IN light of the recent cyber attack incident that victimized some bank depositors, Philippine National Police anti-cybercrime operatives issued public reminders to avoid falling prey to online fraud and theft.
When using Social Media, be careful not to accept random friend requests. Cyber criminals often create fake accounts to befriend you. Trust no online friends unless you know them personally.
A common method of cybercriminals hacks into personal computers or gadgets to send them emails with infected attachments.
It is important to note not to respond to these dubious emails with embedded links. Don’t open links and attachments when in doubt.
Such communication may be classified as Phishing emails.
If unsure, you may contact the company or organization claimed by the email source to verify if the communication is legitimate or fraudulent.
Don’t just give away vital information especially your contact and bank details. If possible, constantly change and remember your password. Be discreet with your password by not divulging it to anyone.
When using mobile devices, limit the use of your contact numbers online as attackers may collect these digits.
Avoid unsecured wi-fi hotspots; set your device so that it doesn’t automatically connect to external sources. Disable Bluetooth when not in use so you can veer away from attackers exploiting open connections.
The PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group also alerted the public against the “Drive-by Download Attack” involving malicious programs that install to the device without the computer user’s consent. This also includes unintentional downloads of any files or bundled software onto a computer device. It is masked in all corners of the web, these attacks cause even perfectly legitimate sites to spread this threat.
A drive-by download will usually take advantage of exploited browser, app, or operating system that is out of date and has a security flaw. This initial code that is downloaded is often very small, since its job is often simply to contact another computer where it can pull down the rest of the code onto the smartphone, tablet, or computer. Often, a web page will contain several different types of malicious code, in hopes that one of them will match a weakness on the computer.
These downloads may be placed on otherwise innocent and normal-looking websites. Victims might receive a link in an email, text message, or social media post that tells the target to look at something interesting on a site. Then it will exploit vulnerabilities in web browsers, plug-ins or other components that work within browsers not known to the computer user.
Victims might receive a link in an email, text message, or social media post that tells the target to look at something interesting on a site. Then it will exploit vulnerabilities in web browsers, plug-ins or other components that work within browsers not known to the computer user.
Cybercriminals make use of drive-by downloads to steal and collect personal information, inject banking Trojans, or introduce exploit kits or other malware to endpoints, among many others. What sets this type of attack apart from others is that users need not click on anything to initiate the download. Simply accessing or browsing a website can activate the download.
Don’t rush in downloading phone applications and carefully download those from trusted sources.
Enable layers of security by using passwords and other encryption features like a two-factor authentication system.
“The best way to avoid a cyber attack is to be more discerning whenever your information is asked online and to immediately report to the authorities when suspicion arises,” PNP Chief, Police General Dionardo B Carlos emphasized.
The PNP is willing to assist victims through the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group that can be contacted thru e-mail address acg@pnp.gov.ph or telephone number (632) 723 0401 local 7483.
