Today’s average man, part of the working force, retired, or studying, have become social media butterflies. Our daily routine includes checking our social media accounts and interacting with friends and family through it.
In the tech world no one is safe. It is important to keep our important online information safe and private. Knowing the common social media attacks will help us to know what to look out for. Read on to see the Top 5 Social Media Attacks in 2013.
Fake Offering
These scams invite social network users to join a fake event or group with incentives such as free gift cards. Joining often requires the user to share credentials with the attacker or send a text to a premium rate number.
Fake Plug-in Scams
Users are tricked into downloading fake browser extensions on their machines. Rogue browser extensions can pose like legitimate extensions but when installed can steal sensitive information from the infected machine.
Likejacking
Using fake “Like” buttons, attackers trick users into clicking website buttons that install malware and may post updates on a user’s newsfeed, spreading the attack.
Fake Apps
Applications provided by attackers that appear to be legitimate apps; however, they contain a malicious payload. The attackers often take legitimate apps, bundle malware with them, and then re-release it as a free version of the app.
Manual Sharing Scams
These rely on victims to actually do the hard work of sharing the scam by presenting them with intriguing videos, fake offers or messages that they share with their friends.
Protect yourself from social media traps with these simple steps:
- Be Discrete
- Skepticism is your friend
- Think Before You Speak You Mind
- Professionalism is your friend
- Be Vigilant
- Check Your Privacy Settings
- Beware of fake invitations
- Beware of fake invitations on social media
Source: Symantec