Miley Cyrus recently had her Gmail and cell phone hacked. The perpetrator has been arrested for hacking numerous celebrity’s digital gadgets, and he is beginning to tell all about the process. Miley, he explains, was particularly easy. He just went to her Gmail, which asked a security question about a close friend. According to TMZ, the guy just googled Miley, picked the oldest, most-mentioned friend, and plugged in the name. Voila! Access granted. “When I saw that, I couldn’t believe it,” the man said.
Even for him, it was not supposed to be that easy. Everyone can take that as a warning.
Miley Cyrus, of course, is not the only celeb to be hacked this summer, and this particular man—who has not yet officially been named—seems to be behind much File:MileyCyrusApr09-edit1.jpgof it. He tried, for instance, to sell nude pictures of Scarlett Johansson to TMZ, plus other articles of the same nature. Telling his secrets may get him a lighter prison term.
But Miley Cyrus is not the only one who uses friend’s names, dog names and their own birthday date as security. This is not safe, even if you are not a celeb and have no nude pictures aboard. Try a bit of thinking. Instead of your best friend, name that little curly-haired girl you hated in kindergarten. For numbers, use the weight you wish you were. Or your SAT scores. Something memorable only to you!
And for Miley Cyrus and Scarlett Johansson—better luck next time.