This article today in the FT is very concerning.

[tonyf]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/1eba0f54-86b2-433b-a1aa-522953e668ee

What can we do, as individual traders working on a Win 10 PC connected to a home router do to protect ourselves?

Behind Paywall # Anatomy of A Hedge Fund Hack #

 

[maxinger]

FT promotion / advertisement?
No. I wouldn't subscribe to it.
Not worth subscribing to it to see the hedge fund hacking contents.


There are risks everywhere.
Just focus on the major serious ones.
Don't need to address all the risks under the
sun, moon, and stars.

 

[johnarb]

Use linux or chromebook, but the issue is email insecurities, so use secure email option on the email application or use gpg to secure any email (but difficult) and don't reply to emails

start a new email and use the saved email addresses in contacts, copy and paste the email if you must

https://www.investingnewswire.club/anatomy-of-a-hedge-fund-hack/

 

[guru]

None of those cases were related to Windows, routers, etc.
They were related to people opening emails from fraudulent email senders who pretended to be someone else, and/or clicking on links in emails, etc.

For protection from malware and ransomware your best bet is also to not click on any links in emails at all, and do not download stuff from websites without good av software like Kaspersky.

 

[johnarb]

For protection from malware and ransomware your best bet is also to not click on any links in emails at all, and do not download stuff from websites without good av software like Kaspersky.

I like to click on links on emails...

https://imgur.com/hVTcxZp

 

[AbbotAle]

Mail Washer (they offer free and paid) is a hell of a tool for battling dodgy emails.

It basically let's you see your emails on your ISP servers before downloading. Delete the one's you don't want, and then download the actual emails you do want. This assumes using traditional email rather than an online service like Hotmail or Gmail.

 

[AbbotAle]

Also, if someone you know sends you their bank details to pay money (perhaps a lawyer) ALWAYS call them to verbally confirm the numbers.

 

[tonyf]

OP here. Just to frame the question: Win10 + home router is to give the conversation some guidance. No interest in chromebook or Linux.
I am looking for practical steps/software I could use to protect from hacking attempts.

 

[AbbotAle]

I am looking for practical steps/software I could use to protect from hacking attempts.

90%+ attempts will come from - email links - dodgy website downloads - dodgy browser plugins.

So for email links, use Mailwasher as well as CONCENTRATE on what you're doing and what links you're clicking.

For dodgy website downloads, don't go to dodgy websites and certainly don't download anything.

For dodgy browser plugins, less is more. All you really need is uBlock origin, HTTPS everywhere and perhaps Privacy Badger. All the others, unless from a very well known company, don't install.

Keeping yourself safe is really just common sense. However, who's also on your network? If you've got young kids, they're a risk because they might download something. If you live with elderly parent(s), perhaps they live in an annex, they're a big risk as well. If so, you want to get an expert in to setup different networks for your house, your trading setup is on one, the others have different one's etc.

 

[ZBZB]

OP here. Just to frame the question: Win10 + home router is to give the conversation some guidance. No interest in chromebook or Linux.
I am looking for practical steps/software I could use to protect from hacking attempts.

Read email on phone or iPad. Leave trading computer for trading.