Hacks Scams and Other Online Terrors

Network Box's recent guide about malware and net scams had been written specifically to assist IT managers in educating a company's staff on common online dangers, which includes techniques for them to identify and shore up any security holes in their network or workstation.

The article enumerates the many types of common hacker attacks, with instances and citations for each, as well as easy ways for both the IT department and company employees to prevent getting victimized by any of these so-called perils.

Hacks: This section details hacks and exploits developed specifically to abuse security holes, flaws, bugs, and vulnerabilities found in programs as well as SQL attacks.

The examples given of recent, high-profile hacks (including the invasion of web host Vaserv.com, which had more than 100,000 websites lost from its servers) keep the topic relevant and emphasize the ongoing danger that hackers and exploits currently pose.

Hackers can capture data and require ransom to release it

Hoaxes: As for the hoaxes part of the Network Box guide, it displays the login page of a hoax site (impersonating a Natwest login page) next to the actual site to demonstrate how complex and advanced some of the scam websites have become nowadays.

It recommends to users to always be on the lookout for the padlock symbol (which indicates if the site is authentic or not), the true URL instead of a bogus URL, and if the site contains https on its address instead of http.

Such simple precautions can be easily overlooked by unaware or negligent users.

The guide also inspects and analyzes other techniques scammers use to trick their victims into giving up personal and sensitive information.

With the popularity of social networking sites and their associated weaknesses against hackers and fraudsters alike, online outlaws can easily use false relationships and the like to defraud their targets.

For instance, the "419" scam is still at large at the moment, as well as the ever-popular Nigerian money scam that , up until now, victimizes a lot of people from across the globe into giving up their money or, in certain worst-case scenarios, their lives.

In conclusion, the guide notes that holidays and special occasions are particularly favored moments for scammers, spammers, fraudsters, and hackers to attack—sometimes en masse—people's emails.

Ergo, the article recommends users and IT managers alike to not let their guard down during dates such as Valentine's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.