Don't Get Hacked (Like I Did)

We all know we should use secure passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid sketchy free WiFi but the risks are easy to ignore until you’re hacked (trust me, I know from experience).  Here’s a useful list of apps and services that might avoid a ton of headaches, written from the Product Hunt team.

It seems like every other day, a major site that we trust gets hacked, and just like that—poof!—our personal data is leaked. Even if you’ve never had something crazy happen to you like identity theft, you’ve likely received a slightly concerning email from a company that goes something like, “A bunch of crazies stole our data and we don’t think you have any reason to worry, but just in case, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS ON ALL OF THE THINGS NOW.” ??

The challenge of maintaining your privacy on the web isn’t going away any time soon, so it’s best if you protect yourself now—at home and at work. Here are a list of tools that will make you less vulnerable to tracking, phishing, and other shady internet behavior.

(check out the Don’t Get Hacked collection on Product Hunt for the full list)

1. Privacy

Get a new virtual card for every transaction.

Well, this is cool. Privacy gives you a brand new card number for every transaction you make online, which is meant to protect you from card fraud, identity theft, and data breaches. The process is simple: download the Chrome extension after you sign up, and when you check out on any website, the Privacy icon will appear in the card form. Just click on it to create a new card, and the rest of the form will autofill. Once the “card” is charged, money will be withdrawn out of a funding account of your choice. There are a bunch of fancy details about Privacy’s policy (which you can findhere). The most important, though, is that this tool is PCI-DSS compliant, which means you can expect the same security standards your bank has.

2. Cloak 3.0

Browse safely on public WiFi with this VPN for iOS.

Cloak keeps you safe on public WiFi with no hassle. There’s an auto-secure feature that makes this app turnkey; you don’t even need to remember that you have it on your phone. All you have to do is connect to a network, and you’ll be automatically protected. Cloak also knows which networks you trust, automatically securing your connection whenever you use an untrusted network. This is a painless way to safeguard against unwanted monitoring or DNS poisoning, and the clean UX makes it much easier (and more intuitive) to use than most other VPNs out there.

3. Tether

Lock and unlock your Mac automatically with your iPhone.

This cool app will lock your laptop as soon as you walk away from it, and then unlock it when you return—magic! Here’s the idea: you carry your smartphone with you basically all of the time, so why not utilize this pre-existing behavior to keep all of your digital files and private data safe? Of course, the catch is that you actually have to have your phone with you forTether to work properly. But, if it secures your privacy and takes a step out of your workflow (no more manual computer log-ins!), then it’s probably worth trying.

4. Password Chef

Create a recipe and forget your passwords.

Password Chef is a clever approach to password management. The app will help you design a “recipe” (i.e. personal algorithm), which generates complex and unique passwords for each of your accounts that you can remember even without sticky notes and password managers. Even though security breaches are becoming more commonplace, many of us still don’t take the precautions we should, like using a completely different password for every site. The result? It becomes much easier for a hacker to gain access to your most valuable accounts—banks, email, file hosting, social media, and more. Here’s one example of a recipe via Password Chef (clever name):

Give this one a try—especially if you’d prefer not to keep your passwords stored somewhere on the Internet, and would rather remember them instead (without the mental load required to memorize dozens—or hundreds—of unique password combinations).

5. 1Password for Teams

Securely share information with your team.

There’s nothing worse than trying to hunt down a password to a team account at work. Which, of course, you often end up getting via email or chat (the internet security police are pissed right about now). Sometimes, keeping track of team accounts and passwords can feel like an extra job.

Luckily, there are a number of great password safety tools out there, and1Password is one of the best. There are multiple different variations of the product?—?for individuals, teams, and families?—?so there’s a solution for everyone. You can also share more than just passwords; you can use it to manage sensitive finances and documents, as well. This is definitely a tool worth trying?—?especially if you find yourself needing to share secure documents and account information often.

6. Meldium

Team password manager, cloud identity, and access management.

Meldium is a super simple tool that gives you secure access to all of your apps. The best feature? You’ll automatically be logged into your favorite websites and apps without needing to type in usernames and passwords. This tool (which the Product Hunt team uses) also makes the onboarding process much easier. When someone new joins your company, Meldium will automatically create their accounts on every web application your team needs. No more spending a ton of time getting new teammates set up with all of the necessary accounts; now it’s easy to share website and app data without ever exchanging a password.

7. Better

An iPhone app that blocks ads, tracking, and malicious content.

Better truly lives up to its name. The creators make it a point that this app is not an ad blocker; it’s a behavioral ad blocker. The goal? “Make the web safer, lighter, and faster in line with the principles of ethical design.” This is a really thoughtful app, designed to protect you from sites that track your behavior online (which feels like it happens all the time these days). So why this content blocker? Better goes beyond an app; it’s an educational resource with in-depth research and documentation on trackers and editorial spotlights. This blurb says it all:

Read the full piece here: https://ind.ie/blog/better/

…Need we say more?

The idea of getting hacked is pretty unnerving, but it doesn’t have to be. We hope you found something on this list that you’ll use to stay safe. And if you’re looking for more products to keep you from getting hacked? Check out the full list here on Product Hunt: