Kaspersky advises internet users following the malicious video tags mishap on social media

04/27/2021 11:48:30 PM

The date of 20 April 2021 has become an alarming one after a large number of social media users reported to have been tagged in malicious videos without their permission and by people whom they do not know. 

While this may not be the first time incident, this appears to be an example of social engineering that cyber attackers use to get victims to respond by clicking on an infected attachment.  Asa a response, Kasperksy released a statement in regards to this matter.

Social engineering is defined by this global cybersecurity company as a manipulation technique that uses human psychology that cyber attackers use to trick someone or to lure unsuspecting users to expose data, spread malware infection, or give them network or computer access.

Scams based on social engineering are built around how people think and act. Attackers may use emotional manipulation to convince you to take an irrational or risky action that you otherwise wouldn't. Fear, excitement, curiosity, anger, guilt, and sadness are emotions normally used to convince an unaware, clueless person.

On social media, trust is important among users and it is also essential in a social engineering attack. Users are usually tricked by accounts they follow, usually under the names of people they know and trust.

For Kasperksy,  social engineering isn't an attack against a machine – but rather on a human being. That said, they are recommending these steps in order for them to protect themselves.

1. It's cliché but the rule of thumb in internet security is always think before clicking.

2. Set a strong password.

3. On social media, take advantage of the security and privacy features of your favorite platform. You can control who can tag you or who can see your posts. Because Facebook regularly makes changes to its settings, it's worth your attention and time to check your own saved settings from time to time to update them for maximum privacy.

Author: slickmaster | © 2021 The SlickMaster's Files