Cyber Corner: Don’t Become a Victim, Know the Tactics

Cybercrime is big business – and happens more often than you think. The cybercrimes you hear about on the news are just the tip of iceberg. In fact, one happens every 36 seconds! By being aware of the common tactics and attacks hackers use can help minimize the risk to you and your clients.

Here are two common tactics that cyber criminals use and some takeaways to share with your clients:

Information Gathering

Social media is a gold mine of information hackers can use to trick you and your co-workers. Each piece of additional information gathered increases their odds for a successful attack. Some examples of things you should never share are travel plans, your organization’s internal processes, or less obvious pieces of information like reports, financial information, or even the software your organization uses.

Takeaways:

Be careful what you share. Ask yourself if the information you’re about to post will be useful in conning you or your co-workers. Make sure you’re familiar with your organization’s expectations regarding what and how much you can share on social media by following your organization’s social media policy.

Disinformation

This is where hackers create and distribute false information to manipulate your thoughts and actions and cause damage to you or your organization. This strategy has become more common because of how fast information travels across social media networks.

Takeaways:

Anything that tugs at your emotions is a warning sign. Always fight the spread of disinformation by verifying information’s truthfulness. Stop and fact-check before acting upon or sharing information.