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Be Your Own Multi-Factor Authenticator<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Article by: Lucas Molefe, Cybersecurity Consultant, ESET Southern Africa<\/p>\n <\/p>\n An alarming post on X by Wendy Knowler, South Africa\u2019s leading consumer journalist, has brought to light the constant and increasing risk of cybercrime in the context of travel planning. Knowler shared a cautionary tale involving a South African woman who fell victim to a sophisticated phishing scam while making travel arrangements:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c@wendyknowler <\/p>\n You can\u2019t let your guard down for a moment. The truth is that most cybersecurity breaches these days take the form of phishing-based social engineering. Why break through thick firewalls or try to hack complex passwords when you can simply get someone to hand you the keys to their data and money? Scammers only need to find one cybersecurity gap for your trip to become far more expensive than you\u2019d anticipated.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are numerous parties involved – banks, booking agents, online platforms, and airlines. Booking flights or accommodations online often involves entering personal information on multiple platforms, each with its own level of security. Each interaction creates a potential entry point for cybercriminals, who can exploit these vulnerabilities to access or steal crucial data. If even one of these platforms is compromised, your entire travel itinerary, including payment details, could be exposed to significant risk.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t get much safer once you\u2019re travelling. Accessing the internet while on the move -whether to check emails, manage bookings, or handle banking transactions – poses additional threats, especially if you\u2019re using unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. Cybercriminals can easily intercept data or deploy phishing schemes to steal your credentials.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To help travellers protect their personal information, ESET has published a detailed guide on recognising and avoiding phishing scams outlining essential strategies to prevent phishing attacks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How to Recognise Phishing<\/strong><\/p>\n Phishing messages often mimic legitimate correspondence but can be identified through several telltale signs:<\/p>\n Reputable organisations rarely ask for sensitive details via email.<\/p>\n Spelling mistakes and awkward phrasing are common in phishing emails.<\/p>\n Unsolicited emails from banks or service providers should be treated with suspicion.<\/p>\n Messages that push for immediate action or offer deals that seem too good to be true are often scams.<\/p>\n Be wary of emails from domains that don\u2019t match the organisation\u2019s official website.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How to Prevent Phishing:<\/strong><\/p>\n Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious messages. These could lead you to malicious websites or infect your device with malware.<\/p>\n Keep up with reports on new phishing techniques to avoid falling into the latest traps.<\/p>\n Always verify the message with the sender or the organisation it claims to represent, using contact details you know to be genuine.<\/p>\n Regularly check your online accounts for any unusual activity, even if you don\u2019t suspect any foul play.<\/p>\n Implementing a trusted anti-phishing solution can add an extra layer of protection.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the end, you are your own best multi-factor authenticator. If you have any doubt – or even if you don\u2019t but are about to make a sizeable transfer – call or email a known, genuine contact at the organisation you\u2019re trading with. Confirm that the details you\u2019re using are legitimate and, whatever you do, do not click on links from unknown contacts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As travel plans become increasingly digital, the need for cybersecurity grows more urgent. By staying vigilant and adopting safe online practices, travellers can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cybercrime and enjoy a safer, stress-free trip.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more information and expert advice on cybersecurity, visit<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/a>ESET\u2019s phishing prevention page<\/span><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n About ESET Be Your Own Multi-Factor Authenticator \u00a0 Article by: Lucas Molefe, Cybersecurity Consultant, ESET Southern Africa An alarming post on X by Wendy Knowler, South Africa\u2019s leading consumer journalist, has brought to light the constant and increasing risk of cybercrime in the context of travel planning. Knowler shared a cautionary tale involving a South […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20145"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20145\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI\u2019ve just received an email from a S. African woman who was caught by this.
\nThe fraudulent email came amid a stream of genuine\u00a0<\/span><\/a>http:\/\/booking.com<\/span><\/a>\u00a0emails about her UK booking.
\nShe lost >R18K.
\n@bookingcom sent her a warning email but it landed AFTER the scammers\u2019 ones.\u00a0\ud83d\ude21\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\n<\/span><\/strong>For more than 30 years,\u00a0ESET\u00ae<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>has been\u00a0developing industry-leading IT security software and services\u00a0to protect businesses, critical infrastructure and consumers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated digital threats.\u00a0From endpoint and mobile security to endpoint detection and response, encryption and\u00a0multifactor\u00a0authentication,\u00a0ESET\u2019s high-performing, easy-to-use solutions unobtrusively protect and monitor 24\/7, updating defences in real-time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company\u00a0that enables\u00a0the safe use of technology.\u00a0This is backed by\u00a0ESET\u2019s\u00a0R&D centres worldwide,\u00a0working in support of our shared future.\u00a0<\/span>For more information, visit\u00a0<\/span>www.eset.com\/za<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>or follow us on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Facebook<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"