I Got Hacked...
Lessons in Cybersecurity and gratitude
"The antidote to fear is gratitude. The antidote to anger is gratitude. You can't feel fear or anger while feeling gratitude at the same time." - Tony Robbins
This past Sunday, I was up early, running some errands. The sun was shining, an electrician was at the house finally tackling work we’d wanted done for years, and football was coming on shortly. It felt like a great day.
Then my phone rang.
An unknown number so I let it go to voicemail. No big deal…
But then another call came. And another. Within two days, I had received close to 100 spam calls.
They were leaving voicemails filled with static and white noise. Different numbers kept coming in, all having to do with some sort of healthcare issue.
I even got a text, “Welcome to MassHealth Plans”…
My first thought was, ‘what the f*** is happening?’ I didn’t have the energy to threaten every caller, most of them were bots anyway.
Then I remembered I had received an alert back in July that my phone number and social security number was floating around on the dark web.
I would assume I was peppered when I read that notice and didn’t think much about it.
Well, looks like they got me…
At first, you feel powerless. The phone calls kept coming, I’m getting more and more angry, and I didn’t really know what to do.
I’m blocking every single number, deleting voicemails/texts, answering some calls to let them know how I’m feeling…
On Monday, I took a deep breath, and took action:
Identity Theft Protection: One of my credit cards is with Discover so I signed up for Discover’s identity theft protection for $15/month. It notifies me of changes to my credit file, bank account activity, even Social Security number usage, and provides up to $1M of Identify Theft Insurance. Nothing crazy, but made me feel better for $180 per year.
Do Not Call Registry: I registered my phone number with the FCC’s Do Not Call Registry. Had no idea what this was but seemed to have helped…
Fraud Alert on Credit: I placed a fraud alert on my credit. This flags any attempts to open accounts in my name. It will undoubtedly cause small inconveniences for me down the line when I go to open new accounts, but the peace of mind is worth it.
These steps have significantly lowered the amount of calls I’m receiving and I feel a little bit better about the situation.
But this isn’t going to end.
Cyber threats, identify theft, phone scams, etc., these are among the fastest growing dangers to individuals and businesses.
We essentially have our entire lives online, and hackers are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Just listen to one.
In 2023, American consumers lost $12.5 billion to cybercrime. That’s not just a big number—it’s a wake-up call. Cybersecurity is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.
As an investor, I’ve been buying the iShares Cybersecurity ETF (IHAK) because I believe in this sector's potential.
I’m not naive — IHAK will likely underperform the S&P 500 because, well, I’m buying it. But I want to put my money where my mouth is…
If the past few days have taught me anything, it’s how easily any of us can be exposed and how much I undervalue peace and quiet. Getting those calls ruined my day.
Oh how I took for granted the calm and uneventful moments in my life…
James Clear recently summed this idea up well:
We undervalue health if we have not recently experienced illness.
We undervalue wealth if we have not recently experienced poverty.
We undervalue kindness if we have not recently experienced cruelty.
What might you be undervaluing right now?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to gratitude. We are always getting caught up in what’s missing or what else we need in order to make everything better.
The goal posts never stop moving.
This year, I’m choosing to focus on what’s going right. I’m healthy (somewhat), surrounded by good fucking people, and lucky to be here.
Life will always bring challenges, and we need them to keep growing, drive innovation, and give us a sense of purpose.
But in the grand scheme of things, we’ve got it pretty damn good.
As you gather with family, friends, or neighbors this week, take a moment to appreciate the little things.
Life is rich.
I’m especially grateful to all those who subscribe and give feedback — Thank You!!
Happy Thanksgiving…
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