The 4 most popular network attacks towards older people in 2018

A statistic has shown that in recent years, cyber attacks tend to focus more on older users.Many retirees, widows and lonely old people are at risk of being "visited" by hackers and become targets of higher scams than young people.They are people who use computers routinely (for example, do not want to use complex passwords) and are not regularly updated with new knowledge about security as well as the global network security situation, or Learn about new security trends.All of these reasons lead to them being more vulnerable to attack.However, just changing a bit of the habit of using technology as well as equipping new knowledge, the elderly can completely avoid becoming victims of cyber attacks.Here are the most common attacks that older users often encounter in 2018.

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Phishing attack

According to a study conducted in 2017 in Colorado, the United States about Internet users' awareness of network attacks, there were 102 older people and 91 young people invited to participate.Specifically, the researchers have tested the ability to detect or identify potential dangers from these cyber-phishing sites, and the results are as follows: People Older people are twice as likely to become victims of phishing attacks than young people (53.47% compared to 26.37%).

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In phishing attacks, hackers will create a fake website that looks 'identical' to popular websites.Specifically, they will send an email containing links for users to click on it and navigate to the fake website.When a user logs in to their account information, the hacker will save the username and password again.

Actually this type of attack is not so new and not so dangerous.However, older people are more likely to become victims because they are not equipped with much information security knowledge.General advice for people before Phishing attacks is to regularly update your operating system and applications, and also change the DNS server that prevents the URL from being misdirected.Other tips include:

1. If there are too many windows being opened automatically in your browser without your permission, use Alt + F4 to turn everything off immediately.
2. Clearing your browser's cache regularly is a good habit you should apply.Use Ctrl + H to clear cache on Google Chrome.'
3. Set up a strong enough password.If you can't remember these passwords, save them with password management tools.Review our 'Best current password management software' article to choose the best tool for you.

Attack on use behavior (Behavioral attacks)

It is clear that the elderly are often the preferred target of some types of attacks towards a certain use, such as fraud through appointments, fraudulent donations, and investment. or buy products online.These are all issues that have received much attention from the elderly.

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Tip: One of the best ways to solve this type of fraudulent behavior is to change your security options from the Settings section in Windows.You should also customize Windows Defender Security to prevent the browser from redirecting phishing sites.Also, never open files attached to emails sent from people you don't know or trust.Immediately disconnect any phone calls or instant messages that you find suspicious.

Fraud in online transactions

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The fake e-commerce sites are growing at breakneck speed.Therefore, it is not only elderly people but anyone who does not have enough knowledge about the authenticity of websites of this type can become victims of them.The most common is the case when you order an item online, there will be ambiguity in the payment process as well as the shipping fee, or worse, you will not receive the item or receive the wrong item.Therefore, it is important that you verify whether the site you are about to trade with is reputable enough.If you have trouble verifying, asking your friends or asking questions in online communities, there will be very helpful tips for you.

Identity theft (identity theft)

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Most identity theft often starts at places where you are most vulnerable, such as placing a password too simple or a PIN too weak.Many older people in the United States complain that they often have their personal Facebook accounts hacked, most of them because they use a simple digital password to make them easy to remember.Meanwhile, according to Kaspersky password checking tool, hackers will not take more than three minutes to crack these passwords.Worse yet, many people tend to use a simple password for many different accounts such as Gmail, bank account .

Tip: Regardless of your age, you should not share personal information including credit card numbers, one-time passwords, birth dates and other inputs with anyone, even if they themselves claim to come from a certain agency or organization.

In general, human factor is a weakness in any protection system, and only education plus the spirit of cooperation from users can enhance the safety of the protection system. .For older people who use the Internet, they will have to pay more attention to this!

See more:

1. Summary of popular network attacks today
2. How to know if your computer is being "attacked" by a hacker?
3. How to set super strong iPhone password to hackers also "give up"
4. 50 Registry tricks to help you become a true Windows 7 / Vista "hacker" (Part 1)