Cyber attacks likely to spike on holidays

CEBU, Philippines — Filipinos are warned to be extra-careful with their online financial transactions this Christmas season, warned cybersecurity company Kaspersky.

“Cybercriminals are especially fond of the Christmas season when financial transactions are prevalent. In the Philippines, online shopping and being active on social media are historically highest every December. Filipinos enjoy the longest holiday vacations during this month, compared to its neighbors in Southeast Asia,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.

Kaspersky is particularly advising Filipinos to be mindful of banking Trojans, which usually target users of online financial services and online shoppers in general.

These Trojans use online store brands to hunt for credentials like login, password, card number, phone number, etc. It can intercept input data on target sites, change the online page content and/or redirect visitors to phishing pages.

“With the long break, which we can spend with our family and friends to travel and relax, this holiday season is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of the year. Let us keep it that way by keeping our guards up as we enjoy this season,” SiangTiong added.

It is the time where shopping online increases and posting on social media is on the rise. It’s also worth noting that a lot of employees may be travelling with their corporate laptops and mobile phones, working remotely to avoid work emails from piling up.

This would mean additional opportunities for cybercriminals to wage their own holiday campaigns.

“We encourage everyone to practice basic good online habits throughout this break to keep these crooks out of their way,” Siang Tiong emphasized.

To avoid the risk of threats during Christmas time, Kaspersky suggests the following security measures: Wrap passwords in layers of complexity; In conducting online shopping, scope out sites before buying. Check out reviews of online stores to decide if they’re legitimate and safe before you put in your personal information; Check purchased list twice; Before travelling or working remotely, jot down important details of your devices and service providers. Take note of the IMEI of your device and ensure that you have the contact details of your service provider based on your destination. (IMEI: International Mobile Station Equipment Identity located where the battery or SIM card is on the device.); Protect devices. Just as with passport, camera or wallet, don’t leave gadgets  unattended; Access the internet on a secure network. Avoid public Wi-Fi and choose; Charge device on a wall socket, as possibly as you can. Not all electricity is equally good for your device and connecting them to aftermarket (non-original) charger can turn devices into expensive bricks.

It further warned that USB ports are designed not just for charging but to transfer data. Attackers can get phone number, download contacts, or install malicious apps. Attackers can even call any of the numbers stored at your expense so if you’re roaming, you’ll go home with a shocking phone bill.

Moreover, it advised Filipinos to stop from clicking on unknown links or downloading attachments. A lot of malware come in the disguise of a confirmation letter as an attachment or downloadable file.