It is likely that many people reading this note will feel confident that they can identify a scam and will be feeling pretty relaxed about their possible exposure to threats.
However with cybercrime in the UK common and expected to grow by 15% annually everyone is under threat from the growth in the number of cyber criminal gangs operating at a global level. These gangs are highly skilled and able to develop AI enhanced material to support their cyber attacks, threatening to release compromising videos, photographs and documents online to friends, contacts or even the police. The old saying of “if you have done nothing wrong you have nothing to fear” is no longer true.
These threats, to release damaging material unless a payment is made (referred to as ransomware), are currently the greatest cyber threat and growing. Aggressively extorting victims by threatening to sell or publish stolen or manufactured images is the gangs business model and is hugely profitable for them regardless of its impacts on individuals and businesses.
These scams are world wide and have caused a great deal of pain to individuals (or businesses) who had a lot to lose by material
being circulated via social media. Victims have often made payments or in isolated cases have committed suicide.
Other cyber threats which we may be subject to include:
- Hacking – frequently using social media to steal email passwords that can allow criminals to send messages in your name.
- Phishing – Criminal gangs sending bogus emails that look like a legitimate email asking for security information and personal details that could enable the creation of false identities in the victim’s name, apply for loans etc
- Malicious software – enabling criminals to hijack files and extract and use data to threaten victims.
So how can we protect ourselves?
- Protect accounts by using a strong password for all online accounts by creating a password using three random words and turning on two step verification
- Follow Cyber Aware (https://cyberaware .gov.uk) advice
- Protect personal information when using social media
- Select only online providers and retailers that offer good protection for yourself and your data/information.
- Recognise and close suspicious contacts, if there are ANY doubts about a message do not use a number or address in the
message but go direct to the organisation concerned eg HMRC.
The best protection is for us all to be on our guard, if you have any doubts, validate what is being presented to you. Often checking a scam approach online will reveal others who have suffered the same experience and can share their experience and what action was necessary.
By Paul Sankey