Data centres, particularly those that power artificial intelligence programs, are driving surging demand for electricity – Copyright AFP JUSTIN TALLIS
“Cybercrime affects everyone, and the threats are constantly changing,” explains Greg Schaffer, the owner and founder of vCISO Services, LLC, in a statement sent to Digital Journal. “Criminals know that accessing lots of smaller accounts can add up quickly.”
Schaffer notes that understanding the motive of attacks is important. Here cybercriminals are not always after money.
Schaffer states: “Some do it for political gains or activism. Others just want to harass people by signing them up for multiple subscriptions or restaurant reservations. This happens all the time. They count on people just ignoring things they didn’t initiate.”
Schaffer is confident there is a better way to secure personal information and digital assets.
He says: “Many information security issues cross over between business and personal life. Criminals can take advantage of our natural instincts. Understanding that makes it easier to stay a few steps ahead of them.”
In terms of how to spot and avoid cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, Schaffer recommends meeting the following three challenges in the following ways:
Deep fakes
Schaffer observes: “It’s become easy to fake who is seen on video calls. One businessman, thinking he was on a video call with colleagues, complied with their request to send millions of dollars to what the businessman thought was a valid recipient. But those weren’t his colleagues. They and the recipient were criminals. If something doesn’t feel right, text the other person’s cell phone. If they don’t respond, they may not be who they say they are.”
Phishing
With this common form of attack, Schaffer notes: “This often involves bad guys preying on another’s trust. For example, someone is preparing to close on a house. The criminals hack into emails between the buyer and their banker. Then they wait. At the right moment, they may send the buyer an email, seemingly from their banker, changing the wire instructions. It could result in the buyer wiring thousands of dollars somewhere else.”
He adds: “Other times, criminals rely on immediacy and urgency. For example, if they claim to be law enforcement or the IRS, don’t be rushed into taking action. Always take the time to double-check if a request or situation is legitimate.”
Generative AI, such as ChatGPT
Generative AI is changing so many things. Schaffer finds: “One of the biggest risks is entering confidential information. Generative AI can share what is uploaded with the rest of the world. A technology engineer tried to solve a problem by uploading the information into ChatGPT. The engineer got the answer, but in the process, they exposed their company’s sensitive information. It’s also common for people to use ChatGPT to help fix resumes. Never enter any identifying information such as a photo, address or educational background.”
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