Summary
● What is digital security?
● Learn about the most common types of fraud that put your and your company's digital security at risk
● Differences between digital security and privacy
● Initiatives to maintain digital security and data protection
● What precautions does the customer need to take to ensure the digital security of their information?
● How to set up an efficient digital security system
What is digital security?
Before we understand what digital security is, we need to understand why attacks have increased during the pandemic . This happened because systems and equipment became more exposed, as people had to work from home, following the social distancing guidelines required at that time.
In addition, there has been an increase in online shopping and more access to internet banking, in addition to the significant use of debit and credit cards. With the weaknesses detected in these systems, attacks have come. It is important to understand that fraud attempts occur when the criminal finds an opportunity, which may be due to failures or even inefficient anti-fraud systems.
When hacks occur, they can cause harm to people and businesses. With confidential or financial information in their possession, cybercriminals can make purchases, loans, open businesses or even offer this information on the market. Therefore, digital security seeks to protect people and systems from this type of occurrence, as we will see below.
Learn about the most common types of fraud kuwait whatsapp number code that put your and your company's digital security at risk
You may have heard some of these terms used to describe the most well-known and common types of fraud. To clear up any doubts, let's clarify each item individually. You'll see that the boldness and creativity of digital fraudsters has no limits.
Malware – The term comes from malicious software . It is a program that aims to infect a user's computer to capture their personal data. The most well-known are: viruses, spyware and Trojan horses, for example.
Ransomware – This is another type of malware. Its goal is to encrypt data on a system so that the user loses access to and control of the information. To recover it, the user must pay a ransom. There are hundreds of cases of famous people who have been victims or blackmailed so that their personal data, photos and videos would not be leaked.
Credential stuffing – Another very common type of scam. The fraudster captures the user’s data and tests it on other websites and platforms to see if it has been repeated. It is common for the user to use the same password and even login on several online services. This way, the fraudster discovers and uses the data.
Phishing – This is the most common of all. It comes from the combination of the words in English: phreaking + fishing . The fraudster literally tries to fish the victim's data on the internet. In general, they use e-mail messages, SMS, applications or set up fake websites to capture the user's personal data, and thus carry out scams.
The most common types of phishing include:
Blind phishing – Sending fake emails with a link or attachment that, when clicked, installs viruses on the device.
Smishing – SMS messages sent to mobile phones that encourage the victim to make a quick decision. For example, they will lose out on a prize, a great discount or another fantastic advantage.
Scam – Attempts to obtain personal information through links or files with viruses. In this case, contact may be via telephone, social media, and messages through various means.
Clone phishing – The website is cloned to attract users, who believe it is a safe environment, but have their financial data, for example, stolen.
Pharming – This is a variation of clone phishing. In this case, website traffic is manipulated to direct the user to a fake website to capture data.
Spear phishing – The attack here is on a specific group or database. For example, when fraudsters hack into streaming services or private passenger transportation, as happened recently.
Whaling – This is aimed at high-ranking executives to gain access to confidential data or money.
Vishing – In this case, the voice is used to carry out the scam. For example: in a phone call, the fraudster demands immediate action from the victim.
Differences between digital security and digital privacy
The first step is to understand the differences between security and privacy . For example, security aims to preserve and protect personal or company data against fraudsters and the various risks, as we have seen, to which we are subjected in the virtual world.
Any attack that aims to capture data – whether from an individual, groups of people or corporations – can cause incalculable damage, not to mention the headache of regaining access to systems and information.
It is not uncommon for companies to have their customers' data exposed. Even the Central Bank reported earlier this year the leak of 160,000 Pix keys, the second since the system was created in 2020. The Central Bank claimed that registration data that did not affect the movement of funds was leaked. Even so, those who had their data leaked were exposed. In these cases, one way is to go to the Central Bank's Registrato website to check if your CPF is linked to accounts, loans, etc.
Precautions to maintain digital security and data protection
We cannot forget that every minute in Brazil, up to four fraud attempts occur, according to market data. The preferred targets are financial institutions, loyalty programs and cryptocurrencies. In addition, the types of fraud and methods are constantly updated by fraudsters. Therefore, it is very important to have specialized tools to guarantee the digital security and data that is in your company's possession.
Therefore, the flow of information within an institution is also extremely important. In general, there are teams specialized in verifying how data is collected, distributed and used.
IT teams work with tools and protocols that help classify information, manage access to it, and establish permission levels for access. The more sensitive the data, the more security and care involved.
And the more sensitive the stored data, the more robust the anti-fraud programs and firewalls available must be. Another tip is to rely on digital certificates, such as SSL, which encrypt information to protect it.
The objective of these professionals is to ensure that the company has permission to store this information, while the information security team works to prevent leaks.
What precautions does the customer need to take to ensure the digital security of their information?
The General Data Protection Law (LGPD) was a step forward in the protection of sensitive information. In force since September 2020, the LGPD aims to establish how data, whether in physical or digital form, originating from individuals or companies, should be protected.
Since the law was enacted, there has been a rush to adapt systems and processes to the new legislation. Although companies have strict digital security protocols, it is important that users also take care of their personal data.
To do this, you need to use strong passwords that combine letters, numbers and symbols, and you should not access links or access unknown websites or download unknown files, or click on flash sales from suspicious senders. Another tip is to keep antivirus software active on your devices (especially computers) and not use personal data on public or open networks (wi-fi).
How to set up an efficient digital security system
Efficiency in digital security is a challenge of balancing the ease of use of systems by customers and minimizing the risk of fraud, unauthorized access, and other types of attacks that may occur. There are different tools that can be used in this scope, and the ideal format depends on both the desired level of security and the type of market in which the company operates.
BigDataCorp has several tools that help companies achieve this balance. BigBoost data, for example, can be used in preventive identity validation strategies, and BigId's anti-fraud features can automatically confirm that any person or company is the same person.