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Want to be a Cybercriminal? Try Facebook

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When you think of a cybercriminal, you probably picture someone in a black hoodie in a dark room on the dark web, but most cybercriminals are out there in plain sight, including on Facebook.

facebook security

Talos, a cybersecurity firm, found that people can easily join Facebook groups, and then participate in cybercrime including buying and selling credit card info, obtaining spamming tools, or even getting account logins and passwords. All in all, these groups have almost 400,000 members.

Though that does sound like a lot, and it is a lot, you also have to remember that Facebook has about 2 billion users logging into the site each month. With that number of people, it is difficult for the social media giant to deal with these groups.

The failure of Facebook to remove these cybercriminals shows that it is struggling to keep bad online behavior at bay, and this also include hate speech, inciting violence, and sharing false information. This also, of course, show how this behavior can be amplified by the algorithms that Facebook uses.

These groups are easy to find on Facebook. All you have to do is type things like CVV or spam. Once you join one of these groups, Facebook’s algorithms come into play and suggest other groups that are similar in nature. Plus, Facebook doesn’t have a great way to catch these criminals, as it relies on reports from other users to stop this type of behavior.

Because of this, Facebook really has a long way to go before it stops relying on the reports of its users. It’s also true that these reports aren’t always taken seriously, and they often fall through the cracks.

One such example of this is with the recent terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. The gunman who was responsible for the attack streamed his murderous act on Facebook Live. Though Facebook eventually took the video down, it was seen by thousands of people. However, Facebook said that it had no report of the video during the attack, which is why it took so long to remove it.

Knowing all of this, Talos tried to take on some of these crybercrime groups through the reporting system at Facebook. Some of these groups were, indeed, removed from the platform, but others were not. Instead, only specific posts were removed, while the group itself was able to live another day. Talos kept reporting these groups, however, and eventually, most of them were removed. However, new groups are now popping up to take the removed groups’ places. Facebook has acknowledged that there is a problem, and it admits that these groups have violated its policies. It also said that it knows that more vigilance is required and that it is investigating all types of criminal activity on the platform.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Study Shows Millennials Choose Convenience Over Security

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To those of us consider Tom Cruise the movie star of our day or even Grunge as the music we grew up with, looking at millennials, and the way they view life, is fascinating. These “kids” or young adults, many are brilliant. They really do define “disruption”.

However, that doesn’t mean that this tech savvy generation is always right. In fact, a new study shows just the opposite when it comes to internet safety. Though, they can also teach us a few things and are definitely up to speed on the value of “authentication” (which leads to accountability).

Anyway…South by Southwest, or SXSW, is a festival and conference that is held each year in Austin, TX. This year, a survey was done with some good AND scary results. The company that did the survey, SureID, found that 83% of millennials that were asked believed that convenience is more important than safety. That’s not good. But this is not the only interesting finding, however. On a positive note, the study also found the following:

  • About 96% want to have the ability to verify their identity online, which would ensure it was safe from hackers.
  • About 60% put more value on time than they do their money or safety.
  • 79% are less likely to buy something from a person who can’t prove their identity.
  • 70% feel more comfortable interacting with a person online if they can verify that other person’s identity.
  • 91% say they believe that companies “definitely” or “maybe” do background checks on those who work for them. These include on-demand food delivery and ridesharing. However, most companies do not do this.

What does this information tell us? It says that we are very close to seeing a shift in the way millennials are viewing their identities, as well as how they view the people and businesses they interact with.

Millennials have a need to want to better verify another person’s identity. To support this, just look at dating apps. Approximately 88% of people using them find the idea of verifying the identity of the people they might see offsite as appealing. It’s similar with ride sharing, where about 75% of millennials want to know, without a doubt, who is driving them around.

We live in a world today that is more connected than ever before. These days, as much as 30% of the population is working as freelancers, or in another type of independent work. In many cases, this work is evolving from small gigs to large and efficient marketplaces. Thus, the need for extra security and transparency is extremely important. Sometimes, technology helps us act too comfortably with people we don’t really know, and the study shows that having people prove whom they are will help to create higher levels of trust.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen. See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video.

Businesses Struggling to Keep Up with Latest Wave of Malware Attacks

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Companies have been struggling for years to keep cyber-attacks at bay. Cyberthieves are working faster than ever before to send out their malicious attacks, and it’s become increasingly difficult for companies to keep up.

CNN reports that almost one million malware strains are released every day. In 2014, more than 300 million new types of malicious software were created. In addition to new forms of malware, hackers continue to rely on tried and true bugs because many companies simply haven’t found a fix or haven’t updated their systems to mitigate the threats.

In almost 90% of these cases, the bugs have been around since the early 2000s, and some go back to the late 1990s. The irony here is that companies can protect themselves and create patches for these bugs, but there tends to be a lack of effort and resources when it comes to getting the job done.

Some industries are targeted more than others. After hackers get information from these companies, such as proprietary data, they attempt to sell the information on the black market.

Cyberattacks are spreading quickly, and it takes almost no time after an email is sent for a victim to fall for the scheme. When a hacker is successful at breaking into a certain type of company, such as a bank or insurance firm, they will typically use the same exact method to quickly attack another company in the same industry.

New and improved cyber attacks

While old methods of cyber-attack can still be effective, it is the new scams that users should be nervous about. Here are some examples:

  • Social media scams
    Social media scams work and cybercriminals just love them because the people being scammed do most of the work. Cybercriminals release links, videos or stories that lead to viruses, and people share them with their friends because they are cute, funny or eye-raising. These tend to spread quickly because people feel as if they are safe.
  • Likejacking
    Hackers may also use a practice known as “likejacking” to scam people on social media. In this case, they will use a fake “like” button that tricks people into installing malware. The programs then post updates on the user’s wall or newsfeed to spread the attack.
  • Software update attacks
    Hackers are also focusing on more selective attacks. For example, a hacker may hide malware inside of a software update. When a user downloads and installs the update, the virus is set free.
  • Ransomware
    These attacks, where thieves steal or lock files on a person’s computer and then demand a ransom for access, climbed more than 110% in the last year alone. Once infected, the only way to regain access to the files is to pay a fee, usually between $300 and $500, for a decryption key.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud. See him knock’em dead in this Security Awareness Training video.

Scareware Scam almost snags Victim

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Cybercriminals know that the best way to get their claws on the next victim is to appeal to their emotions, not logic.

4DThere’s lots of scary things in life, and one is learning that your computer has been infected with a virus. If this happens, you’re now vulnerable to spending money on getting rid of the malware. The tactic of scaring users is called scareware.

  • A pop up tells you “Warning! Your Computer Has Been Infected with Malware!”
  • The pop-up can be triggered by visiting an infected website or by making a bad click.
  • The pop-up can’t be closed out, or if it can, another appears.
  • Additional information in the pop-up lures you into clicking a link inside it, such as buy some downloadable security software that will destroy the virus.
  • Once the alleged security software is downloaded/installed, it crashes your computer—even if you already have a legitimate security software program in place.
  • You’re screwed at this point. (Hope you had all your data backed up before this happened!)

Here’s another way the scam can unfold, from someone who wrote to me:

“I was notified by a notice supposedly from Windows Security that my PC has been attacked.  They claim that all my PC ID numbers were stolen and that Russia had got about 8-12 other IDs.  They took control of my computer and said they scanned it to find this out. They claimed the only way that I could clear this problem was to have them clear it for $199.99 and security for 1year (sic) for $149.99.  They said the only way to accomplish this was by check.  They said it couldn’t be done by credit card because them (sic) numbers would be stolen too.  I refused to go along with that plan and closed them out.  

P.S. I checked my account and it is paid thru 6/2016.  How do I know if I get a notice from Windows that it is legit? 

All windows notifications come via Windows Update. That “pop-up” emanates via your notifications area on your taskbar and NOT a popup via your browser. What a mess.

Protect Yourself

  • Use security software only from a name-brand company.
  • Keep it updated.
  • See a pop-up? Close it out. Never click inside it—which you can’t do if you close it out immediately.
  • Exit the site you think triggered it.
  • Play it safe and run a scan using your legitimate security software.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

Bitdefender’s BOX: All-in-one Cybersecurity from one App

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Gee, if your home is connected to lots of different devices, doesn’t it make sense that your cybersecurity integrates all your connected devices? Meet the Bitdefender BOX, a network bulletproofing hardware cybersecurity tool for the home that embraces smart home protection focusing on the Internet of Things with remote device management offering next generation privacy protection.

boxBOX description:

  • One complete security solution for connected homes
  • Sets up to a router
  • Is controlled by the user’s mobile device and hence, can be controlled anywhere
  • Everything is protected: not just your computer, but all of your connected devices, like your baby monitor, TV, thermostat, garage door opener and house alarm system. You name it; it’s protected from hackers.
  • BOX works with an annual subscription much like most cyber security “security as a service” technologies.

Features:

  • Easy Setup. Just plug and play.
  • Advanced Threat Protection. In and outside your home network. You’re safe on the go as well!
  • Management and Control. All available in one app, at your fingertips, anywhere you are.

So, protection from hackers means that you can have peace of mind knowing that BOX is warding off attempts at ID theft, fraudulent activities, cyber snooping and other threats.

All you need to do is connect BOX to your router via one of its ethernet ports. Then get the BOX application going. Its user friendly and you just follow its easy instruction: all of a few minutes’ worth. BOX then goes to work to intercept cyber threats at the network level. And all from just one app.

So yes, you need a smartphone (Android or iOS) to take advantage of BOX. If you’ve been on the fence about getting a mobile device, move out of your cave, junk your Pinto, cut your mullet, and get the BOX.

Think of how great it would be to be alerted of network events through this does-it-all application that you can control no matter where you’re located. This means you can control all of your connected devices.

One of BOX’s features is the Private Line. This protects your Internet browsing experience, including making you anonymous. Other features:

  • Protection against hacking attempts including lures to malicious sites.
  • Protection against viruses, malware including downloads, phishing, etc.
  • Protection against anyone wanting to pry open your files and see what’s in them or steal them.
  • Protection occurs even when you’re using public Wi-Fi, such as at a hotel, airport or coffee house!

Who needs BOX?

Everyone who has connected devices at home and uses the Internet. This is like asking, who needs a lock on their home’s door? Anyone who lives in a home.

Think about a home and home security as an example. If you’re going to have a lock, it should be a good lock, right? But the lock is only effective if you actually lock it. You also need to lock up your windows and consider a home security system. These are all “layers of protection. Well, the BOX is multiple layers of protection for protecting your online experience as well as computer files.

BOX is designed for non-techy users, so if you’re one of those people who is “not good with computers,” you’ll still find BOX’s setup and navigation quite friendly. It also helps set up password-protected Wi-Fi network does for you and you can even let guests use a secured Wi-Fi network. This post is brought to you by Bitdefender BOX.

Why Are Cyber Hucksters so successful?

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Often, hucksters prey on the consumer’s desperation, which is why it’s no surprise that the No. 1 rip-off (at least between 2011 and 2012)) was bogus products promising weight loss.

6DVICE (vice.com) interviewed psychologist Maria Konnikova about how cyber cons are so successful—even with the most ridiculous sounding bait (Nigerian prince, anyone?).

The bait becomes more attractive when the target is receiving an influx of cyber attention. Sad to say, this trips up a person’s rationale, making them susceptible to the huckster’s plan.

Konnikova is quoted as stating, “Few things throw us off our game as much as so-called cognitive load: how taxed our mental capacities are at any given moment.” She explains that people are vulnerable when the con artist hits them up with their scheme while the victim is distracted with Twitter, texting, etc. In short, it’s cognitive overload.

Konnikova is the author of the book, “The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It, Every Time.” In the book, she mentions that victims such as the U.S. Navy were too humiliated to prosecute the crooks who conned them. She tells vice.com: “Because admitting it [getting rooked] would mean admitting you’re a sap.”

And in this day of rapidly evolving cyber technology, the huckster’s job is becoming easier, what with all sorts of pathways he can snag a victim, such as dating sites and pop-up ads warning your computer has been infected. But something else is on the crook’s side: the false sense of security that all this techy mumbo jumbo gives the common user—who hence lets down their guard.

And despite all the parodies and mockeries surrounding the so-called Nigerian prince scam (aka 419 scam), it’s still out there in full force and effect. Look how technology has made it swell. And it will continue evolving as long as people want something for nothing. Why else would the Powerball swell to over 1.3 billon. “The basic contours of the story won’t change,” Konnikova tells vice.com.

Another factor is that some people equate online with credibility: “It’s online so it must be legitimate,” is the mindset. According to this mindset, the Loch Ness Monster must really exist, since there are many stories about it online. Despite how irrational this mindset is, scammers know that many people think this way and will design their ploys to look even more legitimate (with creative layouts, slogans, links, etc.).

Though it takes skill to be a successful huckster, they can’t get the job done without the victim being “vulnerablized” by cognitive overload.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

2016 Information Security Predictions

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No bones about it, 2016 is sure to see some spectacular, news-chomping data breaches, predicts many in infosec. If you thought 2015 was interesting, get your seatbelt and helmet on and prepare for lift off…

4WWearable Devices

Cyber crooks don’t care what kind of data is in that little device strapped around your upper arm while you exercise, but they’ll want to target it as a passageway to your smartphone. Think of wearables as conduits to your personal life.

Firmware/Hardware

No doubt, assaults on firmware and hardware are sure to happen.

Ransomware

Not only will this kind of attack continue, but an offshoot of it—“I will infect someone’s device with ransomware for you for a reasonable price”—will likely expand.

The Cloud

Let’s not forget about cloud services, which are protected by security structures that cyber thieves will want to attack. The result could mean wide-scale disruption for a business.

The Weak Links

A company’s weakest links are often their employees when it comes to cybersecurity. Companies will try harder than ever to put in place the best security systems and hire the best security personnel in their never-ending quest for fending off attacks—but the weak links will remain, and cyber crooks know this. You can bet that many attacks will be driven towards employees’ home systems as portals to the company’s network.

Linked Stolen Data

The black market for stolen data will be even more inviting to crooks because the data will be in sets linked together.

Cars, et al

Let’s hope that 2016 (or any year, actually) won’t be the year that a cyber punk deliberately crashes an Internet connected van carrying a junior high school’s soccer team. Security experts, working with automakers, will crack down on protection strategies to keep cyber attacks at bay.

Threat Intelligence Sharing

Businesses and security vendors will do more sharing of threat intelligence. In time, it may be feasible for the government to get involved with sharing this intelligence. Best practices will need hardcore revisions.

Transaction Interception

It’s possible: Your paycheck, that’s been directly deposited into your bank for years, suddenly starts getting deposited into a different account—that belonging to a cyber thief. Snatching control of a transaction (“integrity attack”) means that the thief will be able to steal your money or a big business’s money.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

Nineways to shop safely on Cyber Monday

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With Cyber Monday, you don’t have to camp outside in the cold overnight so you can be the first person busting through the doors like on Black Friday. But you still may get trampled to a pulpby cyber scammers waiting for their prey.

2DHow can you avoid these predators?

  • You know that old mantra: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Be highly suspicious of outrageously great deals, and also assume that e-mails that link to unbelievable savings are scams. You may think it won’t hurt to just “check it out,” but consider the possibility that simply clicking on the link will download a virus to your computer.
  • Back up your data. Shopping online means it’s inevitable that you’ll stumble upon an infected website designed to inject malicious code into your computer or phone. “Ransomware” will hold your data hostage. Backing up your data in the cloud to Carbonite protects you from having to pay the “ransom.”
  • Say “No” to debit cards. At least if you purchase with a credit card, and the sale turns out to be fraudulent, the credit card company will likely reimburse you. Try getting your money back from a scam with a debit card purchase. Good luck.
  • If you’re leery about using a credit card online, see if the issuer offers a one-time use credit card. If someone steals this one-time number, it’s worthless for a second purchase.
  • Make sure you understand the online merchant’s shipping options.
  • When buying online, read up on the retailer’s privacy policy.
  • When completing the purchase, if the merchant wants you to fill in information that makes you think, “Now why do they need to know that?” this is a red flag. See if you can purchase the item from a reputable merchant.
  • Never shop online using public Wi-Fi such as at a hotel, coffee house or airport.

If the retailer’s URL begins with “https” and has a padlock symbol before that, this means the site uses encryption (it’s secure). If it doesn’t, don’t buy from that merchant if the product is something you can buy from a secure site. Of course, I don’t expect, for instance, Veronikka’s Death by Chocolate Homemade Cookies to have an encrypted site, but if you’re looking for more common merchandise, go with the big-name retailers.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Infrastructures under attack

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It’s been stated more than once that WWIII will most likely be cyber-based, such as dismantling a country’s entire infrastructure via cyber weapons. And don’t think for a moment this doesn’t mean murdering people.

4DA report at bits.blogs.nytimes.com notes that foreign hackers have cracked into the U.S. Department of Energy’s networks 150 times; they’ve stolen blueprints and source code to our power grid as well. Some say they have the capability to shut down the U.S.

The bits.blogs.nytimes.com article goes on to say that cyber warfare could result in death by the masses, e.g., water supply contamination of major cities, crashing airplanes by hacking into air traffic control systems, and derailing passenger trains. So it’s no longer who has the most nuclear missiles.

The list of successful hacks is endless, including that of a thousand energy companies in North America and Europe and numerous gas pipeline companies. The U.S.’s biggest threats come from Russia and China.

So why haven’t they shut down our grid and blown up furnaces at hundreds of energy companies? Maybe because they don’t have the ability just yet or maybe because they don’t want to awaken a sleeping giant. To put it less ominously, they don’t want to rock the boat of diplomatic and business relations with the U.S.

Well then, what about other nations who hate the U.S. so much that there’s no boat to be rocked in the first place? The skills to pull off a power grid deactivation or air traffic control infiltration by enemies such as Iran or Islamic militants are several years off.

On the other hand, such enemies don’t have much to lose by attacking, and this is worrisome. It is these groups we must worry about. They’re behind alright, but they’re trying hard to catch up to Russia and China. For now, we can breathe easy, but there’s enough going on to get the attention of Homeland Security and other government entities.

Recent attacks show that these bad guys in foreign lands are getting better at causing mayhem. At the same time, the U.S.’s cyber security isn’t anything to brag about, being that very recently, some white hat hackers had tested out the defenses of the Snohomish County Public Utility District in Washington State. They infiltrated it within 22 minutes.

Another weak point in our defenses is the component of pinning down the source of major hacking incidents. So if WWIII becomes real, the U.S. won’t necessarily know where the attack came from.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

Sales Staff Targeted by Cyber Criminals

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Companies that cut corners by giving cybersecurity training only to their technical staff and the “big wigs” are throwing out the welcome mat to hackers. Cyber criminals know that the ripe fruit to pick is a company’s sales staff. Often, the sales personnel are clueless about the No. 1 way that hackers “get in”: the phishing e-mail. Salespeople are also vulnerable to falling for other lures generated by master hackers.

11DIn a recent study, Intel Security urges businesses to train non-technical (including sales) employees. Sales personnel are at highest risk of making that wrong click because they have such frequent contact in cyberspace with non-employees of their company.

Next in line for the riskiest positions are call center and customer service personnel. People tend to think that the company’s executives are at greatest risk, but look no further than sales, call center and customer service departments as the employees who are most prone to social engineering.

It’s not unheard of for businesses to overlook the training of sales employees and other non-technical staff in cybersecurity. Saving costs explains this in some cases, but so does the myth that non-technical employees don’t need much cybersecurity training.

Intel Security’s report says that the most common methods of hackers is the browser attack, stealth attack, SSL attack, network abuse and evasive technologies.

In particular, the stealth attack is a beast. Intel Security has uncovered 387 new such threats per minute. IT teams have their work cut out for them, struggling to keep pace with these minute-by-minute evolving threats. This doesn’t make it any easier to train non-technical staff in cybersecurity, but it makes it all the more crucial.

Training non-technical staff, particularly those who have frequent online correspondence and have the gift of cyber gab, is the meat and potatoes of company security.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention