How does cybersecurity in social media apply?
Cybersecurity in Social Media
Many social media platforms have become the first source of news for many people. The speed at which information can be shared is unprecedented.
Social Media platforms are an easy target, as they are often the first point of contact for users to share information.
Phishing
Cybercriminals are using social engineering techniques to orchestrate phishing schemes on popular social media websites. Such as Facebook and Twitter, to steal login credentials to target personal and financial information.
P2P File Sharing
Also, peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites like Rapidshare, Mediafire, and Megaupload are used to distribute malicious software that can target computers, laptops, or handheld devices. The criminals then use the stolen data to gain access to bank accounts and other forms of payment.
Online Banking
Social media platforms and online banking and retail sites that handle sensitive information should be aware of these social engineering attacks, and they should use secure HTTPS connections to protect users’ data.
Cybercriminals are targeting these sites to gain access to their users’ personal information. For example, like credit card numbers, addresses, email addresses, and passwords.
Trojans
The most common form of malware is Trojans (Trojan horse). They often contain malicious code that can be used to control the infected computer remotely. Cybercriminals can use Trojans to hack into a bank account. And then transfer all the money into their account for example.
Hacking
One of the ways that cybercriminals hack into bank accounts is by posing as an employee from a financial institution who calls up a customer and asks for their bank account details.
The real employee from the bank would have already verified the customer’s identity through methods such as a password or any other better security methods, so this may be one way how cybercriminals get these details. The cybercriminal will ask for personal information such as date of birth or mother’s maiden name, then they will use this information to log into the customer’s bank account and transfer funds into another account.
Personal Information
Cybercriminals also hack into social media accounts to get access to personal details about a user’s family members, friends, colleagues at work or school where they work before gaining access to their bank accounts. By doing this, cybercriminals can control more than one person’s bank accounts at the same time.
Social Engineering
Social engineering methods are also used by cybercriminals to gain access to online banking systems using stolen credentials. To do this, they will often use scare tactics on the victim; such as threatening them with death or serious harm if they don’t comply with their demands; while demanding money transfers from their victims’ accounts.
Other tactics include pretending that they’re from a law enforcement agency and claiming that if a certain amount of money isn’t transferred within a certain amount of time then a relative will be harmed or a hostage situation will occur.
Cybercriminals also use other forms of social engineering methods to steal login credentials from online banking systems; including phishing schemes that involve sending out emails that look like messages from reputable companies; but contain links that can lead users to fake websites which ask for.
