Phishing will remain the main cyber threat for a long time to come
News
It is essential that we take appropriate technical protection measures and learn to react appropriately to suspicious messages.
Cybercriminals use two types of vulnerabilities: technical vulnerabilities and human vulnerabilities. Technical vulnerabilities are mainly the result of the great difficulty that IT managers have in installing all security updates in time and in ensuring that all configurations are optimally secure. An ICT expert can carry out dozens of operations without making a single mistake, but a single mistake is enough for a hacker to break into the system.
On the human side, it is mainly ignorance and naivety that make cybercriminals happy. Winning a prize or receiving a gift makes us so happy that our natural distrust disappears. Similarly, under the influence of fear, we react impulsively and often less thoughtfully. This is when cybercriminals step into the breach.
Not all messages are reliable
Everyone should be aware that not all messages are trustworthy and that one cannot generally be sure of the identity of the sender of such a message. Without seeking to distil fear and excessive distrust, a regular and effective reminder of the direct threats out there can indeed make a big difference.
The CCB has developed a smartphone application (App) that can be used to send early warnings to the public. This app will alert its user if a new phishing campaign is spotted in messages sent to the CCB, for example. It is therefore important to continue forwarding suspicious messages to suspicious@safeonweb.be, install the application and connect it to your Wifi network. This way, you will be warned regularly and kept up to date with the main threats.
Miguel De Bruycker, Director of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium
