As social networking portals become increasingly popular, users are unknowingly exposing themselves to the risk of becoming victims of cyber crime. And if the recent hackings of designer Rina Dhaka and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar?s email accounts are any indicators to go by, the hacking sphere is buzzing with activity.
As of today, says Amit Nath, Country Head, Trend Micro, ?Any of the larger social networking sites at least has a subscription base of 200 million users globally. India ranks 7th globally in the use of such sites, with the country alone contributing to 3 per cent of the total number. And this is for just one site.?
Considering these statistics, it becomes imperative that we take steps to safeguard our identity from online theft.
Online transactions Rajiv Chadha, VP, VeriSign India says that one needs to be super careful during online transactions. He says: ?Since these transactions have much confidential information about an individual, the need to protect these details becomes tremendous.? Therefore, he recommends that one should keep in mind all important safety measures and adhere to them.
The most common problem is phishing sites. Phishing sites look completely similar to a website (like a banking website) but are actually fraudulent. If you enter your confidential information here, you could get yourself in grave trouble.
Social networking Social networking sites are also a cause of concern for youngsters. Says Nath: ?Psychologically, people are less skeptical receiving and sharing information on social networking websites as opposed to emails which may be spam. It is here that they put themselves in danger.?
He further adds that most hackers prowl user accounts to find loopholes and can then hack the account resulting in a loss of identity.
As of today, says Amit Nath, Country Head, Trend Micro, ?Any of the larger social networking sites at least has a subscription base of 200 million users globally. India ranks 7th globally in the use of such sites, with the country alone contributing to 3 per cent of the total number. And this is for just one site.?
Considering these statistics, it becomes imperative that we take steps to safeguard our identity from online theft.
Online transactions Rajiv Chadha, VP, VeriSign India says that one needs to be super careful during online transactions. He says: ?Since these transactions have much confidential information about an individual, the need to protect these details becomes tremendous.? Therefore, he recommends that one should keep in mind all important safety measures and adhere to them.
The most common problem is phishing sites. Phishing sites look completely similar to a website (like a banking website) but are actually fraudulent. If you enter your confidential information here, you could get yourself in grave trouble.
Social networking Social networking sites are also a cause of concern for youngsters. Says Nath: ?Psychologically, people are less skeptical receiving and sharing information on social networking websites as opposed to emails which may be spam. It is here that they put themselves in danger.?
He further adds that most hackers prowl user accounts to find loopholes and can then hack the account resulting in a loss of identity.
Source: The Hindustan Times
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