authentication purposes, a Yubi key is the most secure way. 3 - Being safe in public places Working at Starbucks or a public place? Be careful with the information you put on the network, as it can be very easy for a hacker to retrieve your data. David recommends using a VPN when going out in public places. He also recommends even using 'virtual cards' when putting your credit card information into dodgy sites - banks such as Bank of America offer this feature to keep safe when buying products online. Questions? Like or dislike? Leave us a comment! Want to support the podcast? Here are three things you can do. 1. Start tracking your net worth with Personal Capital using our link. It's free. 2. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. 3. Join our Facebook group and connect with other members of the FI community.