Open Source Intelligence 101

As the festive season comes into full swing, shoppers will spend millions buying gifts online using their smartphone, computer, tablet, etc. Unfortunately, cyber scams are everywhere and they are especially common during Christmas time, so while you’re busy online, whether you’re using public Wi-Fi or your own, you could be at risk of cyber scams! Don’t become the next victim; keep an eye out for these 11 common Christmas cyber scams: 1. Email banking scams 2. Phishing scams 3. Public Wi-Fi scams 4. Fake free Wi-Fi 5. Fake updates 6. Ransomware and viruses 7.Unsecure websites 8. Online news scams 9. Fake virus checks 10. Phone scams 11. Cracked downloads Cybercriminals know that Christmas time is the busiest time of the year which means users will be online throughout the day using their devices to make purchases online. It is critical that you keep an eye out for scams and stay safe. And if it looks too good to be true, it probably i...

Do not get suckered by an online scam this holiday season! We all love a good online deal, but do you know who else loves and online deal? Cybercriminals and scammers looking for an easy opportunity to trick you just like the Grinch! So how can you shop safely online this holiday season? Here are eight helpful tips to keep you safe… 1. Stay away from ransomware. Don’t ever open email attachments from a shopping website that are not trusted or well-known and be sure to back up your files on a regular basis just in case you do get infected with ransomware. 2. Be wary of phishing scams. Never, ever click on a link that is sent unexpectedly through email, SMS or other messengers such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. 3. Always use strong passwords. Use a combination of letters, numbers, special symbols as well as upper and lower case letters to ensure that your password is strong and harder for hackers to figure out. 4. Only shop on safe websites. Before you mak...

Smishing attacks aim to gain access to your private information by using SMSs to target victims. Smishing is becoming an emerging threat that continues to grow over the years. Why? Because mobile banking is becoming more and more commonly used these days. Here’s how smishing attacks work: - You will receive an SMS that seems legitimately from a popular bank or organisation asking you to contact them on a number or click on a link. - Once you contact them or click the link you will be asked to give out your personal information such as your account number, password or PIN. - The scammers now have access to your accounts, etc. and can do with them what they wish. In this day and age, people use their smartphones for basically everything, including online banking. There is a lot of private information at risk if your phone is exposed to a scammer. Here’s how to identify a smishing scam: - You are SMSed and asked to confirm your private details such as...