The digital era offers great opportunities for the development of communication, information and business, as well as to improve our quality of life; but it has also created a perfect context for crime. Under the cover of the screen and the ins and outs of the network, thousands of cybercriminals have found their ideal niche to commit different crimes, such as scams, data theft, the illegal sale of different products or content, the dissemination of fake news … Although security forces are increasingly prepared to combat them, new types of cybercrime are appearing on the scene.
In this post, we want to alert you to the new cybercrimes that exist so that you can continue enjoying the Internet properly.
What are the cyber crimes that most affect users?
Just as technology evolves and creates increasingly reliable security measures, cybercrimes also develop new ways to circumvent all types of barriers. More and more sophisticated methods are being developed, of which users must be informed to detect them in time and not fall into the trap.
Next, we will tell you what the most common internet crimes consist of:
- Phishing: Cybercriminals send fraudulent emails that appear to be from legitimate sources to trick people into obtaining sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers.
- Ransomware: Attackers encrypt the victim’s files and then demand a ransom to decrypt them. This can result in the loss of important data or significant costs to victims.
- Online fraud: This includes scams where criminals convince people to purchase non-existent products or services, or trick victims into sharing financial information.
- Phishing (or “pharming”): Attackers redirect people to spoofed websites that appear to be legitimate to steal personal information, such as usernames and passwords.
- Cyberbullying – includes online harassment, intimidation or defamation, which can have serious psychological and social repercussions for victims.
- Identity theft: Criminals use stolen personal information to commit financial fraud or other crimes on the victim’s behalf.
- Malware: This includes viruses, Trojan horses, and other malicious software that can damage computer systems, steal information, or allow attackers to take control of a device.
- Online investment scams: Scammers offer false or misleading investment opportunities online to steal money from people looking to make money.
- Abuse of personal data: Companies and organizations sometimes collect and use personal data inappropriately or expose it due to poor cybersecurity, which can lead to privacy breaches.
- Social media crimes – This includes social media impersonation, cyberbullying through social media platforms, and the spread of harmful content.
New cybercrimes based on artificial intelligence
Increasingly, the user is more informed about online risks and has better digital skills to combat them. We may no longer fall into such obvious traps as responding to an email from a stranger asking us for money in exchange for a fortune, but what if the cybercriminal is after a familiar face? What happens if reverse engineering algorithms manage to overcome the security measures of a large company’s information files?
Among all the new types of cybercrimes, we can highlight three:
Advanced Engineering Cyber Attacks
Consists of the creation of false profiles on social networks through AI to carry out what is known as “social engineering”, a set of persuasion techniques and methods to achieve unethical ends.
Generation of false content and online dissemination
We are not only referring to fake news but to all types of high-quality content whose results are very credible, such as videos, photos, documents, etc. Above all, it is used in misleading political propaganda campaigns.
Reverse engineering attacks of artificial intelligence models
Cybercriminals can use reverse engineering techniques to analyze and exploit artificial intelligence models used in security systems, such as intrusion detection systems. AI understands how these models work and can find ways to evade detection, carrying out even more effective attacks.
Learn to detect scams on the internet!
Cyber scams have increased in recent years. According to figures from the National Police, in 2021 there were 33,465 crimes of this type in the country, which represents an increase of 17% compared to 2020. With the rise of new social networks, e-commerce and instant messaging, scams are on the order of the day, so the question we must ask is: How can we detect them in time to avoid falling into them? We tell you!
To avoid being a victim of an online scam, it is essential to remain alert and take precautions. First, always verify the authenticity of sources and websites before sharing personal or financial information, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and be wary of unsolicited emails. Always use strong passwords and change them regularly. Additionally, you should try to keep your software and antivirus updated, to protect your device against malware.
But above all, it is very important that you stay informed about new types of cybercrime so that you are not caught off guard. Caution and awareness are your best allies in the fight against cyber fraud.
Do you want to know more about the new digital and technological framework, its latest developments and most disruptive changes? Stay reading the Educa.Pro blog with us!