If you think your digital assets are safe, think again. As revealed in a shocking exposé by James Altucher, teenage hackers are not just targeting your crypto – they’re after your entire online existence. And if you’re not taking the right precautions, you could be their next victim.
In his article, Altucher tells the jaw-dropping story of Ellis Pinsky, a 13-year-old hacker who pulled off one of the biggest crypto heists in history. Under the guidance of a mentor he met online, Pinsky learned how to uncover hidden information about people, trading passwords, emails, and Social Security numbers. By 14, he had insiders at major wireless carriers working for him, giving him the ability to hack anyone’s phone and access virtually any account he wanted.
Bank accounts. Social media profiles. Crypto accounts. The works. The world was now his virtual oyster.
But Pinsky’s biggest heist came when he was approached by another hacker to steal millions of dollars worth of crypto from Michael Terpin, founder of Match.com. Using a SIM swap facilitated by an AT&T employee, Pinsky and his accomplice gained access to Terpin’s email and discovered keys to crypto wallets worth about $24 million.
While Pinsky and his accomplices were eventually caught and faced legal consequences, the story serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities we all face in the digital age. As Altucher puts it:
14 year olds are coming not just for your crypto – but for your entire online life.
James Altucher
But here’s the good news: there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Altucher provides a list of simple precautions, such as never clicking on links in emails, backing up your app-based authenticators, and not storing your passwords or crypto keys on your device.
However, the ultimate solution, according to Altucher, is the Yubikey – a physical security key that provides a hardware-based second factor of authentication. It’s virtually immune to phishing, and even if hackers get your password, they can’t get in without your physical Yubikey.
So, dear reader, the choice is yours. Will you leave your digital life vulnerable like a “diamond in a public tuk-tuk,” or will you take action to secure it like a “diamond in a submarine vault”?
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Invest in a Yubikey today and take control of your online security. Your future self will thank you.
