When major disasters strike, there are many individuals who take advantage of these opportunities. Such is the case with scammers and con-artists alike. As many countries are struggling to overcome COVID-19, scammers have used this opportunity to cause further worry and concern over people.
That being said, there are a handful of ways that individuals can protect them further during these times and in future cyber attacks.
Keep An Eye On Emails And Texts
Phishing attempts are on the rise during these times is the most common attacks that scammers use on the public. The idea behind these attacks is to get people to click on links or attachments that users send. In order to protect yourself better, consider the following actions:
- Be cautious of the tone of the message. Does it sound urgent or threatening?
- Look for any typos. If it’s frequent, it could be a sign of a phishing attempt.
- If you don’t know the person, don’t click links or attachments.
- Have trusted anti-malware software.
- Flag suspicious emails.
Note Fake Websites
On top of email, you also want to keep an eye on fake websites. In particular fake websites that are covering COVID-19 in various ways. These websites take the shape in many ways. It could be imitating health agencies, government departments, health officials, and many others. The goal is to spread disinformation or to scam people.
But how are you able to spot these fake websites? Here are some steps to take:
Check web addresses for spelling mistakes. Also look for typos on the site itself.
Try to navigate to the page using a search engine rather than clicking on any link provided.
Never submit login credentials or credit card details. As a rule, only fill these with websites that have SSL certificates.
Secure Home Space
Another angle that cyber attackers are taking is exploiting teleworking connections. Considering that many people are working from home these days, individuals may not have as secure measures at home compared to those at the office. You can be increasing your security by:
- Ensuring WiFi and home routers have strong passphrases.
- If you have work accounts, don’t let family members or other users access to those accounts.
- Turn off WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS when you’re not using it.
- Have anti-malware software.
- If you spot suspicious activity, report it immediately.
Take General Cybersecurity Measures
These general tips are things that I mention all the time. It can be tiring for some, but it’s still surprising how many people don’t practice these simple measures. These are things anyone can do and should be doing:
- Have passphrases. These are stronger than assorted letters and numbers and symbols. Furthermore they are easier to remember for people.
- Stay updated. All software should be updated as it comes with patches but also updates to security features too.
- Use two-factor authentication to secure devices. PINs and a fingerprint will also do.
- Store data securely. Always be backing up your data and ensure you can retrieve it easily.
- Secure social media and email as well. Again, two-factor authentication is great and also check your privacy settings too.
Being More Secure
During these difficult times, it’s up to us to take measures to better protect ourselves from various attacks. By taking these measures into account, you’ll be able to better secure yourself and those around you.