There were a day and age where those that posed a threat would roll into town on horseback with an entourage of outlaws and a quick draw, but not anymore. We live in a technological time and that means the outlaws we face are faceless hackers, and instead of being armed with a six-shooter, they have plenty more tools at their fingertips.
But the tips and tricks we have pulled together from cyber security experts will help you spot some of the sophisticated techniques now used by hackers. Buckle up.
Emails Have Gotten Really Personal
There is a term that is becoming more and more known about, and that is Spear Phishing. Quite simply, spear phishing uses the information they have found out about you to make their approach that much more believable. It will allow them to use your first name, your address, your title at work or even a specific project that you are working on. But it can also go further because spear phishing will use readily available information to crack passwords. Think about it, you put up a picture on Facebook of your dog called Jack and your now-divorced Mum, and a hacker has both your pets name and mother’s maiden name. They now have the ability to hack your phone, laptop, desktop or whatever. It is that easy.
They Draw You In With Fake News
Chances are, there has been a time when you were surfing the internet and one of those little adverts or links pops up, which say outlandish things like, “Make Millions Without Doing Any Work” or “Leaked Photos Of Your Favourite Celebrities”. Well, most of the time these are hackers hoping to plant a malware on your device. The content changes weekly, but the technique stays the same. One of the ones circulating at the moment is the Brad Pitt baiting scam, which is doing the rounds on Social Media and is using the logo of a well-known news source to make you believe Brad Pitt has died. He hasn’t. It is a scam.
Your Baby Monitor & TV Are At Risk
We live in a world where the Internet of Things is taking over. Everything has now become a smart thing, and a smart thing is just another way of saying it has become a computer, except it isn’t a very secure one. To put it as bluntly as possible, anything that connects to the internet – whether it be your smart fridge, your heating system or your garage door – can be hacked. This includes smart baby monitors where some sick hackers have hacked in and yelled at the baby. The same goes for your smart TV. This has become a growing area of concern as hackers can turn on the camera on your smart TV and spy on you. So just be wary, and make sure your password is secure.
Email Scams Have Become Super Sophisticated
The two main ones these days are Apple and Amazon. You get this email that looks exactly like an Amazon confirmation email, except it says you have bought an electric drum kit that you’ve never bought. Or you get one from Apple regarding a collection of music you’ve apparently paid for. These look perfect, and it can be hard to tell the real from the fake. Of course, a quick login to your Apple or Amazon accounts and looking at your purchase history will tell you the truth, while clicking on the email address will usually give the game away too.
