 silver surfers at large
Richard Tanner
|
|
 During my lifetime I have seen technology
develop at a pace that was unimaginable, for instance, back in 1974 when I
remember that the most modern equipment at Peckham Police Station
consisted of a photocopier and the newly installed CAD computer, which I
believe ran on steam in those days.
Slowly but surely, typewriters were replaced with word
processors, word processors were replaced with personal computers and
then, latterly, the internet gave birth to an entirely new age of digital
interactivity which now encompasses all that has gone before and much,
much more..
It took people of my generation a little time to get the hang of
what was happening around us, or to appreciate how it would change our
lives. The current generation, on
the other hand, were born into it and frequently fail to understand why
we “oldies” so often find ourselves uncomfortable in this IT environment.
If like me however, you began to appreciate the advantages of
this new age, I suspect that you then went on to try to persuade your
parents to join in the fun. I can
happily report that my father enjoys shopping online, using a video links
(Skype) when speaking to relatives abroad, browsing the web and sending
and receiving email, for instance.
Albeit that I personally despise mobile phones, it is actually
quite comforting for me to know that, in his elderly years, he has
greater access to services and better communication than ever before.
*****
|
|
“But what about my personal security and phishing scams”, I hear
you say! Well, according to a
number of studies it is estimated that more than 100 million people
worldwide receive phishing emails of one description or another every
year, so you will hardly find yourself in exclusive company if you are in
receipt of a few.
 Phishing is a scam used by identity thieves to
trick a recipient into providing them with sensitive, personal or
financial information. Thieves will generally send official looking
emails to impersonate trusted bodies like banks, credit card companies or
online resources such as eBay
or PayPal and, sometimes, they
will purport to represent government departments such as HRMC.
Through a link contained within the message text, these emails
will usually seek to lure the recipient to an alternative website where
they will then be invited to enter their personal details and/or
financial information. Usernames and
passwords are particularly sought and, once typed-in by the intended
victim, they are stored and used at a future time, not necessarily
immediately, by the thief in pursuit of a would-be fraud.
Thieves tend to target electronically stored databases or use
software generating programs for the purpose of acquiring email
addresses. While some phishing
scams may use the recipient’s name in the email, the vast majority will
not; they tend to be sent out randomly and opportunistically to thousands
on mass.
Most legitimate businesses will use first and/or last names in
communication and, moreover, banks, credit card companies and government
departments will never send emails inviting customers to update personal
details by clicking on a link contained within the text of the message.
The same businesses usually offer a reporting outlet for phishing
scams and, other than deleting the message, contacting the company
directly to inquire about such emails rather than using any link or other
contact information provided within the email is by far the safest route
to follow.
I do not purport to be offering expert advice regarding
prevention of this increasing crime trend but if you type “phishing
scams” into your website browser, you will find a wealth of information
and advice to assist you. YouTube contributors, in
particular, have submitted some excellent tutorials which are well worth
a visit.
*****
|
|
If you have an email address, which is more-or-less essential if you
seek to interact electronically, you will most likely already have some
experience of dealing with phishing scams.
I take the view that you probably wouldn’t let somebody you do
not know and do not trust through your front door by giving them the keys
or by leaving the same in the door.
I invite you to treat your home computer as if it were your front
door in this instance and to view your usernames and passwords as the
keys; and you really shouldn’t store usernames and passwords on the very
computer you are trying to protect.
|
|
|
There are basically two types of mail:-
1. Standard email is provided by your internet service
provider and in most instances, is accessed via a software client used by
your computer (Outlook Express, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.), or,
2. Webmail is an email account that you apply for
online and then access via your web browser (Internet Explorer, Safari,
Firefox etc.). Yahoo, Hotmail and
Googlemail (Gmail) are probably the most popularly used webmail clients.
|
|
|
Some users do get a sense of comfort from having
their email traffic handled by a web based server rather than by the
software stored on their own computer but using a webmail address
doesn’t change the rules of engagement; the same principles of care apply
and sensitive information must still be protected.
*****
|
|
Finally, as former police officers, I doubt that we will easily
be intimidated by the threat of computer technology and associated
internet crime. The advantages
should outweigh the disadvantages and, with sensible precautions, it
should not necessarily occur that we develop any nasty technology
phobias.
*****
|
© Copyright NARPO (London Branch), All rights
reserved.
|
