CyberSafe Alert 2019 Edition 7

Has your wallet been hacked?

Welcome to the CyberSafe alert 2019 edition 7, where we provide timely, actionable advice to individuals and SME’s on how to protect themselves online.

This alert covers RFID credit cards and passports, and the lengths we go to, to prevent them from being hacked.

If you’ve got a credit card in 2019, the chances are that it’s RFID enabled. How would you know? Well, if it’s one of those cards that you can simply wave at or place on a card reader instead of swiping it in a slot, then it’s RFID enabled.

As these cards have become increasingly popular you probably started seeing reports in the more hysterical sections of the popular press showing how is it is to intercept your RFID enabled card and steal all your money. People conjured up all sorts of images and scare stories of ne’r do well hackers on street corners with wi-fi interceptors or waiters at restaurants skimming your card details.

As a result of all the scare stories, of course an industry suddenly grew up around protecting consumers from having their cards skimmed. This protection came in the form of RFID blocking, wallets, backpacks, clothes, passport holders, etc., driving tens of millions of sales from worried consumers.

So what’s the advice here? Regular readers of the Cybersafe alert know that our aim is to provide simple, actionable advice on cyber threats. Our advice on RFID blocking accessories is this. Save your money, and buy something that you really want instead. Why should you not be worried? Well, consider the facts:

• Most RFID cards these days are next-generation cards. These cards protect the information they send by encrypting it
• In the time since RFID cards were released, there have been no publicly acknowledged real-world examples of RFID crime. In that time however, there have been billions stolen in other financial crimes
• The payback for Cybercriminals just isn’t worth it. When you consider that a hacker cracking a database such the recent Capital One hack can yield tens of thousands of records, why would someone hang around on a street corner for a day trying to skim credit cards with a reader?

After all that's been said, if you’re still not convinced and you want to protect your wallet anyway, well you can still save yourself some money. Simply put some sheets of aluminium foil in your wallet, and hey presto, you’re protected! So were the reports of RFID skimming all false then? Well not exactly. Plenty of demonstrations by researchers showed how it could be done, but the key point is, it has never happened in a REAL WORLD crime scenario, so relax.

Did you find the Cybersafe alert useful? Yes? Well, don’t keep this useful information to yourself. Use the sharing buttons to share this valuable information with your family and friends so they can protect themselves online.

Following the advice in CyberSafe should go a long way to keeping you safe online. As we like to say at the CyberSafe alert - Don’t Be Scared; Be Prepared.

Are you new to the CyberSafe Alert? If so you’ve missed out on some great information to keep you and your family and business safe online. Here’s what you have missed:

• Edition 1 - FBI Alert - Your Router Could Be Infected By Malware
• Edition 2 - Are your toys spying on you?
• Edition 3 -  Is It Safe To Hit 'Send' Now?
• Edition 4 -  WhatsApp Hacked!? Here's What To Do About It
• Edition 5 -  Is the new “Sign in with Apple” button a game changer? 
• Edition 6 -  Why your personal calls are not personal anymore 

Want a regular briefing about the newest Cyber threats? Subscribe to the Cybersafe Alert now!

If you can't wait for the next CyberSafe Alert to tell you how to protect yourself online, get CyberSafe the book. It's packed with the useful information and strategies you need to keep yourself, your family, and your business safe online.

 

Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the content provided in this post is accurate and helpful for our readers. However, this is not an exhaustive treatment of the subjects. No liability is assumed for losses or damages due to the information provided. You are responsible for your own choices, actions, and results.

CyberSafe Alert 2019 Edition 6

Why your ‘personal’ calls are not personal anymore

Welcome to CyberSafe alert 2019 edition 6, where we provide timely actionable insights to individuals and SME’s on how to protect themselves online.

This alert covers the story that’s recently been doing the rounds about Skype calls being legally listened to. If you’ve read the CyberSafe book, then this information will not be news to you, and if you followed the advice in the book, then this is one less cyber security issue that you need to worry yourself with.

So what’s the big issue? According to a story from Motherboard,

Microsoft has people that regularly listen in to calls made on Skype in order to improve their machine learning services, especially around translations. Before you get outraged and start calling your lawyer about this flagrant violation of your privacy, it’s important to note that unless you opted out from this in their terms and conditions, you have agreed that this can be done. Skype is not alone in this. Most if not all of the big, commercial VOIP providers will have clauses in their terms and conditions that allow them to monitor your calls.

Although this alert is focused on the VOIP issue with Skype, I think it’s important to note that if you use a service like Cortana, or Alexa, or Siri, these devices (assuming they are switched on) are listening to your every word, whether it’s a valid command or not.

Regular readers of the Cybersafe Alert will know that we’re not just here to scare you into thinking the sky is falling in by telling you what’s going on, but also to give you actionable advice on what to do. So here’s what to do if you’re concerned about the recent revelations about Skype:

• Check the T&C’s of the VOIP service that you use. If you are concerned about them listening in, then opt-out. If you can’t opt-out, then switch a different service
• This kind of monitoring is not unique to Skype. Most if not all of the big commercial services will have a similar capability to listen in to your calls. Cybersafe book readers will know about alternatives such as Silent Phone by Silent Circle. If absolute privacy is important to you, then switch to one of these services
• This is somewhat counterintuitive in terms of what these tools are supposed to offer, but if you use an IoT device such as Cortana, Alexa, or Siri, keep it switched off until you need to use it. These devices by their very nature need to listen to every word you say, in order to react when you give them a recognised command

Following the advice in CyberSafe should go a long way to keeping you safe online. As we like to say at the CyberSafe alert - Don’t Be Scared; Be Prepared

 

Want a regular briefing about the newest Cyber threats? Subscribe to the Cybersafe Alert now!

If you can't wait for the next CyberSafe Alert to tell you how to protect yourself online, get CyberSafe the book. It's packed with the useful information and strategies you need to keep yourself, your family, and your business safe online.

 

Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the content provided in this post is accurate and helpful for our readers. However, this is not an exhaustive treatment of the subjects. No liability is assumed for losses or damages due to the information provided. You are responsible for your own choices, actions, and results.