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connection, putting the hacker in between you
and the internet so they can see all your data.
It most commonly happens on public Wi-Fi
hotspots, where a hackers sets up a ‘fake’
access point that you connect to instead of
the real one.
What to do about it: Use a VPN service and
a secure browser when on a public network.
- SCAMS
Nearly as old as the internet, online scams
try to trick you into handing over money.
Tax scams, which can happen over the phone
or on the internet, are particularly common.
In these scams, for example, you get a call
saying you owe money to the tax office and
you should pay up immediately or you’ll be
in trouble. Other scams include charity and
job scams, catfishing, bank phishing and
many more.
What to do about: Be aware they exist.
If you’re worried that something might be
a scam, call the ATO, bank or the institution
involved directly.- MEGA DATA BREACHES
These can be big problems, and they’re usually
not your fault. Yahoo, FriendFinder, LinkedIn
and Dropbox were just some of the companies
to have major account data breaches in the
last year, with tens of millions of user
accounts made vulnerable.
What to do about it: Pay attention if you
get a security email from a company with
which you’ve entrusted your data. Don’t click
on any links in such emails, but go to the
website directly, then change your password
and check on details of any breaches, as well
as suggested remedies.- SOFTWARE VULNERABILITIES.
Most malware arrives on your system thanks
to unpatched vulnerabilities in software,
particularly internet software and system
software. Keeping those applications patched
up is essential.
What to do about it: Turn on automatic
updates for all apps and use an update
checker application. - FAKE NEWS
Fake news — sensationalist news designed to
draw clicks on social media — gained a lot of
attention during the election of Donald
Trump, where it was used as a very effective
propaganda tool. But it’s also frequently used
by cybercriminals to get you to click on links
that lead to sites with embedded malware.
What to do about it: Not using social
media for news is a pretty good policy all
round. If you must, do not ever agree to
install any browser add-ons or viewers on web
pages. For example, when the site says,
“you need to download this viewer to see this
video,” close the page and never go back. - A D T R AC K I N G
Ad services use cookies to track your
movements around the web. With some
degree of accuracy, they can tell what web
sites you’ve visited, what links you clicked on
and how long you spent at various sites.
What to do about it: Disable third-party
cookies. Install an anti-tracking app like
Disconnect. Use incognito mode often. - CLOUD SERVICE ATTACKS
We put a lot of trust in online services like
Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Dropbox and
iCloud. Having those accounts hacked can
be devastating, and it happens quite
frequently now.
What to do about it: Use a password
manager to create good and unique
passwords for every site (if your Twitter
account is hacked, for instance, there’s a near
100% chance the hacker will try the
username/password combo on pretty much
every major service). Use two-factor
authentication for all services as well —
it’s not an optional extra anymore.
Mazar sends links via SMS on Android. When you tap
on it, it installs an app on your phone with malware.Use a VPN service to stop
man-in-the-middle attacks.Anti-tracking tools like Disconnect can stop cookies.Use two-factor authentication on every service
that supports it.SUPERGUIDEKNOW THE THREATS