by Payton | Aug 27, 2018 | General
The Internet is an amazing thing that allows us to search for new information and keep in contact with friends and family. However, the Internet also has a dark side. It allows for unwanted people to access private information and it provides direct means in which they can contact you. These are examples of cyberstalking. Cyberstalking, or cyber-harassment, is employing electronic communications tools to stalk a person on the web. This includes harassment, humiliating, exerting financial control, isolating, and instilling fear into the victim. Cyberstalking is a growing issue that is vastly underreported even though it can have disastrous effects on its victims.
Why is Cyberstalking a Growing Problem?
Nowadays, our world revolves around electronics and social media. Everywhere we go, we always have access to the Internet and social media through cell phones, tablets, and other smart devices. Furthermore, we post everything from our vacations, friends, family, addresses, business location, phone number, and email on social media. This makes it simple for a seasoned online user to locate enough of a victim’s individual information. It is also quite easy to glean info about the victim’s geographical area, the places you like to go to in your region and the people that you care about from posts and pictures. Due to this ease, the Internet is frequently the very first place a stalker goes to gain contact with victims.
One of the major reasons why perpetrators resort to online methods is because of the instant gratification. The Internet allows the perpetrator easy access to information, and it makes it exceptionally harder for them to be caught by law enforcement. Online methods also allow the perpetrator to have access to victims regardless of their geographical distance. This allows them to threaten anyone from anywhere in the world.
Types of Cyberstalking
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a problem that continues to grow with our obsessive use of technology. It is any behavior that occurs online that instills fear and distress to the point that an individual fears for their safety. Through this, the victim may feel distressed and like their right to privacy has been violated. Some common examples include using someone’s private information to instill fear in the victim, harassing a victim with hundreds of messages a day to inform them that they are being watched, or using their social media to track their whereabouts.
Catfishing
Left: singer/ dancer “Megan Faccio”; Right: Angela Wesselman-Pierce, who created the fake profile from Raquelita96 via Wikimedia
Catfishing occurs when someone poses as another person online. Often, these fake accounts use fake names, photos, and social media links. Additionally, some perpetrators will copy a profile of another individual in order to verify their identity. Catfishers commonly use these accounts to pose as fake love interests or as means to contact other online users to send spam. In more malicious circumstances, they may use the accounts to cyberbully another person.
Statistics
- Most victims are 18-29 years old
- 60% of all cyberstalking victims are female
- Most victims are caucasian
- Most victims are single
- 56% of cyberstalkers are male
- Most cyberstalking instances begin on Facebook or email
- 70% of cyberstalking attack consist of a victim and cyberstalkers that live in different states
- 50% of perpetrators had past romantic relationships with the victim
- 15% of perpetrators are the victim’s online acquaintance
For more information about cybersecurity, visit our website https://dynagrace.com/.
References: https://cyberbullying.org/cyberstalking, https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-how-to-how-to-protect-yourself-from-cyberstalkers.html, http://www.mass.gov/ago/public-safety/cyber-crime-and-internet-safety/cyber-crimes/cyber-stalking.html
Pictures: Featured Image: https://pixabay.com/en/anonymous-hacktivist-hacker-2755365/, https://pixabay.com/en/cyber-security-hacker-online-3410923/, https://www.flickr.com/photos/51234626@N02/4726453297/, https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/File:Catfish_example.jpg
by Payton | Aug 20, 2018 | General
Throughout history, the United States presidential elections have always involved mudslinging to shed light on various scandals. With the goal of demeaning the other candidates, elections seem to bring out the bad, the good, and the fabricated facts about everyone. The 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was no different. Each side made the public aware of the other’s scandals and inadequacies. However, there was help from external forces. Later in the election, the government release information indicating that Russian hackers influenced the election. From the release of confidential emails to influencing social media’s coverage on political issues, it is clear that hackers promoted Trump’s campaign.
Hacked Emails
One of the main ways the Russian hackers degraded Clinton’s campaign was by releasing confidential emails about Democratic operations. They gained access to this information through a phishing email sent to the Democratic campaign chairman, John Podesta. The illegitimate email gave the hackers access to all of the information on his computer and his emails. From there, everyday emails involving the Democratic campaign were released online.
Social Media Hacks
Twitter served as the primary social media platform to promote the election. Due to the abundance of online services, Twitter can serve as a playground for hackers. The Russian hackers were able to form botnets to send automated messages promoting articles about leaked Democratic operative emails. There is also evidence that they promoted fake articles and articles promoting social issues.
Additionally, Facebook disclosed evidence of Russian interference in the elections through the use of political ads linked to approximately 470 fake accounts and pages. These accounts purchased more than $100,000 worth of ads that focused on hot social issues such as gun control, immigration, race, and LGBTQ rights. The fake accounts are thought to be related to the Internet Research Agency, which is notorious for using fake accounts to post on social media with the goal of degrading the population’s sense of nationality.
In total, 25% of the social media posts promoted anti-Americanism, 15% sought to degrade Clinton and her campaign, and 11% focused on Paul Manafort, President Trump’s previous campaign chairman who is being investigated for wiretapping.
Motivation
The culprits behind the hacks were 12 Russian nationals, and several of them worked for Russia’s intelligence agencies. The motivation behind these attacks is still under speculation, but many are suspect of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. Many believe that he wanted to damage Clinton’s campaign because she promoted pro-democracy protests in Russia. Another common belief is that the hacks were motivated to improve Trump’s campaign rather than undermine the political process. On the other hand, others believe that Russia’s involvement in the election was meant to destroy United States citizens’ faith in the Democratic process.
For more information about cybersecurity, visit our website https://dynagrace.com/.
Resources: https://www.npr.org/2018/07/19/630289153/why-did-russia-attack-the-2016-election-this-weeks-whirlwind-offers-new-clues, http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2018/07/25/russia-election-interference-how-why, http://time.com/5340060/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-summit-russia-meddling/, https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/02/politics/democrats-russian-hacking-intelligence/, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/technology/twitter-russia-election.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/technology/facebook-russian-political-ads.html, https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/26/us/2016-presidential-campaign-hacking-fast-facts/index.html
Pictures: Featured Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mlephotos/3003457292/, https://pixabay.com/en/twitter-facebook-together-292988/, https://pixabay.com/en/trump-president-usa-america-flag-2546104/
by Payton | Aug 13, 2018 | General
Botnets are a string of private computers linked together by one server. While some types are legal and serve to run websites, others are malicious. These illegal botnets connect computers through infection by malware, namely Trojan malware. Other less common infections occur through drive-by downloads and spiders. While the owner often doesn’t know that they are infected, the cybercriminals controlling the botnet have full access to their computer and information. Additionally, these criminals can make your computer a zombie to perform tasks for them. Any device that can connect to the internet including PCs, Macs, smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, security cameras, and other smart appliances can be incorporated into a botnet.
How Botnets Work
After downloading infectious software, the botnet contacts its creator, and your computer is now is under his/her control. The creator’s ultimate goal is to incorporate millions of computers into their botnet web or zombie network. This occurs because the more computers there are in a web, the stronger the cyber attacks. Once in control of your computer, these cybercriminals can perform malicious tasks including:
- Sending spam
- Influencing elections
- Using their web to create DDoS attacks where they overload the website with all of their botnets until there is a denial in service
- Creating fake internet traffic for financial gain
- Creating ads for financial gain
- Mining cryptocurrencies
In other cases, cybercriminals create zombie networks to sell to other criminals. This allows more people to have access to your data. Furthermore, these infections are very skilled at hiding themselves. They use minimal power, so they do not disrupt normal computer function. Some botnets even adapt to avoid security software detection.
Different types of Botnets
Client-server model
This type of botnet uses a single master server to transmit information to each member of the web. They do this through command and control servers to effectively relay information.
However, while client-server models are great for conveying information to the zombie network, they are also easily detected and stopped by law enforcement because they use command and control servers. In order to destroy the botnet, one must simply destroy the server.
Peer-to-peer
This structure is similar to the client-server model. However, instead of having one main server to distribute information, each computer in the web acts as both a receptor and a server. Similar to how people communicate peer-to-peer, these computers talk to each other to relay information. This makes it harder for law enforcement to detect because there are many servers and destroying one will not destroy the botnet.
How to protect yourself
Protecting your personal information is pretty straight-forward. Some of the common recommendations to protect yourself from infection and to rid your devices from current botnets are:
- Download and run malware software often
- Update your computer system, applications, and security software often
- Do not click on or download suspicious links and attachments. This includes all links sent from unknown email addresses, websites, and pop-ups.
- Utilize a firewall to ensure security while you browse the internet.
- Avoid suspicious websites
For more information about cybersecurity, visit our website https://dynagrace.com/.
Image Resource: Featured Image https://pixabay.com/en/network-computer-laptop-connection-698598/, https://pixabay.com/en/businessman-internet-continents-2682712/, https://pixabay.com/en/internet-cyber-network-finger-3563638/
Resources: https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-botnet.html, https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/botnet-attacks, https://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/security/what-is-a-botnet/
by Payton | Aug 6, 2018 | General
Trojan malware was named after the Trojan Horse that ancient Greeks used to infiltrate the city of Troy. The wooden horse was perceived as a gift to the Trojans, but it was a ploy to sneak Greek soldiers behind the Trojan walls and ultimately win the war. Trojan malware works similarly. This malicious type of malware is disguised as regular software. Once downloaded, Trojans survive by remaining unnoticed, which makes it a popular choice for many cyber-criminals.
What Happens When You’re Infected
Instead of spreading and multiplying like other types of malware, Trojans go unnoticed and collect your online information and gain access to your computer system. They also infiltrate your security systems so that hackers and cyber-criminals can gain access to your data. Upon activation, Trojans allow these hackers to have access to your system and data. They also enable them to spy on you and disrupt your computer and network’s performance.
Different types of Trojan Malware
Trojans can take many forms, and they have a diverse range of functions. Some of the more common types are:
- Backdoor Trojan: creates holes in the computer’s security that allows hackers and cyber-criminals access and control over your data and software. These Trojans make it so invaders can send, receive, download malware, and alter files.
- Downloader Trojan: download new malware, Trojans, adware, and other malicious programs onto your computer.
- Spy Trojan: spy on you by tracking your data, passwords, and highly used applications and websites.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack Trojan: target web addresses from your computer to increase online traffic that eventually overwhelms the network and results in service denials.
- Banker Trojan: Steals online banking data so cyber-criminals have access to your credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payment systems.
How to protect yourself
The best way to protect yourself is by installing anti-malware software and periodically running diagnostic scans. Additionally, be sure that your software is frequently updated because Trojans will take advantage of any security holes caused by outdated software. Trojans can infect all types of devices including PCs, Macs, smartphones, laptops, and tablets, so be sure to use the anti-malware software on all of these devices.
In addition to anti-malware software, you can further protect yourself by avoiding questionable websites, links, and downloads. Trojans are commonly found linked to pirated materials and links in unfamiliar emails. Also, use complex passwords and firewalls to guard your accounts and personal information.
For more information about cybersecurity, visit our website https://dynagrace.com/.
Image Resource: Featured Image https://www.flickr.com/photos/agungordu/8027072165/in/photolist-dejQTX-4mtSuS-h8Tza9-chUzEd-rg8RXc-7nU23o-278PAKf-6VM7yZ-akWWxt-fQRXgN-SPMS47-TDqs9w-jCyLU8-8Zjeqb-5gFgJa-QXhnYo-4kXqAY-cnDaco-zsCwH-22sUP4S-7dRpjn-UkfSpm-cJ4SR-7QMMGR-hQbSW9-6y1okX-85ZK2d-chUzSE-j1hUSJ-dxERdG-dmDPum-9szWNc-DMRPjs-USWRgW-akQCTe-anDES1-amHTC7-36C3ve-TN9xLL-8yh4i7-dQLG1v-fk3wTF-BpWq5-ahUKwV-p6NYnc-dEYL5a-chUzrU-aCkxpU-9szXoX-5xvJb3, https://pixabay.com/en/computer-security-padlock-hacker-1591018/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestfeeler/3745313965/in/photolist-6GXHmH-d4FvJj-pkUinY-iRZihN-bFqELx-boQMhi-TpK8SH-p4Vsnp-9yT5S5-24C7iDm-JMMjN-5NoQVW-bMCTW4-hkUUG-C54G-rU5Gz-dV9Moj-o42Hvu-nqxkzs-9Awwzb-q776tA-48un2Y-RYdqgB-48uo8C-bx7247-4HTgd1-a1NMpt-S3vD6L-9nTrJR-5ovQo4-9H21B4-5o2KcX-8Pp9bL-92BbjT-aMdLyD-akHpAX-nhFXbQ-9PtgrN-e8LbEt-6RaLuA-S8N6UT-9KmSgc-7VpYUh-75B6BC-6bJt4d-5MeZjC-9QQWsK-5n6spx-8Syukw-9nuz7m
Resources: https://www.avg.com/en/signal/what-is-a-trojan, https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-malware-what-is-a-trojan.html, https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/whats-the-difference-between-malware-trojan-virus-and-worm/, https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/trojans, https://www.guru99.com/learn-everything-about-trojans-viruses-and-worms.html
by Machelle | Jul 9, 2018 | Business, General
The 21st century has experienced a boom, all thanks to the advancement in technology. The internet has reduced advertising costs on radio, television and other visual platforms by half.
Using Social Media
Social media platforms have gained momentum in the field of advertising, and they have become one of the sought-after tools by marketing maestros. Social media has helped businesses spread their tentacles via digital means. As a business owner, if you have not tapped into this means of marketing, it, means you have been living in a cave. You need to utilize these platforms to create awareness for your brand.
Social media improves your brand awareness
When it comes to brand awareness, the importance of social media is critical. Social media ranks very high when it comes to digital marketing. If you get your business on social media platforms, it makes your business more visible to your target audience thereby increasing brand awareness. If you go the extra mile to boost your business presence online on different platforms, it will skyrocket the recognition of your brand. Surveys show that about 90% of marketers who spent a couple of hours engaging in marketing on their business pages on social media experienced great turnout. No doubts, having a business profile for your brand will be the best decision you ever made in a career.
Social media is pocket-friendly
Social media will cut back on a lot of costs associated with advertising. It is almost free. All you must do is to create an account by signing up on the social media forum which is usually free. If you want to take things to the next level, you may decide to pay for advertising on these platforms. It is advisable to start out by paying little amounts of money to see if the paid adverts convert into sales. It is always advisable to minimize cost for a maximum profit so that you can get a healthy ROI.
Social media helps you engage your audience
Social media is the perfect tool for engaging your audience. For business owners who are always active on social media, customer interaction is always top notch, and their satisfaction is guaranteed. Customers need to be sure they are not dealing with unscrupulous individuals before they make purchases, by engaging with your potential clients, you will alleviate any form of lack of trust or worry associated with shopping online.
In addition to the above benefits of using social media; you can get high traffic. However, these are some of the things you shouldn’t do in your business’ cyberspace.
What not to do
Do not rush the process
In the bid to get more return on investments, business owners skip many vital aspects of social media marketing. It is essential to learn the ropes.
Do not lie
Do not mislead your audience. Avoid living a fake life on your social media page to improve awareness.
Do not be ignorant
Avoid being nonchalant or a snub. It is important to let your audience have a feel of your warm personality. In addition to the things, you shouldn’t do avoid vulgarity or use of profane words. Do not divulge too much.
Resource:
Image Resource: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1028519; https://pxhere.com/en/photo/816420
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
by Machelle | Jul 2, 2018 | Cybersecurity, General
As advances increase with the internet, so are people progressing cybercrime tactics on the internet.
Phishing is a cybercrime in which the perpetrators persuade its victims to release sensitive personal data. Financial details, passwords after contacting them via emails, text messages under the false pretext of being a legitimate organization are some examples. The moment information releases it results in identity theft, access to personal accounts, and substantial financial losses.
Common types of phishing
1. Spear Phishing
In spear phishing, the cybercriminals take time to gather information about you and use it in the email to appear legitimate. They go as far as mentioning your name, your phone number and where you work which they usually obtain from social media sites. After which they request for sensitive information, which they use to defraud their victims. Both spear and deceptive phishing, share common features which are the manner they reach out to people and the sense of urgency in their tone of their emails, sometimes they make you believe that if you don’t comply something terrible may happen.
2. Deceptive Phishing
Phishing of this type occurs when the scammer sends an email from a company that you always patronize their services. The scammers act as though they are employees of the company and request for your details in the email they send, placing deadlines on your compliance. The email usually contains fraudulent URL links that will have forms where personal information will be filled in. Protect your yourself from this kind of phishing attack by being more observant, with regards to URL sites before clicking to be sure you are about to visit a legitimate domain.
3. CEO Fraud
Here, the target is usually a top executive in a company, these scammers hack into their emails and send messages to junior employees most times requesting that money transfers to another account. They exploit the organogram of an organization as they know that most low ranking won’t ask questions and readily obey instructions from their superiors.
4. Search Engines, Dropbox and Google Docs Phishing
Some phishing scams involve search engines or favorite sites like Dropbox and Docs, where the users are always uploading and downloading as well as sharing files. They pose as Dropbox or Google Docs and request personal information just as in spear phishing.
Also, these scammers could hoist fake websites presenting low-cost products or offering loans with a low-interest rate. They defraud their victims when as they enter credit card details to patronize them.
5. Pharming
Also known as web delivery or ‘man-in-the-middle,’ here, scammers take over a website, lock out the webmasters redirecting the users of the websites to their fraudulent sites. It is considered the scariest type of phishing because if users of these websites are not careful enough, they give their details to the wrong persons. Also, the scammers may hack into the communication link between the users and the websites and pick vital information about the users without them knowing about it, hence the name ‘man in the middle.’
IDENTIFYING PHISHING THREATS
The following features are ‘red flags,’ warning signals you should look out for to protect yourself or your organizations from phishing scams.
Hyperlinks:
Clicking all links shouldn’t be done. Before clicking look at the link. If the link has spelling errors, avoiding it would be wise. These scammers usually use popular websites but deliberately misspell the address which vulnerable individuals will overlook.
Unbelievable offers:
Be careful about emails that have too-good-to-be or unbelieving offers. Offers like this are designed to catch attention and lure its victims into fraud. Whenever you see such emails, stay away from them.
Unknown Sender:
Any email that comes from unknown persons should be known as a phishing scam threat. There is no need to open it, delete it!
Attachments:
Once you see emails with attachments that you weren’t expecting, it is best you don’t download the websites. Phishing scams perpetrate in this manner and attachments of this sort could contain malware or viruses that would seriously harm you.
Emails with deadlines:
Never forget that financial institutions will not rush you to provide your financial details via the internet. Institutions usually give lots of time for you to comply. Therefore, disregard any emails, requiring your data with a high sense of urgency, this is a typical style of scammers. Contact your banks or any other institutions and verify appropriately before filing financial detail online.
PHISHING PREVENTION TIPS
In recent times, these scammers are becoming more innovative. Scammers intensify the menace of cybercrime. Against this backdrop, the following are tips to help you stay away from phishing attacks:
Change your browser settings
Adjust your browser’s settings to permit only verified sites to open. As a user, there is a need to explore the browser feature which gives an alert when a fake website is opening. Such warning signs should be adhered to strictly.
Use spam filters
What these filters do is to trace the source of the message, determine the software used to send the message, the appearance of the message and then blocks it. Sometimes the spam filters may even prevent your emails to keep you protected.
Always change passwords or use multiple factor authentications
An excellent way to avoid phishing attacks is to change passwords on a regular basis, avoid using the same password across accounts on the internet. Webmasters should adopt the multiple factor authentication or the CAPTCHA systems to prevent security breaches on their websites.
Cross check every URL
Before clicking, it is essential to take a second look, at the URL. Safe websites will always start with “https”; this is a proof that it has a valid Secure Socket Layer certificate.
Finally, to avoid severe losses of money and credibility, organizations and even individuals should invest in getting the right and updated information for the cyber attacks and cybersecurity. When applying regularly, you and the organization has protection from any form of cyber attack.
Linda Rawson is the CEO, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, (http://DynaGrace.com) which is a Women-Owned, Small Business. She is also the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts.
Resource:
Image Resource: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/714530; https://pxhere.com/en/photo/989227; https://pixabay.com/en/phishing-fraud-cyber-security-3390518/
