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By AMSAT Oct 16,2020

How to Prevent Social Engineering

Social engineering is the act of deceiving someone into revealing information in order to steal their sensitive information. The idea behind this technique, which is usually carried out through technology, is to exploit a potential victim’s natural propensities and emotional reactions.

However, there are some tips that can help an individual or organization prevent social engineering.

1) Don’t share your private information

You should remember one thumb rule: never give away your sensitive information to anyone, no matter how much you get persuaded. And to avoid falling prey to any nefarious hacker, never spill your secret information on the internet unnecessarily. If you do not recognize the sender of the email, abandon it; however, if you are buying anything online, only provide your credit card information over an HTTP secure protocol.

2) Enable spam filter

A majority of email service providers come up with junk filters. Any email that is believed to be wary shall automatically be relegated to the spam folder. Reliable email services spot any doubtful links and files that might be detrimental and caution a user to download them at their own risk. Some files with certain extensions are not allowed to download.

By enabling the spam feature, you can be relieved from the atrocious tasks of spotting suspicious messages. The offenders of social engineering will have no door to reach you, and your sensitive data will be protected from malicious threat actors.

3) Keep watchful of your password

Another important piece of advice is that you ought never to use the same password on the platforms you log in. Keep no hints behind and remove all sessions after you are done with surfing and browsing. Put the social to good use and stay watchful of people you tag and the information you provide since a nefarious hacker might be around.

It’s important to do this, because if your social media account gets hacked, and you have the same password for different websites, your data can be greatly compromised. You will be blackmailed to pay the ransom to avert your details from being leaked over the web. Offenders can get your passwords very swiftly but if you get infected with ransomware, all of your files will be encoded, and you will be compelled to pay the ransom with no data back guarantee. That’s precisely why the best countermeasure against this attack is to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

4) Always update your system’s software

Hackers target your system when they are convinced that the software you are using is outdated or obsolete. Therefore, to avoid falling into a malicious actor’s trap, keep your software up-to-date and keep a watchful eye on your network firewall. Use only authentic sources to download content and be aware of the dangers and looming threats that might put your system at risk.

5) Remain Skeptical

The best way to prevent unsavory incidents over the web is to remain doubtful about each and every thing online. Never trust anyone and never open any emails you think are suspicious. Also, do not pay any attention to messages stating that you have won a jackpot or you have been given a cheque of a thousand dollars.

This strategy will help keep the hacker at bay, since they won’t find anything alluring to bait you. Interestingly, this ploy has helped many people stay safe online, discouraging cybercriminals from reaching their nefarious goals.

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