Tag Archive for: Mail

Royal Mail alert as ‘easy to fall for’ scam could ‘drain bank accounts’ | Personal Finance | Finance

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With the Royal Mail warning customers earlier this month that postage will be affected by striking workers, scammers have been seizing the opportunity to trick unsuspecting victims waiting for their parcels. Phishing attacks related to missed deliveries continue to be prevalent, making it vital to know what to look out for now more than ever.

The Royal Mail scam is simple, an email is sent out claiming that the person has missed a parcel or that it is being held. They are then redirected to a website that looks like the Royal Mail’s official site to arrange delivery.

They then have to enter their details on the site and depending on the version of the scam, they could either be asked to pay a small fee or call a premium rate phone number.

Jacco, computer security expert at Next Day Delivery, said: “This scam is known as a phishing scam and if you are waiting for a parcel or have ordered many gifts online this month then it’s easy to fall for.”

He continued: “The easiest way to tell if these emails are legitimate is to check the sending address of the emailer. You can do this on your computer or your phone by clicking on the person’s name.”

READ MORE: Martin Lewis scam ‘stealing money and personal data from thousands’

Verification code hijacking

Another common scam circulating is a malicious caller posing as a bank or another company with whom a person holds an account.

Mr Bulvshtein explained: “They’ll tell you there’s a problem with your account. They’ll then say that they’re sending a text message to you, with a code to prove your identity.

“By posing as an official company, they turn the tables on you. You’re put on the spot and expected to prove who you are. Actually, they’re the criminal, and they already have your password.”

He went on to say that the code the person might be handing over “will allow them to process a payment or log into your account” with two-factor authentication before warning that unfortunately, “many companies will no longer refund customers who willingly handed over a security passcode.”

Mr Bulvshtein suggested: “Be sure to use a password manager to create strong, secure, and unique passwords. Set up two-factor authentication on…

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Ransomware attack reporting to be mandated | Mandurah Mail

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Companies would be forced to report ransomware attacks and new cyber offences would be created under a federal government overhaul.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has flagged new stand alone offences including for cyber extortion and the targeting of critical infrastructure.

Dealing with stolen data knowingly obtained in the course of a separate offence would also be criminalised as would the buying or selling of malware for criminal purposes.

Businesses with an annual turnover of more than $10 million would be subject to a mandatory ransomware incident reporting regime.

“Ransomware gangs have attacked businesses, individuals and critical infrastructure right across the country,” Ms Andrews said.

“Stealing and holding private and personal information for ransom costs victims time and money, interrupting lives and the operations of small businesses.”

Ransomware is a form of malicious software or malware used by cybercriminals to lock someone out of their files or computer.

Hackers demand money in exchange for restoring access.

Ms Andrews stressed the government did not condone ramson payments to hackers.

Australian Associated Press

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Packers salute U.S. Army veteran Eric Bebee this week for ‘Operation Fan Mail’

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The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute this week to U.S. Army veteran and Air National Guardsman Eric Bebee and his family in conjunction with Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh.

Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game, is marking its 15th season in 2021.

Bebee, originally from Birchwood, Wis., enlisted in the U.S. Army after seeing news coverage of the 9/11 attacks 20 years ago. At the beginning of his military career, he was in the infantry, serving as a rifleman, machine gunner and Fire Team Leader. He finished his Army career as an Information Technology Specialist, helping troubleshoot computer and network issues, operating and maintaining radios and facilitating battalion communications.

During his time in the Army, he traveled all over the world. He was stationed from 2003-11 in Germany, deploying from there to Afghanistan three times. He was then stationed at Fort Hood in Texas, from where he deployed to Afghanistan once more, as well as Liberia, Africa, in 2014 as the Lead Information Technology Specialist in support of the Operation United Assistance to assist with the Ebola Outbreak Crisis.

In 2016, Bebee transitioned from active duty to the Iowa Air National Guard, and he and his family now live in Hornick, Iowa. He works full time as Cyber Security manager at the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa, as a Department of Defense Civilian during the week, and he serves as a traditional Air Guardsman on drill weekends. During his time in the military, he has received five Army Commendation medals, three Army Achievement Medals, the Combat Infantry Badge, and an Iowa Air Guard Commendation medal.

Bebee met his wife, Patricia, while he was stationed in Germany, and their family includes their daughter Suriana, and their son, Wyatt. After Patricia became a U.S. citizen in 2018, she also enlisted into the Iowa Air National Guard to serve her country.

Operation Fan Mail, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor families with a member who is on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be…

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Can criminals hack Bitcoin? | Cyprus Mail

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Bitcoin’s unprecedented rise has been both good news and bad news. The brighter side is that its rise has generated lucrative investment opportunities for investors and businesses worldwide. Bitcoin has also contributed to fast, secure, and low-cost money transfers, greasing the wheels of the global economy. However, Bitcoin’s high value, decentralization, and ease of use make it quite attractive to cybercriminals. So, can be Bitcoin be hacked? And, how can users protect themselves from such threats?

Bitcoin and security 

Bitcoin came into the limelight in 2009, when Satoshi Nakamoto launched it as a decentralized digital currency. That means Bitcoin is not subject to government regulations, political influence, or any central authority, like fiat currencies. Bitcoin should aid peer-to-peer transactions, which means users can freely exchange it or use it to transact worldwide without answering anybody or an entity.

However, security remains a fundamental issue among Bitcoin users since its inception. It’s safe to say that Bitcoin is tough to hack because of the enhanced security provided by its underlying blockchain technology. Blockchain validates and stores all Bitcoin transactions and users’ information on a decentralized ledger, which is very difficult to infiltrate.

Bitcoin network incorporates multiple computers across different geographical locations around the world. Each of those computers, known as nodes, holds a copy of the transaction data, as validated in the blockchain. As a result, a criminal may have to hack all the nodes to alter the data simultaneously. That is almost impossible.

Despite the increased security measures, there are still chances that criminals could breach the network at different stages of transactions.

Bitcoin transactions and wallets 

Bitcoin users store the reserves in Bitcoin wallets. Users can turn those holdings to trade or acquire investments on crypto exchanges such as Bitcoin Billionaire . Security breaches could occur through Bitcoin wallets and also during such transactions. Although developers continuously improve Bitcoin wallet security features, criminals are also constantly looking for vulnerabilities to exploit and…

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