Day: August 26, 2021

Photo by Ake on rawpixel

Written by: Mitch De Guzman

With the increasing dependency on the internet comes the heightening alert on cybercrime. Online scammers are also in full swing in taking advantage of this trend for their criminal activities. Alas! Technology isn’t spared from evil schemes.

The Philippine National Police reported that online scams are rising, and their impact might reach trillions of dollars this year alone. Despite warnings and reminders to always keep our guards up, many still fall for the trap. Newbies, most significantly, are those who are susceptible to these online scams. Since they are still learning to use the digital landscape, they are unaware that fraudulent transactions can happen online. However, even the most tech-savvy is not spared from this. Thus, it is crucial to remain vigilant because as technology advances, so do internet scams. 

THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF ONLINE SCAMS

Even the most intelligent person might become a victim of internet scams as criminals get more inventive in their methods. It might strike at your weakest moment. Hence, it’s vital to be informed of the different internet scams that are now taking place to keep you on your toes.

Phishing Scams

Online banking is perhaps one of technology’s greatest gifts. It saves us time and resources since we can do it any time and anywhere with just a few taps. However, online banking transactions are also susceptible to scams.  Indeed, they are the primary targets of fraudsters since it’s where the money is.

Now that online banking is becoming the norm, banks send out emails to account holders to keep them updated on their latest service features and warn them about email scams and other potential security threats.

Email Phishing

Phishing emails, also known as brand spoofing, are emails and web pages that look precisely like legitimate sites and businesses. These cloned websites and emails are designed to dupe visitors into providing financial or personal information. If you are unaware of this modus, you’ll fall quickly into this trap because they really look the same. Well, almost!

SMS Phishing

Similar to email phishing, scammers will send you text messages that contain links to another site that may steal your information.

How to Spot and Avoid Phishing Emails

1. Keep an eye out for spelling or grammatical errors. Email phishers do an excellent job at copying emails and web pages, but they are poorly written. The use of the first name is also a dead giveaway. Banks and reputable enterprises use their clients’ first names in their correspondence. They do this via email automation technologies since they have a database.
2. Check the URL if it contains “https:” at the beginning of the internet address.
3. Keep in mind that banks will NEVER ask for your personal information, especially your passwords, PIN, or card verification value (CVV). Similarly, they will not ask you to update or change your passwords online. 
4. Do not respond to any email requesting personal information.

Email Spoofing

A fake or spoofed email is when the sender purposefully modifies sections of the email to appear like it’s written by a legitimate source, such as banks, news publishing, and other reputable websites. Sometimes, it may even come from a private citizen somewhere. Dishonest users will change certain parts of an email to make the sender appear to be someone else.

Money Mules

Have you ever received a random e-mail or message on your social media page from someone claiming to have a particular amount of money they need you to transfer to another person? They may even offer you monetary reward for your efforts. These are email scams. Don’t bite these enticements because it will lead to disaster.

These scammers are called money mules, also known as “smurfers.” They will transfer ill-gotten funds to you, which you will electronically transfer into other bank accounts. Beware of this scheme as you may be implicated in a crime.

Online Shopping Scams

Talk about the pleasure of shopping without the hassles of commuting, long lines, and carrying big bags. That’s the joy of online shopping. It’s purchasing power at the touch of a button.

However, where there are genuine sellers, there are also imposters. They dupe buyers into purchasing non-existent goods. The other variation of this con is to deliver a counterfeit or utterly different item. It’s sometimes difficult to distinguish genuine merchants from fraudulent ones since they use fake advertisements on social media and well-known e-commerce platforms. They also use a phony retail website. To avoid a shopping scam, buy only from trusted sellers. Take time to check customer reviews.

Lottery Scams

These are text or email notifications informing you that you have won a large sum of money or great prizes in a lottery. You must, however, claim your wins within the specified time frame. In addition, you will be asked to send money to cover insurance costs, taxes, and more. 

Scammers profit by delaying your winnings and demanding additional expenses. Furthermore, they will want personal information for verification and bank account information for transferring the money. When they get this information, they can take over your bank or credit card account.

So, before you get thrilled when receiving such messages, ask yourself first if you have ever entered a lottery.

Online Identity Theft

This is personal information that hackers have obtained and will use for their financial benefit. They’ll make it appear as if you’re the one doing and finishing online transactions and withdrawing monies from your bank account.

Mobile phone banking users and those who have incorporated their mobile phone numbers into their online workspace and social media sites are the targets of this scam. Typically, this occurs following phishing, in which fraudsters have already gotten access to your personal information. 

Recently, the news has reported incidents of identity theft through illegal SIM swaps. In these cases, fraudsters pose as authorized representatives of a telecom company offering a SIM upgrade.  Alternatively, they will contact the telecommunications company on your behalf and request that the SIM be replaced. If they succeed, they can access your banking information and other personal details.

Online Investment Scams

Investing your money is a beautiful way to grow your wealth. It is superior to a savings account since it provides more significant returns. And with the growing need for technology, online investments and e-trading are also becoming widespread.

There are numerous investment opportunities available on the internet. On the other hand, you should be cautious in selecting investment platforms and apps. Criminals will undoubtedly take advantage of this opportunity. They, too, evolve.

Internet Scams

Emotional triggers are a powerful approach to persuade you to contribute money, gifts, or personal information. Scammers prey on victims by creating bogus profiles on social media platforms like Facebook and even reputable dating sites. They will try to lure you through romance or sympathy. 

Romance Scams

Scammers pose as a foreigner or someone working abroad. They will exert great efforts to pique your interest and acquire your trust, including disclosing personal details and even sending you presents. These scammers take their time winning your heart. They will really make an effort to impress you. And when they have earned your trust, they will begin to subtly or bluntly ask for money, gifts, bank account details, or credit card information. They will fabricate stories to justify their actions.

Fake Relatives

This is prevalent on Facebook as fraudsters can hack and copy user profiles. These scammers will pretend to be your relative in deep despair due to financial trouble or an ailing family member. They may also act to have become unwell or figured in a terrible accident and ask you for money to cover medical expenses. You may even be approached by someone claiming to be their doctor in some cases. You could wind up losing a lot of money regardless of how you are duped. The elderly are the most likely victims of this fraud.

These are just a few examples of internet scams. There are more, and there will be a new modus. These wicked individuals will never tire of devising new schemes to defraud unsuspecting individuals of their hard-earned money. They are as persistent as technological improvements. Therefore, we must never let our guards down and remain watchful at all times.

Here are some helpful reminders for you to print and hang on your wall. These will serve as a quick reminder when you’re doing business online.

TIPS TO AVOID ONLINE SCAMS

1. Never disclose your business and personal information, credit card, and bank account details online until you have confirmed the website’s legitimacy.
2. Don’t share your personal information on social media sites, particularly your bank and credit card details. Scammers locate potential victims by using publicly available information.
3. Examine a website’s digital certificate to validate the domain name and the business. 
4. Install antivirus software, spyware filters, email filters, and firewall tools to keep your computer safe. Always keep your security software up to date.
5. Never open attachments or click on links from suspicious emails, as these may contain malware. Don’t reply nor subscribe to these messages, as well.
6. Shred documents that contain confidential information before disposing of them.
7. Remember, if it’s too good to be true, then it’s most likely a scam. There is no such thing as get-rich-quick schemes. Only the con artists benefit from them.
8. We often hear this line, “Use your common sense.” But, yes, please. Carefully weigh your options before investing. Better yet, ask around for advice.
9. If you’re suspicious, ask some personal questions to test the imposter.
10. Verify with the person they claim to be. If he’s unavailable, ask someone close to him.
11. Lastly, don’t give the money unless you are a hundred percent sure it’s a legitimate business or the actual person you’re dealing with.

What to do if you’re a victim of internet fraud

If your account has been hacked or you have been a victim of an online scam, you must take the following steps right away:

• Notify your credit card and bank companies as soon as possible
• Report the incident to law enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) or the Philippine National Police (PNP). For investment scams, you may report them to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Go to your telecom company to replace your SIM or your phone number.
• Change all of your passwords and enable an additional authentication step.
• Since most of these scammers are overseas, you can also file a report to the Internet Crime Complaint Center.
• Check the Federal Trade Commission page for more details.

Conclusion

Online scams are one of the biggest threats to internet users, particularly those looking for a secure place to buy and sell online. While law enforcement organizations are tireless in pursuing these con artists, it is not easy to apprehend them.

It requires hours of research and cyber forensic analysis to find, preserve, retrieve, analyze, and present data as evidence. They also have to make the evidence admissible in court.

Additionally, exceptional technical skills are required when gathering and analyzing evidence, such as decrypting encrypted files, recovering deleted files, cracking passwords, and so on. Hence, if you don’t want to go through this grueling experience, you must proceed with utmost caution whenever you receive unwanted communications and do online transactions.

Safe and Secure Connection

With the rise of internet fraud, having a secure connection is crucial. It is Streamtech’s steadfast determination to provide its clients with a safe and secure connection. Users can rest assured that they are working with a legitimate firm.

Streamtech is a fiber internet service provider in the Philippines that is entirely safe and secure. It is well-equipped to meet the highest standards of service and support. This includes data privacy. The company also guarantees exceptional customer service and stable connectivity to all users.

While the company’s primary focus is on small and medium-sized enterprises, Streamtech also offers affordable home internet plans and packages that can enhance your online experience. Unlimited internet plus devices equal a better digital life.

Furthermore, Streamtech is available in key cities and municipalities such as Bacoor, Batangas, Laguna, Ilocos Norte, Taguig, Las Pinas, and Muntinlupa.

Stay informed with the latest news. Sign up with Streamtech and you’ll never have to worry about security again.

For further information, please check our website and social media pages.

Photo by rawpixel

Written by: Maine Dela Cruz

The security risks of cyber attacks have adverse, rippling effects on all key stakeholders and actors across sectors. According to recent research, the number of cloud-based cybersecurity breaches increased by 630 percent from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. Basically, this effect on data privacy might be attributable to the rise in cloud-based collaboration technologies used by businesses to allow employees to work from home.

Cybersecurity awareness continues to spread with many organizations adopting a healthy environment and policies that might possibly protect them from cyber assault. Truly, this attitude has spread throughout the sector, with each employee considered as a critical security asset in order to achieve a holistic shift in the fight against online hostility.

How can a robust cybersecurity framework benefit you? To fully understand this, let us determine the cybersecurity definition and how it came to be.

Cybersecurity Meaning

Cybersecurity refers to the practice of defending systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. These security risks often intend to gain access to, alter, or delete sensitive data, extorting money from users, or disrupting regular company activities.

And with the growing discrepancy between humans and gadgets in terms of population, attackers have grown more inventive. In turn, putting in place effective cybersecurity measures have become challenging.

The Need for Cyber Security

The current cyberspace is only intermittently linked, leaving areas of vulnerability to terrible exploits and breaches. Cyber attack and denial of service attack happen anywhere. Expectations for cybercrime losses are to surpass $6 trillion by 2021, according to estimates. The alarm has gone off, and every industry is putting money into cybersecurity.

Ordinary people can become victims of cybercrime scams, not only large businesses. According to research, hacking all of your linked gadgets – your phone, personal computer, laptops, smart home devices – takes only five minutes.

Every 14 seconds, a cyberattack occurs, and you will almost certainly be a victim. Cyberattacks, like theft and robbery, are a reality because of our dependency on online. It’s not exaggerated to think of cybersecurity as a component of your cyber hygiene when our sensitive information and social credibility are on the line.

Types of Cyber Security

Did you know that there are several forms of cybersecurity? These can be applicable to a computer system or any other smart device. Let’s take a look at each one so you can secure your company and personal information online.

Information technology security

Information technology (IT) security refers to a set of cybersecurity methods that protect corporate assets including computers, networks, and data from unwanted access. It protects the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data by preventing skilled hackers from accessing it. One of the most popular forms of IT security is network security.

Network security

Network security refers to the practice of protecting your data from unwanted access via your computer networks. It protects you from a range of security risks by combining software and hardware solutions.

It serves as a barrier between your network and harmful activity, and as an organization, you want to secure your network so that you can continue to provide services to your employees and consumers. In general, safeguarding your company’s reputation.

Examples of network security include firewall, email security, anti-virus and anti-malware security, application security, and data loss prevention (DLP).

Information security

Information security (InfoSec) refers to the process of developing and implementing technologies to protect your essential company data against destruction, disruption, and manipulation. It’s an important aspect of cybersecurity because it’s particularly for data security.

InfoSec aims to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) of your company’s data. It’s development was to ensure that only authorized individuals, programs, or systems have access to sensitive data.

InfoSec comes in different type, the most prominent among them is cloud security.

Cloud Security

Cloud Security mainly focuses on the vulnerabilities coming from Internet services and shared environments. It protects the application and Infrastructure security from cloud-connected components.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and the public cloud can both benefit from cloud security. Achievement of cloud security can be through the employment of a cloud access security broker (CASB), secure Internet gateway (SIG), and cloud-based unified threat management (UTM).

Difference Between IT Security and InfoSec

Although the terms IT security and information security may appear to be interchangeable, each refers to a different type of security. IT security refers to safeguarding digital data through computer network security, whereas InfoSec refers to the processes and technologies meant to secure critical corporate information from intrusion.

Brief History of Cyber Security

Did you know that cybersecurity began with a research project? It only came into existence because of the development of viruses. Cyber crime and cybersecurity’s history can be traced back to the 1940s, long before the computer was invented. Here are some key events that will help you understand how we’ve arrived at today’s point of cybersecurity.

1971 – Discovery of the Creeper Virus

Although mathematician John von Neumann foresaw the notion in the late 1940s, it took another 30 years for someone to implement it. The few users of the ARPANET were in shock when their computer displays flashed the message “I’m the creeper, catch me if you can” on March 16, 1971. Creeper, a type of computer virus, duplicates itself and spreads to other systems. Creeper, unlike today’s dangerous viruses, just displayed messages.

Disaster recovery did not last long. Ray Tomlinson, the creator of email and an American computer programmer, was also working for BBN Technologies at the time. He came across this concept and loved it. More so, he messed about with the software and turned it into “the first computer worm” by making it self-replicating. He called the program Reaper, and it was the first antivirus software to detect and remove copies of The Creeper.

1983 – The first U.S. patent for cybersecurity

As computers became more advanced, so did cyber attacks. Inventors and technology specialists from all over the world rushed to obtain patents for innovative computer systems. In September of 1983, MIT came up with the first patent on cybersecurity in the United States. The RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) algorithm was one of the earliest public-key cryptosystems. Its disclosure was in the patent 4,405,829 for a “cryptographic communications system and method.” Modern cybersecurity is built on the foundation of cryptography.

1993 – The first DEF CON conference

The inaugural DEF CON was in June of 1993. This significant cybersecurity technical conference gathers professionals, ethical hackers, technology journalists, IT specialists, and others. Jeff Moss arranged the event, which drew approximately 100 people. Today, approximately 20,000 cybersecurity experts from across the world attend the annual conference.

2000 – I LOVE YOU virus infects 50 million computers

Distribution of the worm was using an email with the subject “ILOVEYOU” and the attachment “LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.txt.vbs.” When the secret script was activated, it overwrote random files and sent a duplicate of itself to all of the user’s Outlook contacts. The virus spread so rapidly that the Pentagon and the CIA had to turn down their email servers until the situation was under control.

2010 – Hacking uncovered at a national level

Google surprised the world in 2010, with its disclosure of a security breach of its infrastructure in China—a project it named “Operation Aurora.” Before 2010, it had been very unusual for organizations to announce data breaches.

Google’s initial belief was that the attackers were attempting to gain access to the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. However, later discovery divulged that it was in fact Chinese intelligence operatives in the U.S. The perpetration of the attack was against more than 50 companies.

2020 – Rise of connected devices

In 2020, there were around 6.8 internet-connected (IoT) gadgets per person on the planet. Concerns about cybersecurity are growing as the quantity of personal data available increases.

Next-gen cybersecurity uses different approaches to increase the detection of new and unprecedented threats, while also reducing the number of false positives. It typically involves:

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Network Behavioural Analysis (NBA) – identifying malicious files based on behavioral deviations or anomalies
• Threat intelligence and update automation 
• Real-time protection – also referred to as on-access scanning, background guard, resident shield and auto-protect
• Sandboxing – creating an isolated test environment where you can execute a suspicious file or URL
• Forensics – replaying attacks to help security teams better mitigate future breaches
• Back-up and mirroring 
• Web application firewalls (WAF) – protecting against cross-site forgery, cross-site-scripting (XSS), file inclusion, and SQL injection.

Future of Cybersecurity

Experts anticipate that by 2030, the number of active internet users will have risen rapidly to over 7.5 billion. As a result, cybersecurity is on the verge of becoming a legal requirement. For example, in the future, engineers may be able to utilize AI to locate vulnerabilities and security breaches. When individuals make bad security decisions or visit hazardous websites, AI may be utilized in UI to convey warnings to them.

The next item that seems likely is cyber warfare, which a few countries may use as an alternative to regular battles. This means that the security infrastructure would need to be mobile in order to respond to an emergency.

Cybercrimes: Here to Stay

A study revealed computer hacks are taking place globally every 39 seconds. Cyberspace will be infested with automated scripts, which means more skilled people will be involved in cybercrimes. This will automate a massive expansion of tech workers that will be cyber enforcers who’ll maintain civility and order in cyberspace. 

The current projections also indicate that the global security market will be around $42 billion, by 2020. But the only problem will be a sharp decrease in the workforce with open positions unfulfilled. This will create a vacuum where either company will fixate or invest in immediate priorities or invest in cybersecurity which will be expensive as opposed to the traditional costs. 

Benefits of Cyber Security

In countering growing cyber threats, cybersecurity faces continual challenges. Although there is no sign that cybercrime is going to diminish, there is a clear indication of access points that hackers might exploit.

Cybersecurity is essential to sectors spanning businesses and organizations that entail the protection of their respective cyber-IT ecosystems from threats such as fraud, vandalism, exploitation, and espionage, based on circumstantial evidence. Here are some of the major benefits of having a cybersecurity strategy in place:

• Protecting data and networks from any unauthorized access 
• Improvement in business continuity and information security management 
• Providing security consolidation to stakeholders in terms of your information security arrangements 
• Enhanced security controls without compromising company credentials 
• Preemptive to a potential cyberattack and recovery protocols for a quick revival

Cybersecurity in the Philippines

In terms of cybersecurity in the Philippines is particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and incidents due to its large social-media-savvy population and lack of data protection procedures. According to one analysis, the Philippines is the fifth most likely country to be attacked, behind Algeria, Nepal, Albania, and Djibouti. After the hacking of the 70 million votes data recorded with the Commission on Elections in 2016, the Philippines had its most massive data breach.

According to a Microsoft study released in 2019, the Department of Information, Communications, and Technology launched the National Cybersecurity Plan 2022 in 2017 to improve the security and resilience of critical data infrastructure and avoid possible economic losses of $3.5 billion due to cybersecurity threats. The government is also lagging behind in enforcing the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which established data protection standards and required all businesses to appoint a Data Privacy Officer.

Energize business with Streamtech’s premium unlimited internet!

With Streamtech’s unlimited internet, you may work without interruptions using either shared internet access (SIA) or dedicated internet access (DIA) for a more secure connection. You can satisfy your company’s particular requirements thanks to its numerous fiber redundancy.

More so, we provide inexpensive accessible fiber internet options that are suitable for your needs. Whether your business is a micro, small, or medium-sized business, or a large and established organization, we have something for you. Furthermore, we provide each of our corporate clients with personalized after-sales services. This is to guarantee that your business is constantly performing at its best.

Plus, there’s more. If you’re a current or prospective Streamtech member, get to know SAM, our ever-reliable Support & Assistance Mate! Indeed, all you have to do is find SAM on Viber and speak with him, join our Streamtech Viber Community. Be sure you provide us your Viber number. After that, SAM will take care of everything for you!

For more information, visit or our website or Official Facebook Page.