Online banking frauds can come to an end by new software

Scientists have developed a new software to prevent malware from sending spam emails and instant messages while blocking unauthorised money transfers.

Researchers at Georgia Tech have created a prototype software, Gyrus, that takes extra steps to prevent malware from sending spam emails and instant messages, and blocking unauthorised commands such as money transfers.

Current protection programmes might recognise the original user's intent to send email, transfer money or engage in other transactions but cannot verify the specifics such as email contents or amount of money.

Without context, it is impossible to properly verify the user's full intent, regardless of whether the software is protecting a financial transfer, an industrial control system or a wide range of other user-driven applications.

Gyrus is a transparent layer on top of the window of an application. The user experience with the application will be exactly the same as when Gyrus is not installed or activated.

Of course, if Gyrus detects that user-intended data has tampered with, it will block the traffic and also notify the user.

The research is based on the observation that for most text-based applications, the user's intent will be displayed entirely on screen, as text, and the user will make modifications if what is on screen is not what he or she wants.

Users help Gyrus do its job by establishing pre-defined rules that help the software determine whether commands - authorised or not - fit with established user intentions.

The idea of defining correct behaviour of an application by capturing user intent is not entirely new, but previous attempts in this space use an overly simplistic model of the user's behaviour.

For example, they might infer a user's intent based on a single mouse click without capturing any associated context so the attackers can easily disguise attacks as a benign behaviour.

           

Instead, Gyrus captures richer semantics including both user actions and text contents, along with applications semantics, to make the system send only user-intended network traffic. Gyrus indirectly but correctly determines user intent from the screen that is displayed to the user.

There are two key components to Gyrus' approach. First, it captures the user's intent and interactions with an application. Second, it verifies that the resulting output can be mapped back to the user's intention. As a result, the application ensures accurate transactions even in the presence of malware.

To learn about Identity theft, visit- www.cibilconsultants.com
Source: Secondary

Signs that shows You've Been Hacked

In today's threats cape, antivirus software provides little piece of mind. In fact, anti malware scanners on the whole are horrifically inaccurate, especially with exploits less than 24 hours old. After all, malicious hackers and malware can change their tactics at will. Swap a few bytes around, and a previously recognized malware program becomes unrecognizable. 

To combat this, many anti malware programs monitor program behaviors, often called heuristics, to catch previously unrecognized malware. Other programs use virtualized environments, system monitoring, network traffic detection, and all of the above at once in order to be more accurate. And still they fail us on a regular basis.

Here are 11 sure signs you've been hacked and what to do in the event of compromise. Note that in all cases, the No. 1 recommendation is to completely restore your system to a known good state before proceeding. In the early days, this meant formatting the computer and restoring all programs and data. Today, depending on your operating system, it might simply mean clicking on a Restore button. Either way, a compromised computer can never be fully trusted again. The recovery steps listed in each category below are the recommendations to follow if you don't want to do a full restore -- but again, a full restore is always a better option, risk-wise. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 1: Fake antivirus messages 

In slight decline these days, fake antivirus warning messages are among the surest signs that your system has been compromised. What most people don't realize is that by the time they see the fake antivirus warning, the damage has been done. Clicking No or Cancel to stop the fake virus scan is too little, too late. The malicious software has already made use of unpatched software, often the Java Run time Environment or an Adobe product, to completely exploit your system. 

Why does the malicious program bother with the "antivirus warning"? This is because the fake scan, which always finds tons of "viruses," is a lure to buy their product. Clicking on the provided link sends you to a professional-looking website, complete with glowing letters of recommendation. There, they ask you for your credit card number and billing information. You'd be surprised how many people get tricked into providing personal financial information. The bad guys gain complete control of your system and get your credit card or banking information. For bad guys, it's the Holy Grail of hacking. 

What to do: As soon as you notice the fake antivirus warning message, power down your computer. If you need to save anything and can do it, do so. But the sooner you power off your computer, the better. Boot up the computer system in Safe Mode, No Networking, and try to uninstall the newly installed software (oftentimes it can be uninstalled like a regular program). Either way, follow up by trying to restore your system to a state previous to the exploitation. If successful, test the computer in regular mode and make sure that the fake antivirus warnings are gone. Then follow up with a complete antivirus scan. Oftentimes, the scanner will find other sneak remnants left behind. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 2: Unwanted browser toolbar 

This is probably the second most common sign of exploitation: Your browser has multiple new toolbar with names that seem to indicate the toolbar is supposed to help you. Unless you recognize the toolbar as coming from a very well-known vendor, it's time to dump the bogus toolbar. What to do: Most browsers allow you to review installed and active toolbar. Remove any you didn't absolutely want to install. When in doubt, remove it. If the bogus toolbar isn't listed there or you can't easily remove it, see if your browser has an option to reset the browser back to its default settings. If this doesn't work, follow the instructions listed above for fake antivirus messages. You can usually avoid malicious toolbar by making sure that all your software is fully patched and by being on the lookout for free software that installs these tool bars. Hint: Read the licensing agreement. Toolbar installs are often pointed out in the licensing agreements that most people don't read. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 3: Redirected Internet searches 

Many hackers make their living by redirecting your browser somewhere other than you want to go. The hacker gets paid by getting your clicks to appear on someone else's website, often those who don't know that the clicks to their site are from malicious redirection. You can often spot this type of malware by typing a few related, very common words (for example, "puppy" or "goldfish") into Internet search engines and checking to see whether the same websites appear in the results -- almost always with no actual relevance to your terms. Unfortunately, many of today's redirected Internet searches are well hidden from the user through use of additional proxies, so the bogus results are never returned to alert the user. In general, if you have bogus toolbar programs, you're also being redirected. Technical users who really want to confirm can sniff their own browser or network traffic. The traffic sent and returned will always be distinctly different on a compromised computer vs. an uncompromised computer. What to do: Follow the same instructions as above. Usually removing the bogus toolbar and programs is enough to get rid of malicious redirection. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 4: Frequent random popups 

This popular sign that you've been hacked is also one of the more annoying ones. When you're getting random browser pop-ups from websites that don't normally generate them, your system has been compromised. I'm constantly amazed about which websites, legitimate and otherwise, can bypass your browser's anti-pop-up mechanisms. It's like battling email spam, but worse. What to do: Not to sound like a broken record, but typically random pop-ups are generated by one of the three previous malicious mechanisms noted above. You'll need to get rid of bogus toolbar and other programs if you even hope to get rid of the pop-ups. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 5: Your friends receive fake emails from your email account 

This is the one scenario where you might be OK. It's fairly common for our email friends to receive malicious emails from us. A decade ago, when email attachment viruses were all the rage, it was very common for malware programs to survey your email address book and send malicious emails to everyone in it. 

These days it's more common for malicious emails to be sent to some of your friends, but not everyone in your email address book. If it's just a few friends and not everyone in your email list, then more than likely your computer hasn't been compromised (at least with an email address-hunting malware program). These days malware programs and hackers often pull email addresses and contact lists from social media sites, but doing so means obtaining a very incomplete list of your contacts' email addresses. Although not always the case, the bogus emails they send to your friends often don't have your email address as the sender. It may have your name, but not your correct email address. If this is the case, then usually your computer is safe. 

What to do: If one or more friends reports receiving bogus emails claiming to be from you, do your due diligence and run a complete antivirus scan on your computer, followed by looking for unwanted installed programs and toolbars. Often it's nothing to worry about, but it can't hurt to do a little health check when this happens. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 6: Your online passwords suddenly change 

If one or more of your online passwords suddenly change, you've more than likely been hacked -- or at least that online service has been hacked. In this particular scenario, usually what has happened is that the victim responded to an authentic-looking phish email that purportedly claimed to be from the service that ends up with the changed password. The bad guy collects the logon information, logs on, changes the password (and other information to complicate recovery), and uses the service to steal money from the victim or the victim's acquaintances (while pretending to be the victim). What to do: If the scam is widespread and many acquaintances you know are being reached out to, immediately notify all your contacts about your compromised account. Do this to minimize the damage being done to others by your mistake. Second, contact the online service to report the compromised account. Most online services are used to this sort of maliciousness and can quickly get the account back under your control with a new password in a few minutes. Some services even have the whole process automated. A few services even have a "My friend's been hacked!" button that lets your friends start the process. This is helpful, because your friends often know your account has been compromised before you do. If the compromised logon information is used on other websites, immediately change those passwords. And be more careful next time. Websites rarely send emails asking you to provide your logon information. When in doubt, go to the website directly (don't use the links sent to you in email) and see if the same information is being requested when you log on using the legitimate method. You can also call the service via their phone line or email them to report the received phish email or to confirm its validity. Lastly, consider using online services that provide two-factor authentication. It makes your account much harder to steal. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 7: Unexpected software installs 

Unwanted and unexpected software installs are a big sign that your computer system has likely been hacked. In the early days of malware, most programs were computer viruses, which work by modifying other legitimate programs. They did this to better hide themselves. For whatever reason, most malware programs these days are Trojans and worms, and they typically install themselves like legitimate programs. This may be because their creators are trying to walk a very thin line when the courts catch up to them. They can attempt to say something like, "But we are a legitimate software company." Oftentimes the unwanted software is legally installed by other programs, so read your license agreements. Frequently, I'll read license agreements that plainly state that they will be installing one or more other programs. Sometimes you can opt out of these other installed programs; other times you can't. What to do: There are many free programs that show you all your installed programs and let you selectively disable them. My favorite for Windows is Autoruns. It doesn't show you every program installed but will tell you the ones that automatically start themselves when your PC is restarted. Most malware programs can be found here. The hard part is determining what is and what isn't legitimate. When in doubt, disable the unrecognized program, reboot the PC, and reenable the program only if some needed functionality is no longer working. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 8: Your mouse moves between programs and makes correct selections 

If your mouse pointer moves itself while making selections that work, you've definitely been hacked. Mouse pointers often move randomly, usually due to hardware problems. But if the movements involve making the correct choices to run particular programs, malicious humans are somewhere involved. Not as common as some of the other attacks, many hackers will break into a computer, wait for it to be idle for a long time (like after midnight), then try to steal your money. Hackers will break into bank accounts and transfer money, trade your stocks, and do all sorts of rogue actions, all designed to lighten your cash load. What to do: If your computer "comes alive" one night, take a minute before turning it off to determine what the intruders are interested in. Don't let them rob you, but it will be useful to see what things they are looking at and trying to compromise. If you have a cellphone handy, take a few pictures to document their tasks. When it makes sense, power off the computer. Unhook it from the network (or disable the wireless router) and call in the professionals. This is the one time that you're going to need expert help. Using another known good computer, immediately change all your other logon names and passwords. Check your bank account transaction histories, stock accounts, and so on. Consider paying for a credit-monitoring service. If you've been a victim of this attack, you have to take it seriously. Complete restore of the computer is the only option you should choose for recovery. But if you've lost any money, make sure to let the forensics team make a copy first. If you've suffered a loss, call law enforcement and file a case. You'll need this information to best recover your real money losses, if any. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 9: Your antimalware software, Task Manager, or Registry Editor is disabled and can't be restarted 

This is a huge sign of malicious compromise. If you notice that your antimalware software is disabled and you didn't do it, you're probably exploited -- especially if you try to start Task Manager or Registry Editor and they won't start, start and disappear, or start in a reduced state. This is very common for malware to do. What to do: You should really perform a complete restore because there is no telling what has happened. But if you want to try something less drastic first, research the many methods on how to restore the lost functionality (any Internet search engine will return lots of results), then restart your computer in Safe Mode and start the hard work. I say "hard work" because usually it isn't easy or quick. Often, I have to try a handful of different methods to find one that works. Precede restoring your software by getting rid of the malware program, using the methods listed above. Sure 

Sign of system compromise No. 10: Your bank account is missing money 

I mean lots of money. Online bad guys don't usually steal a little money. They like to transfer everything or nearly everything, often to a foreign exchange or bank. Usually it begins by your computer being compromised or from you responding to a fake phish from your bank. In any case, the bad guys log on to your bank, change your contact information, and transfer large sums of money to themselves. What to do: In most cases you are in luck because most financial institutions will replace the stolen funds (especially if they can stop the transaction before the damage is truly done). However, there have been many cases where the courts have ruled it was the customer's responsibility to not be hacked, and it's up to the financial institution to decide whether they will make restitution to you. If you're trying to prevent this from happening in the first place, turn on transaction alerts that send text alerts to you when something unusual is happening. Many financial institutions allow you to set thresholds on transaction amounts, and if the threshold is exceeded or it goes to a foreign country, you'll be warned. Unfortunately, many times the bad guys reset the alerts or your contact information before they steal your money. So make sure your financial institution sends you alerts anytime your contact information or alerting choices are changed. 

Sure sign of system compromise No. 11: You get calls from stores about nonpayment of shipped goods 

In this case, hackers have compromised one of your accounts, made a purchase, and had it shipped to someplace other than your house. Oftentimes, the bad guys will order tons of merchandise at the same time, making each business entity think you have enough funds at the beginning, but as each transaction finally pushes through you end up with insufficient funds. What to do: This is a bad one. First try to think of how your account was compromised. If it was one of the methods above, follow those recommendations. Either way, change all your logon names and passwords (not just the one related to the single compromised account), call law enforcement, get a case going, and start monitoring your credit. You'll probably spend months trying to clear up all the bogus transactions committed in your name, but you should be able to undo most, if not all, of the damage. Years ago you could be left with a negative credit history that would impact your life for a decade. 
These days, companies and the credit reporting agencies are more used to cyber crime, and they deal with it better. Still, be aggressive and make sure you follow every bit of advice given to you by law enforcement, the creditors, and the credit-rating agencies (there are three major ones- CIBIL, Equifax, Experian). 

Malware vector trifecta to avoid:

The hope of an antimalware program that can perfectly detect malware and malicious hacking is pure folly. Keep an eye out for the common signs and symptoms of your computer being hacked as outlined above. And if you are risk-adverse, as I am, always perform a complete computer restore with the event of a breach. Because once your computer has been compromised, the bad guys can do anything and hide anywhere. It's best to just start from scratch. Most malicious hacking originates from one of three vectors: unpatched software, running Trojan horse programs, and responding to fake phishing emails. Do better at preventing these three things, and you'll be less likely to have to rely on your anti malware software's accuracy -- and luck.

If your Credit Score have been hampered because of Identity Theft, contact us- www.cibilconsultants.com

Source: Secondary

Lakhs of Indian Computers Infected

NEW DELHI: Over 42 lakh computer systems, including mobile phones, were infected in India by June last year with 'botnet' malware being used for various kinds of cyber crimes.

As per the data shared by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) with other government departments, the botnet infected systems in the country was 25,915 in 2007 which peaked to about 65 lakh in 2012.

The number of botnet infected system grew rapidly and reached over 60 percent in first half of 2013.

"The bot infected systems are under control of cyber criminals. The bots steal sensitive information such as online credentials, credit card numbers, email id and passwords which cause data loss and financial loss to victims," CERT-in said in on setting up botnet cleaning centre in the country.

The term 'bot' is short for robot. Cyber criminals distribute malicious software that can turn a computer into a bot. These bots can be networked together as 'botnet' that can perform automated tasks over the Internet, without the owners of the devices coming to know about it.

Criminals use botnets to send out spam email messages, spread viruses, attack computers and servers, and commit other kinds of crime and fraud. It also slows down speed of infected computer or mobile phone.

Cyber criminals use Internet to plant malicious software or programmes in a system. In India there are about 210 million Internet connections which include both mobile phones and computers.
To know more about Identity Theft visit www.cibilconsultants.com
Source: Secondary

India: Third Most Affected Nation By Online Banking Malware

Growing Internet penetration and rising popularity of online banking have made India a favorite among cyber criminals, who target online financial transactions using malware, security solutions provider Trend Micro said. According to the firm, India ranks third after Japan and the US in the tally of countries most affected by online banking malware during the April-June quarter of 2014.

Japan topped the list with the highest number of online banking malware infections this quarter due to VAWTRAK. In May alone, it saw 13,000 malware infections. The US saw about 5,000 malware infections during the month, followed by India at 3,000 attacks.

"India posed for cyber criminal expansion with an average of 2.5 million malware detection in a given month. Also, 33 per cent more malicious apps were downloaded and network traffic from affected computers continued to rise," TrendLabs Director Myla V Pilao told PTI. TrendLabs is Trend Micro's research and development center. These and many such incidents show that cyber criminals will always adapt to new trends and situations whether in the use of new malware or targeted attacks techniques to continue their attacks, she added. 

She said the severity of attacks has intensified against financial and banking institutions as well as retail outlets globally.

"Total attacks have exposed more than 10 million personal records as of July 2014 and that strongly indicates that organisations need to adopt a more strategic approach to safeguarding digital information," she said. Such incidents often lead  to stealing of consumer's personal information like customer names, passwords, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, and date of birth.

These types of personal privacy breaches have affected organisation's sales and earnings, while leaving customers unable to access accounts and dealing with service disruption, Pilao said. "The pace of change in technology sector has never been as rapid as it is now, and as a result we see firms struggling to keep up with the latest developments," she said. Pilao added that it is essential that Indian businesses treat information security as a principal constituent of business  strategy as time and again it has emerged as one of the top countries witnessing cyber crime. 

"The incidents observed during this quarter further establish the need for a more comprehensive approach to security," TrendLabs Director Myla V Pilao said. 

A report by another security solutions firm McAfee said India is the fourth most affected country in Asia, with 786 phishing domains and 1,557 servers hosting suspect content. Also with 145 spamming domains originate from India, the country is the eighth most affected country in the Asia Pacific region.

According to government's cyber security arm Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In), 62,189 cyber security incidents were reported in the first five months of the current calendar year. Also, till May this year, 9,174 Indian websites were hijacked by various hacker groups spread across the world.

Learn about identity theft at www.cibilconsultants.com

Source: Secondary

India Under E-attack

Growing internet penetration and rising popularity of online banking have made India a favourite among cyber criminals, who target online financial transactions using malware, security solutions pro-vider Trend Micro said.

According to the firm, India ranks third after Japan and the US in the tally of countries most affected by online banking malware during the April-June quarter of 2014.

Japan topped the list with the highest number of online banking malware infections this quarter due to VAWTRAK. In May alone, it saw 13,000 malware infections. The US saw about 5,000 malware infections during the month, followed by India at 3,000 attacks.

“India posed for cyber criminal expansion with an average of 2.5 million malware detection in a given month. Also, 33 per cent more malicious apps were downloaded and network traffic from affected computers continued to rise," Trend-Labs director Myla V Pilao said.

TrendLabs is Trend Micro’s research and development centre.

These and many such incidents show that cyber criminals will al-ways adapt to new trends and situations whether in the use of new malware or targeted attack techniques to continue their strikes, she added. She said the severity of attacks has intensified against financial and banking institutions as well as retail outlets globally.

“Total attacks have exposed more than 10 million personal records as of July 2014 and that strongly indicates that organisations need to adopt a more strategic approach to safeguarding digital information,” she said.

Such incidents often lead to stealing of consumer’s personal information like customer names, passwords, email addresses, home addresses, cell phone numbers, and date of birth.

These types of personal privacy breaches ha-ve affected organisation’s sales and earnings, while leaving customers unable to access accounts and dealing with service disruption, Ms Pilao said.

“The pace of change in technology sector has never been as rapid as it is now, and as a result we see firms struggling to keep up with the latest developments,” she said.

Ms Pilao added that it is essential that Indian businesses treat information security as a principal constituent of business strategy as time and again it has emerged as one of the top countries witnessing cyber crime.

Learn about identity theft at www.cibilconsultants.com

Courtcsy: Asia Age 

Protect Your Smartphone From Cyber Criminals

There was a time only when criminals with a face were on the prowl. This class included people who snatched gold chains, picked pockets or stole cars. But with wealth management going online, they have become faceless, at least until they are tracked down. In fact, until a few years ago, tracking these cyber criminal was not so difficult as a hacker could be traced back to his computer. But that is not the case any more.

A report published in the Business Line today said this is due to a software which spoofs IPs and hence cover the hacker’s identify as well as the place of his origin. The attacks by cyber criminals just got more intense as, with increasing popularity of smartphones, the number of viruses and malware that can be used to hack also surged.

“A sample study carried out by our company in eight cities shows that more than one lakh smartphones are subjected to cyber attacks every day in India,”Ritesh Chopra, country sales manager of anti-virus manufacturer Norton, has been quoted as saying in the report.

There are various types of risks. Such attacks not only affects the hardware slowing down the phone, but also your exposes your personal data to the criminals. Many of us store details of our bank accounts and other such personal financial data on our smartphone these days. But unlike PCs and laptops, most of these smartphones don’t have anti-virus software installed. Since many use social media via smartphones, identity theft too becomes an added risk.

So what should you do? One way to deal with this issue is to get rid of the smartphone and use a low-end phone instead. But if that’s not possible, you could take a few steps to extenuate the risk. For instance, don’t have your internet switched on your phone when you are not using it. Also, be cautious while using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, since these are relatively more vulnerable to such attacks. And finally, you could install antivirus software for your smartphone. 

Learn about identity theft at www.cibilconsultants.com 

Source: Secondary

Social networking mail Id should not be used for online transactions

Chandigarh: Security software maker Symantec advised internet users not to use e-mail ids being used for social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter for carrying out online banking or business transactions in order to prevent stealing of financial data. 

"They (internet users) should be more cautious while on social networking sites. They should have separate e-mail id for social networking site and other e-mail id for carrying out transactions like banking," Symantec MD Shantanu Ghosh told reporters here while replying to a query steps needed to be protected from cyber attack on social networking sites. "

We have observed that on social networking sites, people usually share their detail including personal ones with their friends as well as with those whom they do not know much and here they face the risk (of being attacked)," he said. "

Cyber attackers then can try to get into your e-mail ids through malware on these sites and try to steal vital information like credit card information," he said. He said not to click on any "untrusted" link in their e-mails or social networking site as it also poses threat of stealing important financial information of the user. 

Ghosh also cited an example when a malware in the name of bollywood female actor Katrina Kaif video was received by internet users on their e-mail ids in India and later it was found that the malware was intended to steal credit card information of the user. Acknowledging that the number of malwares in the cyber world has grown to millions in India in last few years, he also stressed on be cautious on framing a secure password for their e-mail ids to avert any cyber attack. 

"Some users use e-mail password as wife's birth date or anniversary day or birth year and most of these details are available on their social networking site account and it can also be misused by cyber attackers," he said. He added that small and medium business in cities like Chandigarh, Surat, Jaipur are facing the threat of cyber attack because of less spending by small entrepreneurs on security technology and growing use of internet. 

"Small cities, including Chandigarh, are sharing good amount of malware activity...(because) these companies are not spending much on security technology which makes them vulnerable to cyber attack," Ghosh said. He said increasing use of broadband and low awareness among entrepreneurs about malwares are also some of the reasons behind their vulnerability of cyber attack. 

"Augmented by broadband penetration, smaller and emerging cities of India are exploring opportunities offered by the virtual world in turn creating a new lucrative pool of targets for cyber criminals to exploit," he said. As per the Symantec Internet Security, a sizeable 25 per cent of small and emerging cities like Chandigarh, Surat, Cochin, Jaipur are infected by malwares.

Protect yourself from Identity Theft. Visit www.cibilconsultants.com

Source: Secondary

Most Cyber Criminals are Among Youth, Shows Data

Nearly 60 per cent of those arrested for the cyber crimes- hacking, obscene publications and forgery, among others —- belong to the age group of 18-30 years, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) show.

According to NCRB, between 2008 and 2011, 1,184 persons were arrested for various cyber crimes, which are on the rise.

"Most offenders belong to the younger generation. They are more aware of the ways and means through which they can exploit cyber space and come from a variety of backgrounds," Additional Deputy Commissioner (Economic Offences Wing) S D Mishra said.

The records also show that hacking cases have increased substantially over the period, from 56 to 826 cases. Half of those arrested in these cases were in the 18-30 age group.

Hacking is not defined in the IT Act, 2000, but falls under Section 66 of Computer Related offences, which carries a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment.

Cases under obscene publications climbed to 496 cases in 2011, with 63.6 per cent of offenders from the same age group. This offence also carries a three-year imprisonment term.

"While cases related to obscene publications have risen, the important thing to note is that none of these cases were related to child pornography," Mishra said.

Forgery cases rose by over 400 per cent between 2008 and 2011, the NCRB data has revealed.

"There are a surge in the number of reported cases over the years because people are becoming more aware of these things. More number of people are reporting these crimes, especially in instances where there was a financial loss," he said.

Mishra said most cases registered dealt with internet banking and credit card frauds.

"Cyber investigations are often inhibited if offenders are working from an overseas location. This leads to jurisdiction issues and we are unable to get information from a foreign Internet service provider. But we have a full-fledged forensics lab with the latest equipment to handle such matters," Mishra said.

In cases which demand expertise in a particular encryption code or a unique data storage system, law enforcement agencies often use the services of private security firms such as Pyramid Cyber Security & Forensics, which specialises in solving such cases.

"Cooperation between countries become crucial in such cases," Managing Director of Pyramid Cyber Security & Forensics Alok Gupta said, referring to an agency called IMPACT (International Multilateral Partnership against Cyber Crime). IMPACT, a not-for-profit organisation with 195 member countries, acts as the cyber security arm of the United Nations and helps in countering cyber threats.

"Cyber crime cases are sensitive subjects. Not everyone would like to openly speak or admit that such a crime has taken place. If, for example, a bank was to report a cyber crime, the customers will be apprehensive about putting their money there," Gupta said.

According to Gupta, malware without signatures, cloud adoption and mobile devices like cell phones are what pose a threat to cyber security.

If you have been suffering with low credit scores, being a victim of any such cyber crimes, contact us to improve your score at www.cibilconsultants.com
Source: Secondary

Ways to Avoid Online Identity Theft

In today's cyber world, where most of your personal information is online, it's easy for fraudsters to steal and misuse it. Here's a look at the way they can trick you and what you can do to protect yourself.

How your identity can be stolen?

SHOULDER SURFING

As the name suggests, it's simply someone looking over your shoulder or using a mobile phone to click a photo while you are using your credit card, keying in your PIN at an ATM, filling up important information in a form or cheque, or just typing your password.

WIRELESS IDENTITY THEFT

Also known as RFID (radio frequency identification) theft, it steals the personal information that is stored on cards with RF chips embedded in them, such as your office ID tags.

PHARMING

A domain is hijacked by a criminal, who then steals the data of any user who accesses the website.

MALWARE

It stands for malicious software and includes anything that can be used to gain access to your PC and steal data from it. This could be through spyware, keyloggers, Trojan horse, adware, worm or virus. It disguises itself as something innocuous and stays hidden in your PC.

PHISHING

An e-mail from a seemingly reliable and known source will direct you to a phony website that looks legitimate. It will ask you to input personal data and finances to access the site, and then steal that information.

VISHING

A fraudster pretends to call up from your bank or service provider claiming to need your personal details because they are upgrading you or updating data.

SKIMMING

The secret information in the magnetic strip of your credit/debit card is copied and then used on a counterfeit card.

SMISHING

You will receive a text message on your mobile phone informing you of a service that you have signed up for or stopped. If you click on the link provided or call the number given, you will be told that you can proceed only after providing essential information.

How to protect yourself?

Here are 8 ways to be vigilant and safeguard your identity.

TEAR IT UP

Scrutinize all correspondence from financial institutions and shred it . Ensure all such e-mails are protected by passwords. Tear your ATM slips and cancelled cheques, don't just crumple them when you throw them in the trash.

WIPE EVERYTHING

Before disposing of your old gadgets, completely wipe out the memory or any data on it. Even an SMS or mail from your bank can be misused. Remove sensitive data before lending your phone, laptop or pen drives.

CALL BACK

Don't give out personal details no matter who calls you up. Log in to the website or call the customer care yourself. Bookmark websites used often so that you can access them directly rather than through a 'phishy' e-mail.

VIRTUAL PASSWORDS

Use virtual keyboards to input your passwords. Change these frequently and use different ones for various websites. Hackers access online forums or blogs to hack passwords because people usually use the same passwords for everything.

Source: Secondary