How to Prevent Your Information and Money from being Stolen Online

The internet has revolutionized the world and has made all existing information one “click” away. However, it has also opened a new path for criminals. This is demonstrated by the progressive increase in the number of cyberattacks carried out year after year. That has affected not only companies but also private users.

Possibly, the greatest threat that an Internet user has to face is phishing. These are emails in which a cybercriminal impersonates a third party. Moreover, they use social engineering to trick the victim into sharing their data and money, without realizing it.

This type of attack can also arrive through a WhatsApp message, SMS (known as smishing) or even a phone call (vishing). Here are some tips that can help the user protect themselves. It contains ways to proceed against the 30 most common threats on the internet.

Cybercriminals, Impersonation of Third Parties and Social Engineering

For a phishing attack to be successful, cybercriminals often impersonate well-known companies or banks with which the user may have contracted some service. In recent months, fraudulent emails that appear to be from official institutions, such as the Ministry of Health or the Tax Agency, have also become common. Criminals even impersonate the World Health Organization, taking advantage of the concern generated by Covid-19.

The attacker throws bait. Typically, it is an urgent message or a promotion used to motivate us to click on the link or attachment, or to share the data.

A link usually accompanies these malicious emails. The code can hide the download of malicious code. Or, it can redirect the victim to a page created from scratch. Sometimes the pages are very similar to the official site it impersonates. Its objective is to obtain the personal and banking data of the users. Hackers make victims believe that they are sharing information with someone trustworthy. 

It is essential to observe all the details that make up the message to protect yourself from this type of attack. Messages sent by criminals, whether through email, WhatsApp or SMS, usually have grammar errors. Besides, it is essential to pay attention to the hyperlinks. Instead, we must enter the URL directly into the browser, without copying and pasting.

Likewise, you should not download any attachments before checking them with an antivirus detector. In the case of a phone call scam, we must not download any file requested by the attacker, nor give them control of our computer through some remote control software.

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