The amount of information we are fed with on a daily basis is growing at an exponential rate. In fact, as I write this, millions of bytes of information have been created throughout the internet on a wide range of different topics. The nature of this information is, however, paradoxical. It may certainly improve our lives, but it also has the ability to hurt ourselves and others we care about. Cybercrime is getting more prevalent all over the world. Identity theft, cyberbullying, online predatory behavior, phishing, online scamming, malware, and inappropriate content are just a few examples of the distinct forms online crime can assume. When it comes to being secure online, it is consequently important to adopt certain particular precautions. First and foremost, we must be aware of the dangers that come with our online activities. As a result, we must implement procedures to mitigate or eliminate these risks (1). Let’s look at some examples.
Who is Gabriel Jimenez?
Gabriel Jimenez’s mother, Jeri Marks, discovered his son was sharing his identity with another person after filing taxes for work he did as a child model in 1993. Gabriel was 11 years old at the time. She sought her son’s records with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after a few years and discovered an illegal immigrant working under his legal number (2). In this regard, it is critical to encourage youngsters to be cautious about what they share online in order to avoid disclosing too much personal information at the risk of being a victim of identity theft (1). However, Gabriel was not the only one to suffer from the vicissitudes of the internet.
“Emma’s” agony
“Emma,” a 14-year-old girl, began exposing her loneliness on social media after acquiring a brand new smartphone in 2019. What she didn’t realize was that internet predators could use this to their advantage. The situation resulted in a 22-year-old man coming to “Emma’s” house and severely abusing and sexually assaulting her, leaving “Emma” with a lifelong trauma (3). This is the perfect example of how internet caution should be exercised from a young age, normalizing the notification of a trustworthy adult if someone they don’t know connects with them or causes them discomfort (1). Nevertheless, even though the last episodes are about children and teenagers, adults also go through this perpetual war.
Elara failed to care
Elara Caring, a US healthcare service, was the victim of a phishing assault in December 2020. The attacker gained access to email accounts after an unauthorized computer intrusion targeted two employees, exposing the personal information of over 100000 elderly patients (patients’ name, date of birth, address, phone number, financial or bank account information, social security number, insurance information and account number, and driver’s license number). Elara Caring took one week to fully contain the data breach (4) This teaches us that strange URLs coming from apparently certified entities should be avoided and this practice widespread among everyone (1). We can say Elara failed to care but so did Michael.
Online shopping or how to get scammed in 5 seconds
The number of online shopping fraud complaints has risen to the point that specialized websites have begun to publish lists of scammers. One of the victims of these scams was Michael D. He alleges he “ordered a splash drone and never received it” from www.transcend.store. He even alleges the fraudsters provided him a false USPS tracking number (5). Verifying if a website is operating on HTTPS is one of the greatest ways to tell if it is safe. This security protocol indicates that the website has a security certificate that encrypts data and protects visitors’ personal information. People may check if a website is run through HTTPS by looking at the beginning of the URL in the address bar and seeing if a padlock appears next to it (1). One would believe that cybercriminals follow the bare minimum of ethical rules, but the following episode will show that this is not the case.
The exploitation of a public health crisis
Recently and motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of cybercriminals developed CovidLock, a ransomware (malware designed to encrypt files on a system (6)) that infects users via malicious files offering more information on the disease. CovidLock encrypts data on Android smartphones and prevents victims from accessing it. The victim must pay a ransom per device in order to recover access (7). Backing up data on a regular basis is one of the greatest strategies to mitigate the danger of ransomware. Calling for support is also an alternative but should only be used as a last resort. Strange adverts or pop-up windows, slow devices, or a sudden shortage of storage space are all signs of other sorts of malware. Ok, let’s wrap it up.
Overall, this article guides us through some real life examples of how people suffered in the hands of an increasing online globalization. Sometimes navigating online it’s like finding yourself in a menacing sea without a lifejacket. However, while there are many threats on the internet, and it’s vital to be aware of them, it’s also worth noting that there is a lot of good that we can take from such technology. Take advantage of virtual learning possibilities, applications that make everyday jobs easier, and social media platforms that keep you in touch with your loved ones. Just remember to apply the online safety tips described above and you’ll be able to fruitfully enjoy it while staying safer during the journey.
Rafael Luis Pereira Santos
References
(1) Norton (2021), “20 internet safety tips and checklist to help families stay safer online”, Norton.
(2) Whitaker B. (2007), “Never Too Young to Have Your Identity Stolen”, The New York Times.
(3) The Bark Team (2019), “Online Predators: One Mother’s Story”, Bark.
(4) Haworth J. (2021), “Data breach at healthcare provider Elara Caring exposes 100,000 patients’ information”, The Daily Swig.
(5) ScamDetector (2021), “List of Scamming Websites”, Scam Detector.
(6) StopRansomware (2021), “What is Ransomware?”, CISA.
(7) Gatefy (2021), “11 real and famous cases of malware attacks”, Gatefy.
