These days there are thousands of different cyber scams looking to steal money or information from unsuspecting internet users. While many of these attacks can be stopped with a strengthened and secure connection, there is another type of attack that relies more on tricking the users, rather than their network or personal device. These are known as social engineers, and they rely on exploiting the human psychology in order to obtain what they want. Here are three types of social engineering scams that you?ll want to be able to recognize. Phishing One of the most common types of hacking scams used today, phishing scams try to trick internet users to give up their personal information by posing as a reputable source. These often come up in the form of an email from a site that is easily recognizable, such as Facebook or Amazon. Typically, these emails state that there is a problem with a person?s account, and prompt them to fill out their personal information in order to resolve it. That?s why you should always double check the URL to make sure it is a verified site. Remember, a site will NEVER ask for your log in credentials through an email. Pretexting Pretexting is similar to phishing in that the hacker attempts to coerce information from a user by pretending to be someone they?re not. The main difference between the two types of scams is that where a phishing attack is meant to induce fear, a pretexting attack will instead attempt to create a false trust with the user. Hackers achieve this by posing as someone the user would trust, such as a government official or the police. They then ask for their personal information, often citing that they need to verify the user?s identity. Quid Pro Quo Hackers will often use what is known as a ?quid pro quo? attack where they promise a user some kind of good or service in exchange for their information. This is often presented as some sort of prize for a contest, and promises that you will receive the reward for free, as long as you provide them with a bit of personal information. For example, a hacker could promise free IT assistance to individual users and ask for them to give them their credentials in order to claim the service. They would then be able to steal valuable data or even download harmful malware directly onto their computers. Even if you?re careful with your network, a professional hacker will stop at nothing to try and find a vulnerability they can exploit. Call Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710 today to learn more ways you can keep hackers at bay.
Let?s face it, it?s not always easy to come up with a unique password every time we want to sign up for something new. In most cases, people tend to just go with something simple and easy to remember, such as their birthday or hometown. What we don?t realize is that these accounts all tend to connect to the same email address; the one you use for all your online shopping, banking, and all your social media sites. If a hacker managed to get their hands on your password, it likely means they?ll have access to all accounts connected with it. Here are a few tips that will help strengthen your passwords and keep your personal data safe. Easy to Remember, But Only for You Losing a password can lead to a very frustrating recovery process, and in some cases, it can mean the loss of access to an account entirely. This idea often pushes people to create something easy to remember so they don?t have to worry about being unable to login. However, passwords that are easy to remember are often also easy to guess, especially if it?s information that can be found on social media. In order to create a secure password, you?ll want to think of something only you would know. One trick you can use is two combine two important things, such as your favorite sports team and the year you graduated. It?s also suggested that you use a mix of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Using a Password Manager Just because you may strong password doesn?t mean that your accounts aren?t in danger, especially if you have a ?one-password-fits-all? situation. Using the same password for multiple accounts creates a link between those accounts that can easily be infiltrated by a skilled hacker. Instead, try to create a variety of different strong passwords that you can use. Using a password manager is a great way to help you keep track of all your credentials, while keeping your sensitive data away from hackers. Two-Factor Authentication In wake of the rise of cyber-attacks in recent years, many companies are now looking to beef up their online security using two-factor authentication methods. These services require users not only to input their account information, but also a second form of authentication that the user must acknowledge before they are given access to an account. This is often carried out over a connected mobile phone or email address, which the user has validated as their own. Having issue managing all your accounts? Contact Info Advantage today at (585) 254-8710 to learn about how we can help take some of the stress out of your network management.