Online commerce is growing non-stop around the world and also in Spain, where throughout last year approximately 24% of total purchases were made through the Internet. The advantages are known: comfort, speed and efficiency, but the risks are also many and must be taken into account.
Looking ahead to this Christmas, it is essential to keep the following in mind if we are going to buy online: “The digital world in which we naturally interact is a reflection of the real world. Therefore, common sense is, perhaps, the best advice so that we do not get caught in the virtual world this Christmas,” says Boris Delgado, Director of Digitalization and Technology Solutions at AENOR.
The first thing Delgado advises is to “be wary of ‘too good’ offers,” because “if an offer seems too good to be true, it is probably false.” In addition, he also advises “of course, never pay in advance.”
On the other hand, the specialist considers it essential to “read the terms and conditions carefully”, something that is almost never done: “Legitimate online stores have, publicly, their terms and conditions of the online store; as well as telephone numbers/customer service communication channels. And at all times we must be able to know our rights and obligations, in case there is a problem,” he explains.
Another fundamental point is to “use secure payment methods”, for these reasons: “The safest payment methods are credit and debit cards with fraud protection. You can also use recognized payment services such as PayPal. Let’s avoid paying in advance for transactions or services like bizum,” he highlights.
Why should we be so careful? Online scams are many and everywhere: “Cyber ??scams on the Internet are based on deception and lies. What cybercriminals are looking for is to capture your personal and confidential data, and then be able to sell it on the so-called dark web,” says Delgado.
“The most common cyber scam is receiving emails, messages, WhatsApp, etc. with links to ‘piracy’ online store websites. This is what is called phishing in technological jargon. These fake websites imitate and impersonate the visual identity of the legitimate online store to generate enough trust in the user to provide their personal data, account number, passwords…,” he says.
There are also other scams such as “Christmas/electronic congratulations, which, in order to view them, we have to click on a link that redirects us to a website that can ‘infect’ us with some type of malicious software or malware” and “SMS messages from the mobile (smishing), with very attractive offers, great discounts or discount coupons.”
According to the Ministry of the Interior, there has been an increase in cybercrimes of 352.1% since 2015, stating that 1 in 5 crimes are already committed online: “The possible cause of these data is due to the massive use of the Internet to through tablets, mobile phones, etc. As the ‘attack surface’ is larger, cybercriminals find it more profitable to defraud through these means,” explains the specialist.
Cybersecurity training is essential for both individuals and companies, as Delgado points out, which is why it is increasingly common to look for professional profiles that know how to defend devices against these innovative virtual crimes.
With the Master in Cybersecurity you are trained to establish protection for computer systems, networks and devices against cyber threats, including data theft, espionage, malware, phishing, denial of service attacks, among others.
This Master in Cybersecurity will allow you to become a professional in the most comfortable way possible thanks to its online delivery modality. You will be able to attend classes at any time and anywhere, so you can independently organize your study and combine the master’s degree with your other personal activities.
Thanks to the Master in Cybersecurity you acquire management skills that will allow you to lead cybersecurity teams and develop effective strategies to protect the vital information of companies and organizations.
