Safeguarding your customers digital life is critical
The more we do online, the more our individual digital footprint grows. For example, the number of Zoom users in the UK rose from 659,000 in Jan 2020 to 13 million in just 4 months1.
Every digital account we sign up to holds basic, yet valuable, demographic information such as personally identifiable contact details. Others hold more lucrative data such as credit card numbers. The potential for identify theft and personal financial loss is great and the effects can be potentially catastrophic for individuals.
With an affluent digital-savvy population, citizens across the UK and Europe are particularly attractive targets for hackers. For example, in the UK research highlighted that 1 in every 255 e-mails received was malicious2.
Cybercriminals are hard at work
Cybercriminals use various approaches to try to elicit personal information, including phishing mails. These are mass mails sent randomly and designed to look like a piece of formal correspondence. Users are often tricked by the apparent authenticity of these mails into clicking a link, which then causes malware to be downloaded onto the user’s device. Alternatively, the user may somehow be tricked into giving away passwords or disclosing personal information that could be captured by hackers and resold or used to perpetrate identify theft.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a host of scams trying to exploit fears over the pandemic have emerged. Examples include fraudulent disease-tracking and contact-tracing maps that, when you click on them, redirect the user to a phishing website. Other schemes include websites that offer personal protective equipment at attractive rates, and fraudulent campaigns that claim to be from the World Health Organisation and other healthcare bodies to raise funds for COVID-19 victims3. Victims are asked to enter their credit card details, which are then used to steal money, and can even end up for sale on the dark web.
The overwhelming case for identity protection solutions
Faced with such a considerable threat, there is now a strong argument for investing in third-party services that can point out signs of identity theft, prevent incidents occurring, and support individuals when there has been a breach. Identity protection solutions can monitor instances of an individual’s personal information across the Internet and immediately flag to the user if a risk is detected. Some solutions include technology that intelligently identifies possible phishing attacks and alerts a user before they are compromised.
Even with heightened cybersecurity awareness, the time is right for customer-facing organisations to offer personal protection solutions to their clients. Identity theft is a frightening prospect and cybercriminals are consistently stepping up their efforts to stay ahead of the awareness curve. With better understanding of the problem and the help of a specialised third-party solution, such as Collinson’s ID Sentry solution, individuals are empowered to keep their identities safe. Just like with anything else of value, the primary responsibility for safety rests with the owner. With ID Sentry, individuals can benefit from greater security and peace of mind.
1 Source - Reported by Ofcom ‘One Nation Report’
2 Source - Symantec ‘Internet Security Threat Report’
3 Source - UK National Cyber Security Centre, COVID-19 cyber threat update
To find out how ID Sentry can help protect your customer’ digital identity download our eBook which includes how to defend from theft and fraud in a few simple steps.
