SIMPLE PASSWORDS

You've probably noticed how we like to stress the importance of a strong password. After all, there are still people out there who continue to use passwords like 123456 and even just "password". But passwords aren't the only barriers that protect your information.
According to a blog post by Nick Berry, a former rocket scientist and current president of Data Genetics, there are 10,000 possible combinations for a 4-digit PIN using the numbers 0-9. And out of that myriad of possibilities, nearly 11% of all PINs being used are "1234". Surprised? No? I'm not surprised.

So, if four-digit personal identification numbers were actually bird species, that means that everybody prefers sparrows, or simply SPAR, as their passcode.

What's next in the list of common PIN codes? Pigeons. Which translates to "1111", of which over 6% use out of the 3.4 million PINs that Berry examined. Here are the other 20 most common PINs used:

Out of the over 3 million PINs examined, nearly 27% of all them were one of the 20 above. Why these numbers? Well, "1234" and "0000" shouldn't be hard to figure out, but the code "1004" is actually one popular with Koreans, because the number sounds like the word for "angel", and the 22nd most popular (obviously not in the above chart) is "2580", which is a straight line down the middle of a telephone keypad.

Berry also pointed out that 50% use one of the top 426 codes, and that the most uncommon PIN is "8068".
So, what does this teach us? Use better PINs, because it's not only important for keeping thieves from stealing your dough from ATMs, but it's also very important for keeping law enforcement out of your smartphone. How many of you actually use "2580" as your iPhone's passcode? Really? How about your voicemail PIN code? Yeah.

So What Numbers Don't You Use?

• Don't use any patterns.
• Don't use any birth dates.
• Don't use any repeating digits.
• Don't use any years.
• Don't use the same PIN for your smartphone as your debit card.
• Don't use the most commonly unused PIN, "8068", because now everybody knows it.
• Don't use the last 4 digits of your social security number.
• Don't use the last 4 digits of your phone number.
• Don't use your address number.
• Don't use the PIN that came with your credit or debit card.
• Don't use the last four digits of you credit or debit card number.

What PINs Do You Use Then?

• Do use four different digits that don't apply to any of the above.
• Do change your PIN every month to keep hackers on their toes.

SIMPLE WAYS TO HACK ANOTHER PERSON'S PHONE.

Do you ever wonder how all these celebrities continue to have their private photos spread all over the internet? While celebrities' phones and computers are forever vulnerable to attacks, the common folk must also be wary. No matter how careful you think you were went you sent those "candid" photos to your ex, with a little effort and access to public information, your pictures can be snagged, too. Here's how.

Cloud Storage

Apple's iCloud service provides a hassle free way to store and transfer photos and other media across multiple devices.

While the commercial exemplifies the G-rated community of iPhone users, there are a bunch of non-soccer moms that use their iPhones in a more..."free spirited" mindset. With Photo Stream enabled (requires OS X Lion or later, iOS 5 or later), pictures taken on your iPhone go to directly to your computer and/or tablet, all while being stored in the cloud.
If you think the cloud is safe, just ask Tek-World. Our iCloud account was hacked by someone who contacted Apple Support and requested a password reset by working around the security questions and using available information of Honan's social media accounts. Luckily for us, our photos were not of any concern to the hacker, but other people might not be so lucky.

Email

Email is one of the most used applications on a person's mobile device. While remotely hacking into someone's phone and gaining access to their system files and photos is extremely difficult, hacking into an email account is much easier. While MMS is usually the method of choice for those sending images over their phone, many people still use their email accounts for sharing files.

That's how some "intriguing" photos of Scarlett Johansson ended up all over the internet last year. The hacker simply found her email address by trying random iterations of her name in combination with common email clients like Gmail or Yahoo, and then used the forgotten password helper. After answering the security questions by using public information and scouring the internet, he gained access to her email account, which contained some of her photos.

Once a hacker has an email address, the information he or she now has access to has multiplied. Many people prefer paperless billing for their obligations, cell phone bills included. On those cell phone bills is the number of the account holder as well as a ton of other information like outgoing and incoming calls. And if you are using Gmail, you can comment right in this blog, making it even easier to get in touch with other contacts.
So, while email hacking might not get you to the images directly, it can lead you to various sources of information that will get you closer to your goal, like a cell phone number. With your target's cell phone number in hand, those photos are within reach.

Cellular Provider

Sometimes the cellular provider is the weakest point of defense for a cell phone user. Both AT&T and Verizon allow user ID's to be the customers wireless number. If you have the number of the phone, you can use the "forgot my password" feature to request for a temp password, or even change the password altogether by either entering a 4 digit pin code, crackable by brute force, or by answering a few security questions.

Studies have shown that most people are bad at choosing pins, so you may even have to try the list of most common ones that people use. Once inside the account, you have access to all the usage and data the phone has sent or received in the latest billing period.

Spoofing

With access to the numbers a cell phone has contacted and access to the text messages that have been sent from it, it's not too hard to spoof someone's number. Instead of trying to steal the photos off the phone, you can trick them into sending them directly to you. There are a bunch of cell phone spoofs and Caller ID apps you can use to make your number appear to be someone else's.

While none of these methods are guaranteed, there's a good chance that one of them (or a combination of a few) will work, unless your target is more security savvy than the average person. Most of us give away more information than we know online, and it only takes one opportunity-minded individual to take advantage of it.
If you do decide to give it a shot, though, just remember: hacking into someone's email or cell phone accounts is not only in the moral grey area, it's also completely illegal, so proceed with caution.