Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a top worldwide cybersecurity company, is reminding the public to be careful as the summer vacation season draws near due to the increasing cybersecurity dangers for both individuals and enterprises.
Ram Narayanan, Country Manager for the Middle East at Check Point Software Technologies
International travel is anticipated to increase by 11% over pre-pandemic levels this summer despite COVID-19 uncertainties, cost increases, and airport delays.
Travellers are prone to let their guard down when it comes to cyber security and take risks with their online activity that they would not consider while seated at a workstation in their haste to catch up on what, for some, is their first vacation in three years.
Because of this vulnerability, cybercriminals are fully aware of it and, if anything, ramp up their activity over the summer.
In June 2022 compared to the first half of June 2021, the average weekly number of assaults on travel and leisure businesses increased by 60% globally, according to Check Point Research’s (CPR) Threat Intelligence Report.
Attacks in these industries increased by 73% from May to August of 2021, and this year is likely to see a similar increase.
One key trend is that hackers are increasingly using phishing attacks to impersonate well-known brands as vacationers search for last-minute getaways and late availability travel, hotel, and attraction deals.
A vacationer who clicks on a phishing email or divulges their login information over an unsecured public Wi-Fi connection runs the danger of having their credentials stolen, which might cost them money.
However, their employers also face an even greater risk. This threat is made even more apparent by the trend toward so-called hybrid holidays, in which people work remotely during some of the summer vacation.
Criminals frequently have simple access to company networks via personal computers, tablets, or mobile devices, especially if BYOD devices have not been sufficiently secured.
Corporate networks, on the other hand, are more susceptible during this time of year, as well as over long weekends and public holidays generally.
Cyberattacks may go undetected until it is too late and the damage is done if security operations employees are overworked.
An illustration of this was the ransomware attack on the Kaseya network by the Russian-speaking REvil criminal group on July 4th of last year, which had an impact on over 1000 enterprises worldwide and was one of about 15 other comparable incidents per week in May and June, according to CPR.
Ram Narayanan, the Middle East’s Country Manager for Check Point Software Technologies, said: “Since many of us haven’t traveled abroad since the epidemic, there may be some aspects of our travel routines that we’ve forgotten about, such as our cybersecurity hygiene practices.
This is great news for opportunistic hackers who prey on gadgets with weak security and lax attitudes.
In this highly linked world, this poses a risk to the individual and every company they interact with, including their employment.”
By making plans in advance, people can enjoy their trip knowing that they have taken the easy but crucial steps to secure their devices while also safeguarding the networks of their companies.
For this reason, Check Point has compiled ten essential guidelines to keep customers secure this summer.
Top Tips for Protecting Your Devices
Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi is alluring, but there are significant security risks associated with it.
It’s not unusual for hackers to wait in airports for visitors to connect to free Wi-Fi networks so they may take advantage of the trusting travelers.
If at all possible, stay away from insecure Wi-Fi networks, but if you must use one, make sure not to access any private information or sensitive data while connected to it.
Shoulder surfers should be avoided. It’s possible that the individual sitting next to you on the plane or as you wait for your plane to board is maliciously motivated. While you enter your credit card information or go into social media, someone could be watching you. Investing in a screen privacy protector is a wise choice because it may shield your information from prying eyes.
Check the travel booking websites twice. It’s important to check the travel website you use since hacks related to travel can happen even before the trip really starts.
In order to steal your personal information, scammers try to mimic legitimate websites and pretend to offer luxurious vacations or reduced travel. A bargain is likely to be false if it appears or sounds too good to be true.
Do considerable research on the business providing the deal before continuing. Instead of using your debit card for trip purchases, use a credit card.
If you become a victim of cybercrime, credit card issuers frequently have fraud protections in place; however, if you use a debit card, your money is probably gone.
Watch out for linguistic issues. In this case, we’re not talking about learning the local language; rather, we’re talking about keeping an eye out for any typos or grammatical mistakes, as well as authoritative expressions that tempt you to act quickly, as these could be signs that something isn’t quite right.
This is so that cybercriminals can take advantage of people’s inattention to minute details that would indicate an email or message isn’t genuine.
Always take an extra second to validate a message to keep yourself safe, especially if it asks you to reset your login information. Once a hacker has access, it won’t take them long to wreak harm.
Never reveal your login information. Since the majority of users repeat their usernames and passwords across several online accounts, phishing attacks frequently aim to steal credentials.
You should therefore exercise extreme caution whenever your login information is requested.
Phishing emails and texts frequently mimic well-known businesses, pose as customer service agents, or even represent your employer. Never disclose your login information by email or text messages, and only use them to access services online after you have authenticated the website by navigating there directly from your preferred browser.
Disable automatic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections. Your smart phone’s default configuration may be to immediately join any Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks that are nearby, which could provide threat actors access to your device.
Make sure this feature is turned off to prevent hackers from accessing your device.
Authenticate using many factors. You might need to access crucial services that hold private or financial information while on vacation. Use a multi-factor authentication (MFA) procedure to ensure that only you can access such services and that you are alerted if an unauthorized individual tries to log in to keep yourself safe.
the most recent security updates. Make sure all of your gadgets have the most recent security updates installed before getting ready to go for your trip. They will remain safe from any current threats thanks to this.
Be aware of the most recent scams. To avoid falling for any scams that threat actors may employ to propagate ransomware, it is wise to perform some research on the most recent schemes that are in use.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all scams involve email phishing, and you could still be tricked into giving your login information to someone over the phone or by SMS.
Cash machines should be avoided. Avoid using cash machines since thieves have been known to install credit card credential stealers on solitary ATMs, especially in tourist locations.
Find a legitimate bank machine if you need to use one, preferably one that is inside the lobby of your preferred bank.