Now that we are in the middle of the designated dates to benefit from a good discount on many products thanks to the arrival of Black Friday, not everything that glitters is gold and any mistake can play tricks on us. Criminals know perfectly well that purchases intensify during this period, so they do not hesitate to bring out their entire arsenal to attack where it hurts us most. Next, we tell you what the most common cyber threats are and how you should protect yourself.
For some years now, Black Friday has become a global phenomenon that significantly encourages consumption due to the wave of offers that land in most stores. In fact, practically almost all stores have joined this campaign to increase their sales. However, out of inertia, we tend to trust any promotion in which the name “black Friday” appears, but the truth is that we are making a serious mistake, since it is the time with the highest number of frauds throughout the year.
This is revealed by a study by the cybersecurity research company S21Sec, which warns of the increase in deceptive websites during the Black Friday discount period corresponding to the first week of November. Even so, we can always get out of a dangerous situation unscathed if they try to compromise our most sensitive data.
A total of 6,340 fake Black Friday domains registered
Although there are still several chains of establishments that have not yet started their sales, since it is usually the last week of November, it is true that this year the discount season has started earlier and results are already being known about the sales. first cases of cyber threats. Black Friday is known by everyone as the perfect opportunity to make pre-Christmas purchases and save as much as possible, especially when it comes to the technological field, such as televisions, computers, appliances, or even clothing items, among others.
And you may not know it, but during these days you can end up falling into the trap of a dangerous network of scammers over the Internet, and the probabilities are higher than expected. Experts have already detected a substantial increase of 138% in cyberattacks compared to the previous year, which represents a reach of up to 6,340 fake domains that include the expression “black friday”. However, for the sake of our security, it is possible to detect these cyber encounters and establish measures to anticipate their evil intentions.
Most common threats and how to protect yourself
The S21Sec report states that the most common fraud attempts have already been found, related to phishing techniques (via emails), smishing (via SMS), or vishing (via telephone). Numerous false advertisements posted on social networks have also been identified that lead to web pages with non-legitimate domains.
In each of these cases, hackers share very attractive discounts on various products, placing special emphasis on essential items, such as food, fuel, etc., where prices can be seen as being too low. In this way, this advertising imitates official brands to project greater credibility and make more people take the bait.
Therefore, to prevent these cyberattacks, it is best to follow these instructions:
- Compare the offer information from the email, SMS or call with official sources.
- Check the URL of the web portals where you have to enter your data.
- Do not provide your passwords unless you are clear that it is the authenticity of the recipient.
- Be wary of fraudulent links or attachments that may be included in any notification.
- Do not download applications that you do not know or that may seem insecure.
