Data Breaches: What Do They Mean For You?

How to Safeguard our Information
in a World of Security Breaches

What Can We Do when Our Data Gets Out?

Yesterday, all of the tech publications were warning of another major data breach.  Another popular Facebook App exposed users' personal data, and this time, over 120 million users were possibly affected.    Who was careless with our data this time? Nametests.com, a site Techlaurels warned users about over a year ago.

In a nutshell, Nametests had this hole where if you knew the right JavaScript commands, you could potentially access any users' personal information.  A website could exploit this, or any individual who knew how to grab and use a "token."  The "good guy" who discovered this used the flaw to set up a data mining program and subsequently reported the bug to Facebook. The security hole was supposedly closed.

And of course Nametests wanted that hole closed as soon as it was discovered. Who is going to buy a candy bar if there is a bowl sitting next to the register that says "Yours for the taking."  Or to borrow from an old cliche, if you're in the business of selling cows, you don't want to be giving the milk away for free.

Telephone Phishing: Voicemail Messages You Should NOT Return

Phishing Phone Calls:
No, There is No Warrant for your Arrest,
and the Police are NOT on Their Way

DO NOT Return a Scammer's Call

Today's world is full of people who are fraudulently trying to separate you from your hard earned money.  Phishing has become a real problem on the Internet, something we've talked a lot about on this blog in the past.  Spoofed e-mails. bad links, text message spam, and malicious Facebook Posts are common ways in which the fraudsters attack.  

But what about offline? Are you safe from phishing attacks if you do not use the Internet at all? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is no.  As people get wiser about online attack strategies, the Bad Guys have begun to attack you offline.  And one of the most prevalent methods of offline phishing uses your telephone.

Today, we're going to look at Phone Phishing.  We are also going to look at two phishing attempts, both employing voicemail.  In both cases, these are examples of voicemails you should NOT return.

E-Mail Deactivation Scams

No, Your E-Mail Account Is NOT About to be Closed

Account Closure E-Mails are Another Form of Phishing

 

Account Deactivation E-Mails

Have you received an e-mail stating your ISP is going to deactivate your e-mail account? Did you panic?  Well, you can relax, as these "Account Closure" e-mails are just another form of phishing, and they can safely be junked.

To review, phishing is a form of spam. in which the bad guys try to steal your personal information by impersonating someone trustworthy.  We've talked about phishing many times in the past.  The Bad Guys use sophisticated tactics to try to separate you from your personal information, often so they can impersonate you and/or steal your identity.  E-mails threatening to close your e-mail account if you do not click on a link are no different.

Black Friday: Don't Get Scammed

The Biggest Shopping Weekend Brings Out the Scammers

Shop Safely and Avoid the Cyber Shopping Scams

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and basically the whole Thanksgiving Weekend are some of the biggest shopping days on the planet.  Almost every cyberstore has some kind of special, and our Inboxes and Social Media Feeds are full of discounted offers.  And although there are many legitimate sales, there are just as many scammers looking to rip you off on this big shopping weekend.  Don't be a fool, and look out for the Black Friday Shopping Scams.  Here are a few of the more popular ways to separate honest folks from their hard earned money.

Bogus Order Confirmations

Bogus order confirmations are a form of spear phishing. Scammers send hundreds of fake order confirmations, hoping you will click through to cancel an order.  Basically, the scammer steals official looking logos and graphics from a major retailer, then uses them in an order confirmation purporting to be from that retailer.  These phishing attacks multiply on Black Friday, as many folks are placing online orders during that time.  The e-mail may spoof Best Buy, Amazon, Ebay, Target, WalMart, Costco, etc.  If you click through the fake e-mail, you will be taken to a cloned log-in site.  The scammers are hoping to steal your shopping log-ins, so they can go on a shopping spree with your money, and even lock you out of your own account.

A New Way to Phish: Survey Spam

Beware of Phishing Attacks via Surveys

Scammers Can Use Surveys to Steal Your Personal Information;
That Survey Invitation May be a Phishing Attack in Disguise

The Scammers just keep getting more creative, finding new, seemingly legitimate ways to steal and misuse your personal information.  Survey spam is one of the latest methods Spear Phishers are using to trap their victims.

Spear Phishing refers to a targeted e-mail attack.  Spear phishers send you personalized spam e-mail that usually appears to be from a trusted contact.  That e-mail is intended to trick you into taking an action that will open you to harm. A Spear Phishing attack may try to plant malware, steal your information, and/or trick you into revealing log-ins and passwords.  A Spear Phisher's intentions are never good.

As cyberspace wisens up, the Phishers find new ways to steal your information. One of these ways is through survey spam.

Folks love to participate in surveys.  Often, surveys contain a sweepstakes component to help entice users to take it. "Five survey  participants will be randomly chosen to receive a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate" is a common come-on.  Many companies use legitimate surveys for market research and quality assurances.

Mail that Should NOT Be Opened

Not All E-Mail Should Be Opened

Avoid Malware by Avoiding Malicious E-Mail

The longer you have had an e-mail address, the more probability you'll receive spam. If you read any of our series on The Privacy Implications of Internet Quizzes, you know that there are many unscrupulous folks out there, eager to harvest your information. Facebook like scams, phony giveaways, and the like are all set up with the express purpose of harvesting your e-mail address. Once harvested, those addresses are often sold. That results in spam.

By definition, Spam means unsolicited commercial e-mail. It is usually sent to a large number of recipients.  It has come to connote scams and shams. It is actually illegal. The US passed the CAN-SPAM Act in 2003, regulating commercial e-mail. But the Bad Guys are not known for following the laws.  Legitimate companies always include opt-out information in order to comply with the law. Spammers use it to their advantage, often including links that look like legitimate opt-out links, but that only lead to malicious content. Additionally, unsubscribing from a SPAM e-mail only confirms to the bad guy that you read your e-mails, making your address even more valuable.


Now much spam is actually harmless. By harmless, I mean it's just attempting to sell you something. That something is probably counterfeit, if it even exists to begin with. More spam actually tries to cause harm to you or your equipment. That spam is not as harmless. It may plant malware on your computer. It may try to steal your credentials, so the crooks can steal your money and/or pose as you and ruin your reputation.

Today's post is going to focus on e-mail you should not open. ALL of this mail landed in my inbox within the last week. Some of these were correctly filtered by my spam filter; others landed in my inbox, and I had to manually mark them as junk. All e-mails have been converted to screenshots, due to their malicious content. (Remember, you can click on the images to open them larger, in an "overlay.")

Privacy Implications of Sweepstakes, Freebies, and Like-Farming Sites

Sweepstakes and Freebies are great for Marketing Purposes;
They're Also Great for Mining Your Information

Be Smart When Entering Contests or Requesting Freebies

Our last few posts have focused on the privacy implications of Internet Quizzes.  We are currently evaluating SAFE quiz sites, and that series will resume when we've had a chance to complete our research. (The bad sites are MUCH more numerous than the legit ones.) But quiz sites are not the only data miners out there.  You must be just as cautious when participating in sweepstakes and contests, as well as when signing up for freebies of any kind.

Playing the "Sweeps"

I have been an avid "sweepser" since the they went online.  (Those of us who enter contests and sweepstakes as a hobby affectionately call it "Sweepsing."  People who do this are "Sweepsters.") Before there was a World Wide Web, I returned the occasional sweepstakes card, figuring I might get lucky for the cost of a stamp.  I foolishly dropped my business card in bowls at restaurants, promising a drawing for a gift card or exotic vacation.  Then I wondered where all that junk mail and those time share calls were coming from.

More on Internet Quiz Sites and the Associated Dangers

What Are You Giving Up When You Use One Popular Facebook Quiz Engine?  Maybe More Than You Think...

A Review of Nametests.com

This is the third part in a series on what you also give up when you take an Internet Quiz.  Part 1 focused on General Dangers.  Part Two reviewed the terms of use for one popular Internet Quiz site. Today, we're going to look at nametests.com.  I think about 75% of the quiz results that come across my own Facebook timeline come from nametests.com.  I think few folks visit the sire directly.  Most click-through friends' shared results to take the same quiz.  While there, they often fall into a click-hole, taking other quizzes suggested at the end of the one they just took. How many readers have taken a test at nametests?  How many of you have actually looked at their terms of services?

The Dangers of Internet Quizzes

Are Facebook Quizzes Really Harmless?

People LOVE taking Social Media Quizzes.  Sites like Buzzfeed have entire sections devoted to quizzes.  Facebook timelines are filled with results shared from various quiz-hosting sites.  Quizzes and tests can be great traffic drivers, and from a marketing standpoint, they can be very beneficial to your site.  But what about from a user standpoint?  Are there any dangers of taking these internet tests and sharing the results?  The answer, unfortunately, is neither yes nor no.  There can be great dangers in taking these internet quizzes, or they may be completely harmless.  If you scrutinize before you click, you can easily learn the difference.

What Are Some of the Dangers of Taking a Quiz?

The dangers fall into several categories.  Again, a quiz site may be harmless, and none of these dangers may apply.  Or it may be a complete and total scam site, out to cause you harm.  Most quiz sites fall somewhere between these two extremes. The trick, as with any internet activity, is to be savvy.  You need to arm yourself with the knowledge to evaluate the risks of each individual quiz. This list is by no means inclusive.  It only describes SOME of the dangers you may encounter.

IRS Scams: Don't Get Phished!

Tax Day Brings Out the Scammers Every Year!

Be Vigilant! Do Not Fall for an IRS Hoax

Happy Tax Day!  Tax Time always seems to bring out the Scammers.  They inundate unsuspecting victims with e-mails, claiming to be from the IRS, in an attempt to steal your money, your identity, or both.  Most entice you to open an attachment or click on a link.  Doing either will only fill your system with malware.