Warning: Affiliate Account Hacker Update

What You Need to Do
There are a few things affiliates need to do in order to secure themselves online and make the efforts of hackers like Ly Duc Trong less fruitful.
All of these safeguards should be followed:

1. Diversify passwords. The biggest mistake affiliates can make is using the same login and password for all accounts. Affiliates need to protect themselves by using different passwords and logins for each and every affiliate account.
2. Use secure affiliate programs. There is no replacement for an affiliate program that does their end of the work in preventing hackers by using a secured https login system and dispatching automatic emails when sensitive account info has been updated.
3. Check income statements. Much of Ly Duc Trong’s success has been built on affiliate apathy towards smaller account balances. Affiliates need to keep an eye on their income and verify that payment methods are correct before requesting distributions. Invest a couple of hours each month into looking over the small details of your income data.

What Affiliate Programs Need to Do
The Ly Duc Trong hacker scandal is a black eye on affiliate programs. Unfortunately, many vulnerabilities on the part of affiliate programs are being exploited through these hacking efforts. He should have never been able to operate as successfully as he has if affiliate programs took the following security measures:

1. Offer a secured login portal. Sites that use an https login make life vastly more difficult on hackers since data on intercepted transmissions is encrypted. Imagine trying to read a book with every letter on the page scrambled around. It’d be impossible. This is effectively what https does to hacking efforts. All affiliate programs should switch to https. Unfortunately there are many that have failed to do so. Affiliate programs that utilize https include AffActive, Rewards Affiliates and Party Gaming.
2. Dispatch automatic emails following account changes. There is no excuse for bells and whistles not going off at affiliate program headquarters when an affiliate’s account info suddenly changes to a Vietnamese name and address. Affiliates should receive automatic emails whenever sensitive account information has been changed.
3. Stop using WebMoney. Affiliate programs need to take WebMoney wallet out as a payment method. It is too easy for scammers to collect money through this service as payments are instant and no ID is required to receive funds.
4. Educate affiliates. Affiliate programs should view the Ly Duc Trong scandal as an opportunity to educate their affiliates on measures they can take to prevent hackers from being able to do this to someone else.
5. Search for Ly Duc Trong info. Affiliate managers need to search through their system to see if any accounts have been compromised by Ly Duc Trong. A post on Gaming Portal Webmasters Association by “mickey417” contains helpful information that affiliate managers should be on the lookout for.