Sometimes I wonder if you all think I live in the world of witches and goblins where I report all this spooky stuff and somehow, it’s not quite real…
Therefore, I wanted to share a case study of a client of mine who had her identity stolen late in 2018
I want it to start to sink in that it can happen to you…
That you’re not immune…
Let’s see if you can spot the 2 crucial lessons that is the moral to this story
Before I was compromised, I was in a very stressful state with lots going on in my life…
There was a telephone message on my landline which stated that my internet had been compromised and that I needed to get it fixed straight away otherwise NBN would disconnect my internet.
I called back the number.
The caller asked me to go to my computer and turn it on, so they could show me how my internet had been compromised.
To do this I gave them access remotely to my computer.
They spent a lot of time showing me stupid pictures of the supposed hackers and how they had traced back via my IP address
This was the most valuable lesson on how easy it is for someone to take your identity.
They asked me to identify myself before offering to help me which felt legitimate. They are masters of appearing real.
Once they have your driver’s licence which has your address, your date of birth and full name-my 100 points of identity it is a nightmare
Now if someone wanted to take my identity they have all the information, it’s scary
I have learnt that no Telco nor NBN would ring and tell that there is a problem.
They only ring to sell you something.
I am far more aware of my identity information and the value that it holds.
When someone rings me or leaves a message, I will be more aware and cautious.
Hopefully I will never get caught by this again
I know some of you reading this would be thinking I would never fall for that, but some of your staff might
Or maybe you’re reading this, and you don’t have staff, so you think you are safe.
Try this…
Another client of mine in 2018 had someone remotely access her IP address as she was the only one working in the business.
On the Friday morning in April 2018, she created a Google AdWords Account by setting up a Gmail account complete with a new password and bank details…
Her intention was to create an AdWords campaign for her business when she got back from her weekend away to send out the following week
To her shock horror, whilst she was on a weekend away, they came in and set up an AdWords campaign, selected the most expensive and ridiculous keywords, accessed a video from her computer and set off a campaign to cyberspace!
Then they started engaging with those responding as if they were her and drained her account of $300US dollars in 2 days!
So, did you get the 2 valuable lessons?
LESSON 1: Hackers are “Masters” at sounding convincing. They spend a lot of time finding ways to get into your IP address or back end of your computer to steal your identity
LESSON 2: You are most likely to be compromised when you are stressed, distracted and have a lot going on.
Stay alert, be aware, share this email with your staff and above all it can happen to you!
Once again, I appreciate this opportunity to keep your business safe
Cheers
Gary Lowe
IT Security Specialist
Cynosura
