Phishing for Protection from Online Scams

 Online privacy has become a huge concern for Internet users around the world. Our society is one that too easily gives up personal information that could be used to steal our identities and steal our money. I have recently become more aware of the different dangers that can be encountered with different forms of cyber crime from my business law class. We learned about the dangers of cyber crimes like phishing and vishing, which leads to identity theft. 

Phishing is where a cyber thief “fishes” for financial data and passwords from consumers by posing as a legitimate business, such as a bank or credit card company. The perpetrator sends and e-mail asking the person to update or confirm vital information, often with the thereat that an account or some other service will be discontinued if the information is not provided. They are then provided with a link which leads them to a website looking almost identical to the legitimate businesses web page. It is then, that unsuspecting customers enter their information and the phishers can use the information for identity theft or to drain out the person’s bank or credit card account.

Here are some tips to help keep yourself safe from cyber crimes [1]:

• ·      Don't trust e-mail headers, which can be forged easily.
• ·      Avoid filling out forms in e-mail messages. You can't know with certainty where the data will be sent and the information can make several stops on the way to the recipient.
• ·      If you click on a link in an e-mail message from a company be aware that many scam artists are making forgeries of company's sites that look like the real thing.  Verify the legitimacy of a web address with the company directly before submitting your personal information.
• ·      If you go to a link offered in an unsolicited e-mail, check to see if there is an 's' after the http in the address and a lock at the bottom of the screen that indicates the link is secure and encrypts data. Though this is not an indication that the site is legitimate, an online form that asks a consumer to submit sensitive personal information should always be encrypted. Scam artists are less likely to have encrypted forms, but if they are trying to elicit personal information, they may take every precaution to make consumers believe their site is secure and therefore, legitimate.

Here is an example of a phishing email:

To take a quiz to measure your ability to identify a phishing email from a legitimate email click here.

[1] https://www.privacyrights.org/ar/phishing.htm

[2] http://www.sonicwall.com/furl/phishing/

Class? What Class? Is Online Education becoming a favored alternative to Traditional Education?

In this fast-paced, constantly evolving world we live in, adapting to change is a necessity in order to survive. There is no doubt that in today’s day and age not embracing technology is, really, not an option. We now live in a world governed by the ability to access information and have instant communication whenever we so please. Wireless Internet and the “cloud” have given us the ability to access the Internet wherever we go. There is seldom a time when you walk into a location and don’t see someone on their mobile phone, laptop, or tablet. So now two types of people exist in the world, the people who embrace technology, and the laggards who refuse to accept this new way of life.

Already we have seen several industries take the hit of the e-commerce revolution; including the music, book, movie, travel, and banking industries. So who is next? Could it be education? The Internet has provided a new way for people to learn, interact, and access education. Online learning has become a favored alternative to a traditional classroom-learning environment for many people. For me, it provides me the ability to work full-time while still being able to get a first-rate business education. Although I have to pay an additional $174 to take an online course, it is worth it for me to pay extra, for the extra convenience. Why would I rather sit in a class for 2-3 hours a day, making it nearly impossible to find a reasonable work schedule, than be able to work at my own pace, on my own time, and make money at the same time?

One study shows that “real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more ‘learning by doing,’ which many students find more engaging and useful.” [1] So will online learning completely take things out of the classroom? No, because of the fact that there a people who need face-to-face interactions, and lack the discipline of online education, but, online education has rapidly become a popular choice amongst many students. 

References:

[1] "Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom - NYTimes.com." Technology - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com. 19 Aug. 2009. Web. 10 Sept. 2011. <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom/>.