#280: Hackers Spent $3k Of My Money Promoting Elderly Women's Bras, And Here's What I Learned | Cyber Security Basics

And on September 29th, someone played dirty and swiped access to my ads account. 19 days, folks. Nineteen. That's how long I was locked out, twiddling my thumbs while some hacker ran ads for elderly women’s bras on MY dime. As hilarious as that sounds, they threw a huge wrench into my marketing machine that cranks out thousands of leads monthly. Now, I’m no mathematician, but those 19 days of darkness cost me. We're not just talking about the pocket change of $3,000 they blew on those bra ads. We're talking about tens of thousands of dollars with of lost opportunity because my ads were MIA. With paid ads, you can earn big if you spend big. Now, cut the 'spend' part out for nearly three weeks. Ouch! But let’s back up... Why am I even bringing up this drama? Because we’re in an era where one simple digital slip can cascade into a financial avalanche. And here's the kicker: I thought I had my bases covered. I had digital walls, moats, and guard dogs, all in the form of complex passwords and two-factor authentication. And yet, someone found that one unguarded window and climbed right in. This isn’t a story for sympathy, but a plea for every freelancer out there. Those shiny digital tools and platforms that feel like extensions of our brains and hands? They're double-edged swords. One day, they're helping you dominate your niche, and the next, they're the nail in your financial coffin. It doesn’t matter if you’re into paid ads, content creation, or just plain ol' social media engagement. Let this be a wake-up call. Our digital tools have multiple doors, and we need to make damn sure each one's bolted tight. This week I'm sharing some insights on cyber security risks, including the one that got me, even though I thought I was secure. The main takeaway is to be careful online. Small mistakes can lead to big problems. In this episode you’ll discover: How Brian's Meta account was hacked, and why that cost lots of money Four ways your accounts are vulnerable to attack The importance of two factor authentication How phishing attacks work Why keyloggers are dangerous to your accounts The importance of using a VPN whenever you are not using a secure network How to protect your accounts from attack The two most important ways to protect your account Additional steps to secure your accounts Performing regular security checkups For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/280