Cybercrime on the rise
Date: February 21, 2023Source: Computer Crime Research Center
If you thought cybercrime is just for businesses to worry about ??“ think again.
You and the company you work for are both targets.
Cybercrime keeps making headlines, but still, not all cybercrimes make the news. This means the truth about what is really happening is actually a far bigger problem.
According to Mimecast’s “State of Email Security” 92% of South African businesses have experienced some form of impersonation fraud, or Business Email Compromise, over the past year. Arthur Goldstuck from World Wide Worx said only 40% of large businesses implement multiple security solutions to protect, back up and recover data.
Four cybercrimes that are currently making the rounds, are:
Travellers are hot pickings: Whether travelling for work or pleasure (locally or abroad) ??“ be cautious. Cybercriminals are targeting travellers because they realise these individuals are not familiar with their location and have to carry a lot of personal data and documents with them. Do your planning properly and never leave any item of yours unattended.
Mobile attacks are on the rise: Mobile phones and devices are no longer just for communication purposes. We use them to manage our lives, create and send work files, make online purchases, and do our banking. The use of mobile wallets is becoming very popular and people are using their phones to store important documents and data, thus making this device an attractive target. Create strong passwords with two-factor authentication to protect yourself.
Social media is helping cybercriminals craft better attacks: What you share on social media could help cybercriminals better craft their personal attack against you. Regularly check and reset your privacy settings on all your social platforms and be restrictive about what you share in general.
Cybercriminals are using deepfake technology: This is technology that uses artificial intelligence to manipulate images, video, and audio, to make it look and sound like someone is doing or saying something they are not. This technology is helping cyber criminals take their phishing attack (email attacks) to the next level. They are also making use of this technology to clone websites, conduct vishing attacks (voice call attacks) and create fake news.
Deepfake technology, although quite new in South Africa, is an incredible threat to both businesses and consumers. Challenge phrases on suspicious sounding calls, follow-up emails and calls and double-check everything if anything happens that feels out of the ordinary.
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