Question 29 - Sample Paper 2 by Teachoo - Teachoo Sample Paper

Ms. Sharma received an email from her bank asking her to update her personal and account details by clicking on a link. She followed the instructions and entered her information on the website that opened. Later, she found out that her bank account was hacked and some money was transferred to an unknown account. She realized that the email was actually a scam that tricked her into revealing her sensitive information. Help her in identifying the type of cyber crime (hacking, eavesdropping, phishing or fraud emails, ransomware, cyber trolls, or cyber bullying) and explaining its characteristics.

Thereafter, write the steps to prevent such cyber crimes from happening again by following some cyber safety measures.

Answer:

Answer by student

The type of cyber crime that Ms. Sharma faced is phishing or fraud emails. This is a form of cyber attack that involves sending deceptive emails to lure the recipients into clicking on malicious links or attachments, or providing their personal or financial information. The attackers then use this information to access the victims’ accounts, steal their money or identity, or perform other malicious activities.

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Some cyber safety measures that Ms. Sharma can follow to prevent such cyber crimes from happening again are:

• Do not open or respond to emails from unknown or suspicious senders.

• Do not click on links or attachments in emails without verifying their authenticity and security.

• Check the sender’s email address, the subject line, and the content of the email for any spelling or grammatical errors, or any signs of urgency or threat.

• Contact the bank or the organization directly through their official website or phone number to confirm any requests or updates.

• Use a strong and unique password for each online account and change it regularly.

• Enable two-factor authentication for online accounts that support it.

• Install and update a reliable antivirus software on the computer and scan the system regularly.

Detailed answer by teachoo

To understand the answer, we need to know some definitions and concepts related to cyber crime and cyber safety.

• Cyber crime is any illegal or unethical activity that involves the use of a computer, a network, or the internet. Cyber criminals use various methods and tools to harm, exploit, or deceive their victims for personal gain or malicious purposes.
• Phishing or fraud emails are a type of cyber crime that involves sending deceptive emails to lure the recipients into clicking on malicious links or attachments, or providing their personal or financial information. The attackers then use this information to access the victims’ accounts, steal their money or identity, or perform other malicious activities. Phishing emails often pretend to be from legitimate organizations, such as banks, government agencies, or online services, and use social engineering techniques to persuade the recipients to take action. For example, they may claim that there is a problem with the account, that there is an urgent update required, or that there is a reward or offer available.
• Cyber safety is the practice of protecting oneself and others from cyber threats and risks by following some guidelines and precautions while using the internet and online services. Cyber safety measures help to prevent cyber crimes from happening, or to minimize their impact if they do happen. Some examples of cyber safety measures are:
• Do not open or respond to emails from unknown or suspicious senders. They may contain malware, viruses, spyware, ransomware, or other harmful software that can infect the computer and compromise its security and performance.
• Do not click on links or attachments in emails without verifying their authenticity and security. They may lead to fake or malicious websites that can steal the information entered by the user, such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. To verify a link, hover over it with the mouse cursor and check if it matches the expected website address. To verify an attachment, scan it with an antivirus software before opening it.
• Check the sender’s email address, the subject line, and the content of the email for any spelling or grammatical errors, or any signs of urgency or threat. These are often indicators of phishing or fraud emails that try to trick the user into taking action without thinking carefully. For example, an email from a bank should not have typos in its address (such as “[email protected]” instead of “bankofamerica.com”), nor should it ask for personal or account details in an email (such as “Please enter your PIN here”). Similarly, an email that claims that the user’s account will be suspended or deleted if they do not click on a link within a short time frame is likely to be a scam.
• Contact the bank or the organization directly through their official website or phone number to confirm any requests or updates. Do not rely on the contact information provided in the email, as it may be fake or compromised. For example, if an email claims to be from PayPal and asks for updating the account details, go to PayPal’s official website (https://www.paypal.com) and log in securely to check if there is any such request. Alternatively, call PayPal’s customer service number (1-888-221-1161) and verify if they sent such an email.
• Use a strong and unique password for each online account and change it regularly . A strong password should be at least 8 characters long and include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. A unique password means that it should not be used for more than one account, nor should it be based on personal information (such as name, date of birth, phone number, etc.) that can be easily guessed by hackers. Changing passwords regularly helps to prevent unauthorized access to the accounts in case the passwords are leaked or stolen.
• Enable two-factor authentication for online accounts that support it. Two-factor authentication is a security feature that requires the user to provide two pieces of evidence to verify their identity when logging in to an account. The first piece is usually the password, and the second piece is usually a code sent to the user’s phone or email, or a biometric feature (such as fingerprint or face recognition). This adds an extra layer of protection to the account, as even if the password is compromised, the hacker will not be able to access the account without the second piece of evidence.
• Install and update a reliable antivirus software on the computer and scan the system regularly. An antivirus software is a program that detects and removes malware, viruses, spyware, ransomware, or other harmful software from the computer. It also protects the computer from online threats and attacks by blocking malicious websites, links, or downloads. Updating the antivirus software ensures that it has the latest definitions and features to combat new and emerging cyber threats. Scanning the system regularly helps to identify and remove any malware or viruses that may have infected the computer.

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