Online shopping addicts need to have their guards up in place. Shopping websites are amongst the top three categories of websites that are hacked or exploited by cyber attackers around the world.
Online shoppers are lured by tempting offers, major discounts and even freebies. Often shoppers give in to the temptation of checking out these fictitious offers and there in lie their doom.
According to Mr Kommera Chakradhar, MD of the city-based Unik Systems, which specialises in cyber security solutions, phishing links relating to shopping websites that are sent over mail are the problem creators.
“People click on the link and then enter into a fake site that is already breached. Typing identification and financial details on such sites land them in trouble. Such phishing links are even sent on SMSs over mobile phones. Even ads that flash or scroll on websites that we browse, are dangerously risky sometimes.”
If shopping websites are second on the list of malware penetrators, technology based websites are their absolute favourite. Blogging websites are on a happy third position.
For most people, these three categories occupy most of their net browsing time. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that business, health, education, entertainment, travel and gambling based websites are spared. According to data compiled by Symantec, a leading cyber security firm, all these categories are also targeted by the cyber attackers.
With the internet being the most prevalent way malware scammers reach their victims, it is no surprise that websites with malicious payloads are the most common methods used to tempt a victim into downloading harmful files.
According to cyber security expert Gurram Srinivas Reddy, there are multiple ways used by scammers to access the computers of online shoppers.
Malware injections using free software, apps and add-on tools, deceitful website downloads, malicious email attachment and links are a few methods used, with new discoveries being added each day.
As festivals draw close, scammers will take advantage of the surge in online shopping and will ready seemingly irresistible baits to lure online shoppers.
Emails are inboxed with delectable offers urging the reader to open a zipped file that often becomes the gateway for a dangerous malware to enter the computer.
“Apparently the e-mails seem as though they come from the shopping site where they have shopped. Sometimes the emails ask the reader to send their confirmation or order details.
“Others claim that the package was lost in transit and to resolve the problem they need to open the attachment”, said Mr Reddy.
