Crime in the Age of Connected Devices
Telecommunications rule our entire lives. In Western society at least, we operate through the exchange of information, and everything we know and use to live and communicate with each other is achieved through telecommunications, in some form or another. Think about how many times you use telephones, fibre optics, radios and televisions every day. Many people spend more than 6 hours a day connected to the internet, and the average time most people spend on their phone equates to roughly four hours a day! This seems like a lot, but those opened Snapchats, quick browses through your emails or your Facebook feed actually cost more time than you think.
The devices we use to access things are getting smarter, too. The contactless bank card is being replaced by Apple pay, and by selecting One-Click options on popular sites like PayPal and Amazon, it’s becoming easier and easier to keep on spending without needing the key details that used to keep us safe, like PIN numbers and passwords. In some ways, this is a growing concern that the very devices used to make our lives better will ultimately be our downfall. With everything from your work, money, health and education being influenced, and society growing ever more dependent on them to function, this does mean that there is so much more at risk now. Within the mystical confines of the invisible information exchanges, our information is ever present, and susceptible to be hacked. Everything that accounts for our existence is placed within electronic systems that can ultimately be a target for crime or a tool to commit it.
Theft is potentially one of the biggest and most obvious crimes regarding telecommunications, and as the world we live in develops, so does criminal activity. itself is nothing new but the method of how it is done is adapting to the changes in our telecommunication services - why? After all, why would you steal from a bank in person, when it can be infiltrated from the comfort of your own living room? Firewalls, encryption and privacy settings are in place on the majority of phones, on most websites, but people are still getting hacked. Think about how many times you have blindly clicked “Accept Terms and Conditions” or the “Accept Cookies” pop-up, without actually thinking about what it means for your privacy. And once they have a few details, it’s easy for dangerous people to bounce off a quick email or phone call masquerading as a fake charity or business, in order to get more details from you. The more you think about it, the scarier it becomes.
Luckily, people are becoming more and more aware of the importance of online safety. People are protected under the usual fraud rules in cases of stolen contactless cards as they would be with regular card theft, and can normally expect a full refund from their bank. With the spending limit still capped at ￡30 each time, the potential consequences for banks and the individuals are (for now at least) relatively low. And, though it might seem funny, popular TV shows like Catfish are hugely important for warning people about the dangers of talking to people you don’t know online, and teaching people how to recognise when they are communicating with someone genuine, and when their relationship might be more sinister.
Most of all, before we all start panicking over phantom hackers lurking in every corner of the internet, ready to pounce on our details; remember that, as criminal hackers and tech experts get smarter, so do the good guys. For every malicious phishing email you receive, your email firewall has already blocked ten, and most people now know how to recognise fraudulent emails and calls. The best thing to keep in mind when dealing with mobile and internet devices is that you are normally protected under many layers of firewalls unless you let them to begin with - hence why clicking on anything in a dubious-looking email is a big no-no. Be smart with your smartphone, invest some time into making strong passwords, and if something doesn’t feel right, you can always hang up the phone. If it’s important enough, your bank or service provider will follow it up. Crime will always be present in such a largely connected world, but for all the ways it is vulnerable to exploitation, there are countless other ways to be protected against it. Stay safe, and happy Snapchatting!
For those of you looking to stay up to date with the latest security vulnerabilities, or need a way of educating your staff members then don't hesitate to ask for more information on our Cyber Security training course. Contact Telephone Europe Ltd on [email protected] or call 0800 652 1900 where one of our advisors can guide you on best practices and the most appropriate route to take for your business.