What risks should people be aware of when using the app?
Do not install any direct application in your device bypassing App Store or Play Store. You also need to be cyber smart and check three things before you install any app or tool: Developers, Reviews and Permissions. Recently, there was a wave of ‘Insta Loan’ apps. Most of these were Chinese and promised to give you instant loans without any documents. But these loans came with huge interest and extortion took place when people were unable to pay back. Even worse, these apps can access the data on your phone, and copy your contact list and photos.
If people had checked the developer’s information, they would have realized that the apps are not reliable. Another important point is that all devices should have parental controls. It helps you filter out inappropriate search terms or content, and also controls your kids’ access to certain things. Last year, a 16-year-old boy in Mumbai spent Rs 10 lakh from his mother’s bank account to play PUBG. Around the same time, a 13-year-old boy hanged himself after his parents spent Rs 40,000 on online games in Chhatarpur, MP. Parents need to be in control of content and educate children about their digital footprint.
What precautions should people take social media,
We are doing a lot’share‘ without checking our privacy settings these days. Someone could morph your photo to make inappropriate video thumbnails, and then call you to say, “Oh my god, how did your video get leaked?”. In a panic, you’ll click on the thumbnail, which takes you to a page that looks exactly like the Facebook login page, and it asks for your email and password. When you’re agitated, you might not notice the little things. The hacker will use this information to lock you out of your social media account, but will ask your friends for money immediately.
Another scary factor is Google poisoning. This is what happens when you try to find something on a search engine, but through hackers, called ‘black hat seo‘, have managed to place their own fake website at the top of the search results. Therefore, it may not be necessary that the first result you get is real. And if they ask you to download an app or tool, be suspicious.
What are some basic tools one should have to be more secure in the digital world?
Don’t Trust Everything on the Internet First
, You’ll have to do a little detective work yourself. Creating fake profiles is easy, so you need to know how to use native OSINT or ‘open source intelligence’. For example, when you come across a matrimonial or dating profile, try doing a reverse image search to learn more about that person. You can upload a picture to a search engine or input the URL of an image, such as www.google.com/imghp, yandex.com/images/, or www.bing.com/visualsearch to help you find related images. To show or include objects or people that are similar in appearance.
What can one do after being a victim of one? Cyber ​​crimes,
You can register a complaint at https://www.cybercrime.gov.in/ or call the national helpline number 1930. The government is building a network with bank nodal officers, and when there is any information about a suspicious account, it is frozen. , But keep in mind that digital money travels fast and a hacker may have already transferred the funds. Also, hackers often create dummy accounts using fake PAN and Aadhaar cards, which can be difficult to trace.