Page 43 - Third Issue

for anything odd or suspect. Look out for telltale
It is crucial to be on the lookout for unsolicited signs like misspellings, grammar mistakes, polite
demands for personal information in the era of digital pleasantries, or sudden, urgent demands. These
communication. Receiving unforeseen demands for could be warning signs of attempted social
sensitive information, whether via email, phone call, engineering. You have a better chance of spotting
or message, should raise a red alert. Reputable people misleading methods and defending yourself if you
and legitimate organizations normally use established
methods to gather information and won’t contact you pay attention to these details. You may avoid social
out of the blue. engineering assaults by being vigilant and carefully
examining correspondence, which also protects
Be sure to check the source before divulging any critical your personal information from possible breaches.
information or acting in any way if you want to keep
yourself safe. Spend some time independently verifying “ Phishing Emails to Avoid: Be wary of emails
the identity and authority of the individual or group requesting you to open attachments or click on
making the request. You shouldn’t rely entirely on the links, especially if they come as a surprise or from
contact details supplied in the message itself because an unfamiliar sender. Before you do anything,
they could be modified or fabricated. make sure the email is genuine and what it says is

Use genuine contact details that have been verified by true.”
trustworthy sources instead. For instance, don’t respond Social engineers frequently use phishing emails to
to or click on any links in an email that purports to be
from your bank. Instead, independently research your deceive people into disclosing personal information or
downloading dangerous malware. To keep yourself safe,
bank’s official website or call their customer support
department. In this manner, you can make sure you’re you must be skeptical of emails that ask you to open
attachments or click on links, especially if they come
speaking with a real person and avoiding a social from unexpected or unknown senders. Before acting on
engineering scam.
“ Verify the Source: Before disclosing sensitive the email, use caution and confirm its legitimacy. Look
out for indications of dubious or fraudulent content,
such as misspelled URLs, grammatical mistakes, or
information or approving requests from people or
organizations, you should independently confirm requests for personal data. When in doubt, use other
reliable avenues to independently verify the email’s
their identity and authenticity. Use official contact credibility, such as getting in touch with the company
details that you have gotten from trustworthy directly or visiting their website. You can prevent falling
sources.” victim to phishing scams and safeguard your personal
information by being alert and double-checking the
Before disclosing sensitive information or responding to legitimacy of emails.
requests, it is essential to confirm the source. You may
help ensure that you’re working with authorized entities “Use Caution on Social Media: Take care while
by independently verifying the identity and validity sharing information on social media sites. Do not
of people or organizations. Obtain official contact provide any information about yourself online that
information from reliable sources to demonstrate could be used by social engineers to influence or
your confidence in them. This easy step protects your misrepresent you.”
sensitive information and offers an additional degree of
defense against future social engineering attacks. In today’s interconnected world, it’s crucial to exercise
caution when using social media platforms. Be cautious
“Examine Communication: Thoroughly look over about sharing personal information, especially sensitive
emails, messages, and phone calls for ones, and adjust privacy settings to limit visibility. Social
anything strange or suspicious, like engineers often use personal information to tailor
misspellings, grammatical attacks, so be cautious when accepting friend requests
problems, generic from unknown individuals. Regularly review your
greetings, or hurried accounts for privacy and security settings, stay informed
demands. Keep an eye about platform updates, and educate yourself on social
out for details that engineering tactics. By taking these precautions, you can
could point to a protect your privacy, prevent identity theft, and minimize
the risks associated with social engineering attacks.
possible “
A vital starting point Examine Suspicious Behavior: Be wary of anyone
in identifying potential who behaves suspiciously or who requests
social engineering attacks is information or access that seems unusual. Before
to examine communication. granting their requests, you should confirm their
Spend some time carefully legitimacy or objectives.”
going over all of your emails, To defend against social engineering assaults, it is
texts, and phone calls to look essential to ask questions about strange behavior and
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ICT NEPAL (Issue-3, 2023)