What would you do if you were sitting at home one day, reading a book or spending some quality time with your family, when suddenly a notification popped up on your phone that $800 was transferred out of your account? After further investigation you come to realize that this money was taken by an “authorized user.” Through this stress you may feel confused, angry and hurt that someone would target you out of nowhere. But it is important to remember that although you may not have authorized that transaction, participating in online activities puts you at risk of having your information stolen.
From tagging photos of specific family members on Instagram, to updating our statuses with every job promotion on LinkedIn. We put a lot of data online for people with bad intentions to take advantage of. All of this data is making it easier for attackers to specifically target consumers with emails and texts that they KNOW they will respond to.
“Phishing attacks are not only growing in frequency but also in sophistication,” explains Luke Secrist, CEO of Buddobot. “Cybercriminals now leverage easily accessible tools and emotional targeting, such as urgent financial alerts, to exploit our innate responses.” Buddobot is a team of professional hackers who use their skills to specialize in authentic offensive cybersecurity. By acting as the bad guys for the greater good, companies are able to protect themselves from potential cyber attacks by strengthening their own defenses.
Identity theft can take on many forms, from credit card fraud to even elaborate schemes such as purchasing property in your name. And although it is not too late to recover from identity theft, it can be a long and arduous process – one you didn’t sign up for. According to Luke Secrist at Buddobot, the best way to recover from identity theft is to prevent it from happening altogether. This requires hypervigilance and an acute awareness of what personal information you have made available on the internet. This can involve using unique passwords on each site, not sharing too much personal information about yourself on social media, and looking over your credit card statements and credit report each month.
Of course you can’t always control what personal information of yours ends up online, and sometimes even the idea of having to control all of that information can be daunting. This is why the next line of defense against cyber attacks in understanding what phishing can look like. Phishing can become way more advanced over the years than an email from a “Nigerian Prince” you would get in the early 2000s. Through phishing, hackers can get the last piece of the puzzle of your identity they were missing, or they could even use the personal information they already have on you to lure you into a false sense of security.
Modern day examples of phishing could look like an email from your Amazon delivery driver, a text message from what looks like your boss, to even a phone call using voice mimicking technology of your loved one! If you receive an email, text, or phone call that seems suspicious. It is always best to follow up with the correct person or company to double check.
Most importantly, remember that identity theft can happen to anyone. “The combination of advanced tactics and the general ‘it will never happen to me’ mentality poses a significant challenge in safeguarding personal and organizational data.” If you are aware that identity theft can in fact happen to you, then you will be more tuned into not only the information you are putting out about yourself online, but more vigilant in looking for possible phishing attacks before clicking links.
