Yahoo Hacked (AGAIN) | Forensic 101
Everyone and everything is online now. We live our lives online, we chat online, we shop online and we even learn online. Our finances have shifted online too, especially post demonetisation. The government is striving to make our economy digital. Digital India is their goal. It sounds well and good. A digital economy will mean fewer cash frauds, easier transactions and a significant decrease in the flow of black money.
However, going digital isn’t really the safest bet. Hacking and online attacks are an everyday phenomenon. Online fraud, identity theft even online robberies happen all around the world on a daily basis. This is one of the main reasons we need to educate and take digital forensics seriously.
We at Forensic 101 create videos on the digital frauds and hacks that takes place in day to day life, hence educating people and making internet a safe place. We work closely with DIgital Forensic Solution companies and education institutes.Be it on a family holiday to the picturesque beaches of Bali or a business trip to Sudan, a business professional must always be available across various communication channels to address and respond to any situation that might arise in his or her absence.
Nearly 96 percent of travelers are equipped with smartphones with every third individual carrying a laptop and almost a quarter armed with a tablet. But, while digital connectivity is a top priority for business travelers, how many of them include security in their checklist of must-do things?
According to the study, nearly 70% of travelers choose to access the internet and social platforms through free public WiFi connections. Moreover, while 20% are wary of using free Wi-Fi services, they still end up consuming data through open connections at airports, hotels and restaurants. That leaves a meagre 10% of travelers who take adequate measures such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to protect their devices from malicious attacks while on the go.
In a digital age with shrinking global borders,this can lead to a serious breach of an individual's and connected business's confidential data. Since digital connectivity and travelling play such a pivotal role in everyday functioning of professionals and businesses, here are a few tips and insights that could allow business travellers to jet, set, and go without compromising their digital security :-
Go updated and go prepared: This includes plugging all potential security loopholes in your digital devices by updating all software and applications. Undertaking this measure ensures that your device is at a minimum risk of exposure to attacks through prompts for software updates which are in reality malicious codes with fake digital certificates.
Be wary with open networks: There are no free lunches. Free and secure Wi-Fi connections are rarer still. Never access any open Wi-Fi network at airports and hotels without first verifying its credentials with the relevant authorities; cybercriminals often set up malicious networks posing as bona-fide service providers with a view to eavesdropping on the traveler's device data traffic.
VPN is a must: VPNs can help protect internet traffic and are secure enough to allow data transmission through otherwise harmful open connections.
Download only from trusted sources: Be very, very wary of downloading anything while you're on the go and hooked through an exotic connection. Malware developers try to lure unsuspecting travellers into downloading and installing their malicious codes or trojanized program into their computers by posing as genuine service providers.
Caution is the keyword: Even if your data has not been compromised, it is often best to be cautious and assume the worst. Change all your personal and professional passwords after the travel in order to reduce the risk of data compromise.
