How Protected Are You Against Cyber Warfare?

Now, more than ever is time to be cyber aware! The threat of cyber warfare, espionage, and sabotage is not a b movie plotline, but sadly a reality! It is something that lurks in the background ready to pounce. During the lockdown period, we were all made aware, thanks to news reports that cyber attacks had increased.

According to Israeli security firm Check Point during the first few days of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, potential hacks to government and defence websites tripled!

“There is a hacker attack every 39 seconds in America” — Clark School Study, University of Maryland

Cyber attacks in the coming weeks or months ahead could range from locking you out of your digital devices to banks being hacked, resulting in customers being blocked from accessing their money, personal data being stolen and sold on and even accounts or appointments being deleted!

An example of this was the ‘WannaCry’ virus back in 2017. It was responsible for closing down computers in over 80 NHS hospitals and medical centres, resulting in the cancellation of 20,000 appointments.

BUT the question is what can we do to ensure we are not easy targets?

Protecting personal details

"Since COVID-19, the US FBI reported a 300% increase in reported cybercrimes" — Cybint.

The first step in the fight against cybercrime is to be protective of your personal data. Basic information such as your name, address, and date of birth is enough for a criminal to steal your identity and even take out loans or credit in your name.

Do a security audit of your social media accounts. What information do you have there? Is your location and date of birth available for everyone to see? Have you activated MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)? MFA adds an extra level of protection to the sign-in process so in addition to a password you may also be asked for a fingerprint or a code received by a phone/email.

What cybercriminals want is easy access to your bank account and any passwords. They can do this via a ‘phishing expedition’ — where a scammer tries to get you to provide details by pretending to be someone else. They could pose as HMRC, a bank, or even someone you know! For security reasons, genuine authorities will never ask for any personal details in an email. If the email has come from a friend or family member contact them directly.

Pro tip: Check out the last few letters of an email address, known as the ‘suffix’ — as this can indicate where the sender is located. Check for any spelling errors as a lot of phishing scams come from abroad.

Install and keep up-to-date security software

To combat viruses you will need to arm yourself with security software. This software is designed to spot and stop viruses that can get on to your computer through open website windows, downloads or email attachments that you open.

Viruses are not just designed to steal personal details and money — they can also delete information or hold technical devices to ransom. Cyber attacks can take many forms from a ‘Trojan horse’ where perfectly innocent-looking software, perhaps from an app, is downloaded that hides something more sinister!

Alternatively, it could be a malware ‘worm’ that infects computers by arriving as an attachment in a spam email, online message or text.

Pro tip: You should never download any security software that is offered in a random pop-up window on your technical device — this could be malware and you could end up installing a virus!

Invest in a VPN ‘virtual private network’ many security software packages now have this as an available option. A VPN encrypts data that you look at over the internet helping to keep you secure.

Beware of phishing

Cybercriminals like to look for human vulnerability and will be likely to play on your emotions. They can also lure you in by using ‘free’ in an email or text message or creating a fake version of a website.

Never open any email attachments you are unsure about even if they look as if they have been sent by a friend or family member. A classic doing the rounds on social media is “Hey check out this video you are in!” Don’t be tempted to open it — press that delete button! Dating scams is on the increase featuring women and men looking to settle down and get married. Later these may involve requests for money, or personal information that once given can lead to identity theft.

Pro-tip: Always double-check the web/email address. If you are concerned that someone you know has been hacked inform them immediately.

The Dangers of Ransomware

Ransomware is where messages are sent demanding you pay a ransom to an anonymous encrypted account OR in extreme cases you are unable to access your technical device until you pay the ransom. The message might include some personal information about you for scare tactics.

If the ransom is not paid, the criminal will threaten to release embarrassing information about you to family and friends OR delete information held on your device! You should ignore and delete these messages immediately. Do not respond to them. However, if you do receive such a message it could be an indication that your personal details have been sold on the dark web.

Pro-Tip: On the ‘dark web’ stolen identity information about people can be bought. You can use haveibeenpwned.com to check if you have been subjected to any security breaches or a victim of stolen information.

Regularly back-up important data on a separate device or in the Cloud - Ensure this is encrypted and password protected.

Other digital devices can be hacked!

Personal computers, laptops and tablets are not the only targets for online hackers- home ‘smart’ devices can be at risk too! From Google Home, mobile phones, and Alexis to energy meters, TVs, and even digital doorbells!

Most of these are linked to each other via wifi signals from the shared internet hub inside your home. This internet signal should be secure — as shown by a padlock logo beside the wi-fi signal on your computer. This means it can only be accessed using a password. If not you will need to contact your internet service provider (ISP). Ensure all home devices are password-protected, with hard to crack passwords that consist of random letters, words, numbers, and symbols.

Pro-tip: Ensure you have passwords on all technical devices. Turn off technical devices when not in use. This will also help to reduce your energy bills.

In Summary: How to protect yourself against cyber-warfare

It is a scary fact that many of us have already been victims of cyber warfare attacks, whether we are aware of this or not. If we are lucky enough not to have been affected there is still a risk you will be in the future. So, the time to act is NOW!

There are things you can do to better protect yourself online and reduce your risk of attack. VPNs can help conceal your online traffic, enabling you to remain anonymous from intrusive ISPs and other network snoopers, while still enjoying unrestricted access to the world’s content. Although VPNs are not antivirus software, you will need also to have a security package set up to help keep your technical device(s) healthy.

Enabling two-factor authentication, creating strong passwords, and using password management tools can help keep your personal data secure. Social media is one of the easiest places to have your identity stolen. Be careful responding to posts that ask for pet names or where were you born!

Finally, ensure you stay up-to-date with your security packages and use the most recent versions of software. It’s also wise to listen out for the current trends in cyber attacks.