Beware Payment Requests For Vaccine, And How To Stay Safe Online In 2021

Ever since the pandemic, we¡¯ve seen our world to completely shift online -- whether it¡¯s working from home, studying from home or just entertaining ourselves -- the internet has played a major role in our lives. However, this also meant that we¡¯ve grown more susceptible to scams online.

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Whether its scams on classifieds websites to scams that offered jobs, online conspirators have left no stone unturned to make sure they trap a user and get their way with it. And with 2021 rolling on, the need for a robust cybersecurity habit is crucial.

And today, on World Safer Internet Day, we got to interact with Ritesh Chopra, Director Sales and Field Marketing, India & SAARC at NortonLifeLock who has shared his insights on the cyber threats that we could experience this year and how we can stay safeguard ourselves from them while also keeping our loved ones safe.

Ritesh Chopra - Norton

Predicting the cybersecurity landscape for 2021

Ritesh Chopra revealed how massive a transformation 2020 has brought for Indian users online, while a large majority remain oblivious to the fact that it has also increased risks cyber threats along with it, ¡°As people continue to hunt for opportunities in the digital world, they sometimes fail to realise the increased threat that comes along with it. In the past few months, we have witnessed several cases of targeted data breaches across the globe.¡±

He added, ¡°Whether it is identity theft, data breaches or online frauds, cybercrime is on the rise. Scammers and cybercriminals are always on the lookout for vulnerabilities that can be exploited. To protect personal and private data, it is extremely important that companies and individuals take active measure for ensuring cyber safety.¡±

Most vulnerable threats in 2021

Ritesh shared that threats that troubled Indians during 2020 will continue to do so in 2021, but in a slightly newer avatar, ¡°Last year, cybercrime increased across the country, with people falling prey to phishing scams and malware designed around the theme of COVID-19. This is likely to continue with the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine."

"Scamsters might ask victims to make payments for a ¡°vaccine¡± or ask them to divulge their credit card details or other financial information. Consumers can avoid falling prey to such scams by remembering two important things: COVID-19 vaccines are not for sale, and there is no way for anyone to skip the vaccination line. Any message promising anyone earlier-than-due access to a vaccine is certainly a scam.¡±

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He added, ¡°Watering hole attack is another form of cyber threat that is likely to continue in 2021. As most people continue to work from home, companies will rely heavily on shared online services and cloud services. These online sites are easy targets for scammers, who can infect these services and wait for workers to come to them like animals to a watering hole. The sites can be filled with malware that then infects the computers of users."

"Although these kinds of attacks have existed for years, they will be even more appealing for con artists today, with so many companies relying on cloud services to connect remotely with their employees. It has therefore become more crucial than ever before for both companies and individuals to take active measure for cyber safety.¡±

But people are also getting more vigilant

Ritesh revealed how even though 2020¡¯s lifestyle of being online made us more susceptible to cyberattacks, people have now become more informed and vigilant about cyber threats, ¡°Over the past year, people have become more aware of cyber safety issues, especially in view of the ¡°work from home¡± trend and the increase in COVID-19-themed frauds. This has been observed not just in metro cities but also in smaller cities and towns¡±

He added, ¡°Companies and consumers are now taking proactive steps to protect themselves and their families from online threats. Even though the overall level of awareness of cyber safety has increased, it is crucial that we continue to educate people and encourage them to take active measures to secure their personal data.

How to keep kids and senior citizens safe online

With kids spending more time online than before -- whether for online classes or just for hanging out, they too have become more susceptible to threats online. Ritesh shared a few tips to help kids understand the threats in the cyber world and helping them keep their guards up.

Ritesh suggests warning kids how to recognise scammers ¡°Kids might not realize that pop-ups and emails offering free perks can often lead to virus infection or theft of personal information. Keep your kids cyber smart; teach them to think before they click. Whether they are watching videos, playing games, checking email, or browsing the web, they should never click on a suspicious-looking link or message from an unknown sender.¡±

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Parents should also let their children know that cyberbullying is never okay, ¡°Let kids know that hateful comments or pranks are a form of cyberbullying and, therefore, not allowable,¡± said Ritesh.

He added, ¡°Show them how to take screenshots of hostile messages or cruel photos, and how to block bullies. Encourage them to come and inform you right away if they experience any form of cyberbullying.¡±

Additionally, Ritesh recommends parents to make use of apps like Norton Family to set up parental control on their kids¡¯ devices to keep limit their access to some apps or websites.

Safe habits for protecting online presence

Ritesh also laid out a few tips for adults to make sure they have a safe presence online. For scams surrounding unknown transactions, Ritesh recommends to always check your credit card statements to ¡°ensure that no fraudulent activity has occurred, especially if valuable information such as your passwords, Aadhaar card details, or PAN number has been stolen.¡±

Additionally, for browsing online, he recommends subscribing to a VPN service, and to avoid using public Wi-Fi hotspots, ¡°Using public WiFi or any internet connection that is not secure could leave your data vulnerable to eavesdroppers and hackers. Cyber snoops can easily intercept your online activity and steal your login credentials and personal data.¡±

He also warned users to be wary of phishing scams. ¡°Phishing is a favourite trick of scammers, who use fake emails and texts to trick you into giving them your personal and financial information, or even the log-in credentials of your online bank accounts or credit card portals. Even a seemingly innocuous link could make you the victim of a cyberattack or identity theft. To avoid such vulnerabilities, always keep the security and privacy settings on your device up-to-date.¡±

For passwords, Ritesh recommended that we change them regularly to help make it difficult for hackers to access your account. He also strongly recommends using two-factor authentication as ¡°the extra login step greatly reduces the chances of hackers breaking into the sites you visit.¡±

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He also recommended keeping a check on privacy settings on social networking sites, ¡°The information that you post on social media sites can be used by hackers and cybercriminals to steal your identity. Improve your social media privacy by adjusting your settings on these accounts. The simplest and most important way to protect your online privacy is to simply be careful about what you post.¡±