The EU has taken active steps in combating cyber fraud,
starting with the operation of the EC3 in 2013. The EC3 or European Cybercrime
Centre is part of the EU Internal Security Strategy that addresses the
increasing incidence of cybercrimes in EU member countries. Situated within the
Europol, the EC3 focuses on key areas of Internet-based crimes, which include
online fraud committed by organized groups for generating profits.
Cyber fraud is already a major
concern among advanced EU member countries such as Germany and France. Security
experts believe that as cybercriminals in the region particularly those from
Eastern Europe and Russia are becoming more prolific in launching cyber
attacks, the incidence of cyber fraud will likely increase. Cybercrimes have no
boundaries and Internet attacks coming from this region will most likely target
EU countries as well as other countries in the world that have high volumes of
Internet transactions.
The heightened alert for cyber
attacks from the EU countries should be taken seriously and prevention should
be taken at the personal level. Cyber fraud can be avoided through awareness of
the top hidden security threats in the Internet. The top security threats are
listed below, including some tips to avoid becoming a victim of cybercriminals
that use these tools.
Social network sites have become the
top playing ground for launching cyber fraud. Hidden among the messages and
postings in social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are phony
accounts and malicious links in video posts. To avoid becoming a victim of
phishing from these sites, you should take some steps to keep your privacy
protected. It is good practice to set the privacy settings of your social
network account to the highest level, meaning only your trusted relatives and
friends should be allowed to check your profile. As an additional precaution,
never include personal information in your profile that can be used for
identity theft. Other precautions that you should practice include not
accepting friend requests from people that you do not know, and avoiding giving
personal information in social chats that may be accessed by hackers.
Your browser and operating system are
the favourite launching sites of hacking attacks that lead to cyber fraud. This
is particularly true if you are using outdated software that were not updated
or patched with the latest security update. Windows operating systems have
automatic update settings that enable the developer to install security patches
as soon as these become available, so check to ensure that this feature is
switched on in your computer.
Internet connectivity can be a source
of hidden threats, specifically malicious Wi-Fi networks that are available in
shopping centres, restaurants, and cafes. Hackers can capture you Internet
traffic over an unsecured Wi-Fi network, so you should avoid transmitting
confidential information when using these connections. Hackers can also setup
an open Wi-Fi network in these areas in the event that an unwary user
automatically connects to it, believing that it is the official network of the
establishment.
Knowing the threats hidden in the
programmes and applications that you use daily, and knowing how to protect your
computer system from these threats heightens your security protection against
cyber fraud.
