We are a culture that loves premiums, and everyone in the business of making money realizes that. All credit card companies for airlines and grocery stores seem to have nowadays loyalty programs. While details vary from company to company, the premise is the same: spend money, earn reward points, use those points to get "free" stuff. Unfortunately, nothing is safe from hackers these days, including rewards card loyalty points. Security blogger Brian Krebs recently revealed that some reward Hilton HHonors accounts have been emptied of their points by thieves who then sold these items on the black market for a fraction of what they are worth.
How did Hackers steal these points first?
In addition to a user name and password, Hilton HHonors allows users to connect with their account number and PIN in 4 digits. Unfortunately, this type of connection is more vulnerable to hackers because once a thief has the account number, it only requires that a thief would use a program that performs combinations of numbers up to that it strikes the right to enter. Once a thief got into an account, they can view, transfer and redeem reward points - redeem for hotel reservations, airline tickets and a myriad of other things. These rewards points also wound on the black market, sold for much less than the money it took to win. After the points of flights were made known, Hilton added a security feature CAPTCHA to its login page, to help improve security. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.
How can I protect my card rewards loyalty points?
Fortunately if you are worried about your loyalty points, there are some precautions you can take to make sure they stay safe.
1. Use a password for your online accounts. You know that the accounts of your e-mail, online banking and credit cards require protection by secure password, but do you apply the same level of prudence rewards accounts? Unless they are connected to your credit card account or something so need extra security, most rewards card accounts are not the safety height. This means it is yours to create strong passwords and enjoy all the bonus offered security measures such as two-step verification. I do not know how to create a secure password? Follow our step by step guide to create a password.
2. Keep an eye on your points account. Not all rewards card reward points would be devastating to lose, but certainly some. Those who have spent thousands of dollars using their credit cards to accumulate a large amount of rewards points that can be redeemed against airline tickets or hotel stays will certainly feel the pain of losing those points. Keep a regular record of how many points you have earned is a good way to help your case to get back your points should never be compromised account. You may also be aware that something is wrong if you check your points often enough to notice when they were reduced or completely stolen. In addition to stealing and using the items in the account, some thieves also used the credit cards tied to the accounts Hilton HHonors compromise so it is also important to ensure that you regularly check your balance and report any fraudulent activity potential as soon as you spot it.
Data theft is a problem that seems to permeate every part of our culture. Learn more about how you and your identity on our blog protect against identity theft protection.