While there’s no better place to spend the holidays than with loved ones at home, that’s not always possible for many of us. For family and friends who can’t travel this time of year, using video conferencing to celebrate virtually can be the next best thing.
However, cybercriminals have come up with plenty of social interaction scams designed to take advantage of video-based platforms such as Zoom, Teams and Slack. Here’s how they work:
Your customers may receive an email containing phony links that prompt them to download a new version of their video conferencing software. The link will direct them to a third-party website where they can download an installer. While in some cases, the program does download the video conferencing software, it often includes a “bonus gift” in the form of a remote-access Trojan malware program. This program gives scammers access to your customer’s sensitive data and information which is either sold on the black market or leveraged for identity theft.
Bad actors also use phishing to target unsuspecting remote employees who are waiting to receive invitations to virtual holiday parties with links to video calls. In these instances, hackers send out links that bring the user to a fake login page (that looks surprisingly like the real page) to steal login credentials which can be used to access corporate accounts and networks.
Help your customer avoid video conferencing scams by educating them on the following cybersecurity best practices:
- Look at the sender’s email address before clicking on emailed links or downloading attachments, even if they appear to come from a trusted source. In most cases, phishing emails are sent from addresses that do not contain the organization’s legitimate web address.
- Educate employees, family members and friends about what to avoid and keep devices updated with the latest security software.
- Encourage them to follow safe password practices by updating their passwords regularly and using long passwords with nonsensical characters and numbers that require extra effort to implement.
Video conferencing platforms can bridge the distance between employees and bring loved ones “home” for the holidays. Staying vigilant about potential cyber threats will keep their holidays merry.