In recent years there’s been increase in the frequency and severity of individual people and groups attempting to expose flaws in security systems. There are a number of reasons why people attempt do this such as: access to private information, stealing accounts, or even to demand money from the victim of the breach. Below are 3 potential threats that you may be at risk to this year.
1. Phishing – While relatively unheard-of a few years ago, but now it’s becoming harder to recognise authentic from malicious communications. Phishing emails attempt to impersonate legitimate organisations with the intention of misleading victims into entering credentials. For example, Mr Waltar Stephan, CEO of FACC AG, fell victim to a phishing attack whereby Cyber Criminals pretended to be a senior member of staff, convincing Mr Stephan into transferring £39 million from company accounts.
2. Contactless compromise – With the increase in contactless payments, NFC (Near Field Communication) fraud is a growing threat amongst the everyday population. NFC skimmers act as a payment receptor and can be activated as easily as brushing past a victim’s pocket. With a few days delay in monetary transfer, victims are unlikely to even recognise when the scam took place.
3. Ransomware – The rise of ransomware is a very real threat to organisations and is growing exponentially. Ransomware aims to lock down your digital information and hold it “ransom” until a payment is made. Attacks can be performed and spread through exploits in computer software, usually in un-updated programs and applications.
So, what can be done? Keep an eye out for suspicious looking emails, if something doesn’t look right, check the source! Always be aware of your surroundings in public and be sure to keep all your applications and software up to date. For more information on how to stay cyber safe please contact the borwell team on 01684 377980