Arizona tech expert explains how to avoid getting passwords stolen

PHOENIX — It’s not new malware, but the bad guys have really stepped up their game to steal your passwords.

Your credit card information and autofill data have become open season for hackers as browser-based attacks have skyrocketed.

“Various levels of security are used to try and encrypt and lock that information down, but the bad guys have figured out how to get around that, especially if you’re not keeping your browser updated,” Ken Colburn of Data Doctors told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“They know if you’re using your browser to save passwords, credit card information, all of that personal information that you don’t have to fill out when you go shopping. That’s a target-rich environment, and the hackers are going after it. Don’t open files, file attachments. Don’t click on links in social media, the normal traps that are out there.”

Once the hackers have your personal info, they will try to cash in by selling it in the internet underground.

Colburn said it’s not just a Windows-based issue.

“This is for anybody that uses the internet. We’re seeing a huge increase on the Mac side in malware infections,” he said.

“People that use Macs have been lulled into a false sense of security, and we’re seeing lots of browser-based infections.”

Colburn recommended using a program like RoboForm or LastPass to safely manage passwords.

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