Kerala: Experts urge to guard against e-attacks

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Experts who were part of Kerala police Cyberdome’s training workshop want citizens to raise their guard against newer types of online cheating, mostly data theft. Since a certain amount of personal details of most people are available online, they say, cheating gets a personal touch now. Recently Thiruvananthapuram rural police registered a case where a retired person got cheated for Rs 26 lakh after being guaranteed job for his son in an airline company.

The touts are believed to have understood from online data that the boy was unemployed. "To get victim's trust, they put victims on hold on the phone these days to make them listen to the company's song or jingle," warned Rugved Mehta, a technology auditor with an investment bank. Cheaters lid can be blown by cautious citizens the moment they ask for your personal bank details on sensitive IDs.

"I am busy, give your number, I will call you back later? This simple statement will put touts in a fix. Frauds will most likely ask you to hurry up and give details like the pin," he added. They warn against picking up USB sticks found on the road as they can be loaded with malicious programmes.

Many a time, malicious personals posing as officials of anti-virus companies demand netizens disable temporarily their antivirus software to attack computers and network.

Organisations at threat
Ransomware commonly attacks servers of victim organisations and their websites and will lock up their data demanding ransom online. "For example, they hack the servers and website of hospitals and lock down patient data. To let companies retrieve data, they will have to pay money," Mr Mehta explained.

Similarly, honey trap using fake social media accounts targets professionals. Recently an Indian Air Force Personnel was honey trapped using a Facebook account named Damini. Photographs of vital installations were stolen by touts posing as a woman. "Company photocopying machines can be rigged to memorise vital documents you scan or photocopy," he warned.

During the session, the ethical hackers were also given tips to victimise targets during counter operations. "Silence is a key that helps fake account holder to avoid being caught. While interacting with victims over chat, use more smileys. Silence during a chat can be a bait to torment your victim over chat," he said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the social media lab here to prevent attacks on women and children over the internet.