Phishing, One Of The Most Common Internet Frauds

Phishing means fishing in English. By doing the translation, you can already imagine how this scam works. The cybercriminal does “throw the cane” and waits for those who surf the net to “bite”.
Its way of operating is to impersonate an entity you trust and impersonate it: Social Security, bank, Netflix, university, Treasury… Normally you receive an email or SMS from a company or association that it is your trust. It is usually a communication that seeks to create in you the urgent need to click on the link that goes in the message.
For example, it may be the Treasury telling you that you have a refund pending receipt and that they need your bank account number or Social Security warning you that you have a debt pending payment and must settle it as soon as possible. Or it could be Netflix (or another similar service) making you a great offer or even your bank asking for some missing personal information about you.
Since the user trusts the message’s sender and gives credibility to it, they end up clicking on the link and providing the requested information. He does not know that he is not accessing the entity’s real website but rather a copy of it. When you enter data such as your credit card number, it goes directly into the criminal’s hands.
What does the cybercriminal do with the information? It can “hijack” your social networks and ask you for payment to regain access, use your card details to make online purchases, loot your bank accounts, impersonate your identity online, sell your data on the black market, etc.

Can Phishing Be Prevented?

If you’ve ever gone fishing, you may have come home without a single fish, and that’s what we should be getting when a cybercriminal tries to commit a phishing scam: drop the rod, but no one bites.
To achieve this, the best thing you can do is never trust communications from unknown senders. If you don’t know who sent you the email, try not to open the message and delete it directly. If the communication comes from your bank, the Treasury, or another trusted sender, always remember that none of these entities will ask you for personal data through an email or SMS.
When in doubt, access its website directly from your browser by typing the entity’s address and, if necessary, contact it to check if the information you have received is true or if it is fraud.
Until a few years ago, it was relatively easy to identify fraudulent messages since they were usually badly written, and their appearance already made you suspicious. However, criminals are increasingly taking care of this aspect. So don’t trust a communication because it needs to be correctly written or visually believable.
One last way to ensure the communication is real is to cut and paste everything that appears in the sender’s email address starting at the at sign (@) and search the Internet for it. If the address is legitimate, it will send you to the website of the real entity. If it’s illegitimate, it will get you nowhere.

Fraudulent Online Shops

Who has never made an online purchase? Electronic commerce has increased significantly in the last decade, and as it has developed, the fraud associated with this activity has also grown. Since cybercriminals are after money, it is not surprising that they also create fake online shops to deceive people who buy from them.
The operation of this type of scam is usually similar in all cases. The criminal creates a fake website where they sell a product in high demand at a truly irresistible price. In this way, the person’s curiosity is aroused, who clicks on the link and, from there, is directed to something that looks like an official online store, although it is not.
In these cases, you will carry out the purchase process as normal. You put the product in the shopping cart, indicate the delivery address and make the payment. It is possible that right after you receive an email confirming the transaction, which is what legitimate digital stores usually do. It’s not until a few days later that you realize the problem: the package never arrives, and when you go to complain to the store, you discover that no one is behind giving support.
This is one version of this scam, but there are several. An example is the selling company that delivers a product whose quality has little or nothing to do with what was shown on the web (this happens a lot with clothing and footwear) or the one that sends a package full of useless objects, such as paper or stones.
It’s not just that the cybercriminal person keeps the money from your purchase; it’s that they have all your data and can do whatever they want. In addition, when accessing its website, malware may have been installed on your device.
It is a malicious computer program that can collect your data, access your files, or monitor your online activity, among other things. The criminal can use the information to extort you or sell it to third parties.

How To Avoid This Fraud?

You should never access any website from advertising you see on social networks. If you have observed something interesting, write the store address in your address bar and access it directly from your browser.
On the other hand, if it is an establishment you have yet to learn, it is worth researching beforehand. Do a Google search like this: “reviews about (store name)”. You will immediately be able to learn about the experience of previous customers, which will let you know if it is a legit store or a scam.
But do not trust if there are no opinions. The criminal may have just created the website, but there is still insufficient information about it. Remember that many people who have been scammed online are ashamed to admit it and do not warn others.
One last thing to keep in mind. If the offer is too good to be true, it is likely not true and is a scam.

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What Is Cybersecurity In Industry 4.0 About?

Computer security has evolved to such an extent that it is no longer just about applying techniques to protect devices. Still, it is also necessary to prevent and counterattack threats. One of the methods that, with time, and the evolution of crimes in this environment, has managed to affirm the importance of this concept. However, when it comes to Industry 4.0, this could go a step further.

Safety in the industrial area is generally characterized by prioritizing the integrity and health of employees. However, when we refer to cybersecurity in industry 4.0, we are discussing protecting the digital environment and applying the necessary measures to guarantee the use of the devices. In addition to shielding the platforms and networks so that they are safe and that third parties cannot access the stored information.

In this sense, what characterizes this technology is its union with digitization, automation with the Internet, cloud storage, and fiber connectivity. The main objective is that the industries develop their products without the need for high personnel intervention. For this reason, significant benefits are estimated with this technology very shortly.

Still, to enjoy its advantages and economic benefits, we must be prepared for possible dangers and attacks. This is the point at which computer security shows that it must always go hand in hand with cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Characteristics Applicable To Industry 4.0

What characterizes this stage is its effect on the industrial sector by generating consequences of various kinds. Here we mention the most notable:

• Acceleration in innovative industries: Industries that operate primarily with machinery will succeed in increasing mass production. However, a company that does not have cybersecurity measures can be seriously affected.
• Increase in the protection of information and the use of authentication methods: in many cases, cybercrimes take advantage of the opportunity when an operational error occurs. To avoid them, the level of security and authentication must be higher.
• Use of devices that facilitate network hyperconnectivity: to centralize the management and protection of the company.
• Use of networks and platforms that enable access to the cloud: firewalls and other software are essential to avoid breaching the system. And reduce the possibility of leaking information through these networks.

What Is The Importance of Cybersecurity In Industry 4.0?

As we have mentioned before, the fourth industrial revolution makes a big difference in the operationality of industries. Machines created to perform specific tasks do not have programming that protects them from cyberattacks. That is why cybersecurity in industry 4.0 is a topic of great importance.

While changes are good, there is no way to measure and protect them. Its usefulness rather than benefit represents a disadvantage for the company.

This is where it is shown that computer security is an obligation rather than a necessity. That must be put into practice both by the manufacturers of the new devices and by the programmers and developers of the platforms and services of this new era.

Currently, this issue is of great relevance to the business sector. Many brands of different kinds have been victims of cyberattacks; likewise, it is also a problem for the users and clients of said companies because these criminal acts could compromise your information.

Therefore, cybersecurity in Industry 4.0 is a fact that, fortunately, takes on more prominence every day. It can offer the fourth industrial revolution for its benefits and contribution. So that it can evolve tangibly if computer security continues to advance consecutively.

Also Read: Importance Of Digitization For A Company

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Check The Content First, Then Click.

Cybercriminals impersonate people, companies or institutions you know to gain attention and trust (spoofing). To do this, they try to make email sender addresses, web addresses and messages appear deceptively real. However, there are a few tricks you can use to verify authenticity. Take a close look at the sender and the content: Are there any obvious spelling and grammatical errors? Is it a legitimate email address? Let’s take the following example: support@apple.de. Is the “L” in Apple an “L” or maybe an uppercase “i”? This is very easy to control. Or: Someone has provided a text module with a hyperlink. Just move your mouse over the word without clicking. Most programs show where the link leads to. However, you should always enter web addresses yourself in the browser. The basic rule is: Do not open any messages, attachments or links if something strikes you as odd, and certainly not if you do not know the sender. The same applies to software and apps: do not install applications from unknown or unverified providers.

Securing Poorly Protected Accounts

Having a secure password is now a given. Each time you register, you are advised to use a strong one. But the truth is that even in 2022, “123456” and “password” were still the most popular.
Good password hygiene ensures that nobody can easily guess your current password. This includes using a strong password at least ten characters long and consisting of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Also, it would help if you renewed passwords regularly and never recycled them. However, before you write down your difficult passwords on a piece of paper that other people around you might find, you can transfer the responsibility to a password manager. This saves the information and automatically inserts it on the respective websites.
With two-factor authentication, you can protect your accounts additionally. You verify the registration for a website or app with a second input – for example, a PIN that you receive by SMS or biometric features. Attackers would then need your password and your smartphone to crack your user account.

Trusting The Technology

Manufacturers constantly work to make their hardware and software more secure and regularly release updates. Once your PC or phone prompts you to update, please don’t ignore it or postpone it until tomorrow. This increases the risk that vulnerabilities identified by developers, for example, remain open for longer and can be exploited by cybercriminals. Ideally, activate the automatic updates function to close security gaps as quickly as possible.

The same applies to security functions such as the firewall or virus scanners. These should also remain switched on permanently and updated to ensure the greatest possible protection of the end device.

Of course, the responsibility does not lie solely with the workforce. Companies have to help with certain adjustment screws. On the one hand, they can support their employees with information and further training with the help of regular, practical security awareness training courses.
On the other hand, pursuing a three-part security and resilience strategy is advisable. Part of this strategy is anticipating threats and implementing the right technologies to protect the infrastructure. It’s also imperative that they know what to do during a successful disaster recovery and business continuity attack.

The post Cybersecurity – Three Ways To Prevent Cyber Attacks appeared first on Web Updates Daily.

The Use Of Artificial Intelligence, The Key

Although Artificial Intelligence is a technology that can provide excellent solutions for cybersecurity breaches, at the same time, it is a mighty weapon for cybercriminals. Attacks via phishing or ransomware (link to ransomware article) are much more effective when powered by AI.

So at the end of the day, everything depends on natural intelligence to make good or bad use of Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence software or machine learning (Machine Learning) can ‘learn’ from the consequences of past events and thus identify cybersecurity threats. But the question is, how can such intention be detected and, if it turns out to be malicious, can it be stopped instantly?

Future Of AI In Cybersecurity

As companies have more personal data, the potential leaks are increasingly significant, so that not only users are at risk, but companies are now also essential sources of risk. Artificial Intelligence is not weakening the job market for security experts, but it is a sector that must be updated, worked on and better understood to combat possible threats.

There are several questions that experts wonder about. Among them, if Artificial Intelligence will assume the functions of cybersecurity, or if AI and cybersecurity will be allies, or on the contrary, they will distance themselves as possible enemies. Among the possible solutions to answer all these questions is to implement, update the rules, and allow the machine to process, learn, and adjust its algorithms in the backend.

It may well be possible that, for example, Artificial Intelligence eliminates the need for passwords. So in 5 or 10 years, they will practically no longer be used. In short, more and more companies are betting on AI to increase their cybersecurity systems. Still, it is true that, as it is a technology that reacts similarly to human behavior through experience, it has its share of risk, against which it will have to establish barriers.

Also Read: The Industry 4.0 Revolution How To Create A Hyperconnected Company

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Major Cyber Risks that Android Users Face

As technology advances, it can be used for good or evil. While some people are working on enhancing security, others learn how to crack the codes and hack into devices. Before you learn which measures you can take to protect your Android devices, you should understand the major cyber risks Android users face.

Data Leakage

With millions of apps available for users to download and use for free, plenty in the mix don’t have the best security and privacy features. A lot of these apps send personal data to remote servers. Once your data enters a remote server, it can be mined by third parties like advertisers and cybercriminals.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing generally refers to a fraudulent practice in which someone with malicious intent sends a misleading email or text message that appears to be written and sent from a reputable company or individual. These emails coerce the reader into sharing valuable personal information, such as account passwords or financial details.

Network Spoofing and Unsecured WiFi

Free public WiFi networks can be found in most public places around the world. When you can connect to a free network, why would you want to use up your data? Well, for one thing, security. Public WiFi networks are usually unsecured, which leaves any device connected to them vulnerable to attack. Furthermore, hackers can set up fake WiFi access points that appear to be public WiFi networks but are actually traps.

How to Minimize Android Cyber Risks

Now that you know a bit more about the types of cyber risks Android users face, you can take some action to ensure that your device is protected. Here are the best ways to keep your Android devices safe.

Download a VPN – An Android VPN encrypts all the data that your device sends or receives. It also masks your IP address, making it very difficult for hackers to gain access to your device when you’re browsing the internet.

Use Apps from Trusted Sources – Before you download an app, do a little research to make sure it’s legitimate. Check the app sponsor’s official website, read reviews, and confirm its consistency.

Download a Trusted Security App – Several trusted mobile security apps for Android phones will scan apps for malware and spyware. Some can also help you find a lost or stolen device and protect you from unsafe websites.

The best way to protect your devices is to stay updated on the most recent cyber threats and the new ways to safeguard your data. Knowledge is power. 

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