The most common way for attacks, including ransomware and credential theft, to be delivered is through phishing. Other forms of phishing have been expanding quickly, albeit we are extremely aware of it arriving via email.
Phishing on social media has increased by 500% over the past several years. Additionally, the number of bogus social media profiles has increased by 100%.
People tend to let their guard down when using social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which makes them easy targets for phishing attacks on social media. They’re not looking for phishing schemes because they’re networking.
On the other hand, managed IT security businesses say that phishing scammers are searching for you and will contact you via messages and requests from friends and personal messages. To prevent these kinds of sneak assaults, learn how to safeguard your online accounts and social media usage in the following ways.
Set Up Your Social Media Profile As Private
Social media public accounts are a favorite target for phishing fraudsters because they allow them to clone your profile and set up a phony page to phish your contacts in addition to gathering information about you to start a discussion.
Criminals use social media phishing to send links that their targets are more likely to click on because they think they are coming from someone they know. They use this to try to connect with others on your friends or connections list.
You can reduce your risk by making your profile private to only your connections. This means that only people you’ve associated with may view your posts and photographs, not the whole public.
Even though you may still want to keep your profile public on networking sites like LinkedIn where many people network for employment, you can lower your risk by using the other suggestions listed below.
Hide Your Email And Phone Numbers
Hide your friends or connections list to prevent social phishing criminals from trying to access your connections through your social media profile. You have this privacy option on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Just keep in mind that unless the other person has also hidden their friends list, scammers will still be able to view you as a friend or connection on their page.
Use Caution When Clicking On Links In Postings And Direct Message
Links are the most common method used to spread phishing assaults, particularly on social media. Business IT services report that links on social media posts are frequently shortened, so it can be challenging for users to understand where they are being led before they arrive. This makes clicking links you see on social media platforms increasingly riskier.
When chatting with you on LinkedIn, a scam artist may ask you about your company’s services and provide a link to what they claim is their website. Do not click links received via direct messaging or in social media posts unless you are certain that the source is reliable. They can direct you to a phishing website that automatically downloads malware to your device.
Be sure to find out where a link is coming from, even if one of your connections shares it. Because they appreciate a meme or photo on a post, people frequently share it on their own feeds, but they never stop to consider whether the source is reliable.
Avoid Taking Part In Quizzes Or Surveys On Social Media
Avoid taking online tests on social media, even though it could be entertaining to find out what Marvel superhero or Disney princess you are. They are frequently created as a ruse to learn more about you. Information that might be utilized in identity theft or targeted phishing scams.
It wasn’t all that long ago when the Cambridge Analytica incident occurred, which involved the personal information of millions of Facebook users. It was discovered that the business was gathering user data without the users’ consent by employing surveys and quizzes.
Even though this instance received a lot of attention, they are by no means the only ones who utilize social media to their advantage and play fast and loose with user data.
The best course of action is to steer clear of any surveys or quizzes on social networking platforms because, once your personal information is disclosed, there is no way to retrieve it back.
Avoid Making Direct Buys From Instagram Or Facebook Advertisements
Regrettably, a lot of criminals also utilize social media sites for credit card fraud and identity theft. Many businesses legally advertise there.
Go directly to the advertiser’s website to check something out if it catches your attention in a Facebook or Instagram ad; avoid clicking via the social media ad.
Do Your Research Before Accepting A Friend’s Request
Receiving a connection request on social media may be exhilarating. It could imply making a new professional connection or reestablishing contact with a former classmate. However, phishing fraudsters will also seek to take advantage of you in this manner. Before reaching out to you directly over DM, they will attempt to connect with you as a first step.
Never accept friend invitations without first utilizing a search engine to look up the sender on the website. You should deny the invitation if you see that all of the content on their timeline is self-portraits and there are no posts.
Are Your Device Capable Of Handling A Phishing Link Or File?
Your devices need to be protected with features like controlled antivirus, email filtering, DNS filtering, and more. Speak to your outsource IT services team or consider managed IT security In the event that you click on a phishing link, this will assist in protecting you.
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