In the digital age, so much of our lives are intertwined with the internet, and because of this, we run the risk of cyber attacks everyday. With all the different ways one can reach out on the web, it’s vital to keep yourself safe and aware of common scams.
Best Security Practices to Keep Everyone Safe
Online protection comes from having a good foundation of practices in place and general knowledge on what to look out for. The five C’s of cyber-security is a good tool to lay down the framework of good online practices in a business. They are as follows:
Change – This means keeping up with new trends and working with them.
Compliance – Each state has different laws and regulations and it is your responsibility to understand these rules, carry them out, and continue to do so.
Cost – Implementing new safety measures (like software for example) may cost your business a lot up front, but the cost now will be far less than if something were to attack your business’s security and leak information of yourself, or especially, clients. Spend time finding something that works in your budget but is also reliable.
Continuity – Information gained is useful but only if you continue to apply it and adapt regularly. Similar to change, this more so means continuing on with good practices and not just stopping once you’ve done the minimum.
Coverage – Ensuring you protect your valuable information; both physical documents and online ones. Insurance is available for cyber-security and can protect your business in many ways. (Making sure you stay compliant, handling fines if something happens, etc.)
In addition to the five C’s, there are a few other things to keep in mind as well. First off, you should identify any risks in your systems. By doing this, you can then find ways to mitigate these risks. Next, stay aware and cautious of who has what access. Whether that’s personal logins or client’s passwords, you’ll want to ensure all information is protected as much as possible for everyone. Finally, create a plan to promptly deal with a cyber-attack if it does happen. Being prepared is important for all situations, but especially when information is paramount to people’s lives. For a bunch more tips on cyber- security, check out this website!
Types of Cyber-Attacks & Common Scams
Now that you’re equipped with all the knowledge of basic safety practices, it’s time to learn about all the most common scams and the different types of cyber-attacks. Understanding the most basic type of attacks on a core level will help you to recognize if something seems amiss. Phishing is one of the most well known types of attacks. Phishing requires an individual to click on a link that then asks for sensitive information. Filling this document/paper/etc out, then goes into the attackers hands and now they have all your info. Ransomware is another very common digital threat. Ransomware encrypts into an user’s device and locks it; then the attacker uses this as a way to extort money from you in order to unlock the device. DDoS stands a frequent cyber attack as well. DDoS, (which means distributed denial-of-service), are attacks made on a network to cause huge outages on a person’s/place’s/business’s server.
Even acknowledging the different overarching types of attacks, there are a vast amount of scams nowadays. Sometimes, it can seem easy to detect a fraud post, link, etc., but other times it may be challenging to determine if something is genuine or not. Here are some of the current and most well known scams.
Work Scams – When searching for a new job, it is possible you may see a fraud listing. Upon submitting your resume, you’ll get told you got the job and they will send over a document to fill out for employment. On this document, it will ask for SSN (Social Security Number) and/or other important personal information (like your bank account numbers). Another way work scams are done is by asking for money once you’ve “got the job.” They may tell you that the money is for a job-related reason or they will give you a “sign-on bonus”- only for the check to bounce- and then request that money back. To stay safe, never put in any vital & confidential information until you either get to the workplace, or/and confirm the place of business and hiring manager. And if you need money from the get-go, especially “before you get hired”, it’s a scam.
Tech Scams – These scams usually begin with a pop-up or a call stating that your computer has a virus. (The pop-up will usually lead to a hacked link or it gives you a fake tech number to call.) The “support team member” will then ask for remote access to “help” you, and upon accepting, they gain full control of your computer. Here they can download malware that allows them to harvest all your logins thus, ultimately, getting all of your information. Alternatively, the scam artist may only ask you to pay for “new software, warranties, and/or, regular maintenance.” Real tech support will never call you first and do not ever click on any pop-ups that you see (in general- not just tech ones!)
Imposter Scams – These scams start with someone pretending to be someone else. Often the scammer will pretend to be a family member or a romantic connection but they also commonly pretend to be a celebrity, authoritative figure, delivery person, and even company representatives. Popular scams are: saying there are overdue invoices to a company, building a romantic relationship to ask for investments, family member(s) asking for help with bills/projects/other things, celebrating pushing a product (that is not real or doesn’t exist). Keep yourself safe by never sending money to anyone/anything you aren’t sure of. Be wary of all new phone numbers and take steps to verify the information said to you.
AI Scams – AI is developing more rapidly than ever and is now being used in a multitude of ways. One of the most common is through deep fakes. Deep fakes are described as “images, videos, or audio that have been edited or generated using artificial intelligence, AI-based tools or audio-video editing software.” Consequently, this tricks people with eye-catching ads/photos, promotion of counterfeit products, and deception through phone calls as AI can even mock voices. Handle this similar to imposter scams – double check if everything is accurate, don’t hand over money to anyone/anything you don’t know 100%, and then try to decipher if it is real. AI, as it is not human, will often alter photos/videos in strange ways (like arms or ligaments bending in unnatural ways, melding the background into the main focus of the picture, etc.). Additionally, check for weird ways of writing or saying something. It may not always be obvious in emails, text, or letters, but it’s a good thing to check for regardless.
Even with all these scams covered, there are still a plethora of other scams out there. Check out these two links to read about some more!
Stay Safe and Informed!
By practicing online safety etiquette, you stay up to date with common scams and have all the knowledge to protect yourself going forward!
