Friday the 13th is culturally known as the “unlucky day”. However, the date can also be used by cybercriminals for attacks. Last year, when the date fell in August, a 120% increase in attempted scams was identified, according to a survey carried out by PSafe exclusively for the CNN Brasil Business .
Between the 1st and 7th of August of last year, more than 190 thousand attempts were identified. phishing blocked. Between the 8th and 14th of August, that number rose to more than 425,000 blocks.
This will be the only Friday the 13th of 2022.
According to the company, the increase occurs as retailers usually use commemorative dates to launch their campaigns to customers and scammers can take advantage of these opportunities to make new victims.
PSafe CEO Marco DeMello assesses that “a point to be noted is that even the previous week being Father’s Day, when cybercriminals also take the opportunity to spread the coup, this growth came in the week of Friday the 13th. that growth is related to the date itself, but companies need to be alert and remember that they are always in the crosshairs of these gangs”.
Still in 2021, payments made by companies to recover data hijacked by ransomware reached a record.
According to a survey by Unit 42, a research group at Palo Alto Networks, the average payout in these cases rose 78%, from $303,700 in 2020 to $541,000 last year. A total of 2,566 organizations were reached, according to the survey.
how to protect yourself
Typically, attacks are made via phishing or malware, and they can come through any means and enter an unprotected device: SMS, email, fake app, messaging app, among others.
In devices that concentrate more and more information from users, care must be redoubled. In this way, not having protection on devices is the main and most serious flaw in digital security. Therefore, it is important that investments in digital security are on the radar of companies and individuals.
Use antivirus software and keep it up to date
Antivirus is the main protection resource against cyber threats. However, contrary to popular belief, it is not enough to have a good antivirus running on your computer. It is necessary, to guarantee the security of the device, to make sure that the program is up to date.
Use strong passwords
It is important to emphasize that passwords for accessing computers, e-mails and other systems are private and confidential. Therefore, experts indicate that passwords should be strong, without first and last names or phone numbers.
do not open links
Sending links is one of the most famous techniques of cybercriminals. They can arrive either by email, Whatsapp or even in a simple web browsing. The guideline is to always be suspicious of links.
Pay attention to the website address
Ideally, attention should be paid to website addresses, especially those that advertise promotions. Cybercriminals usually create copies of accesses similar to existing ones. Go directly to the website of the company named in the address and check the information.
Source: CNN Brasil
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