Cybercriminals use various methods to exploit individuals and organisations. Understanding these common threats is your first step towards staying safe online.
1. Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing
These are deceptive tactics used by criminals to trick you into giving away personal information or clicking on malicious links. They all rely on impersonation to gain your trust.
- Explanation:
- Phishing: This involves sending fake emails that look like they’re from legitimate organisations (like banks, government agencies, or well-known companies).
- Smishing: Similar to phishing, but uses SMS (text messages) instead of email.
- Vishing: Uses voice calls (VoIP, phone calls) where criminals impersonate someone official to trick you into revealing information or taking actions.
- Examples:
- An email claiming to be from your bank asking you to “verify your account details” by clicking a suspicious link.
- A text message saying you’ve won a lottery or need to update your payment information for a parcel delivery.
- A phone call from someone pretending to be from a government department, demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest.
- Red Flags:
- Urgent or Threatening Language: “Act now or your account will be closed!” or “You will be arrested!”
- Grammatical Errors or Poor English: Official communications usually have perfect grammar.
- Suspicious Links: Hover over links (don’t click!) to see the actual web address. Look for misspellings or unusual domains.
- Requests for Personal Information: Legitimate organisations will rarely ask for your password, PIN, or full credit card details via email, SMS, or an unsolicited call.
- Generic Greetings: “Dear Customer” instead of your actual name.
2. Malware (Malicious Software)
Malware is software designed to damage, disable, or gain unauthorised access to computer systems.
- Explanation:
- Viruses: Attach themselves to legitimate programs and spread to other computers, often damaging files or slowing systems.
- Ransomware: Locks you out of your computer or encrypts your files, demanding a payment (ransom) to restore access.
- Spyware: Secretly monitors your computer activity, recording your keystrokes, Browse history, and personal data.
- How it Spreads:
- Malicious Attachments: Opening infected files attached to emails.
- Infected Websites: Visiting compromised websites that automatically download malware.
- Deceptive Downloads: Downloading “free” software, games, or media from untrusted sources.
- USB Drives: Connecting infected USB sticks to your computer.
- Impact:
- Data Loss: Important documents, photos, or files can be deleted or corrupted.
- System Lockout: You might lose access to your computer or critical files.
- Identity Theft: Spyware can steal sensitive information like bank details and passwords.
- Financial Loss: Paying ransoms or having bank accounts compromised.
3. Identity Theft
This occurs when a criminal steals and uses your personal information without your permission, often for financial gain.
- Explanation: Cybercriminals obtain your personal details – like your name, address, date of birth, national identification number, or bank account details – and then use this information to commit fraud or other crimes in your name.
- Methods:
- Data Breaches: Your information is stolen from a company’s database that has been hacked.
- Phishing/Smishing/Vishing: You are tricked into directly revealing your details.
- Discarded Documents: Physical documents containing personal info are carelessly disposed of.
- Malware: Spyware designed to capture your personal data.
- Social Media Over-sharing: Posting too much personal information online.
- Consequences:
- Financial Loss: Money stolen from your accounts, fraudulent loans taken out in your name.
- Damaged Credit: Your credit rating can be ruined, making it hard to get loans or services.
- Legal Troubles: You might be accused of crimes committed by the identity thief.
- Reputation Damage: If your identity is used for illicit activities.
4. Online Scams
These are deceptive schemes conducted over the internet designed to trick victims into giving money, personal information, or goods.
- Explanation: Scammers play on emotions like hope, fear, love, or greed. They create elaborate stories and build trust to manipulate victims into sending money or sensitive data.
- Common Tactics & Psychological Manipulation:
- Romance Scams: Scammers pretend to be potential romantic partners to build trust and then ask for money for emergencies, travel, or medical bills.
- Investment Scams: Promise high, quick returns on fake investments, often in cryptocurrencies or foreign exchange.
- Tech Support Scams: Criminals pretend to be from well-known tech companies, claiming your computer has a virus, then charge you for unnecessary “fixes” or install malware.
- Lottery/Prize Scams: Inform you that you’ve won a large sum of money but demand an “advance fee” for processing or taxes.
- Job Scams: Offer lucrative jobs requiring an upfront payment for “training” or “background checks.”
- Warning Signs:
- Pressure to Act Quickly: “Limited time offer!” or “Do this now before you miss out!”
- Requests for Money Transfers: Especially through untraceable methods like wire transfers or gift cards.
- Promises of Unrealistic Returns: If it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
- Demands for Secrecy: Being told not to tell anyone about the “deal.”
- Poorly Written Communications: Similar to phishing, watch for grammatical errors or awkward phrasing.
5. DDoS Attacks (Distributed Denial of Service)
- Explanation: A DDoS attack attempts to make an online service, like a website or online application, unavailable by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic from multiple sources. Imagine thousands of people trying to enter a single door at once – nothing gets through.
- Impact:
- Service Disruption: Websites become slow or completely inaccessible.
- Financial Loss: Businesses lose revenue when their online services are down.
- Reputation Damage: For organisations that rely on constant online presence.
6. Cyberbullying and Online Harassment
- Explanation: This involves using digital technology to repeatedly send, post, or share harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include threatening messages, spreading rumours, sharing private images without consent, or excluding someone online.
- Impact:
- Emotional Distress: Anxiety, depression, isolation, and low self-esteem in victims.
- Reputation Damage: False information can harm someone’s public image.
- Academic/Work Impact: Affecting concentration and performance.
- In severe cases, physical harm: When online harassment escalates or leads to extreme stress.