Cybersecurity Safety 101

Cybersecurity is about protecting your family’s personal information, devices, and digital lives from online threats. It includes securing computers, home networks, and data from unauthorized access, theft, or damage. Cybersecurity relies on a mix of tools, technology, and smart habits to keep information safe, private, and available only to the right people. This section provides an overview of why cybersecurity matters and how parents can take simple steps to create a safer online environment for everyone at home.

Here are some commonly used cybersecurity terms you might encounter:

1. Malware: Malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise a computer system or network. Types include viruses, worms, trojan horses, and spyware.
2. Ransomware: A type of malware that encrypts the victim’s files or locks them out of their system, demanding a ransom payment to restore access. Most types of ransomware arrive through infected downloads or email attachments.
3. Phishing: A technique used to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information (like passwords or credit card numbers) by pretending to be a trustworthy entity, often through email or fake websites.
4. Virus: A type of malware that attaches itself to legitimate software or files and replicates when the infected program is executed, potentially causing damage to the system.
5. Worm: A standalone malware that replicates itself to spread to other computers, often exploiting network vulnerabilities.
6. Trojan: A type of malware that disguises itself as legitimate software, tricking users into installing it, which then allows unauthorized access to the system.
7. Spyware: Software that secretly monitors and collects user data, often without their knowledge, to send to a third party.
8. Firewall: A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.
9. Encryption: The process of converting data into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access, ensuring confidentiality.
10. Social Engineering: Psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information, using tactics like fear, urgency, curiosity, or trust to manipulate victims into doing something they normally wouldn’t.
11. Spoofing: Spoofing is when someone disguises an email address, sender name, phone number, or website URL—often just by changing one letter, symbol, or number—to convince you that you are interacting with a trusted source.
12. Catfishing: Catfishing occurs when someone creates a fictitious online persona or fake identity on social media or an online game, in order to deceive someone, usually for personal, financial, or emotional gain.
13. Sextortion: Sextortion involves blackmailing victims by threatening to share sexual images or videos of them unless they provide more explicit content or money.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the various types of cyber security threats and review resources to help prevent you and your family from becoming victimized.

Cybercriminals have plenty of opportunities to target young people, who tend to spend much of their lives on their smartphones, laptops and other digital devices. These criminals have grown more aggressive and sophisticated through the years, using advancements in technology to their advantage. Online scams cover a wide range of areas, from medical and student loan schemes to shopping and scholarship fraud. Below we highlight some of the fastest-growing scams that specifically target children and adolescents.

Phishing Scams

Phishing is a type of online fraud in which someone tries to trick the user into revealing valuable personal or sensitive information by pretending to be a trusted organization—like a bank, government agency, or company—using email, pop-ups, phone calls, or text messages. These scams are designed to steal information like passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other personal data. For example, a child might receive emails or texts from someone requesting login details to a site they access so they can “gift” the child with credit for the game.

Tips to guard against Phishing scams:

Secure yourself from fraud and phishing attacks by:

• Turning off the option to automatically download attachments.
• Saving and scanning with antivirus software any attachments before opening them.
• Before clicking on a web link in an email, carefully examine to make sure it is from who it claims to be. Hover over links (or press and hold on mobile) to preview the actual web address, and don’t click if it looks odd or doesn’t match the sender.
• Calling and verifying with the source that they are indeed the ones who sent the email before providing any kind of information.

Imposter Scams

Artificial Intelligence (or AI) is growing leaps and bounds….and so are the risks associated with it.

Imposter scams involve criminals using technology to mimic voices of family, friends, classmates or others, often tricking people into believing a loved one is in danger or distress, in order to persuade someone to send money.

The man calling Ruth Card sounded just like her grandson Brandon. So when he said he was in jail, with no wallet or cellphone, and needed cash for bail, Card scrambled to do whatever she could to help.

– Washington Post, 3/30/23: They thought loved ones were calling for help. 
It was an AI scam.

In the story above reported by the Washington Post, Ruth rushed to the bank to withdraw thousands of dollars, only to later learn she was duped by someone cloning the voice of her grandson, Brandon. Ruth told the Washington Post, “We were convinced that we were talking to Brandon.”

Advances in technology allow voices to be replicated with an audio sample taken from anywhere, including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok. A few sentences are all that’s needed to translate an audio file to “speak” whatever the bad actor would like!

So how can you recognize imposter scams and protect yourself? The FTC shares the following tips:

Follow these tips to help protect your money and personal information:

• Be suspicious of any call from a government agency asking for money or information. Government agencies don’t use threats and they don’t call you with promises of or demands for money.
• Don’t trust caller ID – it can be faked.
• Never pay with a gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency to anyone who requests it.
• Check with the real agency, person, or company. Don’t use the phone number they give you. Look it up yourself.

If you spot an imposter scam, report it to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. Your report can help the FTC’s investigators identify and stop imposters. To get notifications about new scams and tips to avoid them, sign up for our consumer alert.

If you have been scammed or think you may have been contacted by a scammer, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Cyberstalking is a form of online harassment in which someone uses digital means such as social media, email, messaging apps, or GPS tracking to monitor, intimidate, or threaten another person. Cyberstalking is different from online “trolling” or insults, as it involves persistent unwanted contact, spreading false information, identity theft, or attempts to track someone’s physical movements. Cyberstalking can cause significant emotional distress, disrupt daily life, and sometimes escalate into offline threats.

Examples of cyberstalking can include:

• Sending repeated threatening or harassing emails, text messages, or social media posts designed to create fear or distress. 
• Obsessively tracking someone’s online presence by commenting on posts, monitoring “check-ins,” or watching who the victim interacts with.
• Using spyware or malicious software to gain access to a victim’s computer or phone, capturing passwords, browsing history, or even webcam feeds without consent. 
• Impersonating someone by creating fake accounts, posting misleading or damaging content, or spreading false rumors intended to harm the victim’s reputation or relationships. 
• Using GPS tracking or location services to follow someone’s physical movements in real time.

What to Do if You’re Being Cyberstalked:

• Document everything, including emails, texts, messages, and screenshots as evidence.
• Do not engage with the stalker, which can escalate the situation.
• Take steps to tighten your security, including changing passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and updating privacy settings.
• If stalking occurs on social media, use platform tools to block the stalker and file reports on social media or messaging apps.
• Contact local law enforcement if you feel unsafe or receive threats.
• Reach out to victim support organizations, hotlines, or legal aid for guidance and protection.

Identity theft is a serious and growing problem, where criminals illegally access and use someone else’s personal information to open accounts, receive benefits, or commit crimes under a false identity. This type of fraud can have devastating consequences, especially when the victim is a child. 

Children are vulnerable targets as they typically have no established credit history, making it easier for thieves to create new fraudulent accounts. It’s critical for parents and guardians to understand the various ways child identity theft can occur and take proactive steps to prevent and recover from this type of crime.

There are a few common ways child identity theft can happen:

• Physical Theft: Thieves may steal a child’s Social Security card from their home or intercept it in the mail after the child is born. This gives them access to the child’s identity information.
• Digital Theft: Data breaches, fake websites, email scams, and unsecured networks can expose a child’s personal data to criminals who can then use it for identity theft. Phishing scams, where scammers pretend to be from trustworthy organizations, can trick parents or children into revealing sensitive details.
• Parental Theft or Misuse: In some cases, a child’s own parents or guardians may misuse the child’s identity information, often to address their own financial problems. A disproportionate number of child identity theft cases are perpetrated by a relative with close access to the victim’s sensitive information.
• Oversharing Information: Sharing too much personal information about a child online, including on social media without privacy settings, can make it easier for scammers to steal their identity.
• Sharing Passwords: Poor password security, such as sharing passwords with friends or using the same passwords across multiple accounts, increases the risk of hackers gaining access to a child’s sensitive information.
• Stolen or Lost Personal Data: Documents like birth certificates, medical records, or Social Security cards can be misused by opportunistic identity thieves if they’re lost or stolen.

Signs of child identity theft include receiving pre-approval letters for credit, being denied government benefits, receiving IRS notifications, or getting contacted by debt collectors.

To prevent child identity theft, parents should:

• Monitor for the above warning signs.
• Ask credit bureaus if a credit report exists for your child.
• Lock and password protect your computer and cell phone.
• Avoid sharing specific personal information about your child online, such as full name or birthday. Limit sharing of your child’s personal information online and offline.
• Teach your children about online safety, privacy, and password security.
• Set privacy settings on websites and social media apps (see Rules ‘N Tools).
• Safely store important personal documents to prevent physical theft.
• Taking proactive steps and remaining vigilant are key to protecting children from this growing crime.

Help Protect Your Family’s Identity

The more time that your children spend online, the more opportunities they will have to share information about themselves. Talk to your children about the information that they should never share without your permission, including Social Security numbers and credit or debit card numbers. 

• Avoid sharing your passwords or account details via email or instant messaging.
• Instead of clicking on links in emails for financial transactions, type the website address directly into your browser.
• Be cautious of calls, pop-up messages, websites, or emails requesting your personal information.
• Before making any purchases or providing information, check for “https” or a padlock symbol in your browser’s address bar.
• Use strong passwords and change them regularly.
• Only download software from trusted sources and refrain from opening emails or attachments from unknown senders.
• Keep your firewall, anti-spyware, and antivirus software installed and regularly updated.
• If you suspect identity theft or experience an incident, file a report with local authorities and inform your creditors.

Securing your home network and computers helps protect your personal information and reduces the risk of malware, identity theft, and unauthorized access that could disrupt your daily life or cause costly damage. Some important steps you can take include installing reputable antivirus and anti-malware software, enabling a firewall to block unauthorized access, keeping your operating systems and applications current, and securing your Wi-Fi network.