As I wrote previous article regarding mobiles phones, digital world, toddler, and teen, etc. In this I would like to add more points which I thinks important to mention.
Currently there is news is in highlights, of International WhatsApp Calls, where you were offered a jobs to do, as part time, or full time, with luring amount of money. As the employment problems are there in our country, and as well as in whole world due to recession, and pandemic, people needs money and work to fuel up their stomach, and to live their livelihood. And they are helpless in such a condition that to earn money they are ready to do anything, at last it’s matter of survival.
Now, criminals and burglars are taking advantage of the necessity and compulsion of the job. Those who are aware, are safe enough that they can’t be cheated, but those don’t knows the things, but uses smartphones, and get tricked easily, as I mentioned in previous article, the smartphones or internet users and much more than actual computer literate, which means using internet and smartphones, and knowing the working are two different things. So I will suggest that, don’t even answer to these types of WhatsApp calls/ messages. Many of are scammed, but hope, that they gave lesson to others. Even I myself scammed in 2018-19, when I was not enough knowledgable about scams, and fraud, modus operandi, freelancing, but thanks that it was only of ₹2,000 which of course not a small amount but yes gave me great lesson.
Now comes to blackmail/ Extortion WhatsApp Video call, in 2020-21, there was very popular cyber crime/ cyber bully is online extortion by capturing video call recording of people while having video call with naked women, and blackmailing to make the recording viral, many people lost their lots of money, to avoid their infamy.
Teenagers of 13-19 years have more excitement to knows the things before time, and criminals target them as main, because of harmonal changes, they always attract with opposite gender, and tries to make friendship, or to talk with opposite gender which is not wrong, but if they didn’t succeed in real world, they tries to find the same in digital world, as they watched movies, tv-serial, web series, fancy artificial good story, and think the same in real life, that some unknown will become good friend. And there he/ she became the prey for predator.
In current generation, “show off culture” is quite popular among teenagers to show himself/ herself great, who just wants to grab attention, by presenting themselves as belongs to rich family. In the time of social media, each and everyone in rush to show them how rich I am. By showing watches, phones, glasses, cars, and what not.
Even they borrow first copy of the genuine just to show, and this force the criminal to assume that person is rich, and they attack, but in reality, the person is poor by both, money and connections, and they suffer lots, and fear of infamy resist them to take help of judicial, and constitution. The one who manage themselves mentally escape, but who don’t, either they suicide to escape, or starts selling each and everything which they owns, they can’t even tells to their parents as they know they had done sin, and they will get nice scolding, but they should think before, or have courage to face parents.
So “as rich teens”, they are being targeted and blackmailed as same as fake naked video calls. Now poor in real, how can arrange such a heft amount? This is why “Computer Literacy” needs to be improved, or literacy can’t be helpful as in current digital world.
In the digital world, 95.5% people are fake, no matter you know them, you chat with, you have long conversation…etc, don’t believe unless you verify it from all 3 dimension.
Human Trafficking is one of the serious issue in all over the world, no authority, or concerned organisation abled to crack it down, it is very complex, vast nexus, and they target to those, who are emotionally and mentally far from their near and dear ones, specially from parents, as I mentioned above, todays youth, assumes digital friends to be real one, and confess everything to them, from A – Z, which can surely have some potential security threat.
Nowadays, Dating Apps is one of the popular way to get details of girls, who to target, as many girls become victim of human trafficking, through dating app, because no one knows that person is genuine or not. Teens at age of 16-19 wished to be in relationships, and then do one mistake called online dating, In some cases, the friend might be well-wisher, and can help, but not necessarily that everyone is same.
So I request to all parents, only 5 minutes a day, but kindly give them time, and monitor them, that what they are doing, whom they are getting connected and contacted, any behaviour changes, pattern changes, tonality of talking to you, …etc. Because there are lots of cases, where friends tends to be criminal, or member criminals group, which mislead and can do something wrong, before it’s too late.
Human trafficking are done basically with mainly 2-3 motives:
- Girls for Sexual prostitutions
- Child and Boys for Organs, and drugs trafficking via their body
You can visit United Nation (UN) websites, to know about figures, as it is quite haunting.
Now would like to talk about the addiction of Social media, in current toddler, youth, and even elders, is dopamine, the whole infrastructure of social media sites is designed in such a way, that whenever you visit, you will get some interesting to watch, and the longer you surf, the longer will dopamine will release, and release of dopamine makes you feel relaxed and happy, just for duration of time, and then after you return to normal state, which is not so much exciting, so you wish to go back in same state, and you continue to visit again and again just to avoid reality.
In the youth, porn industry, or anythings like acts, meme, or double meaning talks plays an important role to release dopamine, which makes youth more addicted to trash, and this play roles to damage both mentally and physically. By watching these trash, youth makes perception that this is truth and this is real sex, and when did not find the same in real world they get frustrated, because till now they enjoyed the acting, now they wants to experience in real, which they can’t so for escaping from frustration, they commit serious crimes, like abduction, rapes, and even murder. And by this way, anyone can take advantage, to weak our youth generation.
And if we are talking about porn, then it is good time to talk about fake government websites. Recently it has been found that many criminals knows that most of us, watches porn, specially ignorant teens, so they faked some government websites, notifying that you are watching porn under 18, this much is fine, otherwise serious action will be taken on you by cop and newbies teenagers, fill the card details of their parents, just to save themselves from it. and not only this, even they faked the bank websites, to trick everyone.
Now comes to security and preventive methods, what we can do, to be safe in twenty-second centuries, because we can’t avoid technology, and advancement, since now it’s a integral part of our life, and we can’t imagine life without this.
So basically internet is divided into three categories:
- Surface Web – The common open internet, useful for everyone.
- Deep Web – The part of internet, used by organisation, researchers, doctors, ..etc to keep and protect confidential information out of reach.
- Dark Web – This is the most secure, but most dangerous zone of internet, this part of internet is formed to keep identity secure and anonymous, and mainly formed to keep journalist secure, as they might be on target to write or speak truth, but later used by lots of hacker, cyber criminals, or wrong intention people to commit crimes.
At consumer level, or non -techie level, you can follow the certain steps, to avoid leaving your footprint, or presence in internet.
Firstly update, and upgrade your hardware and software according to needs, and time, all the companies, release OS and software updates, just to protect you from getting attacked by newly designed virus, or malware.
- Use antivirus on Windows PC, as Linux don’t needs, but linux can’t be used by everyone.
- Avoid using public wifi, internet, charging ports, as public charging ports can be used to “Data Juicing”.
- Use firewall enabled system, you can search YouTube how to enable firewall on Windows or Mac.
- Don’t plug any usb Pen-Drive found fallen on road, ground, or anywhere else to your computer, they might be “OMG or ducky drive” devices used in cyber security breaching.
- Don’t go for cheap usb cable and pen-drive, to save money, otherwise it will cost you your bank balance. google it O.MG cable, it’s look like normal cable, but it’s actually a usb cable with hacking chip inside it.
- Don’t go to 3rd Party or un-authorised service center, to repair your devices, specially changing motherboard, or hard disk, or any component, which stores your information. and if you are going there, be sure that your device contains nothing sensitive.
- Use VPN, when doing banking on devices, so it’s makes internet slower but information can’t be tracked, and try to do banking at home only, not even in office.
- Check any unwanted apps, and anything comes to your devices, without your knowledge. if yes, then remove it. Also check that which apps have permission to access which kinds of hardware, and data.
- Never ever visits, unknown sites, which shows warning on visiting, if you don’t know the actual url.
- Never post any personal information on Social site, I never post even a single image with my any family members or relative. only profession picture or single picture.
- Never keeps default password, or easily guessable password to your devices, or router admin panel, or access point (Wi-Fi).
- Always disconnect internet, when you are leaving your computer alone.
- Always lock your devices, before leaving it alone.
- Shut the lid of laptop, turn the web-cam, or place the phone to dark area, when you are changing dress in room and computer is there in your room.
- Don’t accept unknown Bluetooth, or Airdrop request.
I recommend that please if anything happens, just visit to government owned sites, to complain and register grievances. Remember Government sites have url only “GOV.IN”, not any com.in, or co.in, .in except for few exception like mygov.in, rbi.org.in like that.
If any government or banking webpage pop up automatically to your computer screen, and don’t able to close it, just press esc Button, to see any url is visible on browser or not, visit website to read more article on this or ctrl+ shift + esc and close the browser, in Mac command(⌘) + option(⌥) + esc to forcibly close browser, if you are getting panic, and not understanding what to do.
Here’s are some list of websites, might be useful in these situations:
- http://cybercrime.gov.in/ -> To report any kind of Cyber Crime.
- https://www.ceir.gov.in/Home/index.jsp -> To enquire lost and found mobile phones.
- https://tafcop.sancharsaathi.gov.in/telecomUser/ -> To check, how many contact number is linked your aadhar, and the it will show the list, to which your number is linked on which you will request OTP generation.
In Apple Devices there is great things, that they gives option for in-built VPN. but you can access in android devices too, but downloading trusted one from Play Store. For android users, please try to avoid side loading, means downloading and installing apps from external APK file.
As I use Apple Devices, I can tell all the basic steps, just to prevent devices from other’s access.
For iPhone/ iPad:
- Go to settings -> Touch ID & passcode (below iPhone X) and Face ID & Passcode (iPhone X and Later) -> scroll down -> turn off all the options except return missed calls, and reply with message.
- Go to settings -> go to screen time (iOS 12 and later) -> content & privacy restrictions -> “Don’t Allow” passcode changes, and account changes.
For Mac:
- Go to system preferences (macOS 12 and below) or system settings (macOS 13 and later) -> Privacy & Security -> scroll down -> turn on FileVault, and read the document from Apple, how to use it.
- And don’t unlock boot menu for other operating system, nad bootable USB.
For Windows PC:
When you are using usb cable in public usb port, then try to avoid, or if you can’t then buy and use USB condom, which blocks data, and allows power to flow.
In western countries, or developed Nation, they have strict law against, these things, data management, and storage, but in our country, no one is bothered about this, nor consumer, whose information is being used to track the user behaviour, pattern, and what not, or government. Government currently manifest that they are working on infrastructure to secure our data and information. I wish kindly share the tweet of mine, where I requested the concern authority to amend the law for data protection. -> https://twitter.com/its_HemantK_/status/1655596790585102338?s=20
Now I would like to conclude with short line, “Stay safe, stay Secure and don’t believe digital person”.
