GRAND Magazine - Summer 2024 - 22

technology
How to stay ahead of scammers
U
BY GREG SCHAFFER
nauthorized bank transfers. Identity theft. Fooled by deep fakes.
No one is too old, too young, too rich or poor to escape being
targeted. Surprisingly cybercriminals aren't always after
money. Some do it for political gains or activism. Others just
want to harass people.
How to spot and avoid five common
cybersecurity and vulnerabilities risks
#1 Deep fakes
It's become easy to fake who is seen on
video calls. One businessperson, thinking
they were on a video call with colleagues,
complied with their request to send millions
of dollars to what they thought was a valid
recipient. If something doesn't feel right, text
the other person's cell phone. If they don't respond, they may not be who they say
they are.
#2 Phishing
This often involves bad guys preying on another's trust. Other times, criminals
rely on immediacy and urgency. For example, if they claim to be law enforcement
or the IRS, don't be rushed into taking action. Always take the time to
double-check.
#3 Generative AI, such as ChatGPT
One of the biggest risks is entering confidential information. Generative AI can
share what is uploaded with the rest of the world. It's also common for people to
use ChatGPT to help fix resumes. Never enter any identifying information such as a
photo, address or educational background.
22 GRAND Summer 2024
#4 Multifactor identification fatigue
Bad guys may bombard you with requests to confirm log-in attempts
they didn't initiate. It's annoying and can be tempting to confirm,
just to get notifications to stop. Only now, that's given the bad
guys access to your username and password. Maybe a bank
account is about to be siphoned. Never accept uninitiated
requests.
#5 Home wi-fi network
Even with doors and windows locked, bad guys can
enter homes through devices. They may enter through
something as simple as a smart TV. Once
they've breached the TV, they could jump
to a laptop and find sensitive financial
information. To reduce this risk, keep
firewalls and laptops updated. Segment
home networks: entertainment, children,
home business, appliances, etc. That way, if one gets compromised, the others
won't. And never share passwords across platforms.
If a breach occurs, stop and take a deep breath
Don't panic. Not thinking clearly may increase the intensity of
what's happening. Don't feel pressured into action. Call law enforcement.
Enlist cybersecurity experts to help.
Greg Schaffer is the owner and founder of vCISO Services an
information security consulting business and author of Information
Security for Small and midsized Businesses. He also hosts a
popular podcast, The Virtual CISO Moment, to discuss information
security topics for small and mid-sized businesses.

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GRAND Magazine - Summer 2024

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