Have you ever received a call from an unknown number pretending to be a bank executive asking for OTP or have you ever received a WhatsApp message with a link to participate in a lucky draw to win the latest iPhone 14 Pro Max?
We live in a technology-driven era, and every piece of information is now fed to computers which can be hacked. To date, there are many digital attack cases in India and globally, pushing for more security measures.
Earlier criminals had knives and guns in their hands but now they have a keyboard and a mouse in their hands. Earlier they wore black masks now they use VPNs. There are many examples of cybercrime, including fraud, malware viruses, cyberstalking and others.
There are 2 major types of hacking
Computer or network hacking is a type of attack done on a system. On the other hand, social engineering is an attack done on an individual. It involves manipulating an individual and gaining unauthorised access to confidential data. Now-a-days computers and websites are becoming more and more secure, but the people accessing these systems are still ignorant. Hence, instead of targeting the website or a computer directly, the hackers target ignorant people to get access to those systems.
A few examples of cyber-attacks are as follows:-
1. Phishing crimes involve obtaining the users' personal information by sending spam emails or using phishing websites which resemble the authorised websites.
Remedy – Not to click on any unknown links or signup to any unknown websites with personal details. Temp-mail.org is a website which provides disposal emails which can be used to sign up for any website. This will keep your email private.
2. Banking fraud involves getting information about credit or debit cards or bank details to access the bank account and easily detect money for his/her account.
Remedy – Thanks to RBI we now have tokenization which helps to protect your card details from getting leaked by creating a token of our card details.
Also, in the case of OTPs, you must read the whole message before giving the OTP. The OTP might be for your OLA cab or amazon delivery or it might be for any kind of banking transaction.
Do you know?
On any debit or credit cards, there is a black strip at the back of the cards which is swiped at the POS machine to make the payment. And nowadays there are golden coloured chips at the front of the card which are inserted in the machine and kept there until the transaction is complete. Well, both keep information about the bank details, the chip is more secure than the magnetic strip as the magnetic strip can be copied by the machine and the hacker can put the same information in some other card and use it.
3. Malware is software which is designed to penetrate systems to get control over the computer and access meaningful information.
The simple remedy is not to download any software from an unknown website.
4. Cyberstalking - Following someone's activities or tracking someone digitally.
Remedy - Not to update their status constantly on social media. And post photos of any trip after a few days.
(Case Study – a photo including the hotel name was posted on social media. The stocker got the information and called the individual pretending to be the hotel executive and asked to fill out a form to get a discount offer.)
Conclusion & Remedies
1. Strong password - Your password must include a mixture of words, numbers and symbols, so it becomes difficult for the hacker to crack the password.
E.g. A - @, B - 13, C - ( , etc
You must also change your card PINs regularly. To remember them you can write them down somewhere. You can replace them with alphabets to avoid anybody seeing it.
Use a 10-letter word in which no alphabet is repeated.
E.g. PLAYGROUND
P - 1, L - 2, A - 3, Y - 4….
For your convenience, I have already given a huge list of 10-letter words at the end, so please check them out and pick the one for you.
2. Two-factor authentication - So even if u give your password to someone that person cannot log in without the OTP.
3. Continuously update the system and apps
4. Make your children aware of the internet before giving them any internet devices as they are the most ignorant, immature and easily exposed to cyberbullying.
5. Maintain privacy settings over social media. It is recommended that your account must be private so any unknown person cannot access your photos or stories or any kind of information.
Cyber-crime is spreading its arms day by day the most appropriate way off being safe from becoming the victim of its ill effect is by following security measures there are various ways by which we can protect confidential information from being leaked we should always focus on awareness as ‘ prevention is better than cure, especially when the cure is not available.
Savdhan Rahe, Satark rahe !....
Code letters:-
A - @
B - 13
C - (
D - |)
E - €
F - |=
G - (,-
H - #
I - !
J - }
K - |<
L - |_
M - /\/\
N - /\/
O = 0
P - £
Q - ?
R - ₹
S - &
T - +
U - ()
V - \/
W - \/\/
X - *
Y - '/
Z - ~
List of 10 letter words:-
abductions
abridgment
admixtures
afterglows
aftershock
algorithms
amplitudes
anchorites
angiosperm
angleworms
artichokes
atrophying
authorized
authorizes
autopsying
backfields
background
backslider
bandoliers
bankruptcy
bankrupted
becomingly
benchmarks
bifurcated
bifurcates
binoculars
birthplace
bivouacked
blacksmith
blackthorn
blockading
blockheads
blueprints
blustering
bolstering
boulevards
boundaries
boyfriends
bracketing
breakdowns
brutalized
brutalizes
butchering
byproducts
campground
centigrams
chairwomen
championed
charmingly
chivalrous
chlorinate
clambering
clampdowns
clipboards
clothespin
clustering
columbines
compatible
compatibly
complained
complainer
complaints
completing
complexity
compulsive
configured
configures
confusedly
conjugated
conjugates
consumable
copulating
copyrights
cornflakes
creditably
cremations
crumbliest
crystalize
culminated
culminates
curtseying
customized
cyberpunks
davenports
deathblows
debauching
debonairly
decathlons
decorating
defaulting
defoliants
defrosting
demography
depilatory
desolating
despicably
destroying
dextrously
disbarment
discourage
disgruntle
disharmony
dispatcher
disputable
downstream
dumbwaiter
duplicates
duplicator
earthlings
educations
emulations
epistolary
exactingly
exhausting
exhaustion
exhumation
falterings
farsighted
fetchingly
flamingoes
flavorings
flourished
fluoridate
flustering
flyweights
forgivable
formalized
formalizes
formidable
formidably
formulated
formulates
fornicated
fornicates
franchised
fruitcakes
fulminated
fulminates
fumigators
gelatinous
glamorized
glamorizes
glamourize
godfathers
godparents
goldbricks
graciously
greyhounds
grievously
grouchiest
handsomely
harlequins
harmonized
harmonizes
harvesting
headstrong
holstering
hospitable
hospitably
houseplant
humanizers
humdingers
humpbacked
hydraulics
hydroplane
hyperbolas
hyperbolic
hypnotized
hypnotizes
hypocrites
hypodermic
hysterical
ideographs
impersonal
importance
importuned
importunes
improvable
impudently
incubators
inculpated
inculpates
incurables
inexorably
infamously
inoculated
inoculates
interlocks
introduces
jocularity
journalism
journalist
judgmental
juxtaposed
kohlrabies
labyrinths
lachrymose
lacquering
ladyfinger
languished
lawrencium
lengthways
lifeguards
logarithms
longitudes
lovemaking
lubricants
lubricated
lubricates
lumberjack
lunchtimes
lymphatics
mackintosh
magnitudes
manifestly
manuscript
matchboxes
mayflowers
mendacious
methodical
microwaved
microwaves
mineralogy
miscounted
misfortune
mistakenly
moderating
modulating
monarchies
monarchist
monetarily
motherland
mudslinger
neighborly
nightclubs
nightmares
normalized
normalizes
noticeably
obdurately
obfuscated
ostracized
outflanked
outlandish
outplaying
outwearing
overacting
overlaying
overnights
overpaying
overtaking
overtaxing
pachyderms
padlocking
paintbrush
palindrome
panegyrics
parchments
parqueting
patchworks
pathogenic
patronized
patronizes
patronymic
paunchiest
persuading
philanders
phlegmatic
pitchforks
plastering
platformed
playground
playthings
playwright
pleasuring
pocketfuls
polygamist
polytheism
postmarked
preambling
precaution
preciously
precluding
preclusion
presumably
previously
proclaimed
productive
profitable
profitably
profligacy
profligate
profundity
projecting
promulgate
proscenium
prudential
punishable
purchasing
purgatives
putrefying
quadriceps
randomizes
raunchiest
ravenously
ravishment
redoubling
reductions
refocusing
regulation
relocating
republican
restocking
restudying
resumption
retouching
rhapsodize
rheumatics
roughnecks
roundelays
scampering
scathingly
scheduling
scrambling
shockingly
shoplifted
shoplifter
shrinkable
slathering
slumbering
smoldering
smothering
soundtrack
speculator
spheroidal
splotchier
splotching
squelching
stampeding
stewarding
stockading
stockpiled
stomaching
stupefying
subheading
subjecting
subjection
sublimated
subtrahend
subverting
switchable
symbolized
sympathize
syncopated
tambourine
throwbacks
thumbnails
thumbscrew
timberland
touchingly
tourmaline
trampoline
transfixed
trapezoids
travelings
truckloads
tumbledown
ulcerating
ulceration
ultrasonic
undercoats
underplays
ungodliest
unscramble
unsociable
unsteadily
unworkable
upholstery
vanquished
vibraphone
vouchsafed
vulcanized
vulcanizes
vulgarized
vulgarizes
wainscoted
wanderlust
windbreaks
wingspread
womanizers
womanliest
workplaces
worshipful
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