According to Kaspersky Lab researchers, cybercriminals have started using sophisticated infection methods and techniques borrowed from targeted attacks in order to install mining software on attacked PCs within organisations.
According to Kaspersky Lab researchers, cybercriminals have started using sophisticated infection methods and techniques borrowed from targeted attacks in order to install mining software on attacked PCs within organisations. The most successful group observed by Kaspersky Lab earned at least £5 million by exploiting their victims in just six months during 2017.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2018, Kaspersky Lab unveils new research which suggests that when voicing opinions, almost half of UK women (43%) feel they can express what might be considered an ‘unpopular opinion’ online, through social media or an Internet forum with close friends. With a call to action for women to fear less online, Kaspersky Lab is encouraging and empowering women to be cyber savvy, push boundaries and re-set stereotypes.
Despite the anonymity of online interactions leading to a rising culture of trolling and bullying, for one in ten women (9%), of online forums have given them a platform to say things that they would be ordinarily too embarrassed to say in real life, and is a positive step for giving them a voice and making them feel supported.
With a quarter (23%) of women admitting that the online world feels less real to them, this could account for a willingness to say online what they wouldn’t be prepared to say face to face. For 13%, this translates into voicing a political opinion via social media or email that they might not express in an offline situation. However, despite this feeling of freedom, 15% admit that they are likely to say something online that they will later regret.
Talking about her own experiences of using online channels to voice her opinions, Nyomi Winter, mummy blogger at nomipalony.com, said:
“Becoming a mother really brought out my feminist views and that’s probably what catapulted me to blog. It can be scary putting out what can be seen as ‘unpopular’ opinions in real life, so blogging gives me the freedom to do this. It also lets me go into depth in a way that I’d never do in real life – I would never go into as much personal detail if I was face to face with someone. Blogging is also a cathartic experience – occasionally I’ve blogged about a topic that has upset me and I’ve found online support in a way that you don’t get in real life.”
“There are some great success stories of how online forums have given women an outlet to meet likeminded individuals and build communities with positive results,” adds David Emm at Kaspersky Lab. “Taking risks online is a good thing but it should not be at the expense of failing to secure your digital footprint or letting your guard down online.If used responsibly and in a secure environment, online channels can be a great way to express opinions and make your voice heard – putting you in touch with an often-vital support network.”
There are a few simple steps you can take to secure your online activities whilst taking these all important risks:
- Get protected. This may seem obvious, but security software is the new ‘black’. Its helps you stay fully protected against malware, spyware, hackers and identity theft at all times.
- Keep up to date. Make sure all your devices are up to date with all the latest security and firmware updates.
- Practise safe online shopping and banking. Always shop and bank on a secure site. Look for a URL that starts with ‘https’ and has the lock symbol when entering your credit card details or other personal information.
- Privacy is key. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to access any web sites that need a login and password to access them or that involves typing in confidential information.
- Socialise safely. By now, we’ve all had a bad link or two sent to us over our favourite social network. Utilise your social network’s security settings to their optimum level. Do you really need to display every detail about your life?
- Safe passwords. Use secure passwords – a different one for each Internet service. Set passwords to include 12 or more upper and lower-case characters and numbers.
- Stomp out spam. Most Internet Service Providers and security software programs have anti-spam technologies. The spam blocker will help prevent fraudulent emails from showing up in your Inbox. Fake lottery wins or chances to win the latest gadget can be very tempting!
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company that celebrated its 20 year anniversary in 2017. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.
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