Avoiding Compromise: User Education & “Fake Support” Sites

The internet is a dynamic and expansive place. There’s hardly something to easily convey the true scale of those two important internet descriptors, to anything tangible in our everyday lives. Really. There’s more than 3 billion people on the same internet as you.

Living life in any large city, there’s innumerable safety considerations required when simply being a pedestrian:

• Is this crosswalk safe, or is it closed? (Construction)
• Is that car going to speed through the yellow light?

Much like the city, when “walking around” (browsing) the internet, there’s comparable awareness requirements:

• Is my browser updated? (Did I tie my shoes?)
• Is this website the right place for me? (Am I on the right bus?)

Let’s not waste time, those are obviously over-simplified examples to compare- the point is to put you in that frame of mind. We’re constantly learning when navigating through cities, which additionally not everything in a city is at seems in such a rapidly changing environment.

User Education – Light training & in-depth learning

User here means simply anyone on the internet, using a device somewhere. In the city as a pedestrian, sometimes lacking safety can take your life. Lacking safety on the internet won’t kill you, but it certainly can kill a business. Here are a few resources you can use to train yourself or your team, on safe websites from reputable resources:

Light Training:

• Browsing securely and safely in Microsoft Edge (3 minutes)
• Browsing securely and safely in Google Chrome (5 minutes)
• Collaborate with your teammates on a secure platform, Microsoft Teams (5 minutes)

In-depth Learning:

• Internet Safety (20 minutes)
• One Drive & Office Online usage and collaboration (18 minutes)
• General Internet usage Tips (22 minutes)

All the content linked could save you thousands of dollars, your personal identity, your financial information, your business if you own one, and it’s all FREE. We are obligated to educate ourselves on safety and security if we expect to survive and thrive in the digital metropolis.

Fake Support Sites – How to identify & how to avoid

It’s hard to believe someone would put up an entire “fake” business location, though mobsters have been doing this for decades, as recent as 2014 in the construction sector.

Is it so hard to believe of 3 billion people on the internet, there’s fake tech Support websites? Some of these larger operations even have entire staffed call centers. Here are some tips to identify fake tech support:

• Check the URL – Some websites may copy the look of Microsoft, or Geek Squad, take a hard look at the address bar at the top of your browser. Is it my-help-site-tech-supportdriverload.com
• Were you redirected to this site? Happen to mis-click or try a new link? Did your intended website load, then you were taken to this fake site without clicking on anything?

Some of these websites are a joke when read thoroughly, though they’re designed to deceive you by matching the look and feel of major tech companies. Avoid downloading any software from these websites. If something begins to download without your direct intention, delete the file immediately.

It never hurts to call Capes & Powers asking for assistance or notifying the team of a potential mis-click, or inadvertent software download. The adage stands: it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
In 2017 alone, eighty percent of compromises happened just from user passwords. Keep your passwords up-to-date and stay vigilant on the internet no matter what device you’re using!

For more information on security, training, and user education for your business, please reach out to the Capes & Powers team at your convenience.