Information Security Awareness

1 www.infosecawareness.
in
PREFACE
Women play a crucial role in the growth of the economy. Over the years Indian women have con-
tributed to the development of the nation. A large number of women are in the forefront leading
various corporate organizations. They have contributed well to the entrepreneurial programs as
well. But still there are women who need to be empowered through education and motivate to
come forward to dream bigger and to realize their dreams. Digital India movement the flagship
programme of Indian government has given importance to empowering women digitally and also
to make them more liberated, strong and empowered by participating in the development of the
nation. Digital India has the main mandate of digital services accessible for all class of people in
India and also has a focus on social and economic empowerment of women.
At present Internet users India are near to 500 million with an estimate of 143 million female
internet users overall, which is approximately 30% of total Internet users in India. Cyber crimes
against women are on the rise and have been drastically victimized in the cyberspace. Some neg-
ative minded people try to defame women by sending obscene e-mails, stalking women by using
chat rooms, websites etc, spoofing e-mails, morphing of images for pornographic content etc.
Massive awareness needs to be created among women regarding the safe use of Mobile Phones,
Computers and the Internet. While digital India is paving its way in urban and rural India, the
underlining digital gender gap still persists. Digital literacy is therefore a key to ensure everyone
stays informed, engaged and safe online.
Even though today’s women and are strong and equally contributing towards the development of
the society, women still face issues of abuse in physical as well as cyber world. Even though cyber
crimes in general are considered to be gender neutral the problems and issues faced by women
are different and more damaging and creates intense agony. Considering the sensitivity behind
the issues faced by women in India, Information Security Education & Awareness has created a
Handbook exclusively for women in India. This Cyber Security Handbook for women would help
women to follow safety measures while using the cyber space and derive benefits by safe use of
cyber space.
CONTENTS
page 6 page 8 page 12 page 16
APPS DESKTOP PASSWORD E-MAIL BASED
USED SECURITY THREATS CYBER THREATS

BROWSER USB STORAGE WI-FI SMART
SECURITY DEVICE SECURITY PHONE
SECURITY SECURITY

IDENTITY INTERNET INTERNET ONLINE
THEFT ADDICTION ETHICS SCAMS

PHISHING WHATS APP INSTANT ATM
ATTACKS SECURITY MESSAGING SCAMS
THREATS

SOCIAL SOCIAL ONLINE CYBER
NETWORKING ENGINEERING SHOPPING BULLYING
THREATS

BROADBAND CYBER DIGITAL AADHAAR
INTERNET STALKING TRANSACTIONS CARD
SECURITY
CREDITS
Ministry of Electronics
Introduction
and Information Technology
Government of India India, with its major population hooked on to social me-
dia where women use Internet for daily requirements
is in steep rise. Being a part of a connected community
many women rely on Internet for online shopping, online
transactions, social media, travel assistance, messaging,
Shri.Sitaram Chamarthy ( TCS )
email, cooking videos, job search, yoga videos, parent-
ing advice for new mothers, entrepreneurial assistance
Shri U Rammohan Rao, CID, on starting new business online etc., Most women tend
Telangana State to use internet in their available free time. In general, a
woman’s nature is a very good. They are caring, innocent,
Shri G V Raghunathan, dedicated, honest and also they tend to believe what they
(Retd) Sr Director, MeitY see which may not be true always. Cyber criminals take
advantage of women’s vulnerable nature resulting in
Shri Magesh E, Director, steep increase in cyber crimes against women.
C-DAC Hyderabad
Internet made our life in this digital world much more
Shri S K Vyas, MeitY
Shri Ch A S Murty
convenient, but it also has negative effects. Internet of-
Mrs Soumya M fers various opportunities to individuals who want to ex-
Mrs G Jyostna ploit the internet for their selfish motives. This result in
Mrs Indrakeerthi K & various threats like Malware, Phishing, Pharming, Identi-
ISEA Team Members, ty theft, Spoofing, Online scams, Virus, Trojan, Ransom-
C-DAC Hyderabad ware and many more. This leave with us a big question in
our mind how safe is women in this cyber world. In this
digitally connected world, women are abused harassed,
Honorary Professor. N Balakrishnan
Prof. Sukumar Nandi threatened, stalked and violated on daily basis. But there
Prof. V Kamakoti is no need of worry; by taking small step to secure them-
Prof. M S Gaur selves, they can be very much safe in this cyber world.
Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA)

Action Group Members phase II project by Government of India encouraging and
building awareness for general public and it has created
A K Pipal, HoD (HRD), MeitY guidelines specific for women on cyber security aware-
Shri.Sitaram Chamarthy ness to take care of them and to be safe in this digital
Prof. M S Gaur world. By simply following these guidelines from www.
Prof. Dr.Dhiren R Patel
infosecawareness.in women can protect themselves &
Representative of Chairman ( CBSE )
participate to spread this awareness among other wom-
CEO, DSCI (NASSCOM)
Representative of Prasar Bharati, en colleagues. Be cyber aware and transform India to a
Member of I & B cyber aware nation.
Shri U Rama Mohan Rao
( SP, Cyber Crimes, CID,
Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh ) Secure Yourself and
Shri S K Vyas, Additional Director, MeitY
Secure the Nation
1
Online Taxi Applications To use these applications we
Smartphone’s and the ga- need to register by provid-
lore of apps have changed ing our personal information
the way we led our lives. which includes name, mobile
Taxi booking apps have number, and e-mail. This could
slowed down the traditional cause a threat to the identi-
taxi business industry. Famous ty of women. While booking a
names like Uber, meru, and taxi/cab our mobile number is
Ola have already shown the shared to the driver to whom
way to a beneficial means of the trip is assigned. The driver
APPS USED private transportation. may steal your mobile number
and may misuse it.
4 5
Shopping They don’t even check Job Portals er these can also cause
Applications for the privacy settings Online job portal threat to your identity.
Online shopping of these applications you will find all Identity thieves scan
websites now before they download. current vacan- through the prominent
possess mobile This can result in com- cies and job of- job sites to find people
friendly applications promising your per- fers worldwide. You can looking for change of
to provide more ease sonal sensitive infor- submit your job appli- jobs. They collect the
to users. Social media mation stored in mobile cation through this job keywords of your job
is flooded with adver- phones. These applica- portal and ensure that search and make calls
tisements of different tions can also cheat the your application gets offering you fake job
shopping applications customer with cheaper immediate attention. A .They offer job related to
with attractive offers. products than which few renown job portal the keywords you were
Women get attracted was shown during the applications are Naukri, browsing in job portals
with these offers for the purchase. Times Jobs, Indeed, and gain your trust.
products they showcase shine etc. as said earli-
in the advertisements.
6 www.infosecawareness.in
2 3
Education cult than you think. Banking applications for online
Applications Many applications offer Applications transactions and pay-
Mothers always free trial with informa- With the development for online sho
look for the best tive content during the ment of Banking ping etc, with all its pos-
for their children. trial period. Once the Applications, the itive features that exists
Some educational apps trial period is over and banks process has be- it has negative effect as
are tailored for high- they pay for the pur- come faster and more well where cyber crimi-
school students, some chase of the applica- reliable and the record nals can send email with
for soon-to-be college tion, the quality of the keeping and retrieval link for transactions with
graduates; some are content degrades and becomes much easi- logos/ texts resembling
more apt for those who the customer results in er. Banking apps help the legitimate bank
provide an education. loss of money and feels users understand and websites. When you
Educational Applica- cheated. A few reliable analyze their spending perform transactions
tions has got lot of at- ones are Google class habits on an annual, through these links the
tention among moth- room, Class tree, Byjus monthly and even daily money will be directly
ers. But locating the App, Khan Academy, basis. transferred to the cyber
best ones is more diffi- edmodo etc. Women rely on banking criminal’s account.
6 7
Chatting / In- Women tend to use In- Travel and Hotel often provide flight and
stant Messaging stant messaging apps. Booking Apps hotel deals which are
Applications It can be used to call Travel and ho- available exclusively to
Nowadays e-mail/ friends/family. It also al- tel booking Apps Apps.
SMS/Instant Mes- lows group chats. Even occasionally,give
saging(IM) are main though it helps you in you combo offers while Seeing the offers many
communication me- many ways, there are booking flight tickets or book the travel tickets
dia among women. It many security issues. hotels. Most travel com- and end up with loss of
is hard to find anyone Your profile picture can panies offer a discount money as there was no
without using a smart be viewed and used by when you get your tick- ticket/hotel booked in
phone. The mobile IM anyone. This can cause ets done through their their name. There are
apps have overtaken a threat to your identity. app for the first time. a few reliable apps like
the Short Message Ser- Mobile instant message Another major benefit make my trip, trivago,
vice (SMS). (IM) applications such is that these travel apps yatra, agoda etc.
as WhatsApp, WeChat,
Because of user friend- and LINE etc. are widely
liness of the IM apps used by everyone.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 7

DESKTOP SECURITY
An unfortunate number of women are becoming victims of cyber crimes. The grow-
ing reach of the Internet and the rapid spread of information through mobile devices
have presented new opportunities that could put some women at risk, so it is impor-
tant to be mindful of the dangers.
A personal computer used without proper security measure could lead to exploiting
the system for illegal activities using the resources of such in secured computers.
These exploiters could be Virus, Trojans, Key loggers and sometimes real hackers.
This may result in data theft, data loss, personal information disclosure, stealing of
credentials like passwords etc. So, protect and secure your Personal Computer be-
fore it is compromised.
Browser Security e-Mail Security Wireless Security Modem Security
• Always update • Always use strong • Change default • Change the default
your Web Browser password for your Administrator passwords.
with latest patches. email account. passwords. • Switch off when
• Use privacy or • Always scan the • Turn On WPA (Wi-Fi not in use.
security settings email attachments Protected Access) /
which are inbuilt in with latest updated WEP Encryption.
the browser. Anti-Virus and An- • Change default
• Also use content ti-Spy ware before SSID.
filtering software. opening. • Enable MAC ad-
• Always have Safe • Always remember dress filtering.
Search “ON” in to empty the Spam • Turn off your wire-
Search Engine. folder. less network when
not in use.
Internet Security:
• Check the copy- which is secure. rather than third
right issues before • If the site uses SSL, party websites.
using the content verify the certificate • Scan the down-
of Internet. Fol- details like who is loaded files with an
low Internet Ethics the owner, expiry updated Anti-Virus
while browsing. date of the certifi- Software before us-
• Always access the cate etc to confirm ing it.
site which uses whether it is trust- • Install and prop-
https (Hyper Text ed or not. You can erly configure a
Transfer Proto- do this by clicking software firewall,
col Secure) while the lock icon. to protect against
performing on- • Use only original malicious traffic.
line transactions, websites for down-
downloads etc, loading the files
Data Security
• Enable auto-up- ly updates with lat- CD / DVD or USB changes such as

dates of your op- est definitions. drive etc... In case it uncertified Drivers/
erating system and • Use “Encryption” to may get corrupted unknown Software
update it regularly. secure your valua- due to Hard Disk publisher.
• Download Anti-Vi- ble information. failures or when • Startup programs
rus Software from • Strong password reinstalling/format should be moni-
a trusted website should be used for ting the system. tored / controlled
and install. Make “Admin” Account • Recovery Disk: Al- for optimal system
sure it automati- on computer and ways keep recov- performance.
cally gets updated for other important ery disk supplied
with latest virus sig- applications like by Manufacturer /
natures. email client, finan- Vendor of the Com-
• Download Anti-Spy- cial applications puter System to
ware Software from (accounting etc). recover the Oper-
a trusted website • Backup: Periodi- ating System in the
and install. Make cally backup your event of boot fail-
sure it automatical- computer data on ures due to system
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 9

Don’t leave your webcam connected: Backup your data:
There are too many apps capable of turning Backing up your data saves you when your com-
on your camera and slyly recording your move- puter crashes due to electrical outage or surge,
ments without your knowledge. As a precaution like a lightning storm. It also helps if you fall
disable camera permission and keep the lens of prey to the newer type of ransomware, which
your camera closed or covered when not in use. encrypts your sensitive data. You can do your
Properly shutdown and switch off your personal back-up manually by transferring important
computer after the use along with your external documents to an external hard drive.
devices like Monitor, Modem, Speakers etc
Things to
remember
while using
your personal
computer
Use Licensed Software: Control Access to your personal computer:

Always install Licensed Software so that you Don’t leave your computer unattended in com-
have regular updates of your operating system mon place where anyone can access. The physi-
and applications. In case of open source soft- cal security of your computer is as important as
ware, make sure to update frequently. technical security.
Scan external devices before Use: Read the fine print:

Make sure to scan the external devices like USB Read the “Terms and Conditions” / “License
before you use it in your personal computer. Agreement” provided by vendor /software be-
Avoid use of external devices from strangers fore installation.
PASSWORD
Passwords are the most practical way to protect our
online identities to ourselves.
THREATS
Passwords are used for your personal devices, emails, banking applications and
for almost for everything you need internet. With all of this sensitive data at stake,
creating good passwords is very important to prevent identity theft.
Also passwords are the most commonly used mechanism to authenticate users to
an information system. Passwords play a major role of defence against hacking your
accounts or devices. The techniques used by cyber criminals are almost the same
either for women or anyone else. Let us see few techniques used commonly by cyber
criminals to get hold of your passwords.
Various Techniques used by hackers to retrieve Passwords
Shoulder Surfing Be aware of Shoulder Surfers at public places

One way of stealing the password is by standing be- while you are entering your passwords into
hind an individual and over looking their password the login accounts.
while they are typing it. It can happen even by listen-
ing to your conversation if you give your credit-card Do not reveal
number over the phone. Shoulder surfing is easily your usernames
done in crowded places. Your confidential informa- and passwords
tion will be at risk if your passwords are observed to strangers.
by Shoulder Surfers. They can use your password
information for logging into your account and they Cover the
may do harm to your information. Few tips to avoid keyboard with
threats from shoulder surfing. your hand or
something else
to prevent view
to a stranger.
Rainbow table attack
Rainbow tables aren’t as colourful as their name may imply but, for a hacker, your password could well be
at the end of it. This table contains hashes of all possible password combinations for any given hashing
algorithm. Rainbow tables are attractive as it reduces the time needed to crack a password hash to simply
just looking something up in a list. However, rainbow tables are huge, unwieldy things.
Bruteforce attacks You should not use a password that repre-
Another way of stealing the password is through sents your personal
guess. Hackers try all the possible combinations information like nick-
with the help of personal information of an individ- names, phone num-
ual. They will try with the person’s name, pet name bers, date of birth etc.
(nick name), numbers (date of birth, phone num-
bers), school name…etc. When there are large num- Making passwords
ber of combinations of passwords the hackers uses more complex increases the difficulty of
fast processors and some software tools to crack attacks that rely on brute force or educated
the password. This method of cracking password guessing.
is known as “Brute force attack”. Few tips to avoid
threats from Brute force attack.
You should not use dictionary words (like Dictionary attacks

animal, plants, birds or meanings) while cre- Hackers also try with all possible dictionary
ating the passwords for login words to crack your password with the help
accounts. of some software tools. This is called a “Dic-
tionary attack”. Few tips to avoid threats from
Better to lock the account or Dictionary attack.
increase the delay between
login attempts when there
have been repeated failures
Password recovery/reset systems one else. Remember that any rule that applies to
An intruder may not need to get the password from your password also applies to your password recov-
the user if he can persuade the authentication sys- ery question, which should be something no one
tem to either mail it to him or change it to some- should guess – and, like your password, something
thing of his choice. Systems to allow the legitimate you should never reveal to others.
user to recover or change a password they have for-
gotten can also let other people do the same. Help- Use information that is
desk operators need to be particularly careful to not in social media for
check the identity of anyone asking for a password recovery of password
reset. On-line systems that rely on “secret ques-
tions” such as “name of first school” or “birthday” Activate two factor authentication
are trivial to defeat if that information can be found
on a social network. Systems that send reminders
to a backup e-mail address or phone number can
fail if the user changes address or number allowing
the abandoned backup to be registered by some-
You should not write the passwords on the Writing your passwords on the papers or
paper or on any disk drive to store it storing it on hard disk
The strangers search for the papers or the
Do not select ‘Yes’ when ap- disk for passwords where they have been
plications ask you if you want written.
them to remember your pass-
words for you
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 13

Phishing rects users to enter details at a fake website whose
Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent com- look and feel are almost identical to the legitimate
munications that appear to come from a reputable one. Phishing is an example of social engineering
source. It is technique used by cyber criminals to techniques used to mislead users.
trick the email recipient to believe that the message
is a way to acquire information such as usernames,
passwords, PIN, bank account and credit card de- Be watchful of emails
tails by masquerading as a trustworthy entity asking for login information
through e-mail. Phishing is typically carried out by
e-mail or instant message spoofing and it often di-
If there is no other Password embedded in code

alternative then the Passwords are also sometimes disclosed by
script or program being included in scripts or programs. While
must be very this may appear an easy way to automate ac-
carefully protected cess to an interactive system it carries high
against deliberate or risks of disclosure and alternatives should be
accidental access used wherever possible. The worst possible
outcome is for a script containing a plaintext
password to end up on a public website.
Social Engineering or delete it. This can be done by persuading them to

The simplest way to discover someone’s password type it into a website you control (phishing).
is to make them tell you their password. Sharing the
passwords with the unknown persons (strangers)
may also lead to loss of your personal information. You must not share passwords with unknown
They can use your login information and can get persons (strangers) through email or SMS or
the access to your information. The persons like any other means
strangers after getting access to your information
they can do anything with it. They can copy, modify
Trojan, Virus & Malware

A keylogger, or screen scraper, can be in-
Install Antivirus to stalled by malware which records everything
protect your device you type or takes screenshots during a login
from malware, process, and then forwards a copy of this file
Trojans and Virus to hacker central. Some malware will look for
the existence of a web browser client pass-
word file and copy this which, unless prop-
erly encrypted, will contain easily accessible
saved passwords from the user’s browsing
history.
Using weak Passwords or blank passwords a website, is a very poor choice as a password.
Weak and blank passwords are one of the easiest
ways to attackers to crack into your system. Cyber Always you need to
criminals can use the same techniques used to “Use Strong Passwords”
guess the answers to secret questions can also be
used to guess passwords. Anything based on some-
thing your friends will know, or that is available from
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 15

CHANGING
TACTICS OF
E-MAIL BASED
CYBER THREATS
e-Mail, has become the favourite tool for cyber criminals. In recent years cyber crim-
inals have devised techniques that are so effective that they can even fool a cyber
security expert. Cyber criminals send socially engineered emails seemingly coming
from direct managers, friends and even spouses all with the goal of convincing the
target to click on a link or open an attachment. Various types of email attacks in-
cluding Business email compromise, Ransomware, Banking trojans, Phishing, Social
engineering, information-stealing malware and spam. Cyber criminals target women
through e-mail with catchy titles. Attack techniques are ever-evolving and adapt with
technology in an effort to stay ahead of security professionals. While most women
are targeted with fake e mails offering gifts or threatening messages. Cyber threats
against women should make us get involved to explore ways to stay safe. Let’s check
out the different ways in which the attack can happen through e-Mail.
Different possible ways of Email threats

Malicious Attachments file upload validation is for an
Malicious email attachments attacker to abuse double exten-
are an increasingly dangerous sions where an application ex-
threat to corporate security. tracts file extensions by looking
Disguised as documents, voice- for the ‘.’ character in the file-
mails, e-faxes or PDFs, malicious name, and extracting the string
email attachments are designed after the dot character. A file
to launch an attack on the vic- Always scan the attachments be- named filename.php.123 will be
tim’s computer when the attach- fore you open them. interpreted as a PHP file and it
ment is opened. By opening or will be executed.
executing such attachments Never click on links received in
malicious code may download emails from strangers Use file upload forms with
into your system and can infect whitelisting approach. With this
your system. Double extensions approach, only files that match
Another concept to bypassing a known and accepted file exten
sion are allowed. lous Web site operators who sell are targeted at you by unknown
e-mail addresses to them. Also users by offering gifts, lottery,
they may just get lucky by guess- prizes, which might be free of
ing the email. Spam messages cost, and this may ask your per-
may trouble you by filling your sonal information for accepting
inbox or your e-mail database. the free gift or may ask money
Spam involves identical messag- to claim lottery and prizes it is
es sent to various recipients by one way to trap your personal
e-Mail. Sometimes spam e-mails information.
Fake e-Mails come with advertisements and
Sometimes e-Mails are received may contain a virus. By opening
with fake e-mail address like such e-Mails, your system can
services@facebook.com by be infected and your e-Mail ID
an attachment named, “Face- is listed in spammers list. Spam
book_Password_4cf91.zip and can lead to network congestion,
includes the file Facebook_Pass- clutter your mail and also can
word_4cf91exe” that, the e-mail have Malware.
claims, contains the user’s new Look for grammatical errors in
facebook password. When a the e-mail
user downloads the file, it could
cause a mess on their computer Always ignore free gifts offered
and which can be infected with from unknown users.
malicious software.
Hoaxes
Hoax is an attempt to make the
Use a Quality Email Filter: This person believe something which
can prevent you from coming is false as true. It is also defined
into contact with a cyber-threat. as an attempt to deliberately
spread fear, doubt among the
It is always recommended to ig- users.
nore or delete spam e-mails.
Always check and confirm from Since the e-Mail messages are
where the e-mail has been re- Never, ever, unsubscribe or reply transferred in clear text, it is ad-
ceived, generally service people to a spam e-mail. This only con- visable to use some encryption
will never ask or provide your firms to the spammer that your software like PGP (pretty good
password to change. e-mail address is real. privacy) to encrypt email mes-
sages before sending, so that
If you subscribe to e-mail or text Phishing e-mails it can be decrypted only by the
alerts from your bank or finan- These appear very authentic, specified recipient only.
cial institution, you should be fa- and often include graphics and
miliar with the format, content, logos that are actually from your
and address of these messages. bank. There may even be a link
Be suspicious of anything you re- that actually takes you to your
ceive that is out of the norm. bank’s Web site. Even if you don’t
enter any personal information,
Spam e-Mails clicking the link can infect your
Spammers get e-mail addresses computer with data-stealing
from newsgroups, unscrupu- malware. Sometimes e-Mails
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 17

BROWSER SECURITY
Web browser is
used to access the
information and
resources on the
World Wide Web.
It is a software ap-
plication used to
trace and display
the web pages.
They are also the
first step to both
increasing your
online privacy and
controlling your
personal informa-
tion. Web brows-
ers are used not only on the personal computers, laptops but are also used on
mobile phones to access the information. Always use the latest updated browsers.
Today, web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome
and Apple Safari are installed on almost all computers. And it is easy to notice the
increasing threat coming from online criminals that try to take advantage of web
browsers and their vulnerabilities. Women who are technically unaware about the
risk may use the browser carelessly and end up being a victim of cyber threats.
Lets get to know the facts about browser security.
Why to secure your web browser ? • Many women computer users are not aware of
the click on the web links.
Securing browser is the first step that needs to be • Software and third party software packages in-
taken in order to assure secure online protection. stalled combined increases the number of vul-
There is an increase in number of threats taking nerabilities
advantage of vulnerabilities present in the web • Many websites request their users enable fea-
browsers through use of malicious websites. This tures or install more software, third- party soft-
problem is made worse by a number of factors, in- ware which doesn’t get security updates put-
cluding the following: ting the computer at additional risk.
• Many users do not know how to configure their
web browsers securely.
Web Browser Risks information
The browsers are enabled by When users log into a • Clicking on popup with
default with some of the features website, they enter their attractive offers may charge
to improve our online sessions, username and password you without notification
but at the same time these into a login page and, if they Seeta was listening music
options create a big security risk are authenticated, a cookie online from XYZ@music.
for our operating systems and is saved that allows the com, after some couple of
databases. The online criminals website to know the users hours later she came across
use available vulnerabilities in are already a Pop-up which tells to
our browser and in its additional logged in as download the latest songs
features to control operating they navigate with only one click. She filled
systems, retrieve private data, around the the form displayed in my
damage important system files site. This browser download section.
or install data stealing software. permits them After a month she saw her
Some of the features are access to any credit card bill information
important for browser’s functionality which is showing some
functionality and the user should that may be unauthorized charges.
understand their importance available only She was very upset and
and should enable or disable for to logged-in surprised, called repeatedly
securing the browser. users, probably the primary to that particular website
use of cookies at this time. where she downloaded the
Browser Cookies songs but it was of no use.
A cookie is a small piece of text Pop-ups
sent to a browser by a website Popups are a small window Scripts
accessed through the browser. pane that opens automatically Scripts are used to create
The browser stores this data on your browser. Generally, they websites more interactive. It
and uses it in accessing the show advertising, which can is most commonly used as
features of the website or be from legitimate company, part of web browsers, whose
then next time the same site but also may be scams or implementations allow client-
is visited to make the access dangerous software. Pop-ups side scripts to interact with
more personalized. If a website mislead you to click the buttons the user, control the browser,
uses cookies for authentication, on the pop-up window. But communicate asynchronously,
then an attacker may be able to sometimes advertisers create and alter the document content
obtain unauthorized access to pop-up window that look similar that is displayed. The same
that site by obtaining the cookie. to a close or cancel option so script can be used for inclusion
whenever user choose such of malicious code which takes
• Cookie storing the search control of the web browser
requests there in by allowing accessing
Shanti visited a movie website the files of the system. It may
and indicated that she is cause damage to the system by
interested in comedies. The accessing the vulnerabilities in
cookies sent by the website the browser.
remembered her choice and
when she visited the same
website next time, she sees options the button performs an
comedies are displayed on unexpected action like opening
the website. another pop-up window,
performing unauthorized
• Cookie storing login commands on your system.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 19

Plug-ins:
Plug-ins is the in-built applications In-browser privacy settings
for use in the web browser and
Netscape web browser had Almost all browsers have in-browser privacy settings for users.
developed the NPAPI standard These options include private browsing, controlling activity logs,
for developing plug-ins. Later deleting cookies, and others. However, browser privacy options
this standard is used by many are not going to protect from remote spying or monitoring if an
web browsers. Plug-ins are abusive person is using spyware software.
same to ActiveX controls but
cannot be executed outside of a Private browsing
web browser. Adobe Flash is an It allows users to surf the internet without the browser
example of an application that vis collecting history. This
available as a plug-in inside the is helpful if a survivor is
web browser. concerned that someone
may be monitoring their
• Avoid downloading internet activity by going
unnecessary plug-ins. through the browser
history. However, private
browsing will not prevent someone from knowing what you
are doing online if they are looking over your shoulder or are
monitoring your device with spyware. In google chrome it is
incognito mode, in Internet explorer it is in private. In Mozilla
firefox and in safari has new private window for keeping private
mode browsing.
Do not track
It is a setting that allows
users to opt-out of third-
party tracking, such as
advertisers or sites on a
For example, users may website that you’re visiting.
download and install a plug-in This feature is only for third-
like Adobe Flash Player to view party tracking, which often
a web page which contains tracks users for behavioral
a video or an interactive advertising purposes;
game. But the plugin may be it doesn’t prevent the website that you’re visiting to collect
installed with a key logger information about you. All browsers settings have do not track
which captures all the key option which can be enabled.
strokes of the user typing in
the browser and send it to the Deleting browser history
attacker. Keep in mind that if someone is
monitoring your computer use,
deleting your browser history
Follow the best may appear suspicious. However,
practices in regularly deleting your browsing
using Internet history can increase privacy.
browsers
USB
STORAGE
DEVICE
SECURITY
USB (Universal Serial Bus) storage devices are very convenient to transfer data be-
tween different computers. You can plug it into a USB port, copy your data, remove
it and be on your way. Unfortunately this portability, convenience and popularity also
brings different threats to your information.
Data thefts and Data leakage are everyday news now! All these can be controlled or
minimized with care, awareness and by using appropriate tools to secure the infor-
mation.
Threats Unauthorized Usage

• Malware Spreads through USB storage Somebody may steal your USB Devices for Data.
devices. Somebody may intentionally sell
USB storage devices with malware to track Baiting
your activities, files, systems and networks. Somebody intentionally leave USB devices at
• Malware may spread from one device your Desk or Place with Malware
to another device through USB Storage
Devices using autorun.exe, which is by
default enabled.
How to stop Data Leakage via USB storage ?
• Design and adopt a good security policy to limit the usage of USB
Storage devices.
• Monitor the employees what they are copying.
• Implement Authentication, Authorization and Accounting to secure
your information.
What to do when you lose the Device ?
• If you have stored any personal or sensitive information inside the USB drive
like passwords etc, immediately change all passwords along with security
questions and answers provided during any account creation [There may
be chances that hacker can retrieve your online account logon information
by using data in the stolen drive].
• Also ensure that all security measures have been taken against the data
lost.
How to stop Device theft ?
• Always secure the drive physically by tagging it to a key chain.

• Never leave your drive unattended anywhere.
• Never keep sensitive information with-out encryption.
Mobile as USB
The mobile phones can be used as USB memory devices when connected to computer. A USB cable is
provided with the mobile phone to connect to computer.
• When a mobile phone is connected to a personal computer, scan the external phone memory and
memory card using an updated antivirus.
• Take regular backup of your phone and external memory card because if an event like a system crash
or malware penetration occurs, at least your data is safe.
• Before transferring the data to Mobile from computer, the data should be scanned with latest Antivirus
with all updates.
• Remember to remove the USB connection from your computer before you walk away.
• Never forward the virus affected data to other Mobiles.
About USB Pratirodh :

USB Pratirodh controls the usage of removable storage me-
dia like pen drive, external hard drives, cell phones and oth-
er supported USB mass storage devices. Only authenticat-
ed users can access the removable storage media.
Benefits
• USB device control with password protection
• Data Encryption on USB devices
• Auto run protection and Malware Detection
• Configurable read/write privilege protection
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 23

WI-FI SECURITY
Wi-Fi has become an integral part of daily life for everyone. Internet users espe-
cially women are depending on Wi-Fi devices to access Internet at their homes
and businesses, to shop, bank, coordinate life, and stay connected. Securing Wi-Fi
connections is an important element of securing personal data.
A few of the wireless devices are vulnerable in their default configuration mode.
Since end users especially women are not fully aware of security levels to be set
on these devices, they can be easily vulnerable to cyber threat. Cyber criminals
look for these unsecured Wi-Fi devices for fulfilling their illegal purposes. Anyone
with in his/her computer, laptop or mobile through wifi connectivity can connect
to unsecured Access Points (wireless routers). Also if the Access Point is config-
ured with the default settings or is unsecured, anyone in the range can connect to
it directly. Once the connection is established using the unsecured network ,the
attacker can send mails, download classified/confidential stuff, initiate attack on
other computers in the network, send malicious code to others, install a Trojan or
botnet on the victim’s computer to get long term control on it.
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Threats to women while using Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi s hotspots for cyber tive information such as credit
attacks card numbers, passwords, chat
Most of the women tend to messages, emails etc, It is sug- Never auto-connect to
connect to Wi-Fi if it is available gested that users avoid public open Wi-Fi networks in
for free in the public places to Wi-Fi and instead use secured public places
use their favorite social media networks only. Few of the tips Visit only secured websites
or chatting applications. Brows- to note when using free public while using public Wi-Fi
ing internet using public wire- Wi-Fi Disable sharing of data
less computer network at rail- Keep Wi-Fi Off when you
way stations and airports may don’t Need It
leave you vulnerable to cyber Avoid using sensitive
attacks. Successful exploitation passwords
of these vulnerabilities allows
an attacker to obtain sensi-
Tracking an Individual code, or personal preferences. corporate financial information

Like mobile phones, Wi-Fi devic- By authorities: the authorities and secrets
es have unique identifiers that have easier access to people’s
can be used for tracking pur- browsing details and habits,
poses which can cause poten- and with justification in the
tial security issues. Tracking by name of national security, could
using a Wi-Fi hotspot can also be used to monitor the people
lead to cyber crimes like stalk- without their consent.
ing. To receive or use a service,
often websites require the user By hackers: steal information
to share their personal infor- and hack into unsuspecting vic-
mation such as name, age, ZIP tim’s bank accounts and misuse
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 25

Internet security issues and public Wi-Fi risks are on the
rise. Taking a few precautions will help you to keep your
information safe
Secure your wireless communication with additional

network security such as SSH, or VPN, or SSL tunneling and
turn off the wireless devices when not in use
Few measures to secure yourself while configuring the router for wireless communi-
cation
• Change the default user- Shutdown the Access Point dresses of all devices that
name and password of the when not in use connect to them.
Access Point • Avoid dynamic IP address • Use firewall and Antivirus
Wifi home networks and for home Wi-Fi rather use for added protection
broadband router are pro- static IP addresses Isolate the wireless network
tected with username and Most home network ad- from wired network with
password so that only au- ministrators use Dynamic a firewall and an antivirus
thorized people can make Host Configuration Protocol gateway.
administrative changes to (DHCP) to assign IP address- • Use default security fea-
the network. es to their devices. Turn off tures provided by the
• Change the default SSID, DHCP on the router or ac- equipment
and Avoid broadcasting cess point, set a fixed private All Wi-Fi equipment support
your network name IP address range instead some form of encryption.
Access points and routers all and then configure each So, enable them. Regularly
use a network name called connected device with an update firmware.
the Service Set Identifier. address within that range. • Use encryption technology
Just by knowing the SSID it’s • Always use strong pass- for sensitive data in wire-
not possible to attack your word for encryption less networks. Always use
network but it shows it’s Avoid using personal data the maximum key size sup-
poorly configured. in passwords. Use passes ported by access point for
• Turn off Wi-Fi when not in phrases which are easy to encryption
use remember. Turn ON file sharing and air-
When you have extended • Enable MAC address filter- drop options only when re-
break from using your home ing on Wi-Fi devices quired.
network it is better to switch Access points and routers
off to avoid misuse. Also keep track of the MAC ad-
SMART PHONE SECURITY
Cybercrime is on the rising at an alarming rate, and women are its biggest targets.
Smart phone and Internet allow predators to exploit women and girls anonymously
and easily.A study claims that women use smart phones for more than four hours a
day and are likelier to get addicted to them than men. [1] Women use smart phones
mainly for social networking website and online shopping, than just making calls,
games and searches combined. These devices have their own characteristics but
also with security concerns such as sensitive information access. There are various
threats, which can affect the smart phone users in several ways. In current scenario it
is vital for women to be aware of cyber threats through smart phone and the various
dangers that come with it.
Mobile Phone Security Threats Categories:
Lost or Stolen devices from, even whether the smart

Nowadays smart phones have phone user is expecting a baby. Always use a password
become the inevitable part of an or biometric authentica-
individual’s life. By any chance tion for unlocking your
we lost/misplaced our phone; phone.
it causes a serious threat to the
sensitive data that can reach a Activate SIM lock for
cyber criminal. Just by looking your SIM card, because
at apps that are installed on even if you lock your
the phone, anyone can have an phone anyone will easily
idea about the user’s age, gen- have a physical access to
der, location, interest in work- your SIM card once you
out activities, possible medical lose your phone.
conditions the user is suffering
It is advisable not to
store important informa- Exposure of critical informa-
tion like credit card and tion
bank cards passwords, Lack of data protection or data
etc in a mobile phone. leak prevention capabilities on
mobile devices. This can lead to
Make sure you log out of serious threat to identity of any
the Apps after using it individual. Your personal bank-
ing information can also be at
risk.
Typical impact of attacks against Mobile Phones :
• Exposure or Loss of user’s personal Information/Data, stored/transmitted through mobile phone.

• Monetary Loss due to malicious software unknowingly utilizing premium and highly priced SMS and
Call Services.
• Privacy attacks which includes the tracing of mobile phone location along with private SMSs and calls
without user’s knowledge.
• Loosing control over mobile phone and unknowingly becoming zombie for targeted attacks.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 29

Mobile Connectivity Security Threats
Threats related to mobile phone connectivity to unknown systems, phones and networks using
technologies like Bluetooth, WI-Fi, USB etc.
Open Wi-Fi. Phishing emails a phone call to confirm that they
Most often open Wi-Fi networks Email users continue to fall sent you the message. Consider
cause lot of threats to our mo- prey to emails that appear to reaching out to your bank – but
bile phones if connected in come from trusted senders like contact them via the usual chan-
these networks. It is often ad- banks and retailers. Manipula- nels, do not click any URLs sent
visable not to make any bank tive language creates a sense via text.
transactions and not to use any of urgency that prompts recipi-
sensitive data using open Wi-Fi ents to make an impulsive deci- Weak Authentication
networks. sion. They click embedded links Criminals love mobile payment
Keep the Bluetooth connection and share data on non-trusted systems that have weak au-
in an invisible mode, unless you sites, download attachments thentication tools. Any payment
need some user to access your that contain hidden data-min- systems that you use, includ-
mobile phone or laptops. If an ing malware or share infected ing e-commerce browser apps
unknown user tries to access the emails with contacts. and virtual wallets, should have
mobile phone or laptop through multi-factor authentication and
blue tooth, move away from the Check that email addresses multi-level data encryption. For
coverage area of blue tooth so always match sender names, example, a secure system might
that it automatically gets discon- visit sender websites via book- require a user ID, password and
nected. marks or typed URL address bar security image confirmation or
submissions and scan all down- message you a one-time-use
Don’t perform financial, medical loads with a trusted anti-virus PIN. The best payment systems
or business tasks while logged program. turn your credit card data into a
in to open Wi-Fi If you have to, token so that it cannot be read
then get a VPN or use a secured SMiShing Messages anywhere else.
network. The same phishing rules above
apply to text messages. If you
Don’t use any passwords and still doubt the origin of a mes-
sensitive data while logged in to sage or a sender’s intentions,
open Wi-Fi contact the assumed sender via
Mobile Application and Operating System Security Threats
Threats arising from Application on your mobile Avoid downloading the content
vulnerabilities in Mobile known as malware applications. into mobile phone or laptop
Applications and Operating from an unauthorised source.
Systems. Think before grantingapp
When we unknowingly permissions. Does a flashlight
download Applications which really need to know your
are free, we never check on what device’s location?
are the privacy settings we are Consider revoking critical
compromising by downloading permissions when apps are not
those Apps. There are many using them.
Applications which steal your
data after you download the
IDENTITY THEFT
Identity theft is using information related to personal or financial details of another
person for fraudulent transactions.
Women are the most chosen victims of cyber crimes in India. Whether you are em-
ployed /unemployed/Married/Single, Identity theft can happen. Get to know about
different ways identity theft can happen to women.
How Identity Theft can happen?
Online Taxi Booking Apps

Online taxi booking has re-
duced the hurdle of travel to
a large extent. To register we
need to provide our person-
al information which includes
name, mobile number, and
e-mail.
While booking a taxi/cab our

mobile number is shared to
the driver to whom the trip is
assigned. The driver may steal
your mobile number and may
misuse it.
Request for workhop at

https://isea-pmu.in/requestForWorkshop/
www.infosecawareness.in
Online Dating/Matrimoni-
al websites
Now a day’s marriage proposals
Make sure that the profile have taken a new face through
you viewed has provided the matrimonial websites, through
correct credentials before which online dating/chatting
chatting or exchanging have become common.
information
Meet in person along with Many register their profile with
family and friends fake photos and salary details.
They exchange phone numbers
/e-mail id/family details.
Fake Weight loss/Beau-

ty Apps/Travel and Hotel
Booking APPs
Social media is flooded with
advertisements of fake weight
Read the terms and loss/ beauty apps. They give
conditions before providing free trial for a month/week.
your personal banking
information They ask you to pre-register
Cross check the travel with personal banking details.
itinerary with the concerned They promises to send notifica- tract people to download and
flight/hotel website before tion mail once your trial period register in their app. Seeing
making the payments is expired, which may or may the offers many book the travel
not happen. tickets and end up with loss of
money as there was no ticket/
Travel and hotel booking apps hotel booked in their name.
offer attractive discounts to at-
Women Empowerment mation they never get the ben-

Schemes efits through the scheme.
Women empowerment
Schemes are misused in a large Better contact the authorised
extent. office for registering into
Generally Mediators play government declared
their role in rural areas; they schemes
make you informed about the Better to visit the nearest
scheme and benefits, gain trust bank to open an account of
and collect details to register your own
for the schemes in your or your
family member’s name.
But after collecting the infor-
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 33

ed with attractive packages of spect to the package offered
‘work from home’. even after completing the work.
Know about the company Some websites ask to register The amount paid for registra-
before accepting the Job initially with personal / banking tion is not refunded even after
offer information and pay a lumsum they opt for quitting the job.
Never save keywords of job amount to get work.
search in your profile of the Identity thieves scan through
job portal the prominent job sites to find
people looking for change of
jobs. They collect the keywords
of your job search and make
calls offering you fake job .They
offer job related to the key-
Work from Home Scams/ words you where browsing in
Job Portals job portals and gain your trust.
House wife’s are mostly target- But they are not paid with re-
Blogging Scams
Bloggers publish their arti-
cles online. If the access right Better to copyright your
of these articles is open to all, article before publishing
there are chances of using online.
them for financial gain by im-
personating the author.
INTERNET
ADDICTION
In the current era where internet uses goes round the clock in each and every indi-
vidual’s life, where communication between individuals takes place in cyber spac. This
can end up into Internet addiction disorder (IAD), or more broadly Internet overuse,
problematic computer/smart phone use. Inter addiction is defined as any online re-
lated compulsive behaviour which interferes with normal living and causes severe
stress on family friends, loved ones and ones work environment. It can also be called
as Internet dependency and internet compulsion.
Factors triggering Internet use also on others status, • Stress and escapism:
• Boredom/Depression: number of likes and Many women who are under
Single women out of bore- shares received for self and stress at office or in family
dom become addicted to for others. It becomes an life tend to rely on internet
Internet mainly in social me- obsession for an individual to relieve their stress and
dia. They tend to check their and also affects her mental also consider an easy way to
social media profile for new and physical health. get rid of that stressful situ-
updates on their status and ation.
How can Internet Addiction be identified ?

• Having a sense of well-be- • Feeling empty, depressed Once you get Addicted to Inter-
ing or euphoria while using and irritable when not at the net it will have an impact on
smart phone computer your physical and mental health
• Inability to stop the activity • Lying to family and friends there by risking your life to vari-
• Craving more and more time about activities ous cyber threats.
at the Smartphone. • Problems with school or
• Neglecting family and work
friends
Internet related Activities
Social Media Online Shopping Online Gaming Online chatting
Most women are addict-

ed to social media. Most Everyone uses chatting
Shopping is the most There is a small class
of them start their day but some cannot stop
interesting thing in of women who are
by checking their social chatting. This includes
a women life. Online even addicted to online
media profile or updat- chatting by any means.
shopping has opened a gaming as well. Most of
ing fake photos which Many a times women
world full of options to women tend to spend
is currently the main will tend to withdraw
the women. They keep their leisure time in on-
trend. Projecting each from social interactions
searching for different line gaming rather than
and every second of as they find more com-
products in different socialising in real world.
your life into social me- fort and enjoyment in
online shopping portal
dia and to get more and virtual world.
whether they buy or
more likes and shares
not. Most of them even
for the post. This is what
find it difficult to reduce
most of the women look
the time spent on
up to at the current sce-
internet.
nario of cyber world.
How to avoid Internet Addiction ?
• Set your Internet usage time • Set time for internet brows- can save you if you are not
limits. ing, but don’t overdo it. on internet.
• Install an app which would • Shift to activities such as • Make a list of reasons why
track my cell phone/Internet reading articles, browsing, you will be happier if you use
usage and plan to reduce it watching videos, sending the internet less.
day by day. emails to laptop. • Remove internet enabled
• Also you can get help from • Turn off app and email notifi- devices from bedrooms.
your friends/family to re- cations • Regulate your sleeping pat-
strict using Internet for a • Try to stay off websites that tern. A lot of people lose
long time. are addictive. sleep while on the internet
• Uninstall computer games, • Switch to reading subject/ and mess up their sleeping
and try to stay away from so- job related books/magazine. pattern. It will be beneficial
cial networks and other rec- This will increase your read- to you as you will become
reational web activities for at ing habit. more organized and self dis-
least a month or two. • Think about money that you ciplined.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 37

When we talk about “ethics” we refer to attitude,
values, beliefs and habits possessed by a per-
son or a group. Ethics is the study of morality.
Internet ethical problems deal with principles
of problems all individual, social and global. In
simple words, Computer ethics is a set of moral
principles that govern the usage of Computers.
They are a set of moral principles that govern an
individual or a group on what is acceptable be-
haviour while using a computer. As we all know,
that Computer is an effective technology and it
raises ethical issues like Personal Intrusion, De-
ception, Breach of Privacy, Cyber- , Cyber-stalk-
ing, Defamation, Evasion Technology or social
responsibility and Intellectual Property Rights
i.e. copyrighted electronic content.
Internet Ethics for everyone

1 2
Acceptance Sensitivity to National While using e-Mail Pretending to be
One has to accept and Local cultures and chatting someone else
that Internet is not It belongs to all and Internet must be used We must not use
a value free-zone. It there is no barrier for communication internet to fool others
means World Wide of national and local with family and by pretending to be
Web is a place where cultures. It cannot be friends. Avoid chatting someone else. Hiding
values are considered subject to one set of with strangers and our own identity to
in the broadest sense values like the local forwarding e-mails fool others in the
so we must take care TV channel or the from unknown people Internet world is a
while shaping content local newspaper we /strangers. We must crime and may also be
and services and we have to accommodate be aware of risks a risk to others.
should recognize that multiplicity of usage. involved in chatting
internet is not apart and forwarding
from universal society e-mails to strangers.
but it is a primary
component of it.
Ethical rules for Internet users
Some of the rules that individuals should follow while using a computer are listed below:
• Does not use to Internet to harm other users.
• Do not use Internet to steal others information.
• Do not access files without the permission of the owner.
• Do not copy copyrighted software without the author’s permission.
• Always respect copyright laws and policies.
• Respect the privacy of others, just as you expect the same from others.
• Do not use other user’s computer resources without their permission.
• Complain about illegal communication and activities, if found, to Internet service Providers and local
law enforcement authorities.
• Users are responsible for safeguarding their User Id and Passwords. They should not write them on
paper or anywhere else for remembrance.
• Users should not intentionally use the computers to retrieve or modify the information of others,
which may include password information, files, etc.,
Access to Internet
The internet is a time-efficient tool for everyone that enlarges the possibilities for curriculum growth.
Learning depends on the ability to find relevant and reliable information quickly and easily, and to select,
understand and assess that information. Searching for information on the internet can help to develop
these skills. Classroom exercises and take-home assessment tasks, where students are required to
compare website content, are ideal for alerting students to the requirements of writing for different
audiences, the purpose of particular content, identifying and judging accuracy and reliability. Since
many sites adopt particular views about issues, the internet is a useful tool for developing the skills of
distinguishing fact from opinion and exploring subjectivity and objectivity.
5 6 7
Avoid Bad language Hide personal While Downloading
We must not use information Internet it can be
rude or bad language We should not give also used to watch
in e-Mail, chatting, personal details like videos and play
blogging and social home address, phone games, browse or
networking; we need numbers, interests, download information.
to respect their passwords. No We must be aware
views and should not photographs should of the importance of
criticize anyone on the be sent to strangers copyrights and issues
internet. because it might be of copyright.
misused and shared
with others without
their knowledge.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 39

ONLINE
SCAMS
Online scam is an attempt to trap you for obtain-
ing money. There are many types of online scams;
this includes obtaining money with fake names,
fake photos, fake e-mails, forged documents, fake
job offers and many more.
Generally, it happens by sending fake e-Mails for

your personal details like online banking details,
credit card details. Sometimes e-Mails are sent
from lottery companies with fake notice, whenev-
er you participate in online auction and e-Mails received for fake gifts. Cyber criminals
use social media platforms for duping naive and gullible people.
How scammers target women

Dating and romance scams workers or professionals work- gifts or your banking/credit
This often takes place through ing abroad. They will express card details. They may also ask
online dating websites, but strong emotions for you in a you to send pictures or videos
scammers may also use social relatively short period of time. of yourself, possibly of an inti-
media or email to make contact. They will go to great lengths mate nature.
They have even been known to gain your interest and trust,
to telephone their victims as a such as showering you with
first introduction. These scams loving words, sharing ‘personal
are also known as ‘catfishing’. information’ and even sending
Scammers typically create fake you gifts.
online profiles designed to lure
you in. They may use a fiction- Once they have gained your
al name, or falsely take on the trust and your defences are
identities of real, trusted people down, they will ask you (either
such as military personnel, aid subtly or directly) for money,
Lottery scam of mails/SMS huge amount of

Sometimes you receive an money will be lost. Because
email/SMS like “you won a these e-Mails/SMS are not true,
lottery” receiving such a kind scammers try to fool and trap
of mails/SMS is a great thing, you to obtain money.
and really it’s a happiest thing.
By responding to such a kind
Charity scam
The victim is often contacted by email, mail or phone by
someone asking for a donation to be sent by money trans-
fer to an individual to help victims of a recent current event,
such as a disaster or emergency (such as a flood, cyclone, or
earthquake). Legitimate charity organizations will never ask
for donations to be sent to an individual through a money
transfer service.
Fake quizzes that extract your privacy scams that collect your
information answers and then sell them
You must have seen those to third parties. Many of these
posts and quizzes inspired by quizzes come with a “Login with
movies or video games. Basi- Facebook” button in order to
cally, you answer a set of ques- do the quiz. This gives the web-
tions and then the quiz tells site/app pretty much all of your
you what movie character you important information such as
are or some other personal- emails, location, language, job
ity assessment. Often times, and so on.
these quizzes are fronts for
Email Scam Like -- site by clicking the link given

Congratulations you have below and provide your debit
won Webcam, Digital Camera, or credit card details to cover
or cash prize of unbelievable shipping and managing costs.
amount etc. However the item never arrives
Sometimes you get an e-mail but after some days the charg-
with a message like -- you have es will be shown on your bank
won something special like dig- account and you will lose mon-
ital camera webcam, all you ey.
need to do is just visit our web
Rental Property scam sent a checque from the renter

Victim sends money for deposit and asked to send a portion of
on a rental property and never the checque back using a mon-
receives access to the rental ey transfer and the checque
property or the victim may also bounces.
be the property owner who is
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 41

Money flipping scams or an Internet marketer, with
This kind of scams particularly inside knowledge on how to
seen on Instagram, money flip- manipulate exchange rates and
ping scams work by promising stock prices in order to get a
a user huge returns if he would 10x return on investment. And
just deposit a small sum as an all you have to do is to simply
initial investment. The scammer deposit some money, usually a
claims to be a financial adviser minimum amount.
Passive fake friends and particular, they will be on the

followers that monitor your lookout for vacation photos
account outside your home city or coun-
You might have friends in social try, which means your house is
media whom you never actu- probably empty and ripe to be
ally met and don’t know who broken into.
they are. Criminals can exploit
this carelessness by befriend-
ing you and then monitor your
account to collect information
and see what you’re up to. In
Fake job offers portunity to work from home,

Users on social media are pri- and even come with a sizeable
marily there to improve their salary package. In other cases,
hiring prospects, so receiving these might be project-based
a job offer isn’t something out work, so you first have to do the
of the ordinary. However, some work, and only then will you get
scammers simply hire you for a paid. As you can imagine, how-
few weeks, only to fire you a few ever, the pay never comes.
days before your first pay chec-
que. Usually, these fake job
offers promise you to the op-
Tax scam mand immediate payment or
Victim is contacted by some- call about taxes without first
one claiming to be from a gov- having mailed a bill.Generally,
ernmental agency saying that websites feel like official web-
money is owed for taxes, and sites and seek the details of
it must be paid immediately credit card, CVV PIN of ATM and
to avoid arrest, deportation or other personal details of the
suspension of driver’s license/ taxpayers in the name of credit-
passport. The victim is instruct- ing income tax refund through
ed to send a money transfer or electronic mode.
purchase a pre-loaded debit
card to pay the taxes. Govern-
ment agencies will never de-
Tips to Prevent Online Scams

• Be alert to the fact that with the bank about the take steps to secure your ac-
scams exist. email you received. Think count and be sure to report
When dealing with uninvit- that if something is impor- it.
ed contacts from people or tant or urgent why doesn’t
businesses, whether it’s over the bank call me instead of • Be aware about the product
the phone, by mail, email, in sending email? you received via email
person or on a social net- Be aware about the prod-
working site, always con- • Do not open suspicious ucts you get for a discount-
sider the possibility that the texts, pop-up windows or ed price. Think why you
approach may be a scam. click on links or attachments received email for products
Remember, if it looks too in emails – delete them when you never enter any
good to be true, it probably If unsure, verify the identity online shopping or contest.
is. of the contact through an
independent source such • Don’t be trapped by lottery/
• Know who you’re dealing as a phone book or online job scam
with. search. Don’t use the contact Don’t get trapped by scam-
If you’ve only ever met some- details provided in the mes- mers and e-Mails with a sub-
one online or are unsure of sage sent to you. ject line you won, just think
the legitimacy of a business, why only you received the
take some time to do a bit • Review your privacy and se- email without your participa-
more research. Do a Google curity settings on social me- tion.
image search on photos or dia.
search the internet for oth- If you use social networking • Be careful when shopping
ers who may have had deal- sites, such as Facebook, be online
ings with them. careful who you connect with Beware of offers that seem
and learn how to use your too good to be true, and al-
• Confirm whether email is re- privacy and security settings ways use an online shopping
ceived from bank or not to ensure you stay safe. If service that you know and
Be cautious while providing you recognise suspicious be- trust.
bank details online, before haviour, clicked on spam or
proceeding further confirm have been scammed online,
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 43

Cyber security remains a major challenge for any indi-
PHISHING vidual and even for the government where awareness
is limited with respect to various cyber threats which
ATTACKS evolve accordingly with the advancement of technolo-
gy. Cyber attacks, hacks and security breaches on the
Internet are no longer an exception. Phishing is a com-
mon type of cyber attack that everyone should learn
about in order to protect themselves.
How it can happen ?

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
Online banking should always
Cross check the URL in the Always check for the be in “private browsing” mode,
browser misspelled URL and the browser should be
closed before AND after using
a banking site.Always check for
Don’t enter your information So Always key in the URL in the

in the websites that start with address bar yourself don’t copy the trusted website which has
numbers and paste https and padlock
What is phishing?
Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable
source. It is technique used by cyber criminals to trick the email recipient to believe that the message is a
way to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, PIN, bank account and credit card details by
masquerading as a trustworthy entity through e-mail. Phishing is typically carried out by e-mail or instant
message spoofing and it often directs users to enter details at a fake website which look and feel are
almost identical to the legitimate one. Phishing is an example of social engineering techniques used to
mislead users.
Different ways cyber criminals try to target women ?

Women becoming victims through Phishing attacks is on high and it poses major threat to security of a
person as a whole. Here we present a few ways in which it can happen. Phishers often use various methods
to target women. They may try to persuade through their email with subject line that can attract the
target. Common phishing techniques include offers or prizes won in fake competitions such as lotteries or
contests by retailers offering a winning voucher etc. Let us check a few ways that they may target women
through Phishing emails.
Exciting offers through email to avail the offer and purchase

Cyber criminals check in gen- the product. They end up shar-
eral for the shopping trends in ing their sensitive personal in-
Online shopping portals. With formation which can lead to fur-
that information they send ther problems. Let see a recent
phishing emails which catch example of fake chain emails on
targets attention. They give of- Netflix as shown in the image.
fers on specific products which Once you click the red button
are of interests for women in a “Check if you’ve won”, you will
believable way by use of graph- be offering scammers all your
ics in email that look identical to personal information, which
legitimate websites but actually they can use for identity theft.
it takes you to phony scam sites
or legitimate-looking pop-up Check on the authorized web-
windows. So women are often site before clicking on the link
attracted by lower priced offers to ensure that such offers are Too good to be true offers may
and fall into the trick played by available. often be a scam.
phishers. They click on the link
Step 4 Step 5
Always view any email request Never respond to the emails
for financial or other personal that ask for your personal infor-
information with suspicion, par- mation like credit
ticularly any “urgent” requests. Card /debit card/bank
When in doubt, do not respond information.
to questionable email or enter An Example of Phishing site,
information on questionable the look and feel of the Punjab
websites. You may also contact national bank is same.
the alleged sender to confirm
the legitimacy of communica-
tions you’ve received.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 45

Spoofed emails semble the names of banks but Check the source of
Email spoofing is one of the are slightly altered. This is why information as banks never ask
primary methods by which you should never click on a link for username and passwords
phishers acquire sensitive in- in an email from bank or your though mail or by call.
formation from unsuspecting credit card company. Unfortu-
Internet users. They send mails nately, many people fall victim When you are in doubt, try to
on behalf of banks asking for to bank phishing scams and contact the toll free number or
some vital information, ask- inadvertently give out sensitive any other contact provided by
ing the target to click on a link information cyber criminals. the bank.
which redirects to a banking
website. These banking web- Never click on links received
sites ask target to provide sen- through emails to visit your
sitive data such as username, banking website
password or credit card de-
tails etc. Phishers spoof these
email and websites of banks
with similar looking logos. They
use the web addresses that re-
Threatening mails They may try to create a situa- only encourage the sender or
Sometimes you may receive tion of urgency to make you re- make the situation worse.
a threat mail saying that your veal your sensitive information.
webmail account would be Cybercriminals might call you Take a screen shot of and
closed if you do not respond to on the phone and offer to help retain any letter or message, if
an e-mail message. The e-mail solve your computer problems it is later deleted then you will
message shown above is an ex- or sell you a software license. still have a record of what was
ample of the same trick. Cyber- said.
criminals often use techniques Do not respond to the message,
to make one believe that se- or get someone to speak to
curity has been compromised. them on your behalf, it may
How does a phishing email message look like?
WHATSAPP
SECURITY
WhatsApp is a good communication tool. The major reason for the popularity of
WhatsApp for a mass crowd is mainly due to ease of use and also with respect to the
use even at lower connectivity. Currently WhatsApp has evolved and sustained as a
communication tool for majority of the people all over the world with India topping
the number of users of WhatsApp. Whether you are looking to text someone or want
to send an image from your holiday to a group of friends, you are likely to pick up
WhatsApp.
It has been observed that Women are the prime target in cyber crimes; WhatsApp
being the most used communication tool, fraudsters will work out new methods to
trap their target. For secure use of WhatsApp follow some security measures to pro-
tect your personal data and avoid being a victim of cyber crimes.
Lock your messaging and other important Apps with a App lock
The best way to protect WhatsApp is by using a password or PIN. WhatsApp by itself does not offer such
a feature. There are third-party apps that can be used to lock your Apps. You may feel it not so necessary
but if you lose your phone, it is going to block access of your chats. At the same time ensure that you use
apps that are having good review and download from trusted website.
Uncheck WhatsApp photos from saving directly to camera roll
WhatsApp being a messaging App most of us may have WhatsApp conversations might occasionally take a
‘personal’ note. When you are sharing images it can autosave to camera roll. Doing so it may happen that
your personal photos may pop up when any of your friend swipe through your photos.
iPhone Users:
Go to your phone’s Settings menu, in that click
on ‘Privacy’, ‘Photos’, and de-select WhatsApp
from the list of apps whose images are fed
into the camera roll.
Android users:
Use a file explorer app like ES File Explorer,

find WhatsApp’s ‘Images’ and ‘Videos’ folders.
Create a file within each called ‘.nomedia’.
That will stop Android’s Gallery from scanning
the folder.
Hide ‘last seen’ timestamp

We may think ‘last seen’ time stamp as not
so vital information, but if a scammer already
knows some other things about you, adding
this last piece of relative information may
prove useful to them - whether you are awake
or not; at home or overseas; coming out of
the cinema or getting off a flight. You can dis-
able or restrict who sees your ‘last seen’ time
in WhatsApp’s ‘Profile’;
‘Privacy’ menu, in Android, iOS, Windows or Blackberry. If you turn it off, you won’t be able to see other
users’ ‘last seen’ times either.
Watch out for scams

WhatsApp itself will never contact you through the
app. Also, WhatsApp does not send emails about
chats, voice messages, payment, changes, photos,
or videos, unless you email their help and support
to begin with. Anything offering a free subscription,
claiming to be from WhatsApp or encouraging you
to follow links in order to safeguard your account is
definitely a scam and not to be trusted.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 49

Restrict Access to profile Picture
After your mobile number your profile picture is
the most personal data that need to be protected
while using WhatsApp or other Instant Messaging
Apps. WhatsApp has provided the security feature
to limit the access of the profile picture to every-
one. By default it can be accessed by everyone, but
if you customize the settings to ‘only for contacts’
it helps you to limit the viewing access to your per-
sonal data to large extent. At the same time make
sure that you don’t have unwanted numbers in
your contacts.
Set profile picture sharing to “contacts only” in the

Privacy menu.
Avoid Use of third party apps to customize WhatsApp

Many of us like to use customise WhatsApp themes, is that WhatsApp by default has end to end encryp-
icons and even font. For this you need to down- tion to protect your messages and cannot be read
load third party Apps. These third-party apps give by anyone in transit. In similar way the phone has
WhatsApp a makeover. A lot of users use third-par- to be protected well to secure your data. Most of
ty keyboard apps as well. This can lead to security the third party application are not uploaded on of-
risks they may result in compromising privacy and ficial app stores, no malware analysis is done on
security. Some of these Apps may even change or them. So use of these Apps can put your privacy
modify WhatsApp’s Settings. All you need to think and security at risk.
Remember to log out of WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp recently launched WhatsApp Web. The
mirroring service makes life easier while working
on Personal computer. However, most users are un-
ware that they should ideally log out of WhatsApp
Web on Google Chrome browser either from their
mobile or the browser. Just imagine your colleg-
ues reading your chats on a large screen while you
stepped out for a coffee break.
Currently Instant Messaging has evolved as the favourite means of communication
for most of us. The ability to communicate faster and easier makes it an ideal medium
for both business and personal communication. Unfortunately, like any other means
of online communication instant messaging also has threats. Main reason why these
apps are such a big hit with users is because they are easy to use and more impor-
tantly, free. A few Instant Messengers are WhatsApp, Snapchat, Viber, wechat, and
many more.
INSTANT
MESSAGING
THREATS
Risks in Mobile Instant Messaging for women

In today’s world women are leading in all facets of life. Though this is the existing situation in this
contemporary world, women are still found to be victims, are bearing pain and loss in both per-
sonal and professional lives. The growing reach of the internet and the rapid spread of information
through different devices have presented new opportunities and also risks that could put some
women at risk. Cyber threats against women should make us get involved to explore ways to stay
safe.
Let’s see a few risks associated while using Instant Messengers and how we can avoid these
risks.
Leakage of Sensitive Information:
associated with profile picture space, women safety is para-
of an individual. This can be mount.
seen and accessed by any one
who has your phone number. It is always advisable
So this can cause a major to check the security
Many of the instant messaging threat to privacy of women settings and disable the
applications make it easy for pri- and needs to be taken very seri- feature of your profile
vate information to be exposed ously and need to explore ways picture being viewed by
and could be used for fraudu- to ensure that the women who everyone.
lent purposes. Most of these are use these stay safe. In the Cyber
Information Disclosure – A Case Study mares. The logs includ- sessions. Even though the log-
Some instant messaging allows ed sensitive company files were stolen in this case,
all communication to be saved data regarding business part- sniffing the data-packets could
in log-files. The logs may in- ners, employees and affiliate have caused the same damage.
clude sensitive data. A case was websites. After posting the logs,
several members of the senior https://www.symantec.com/connect/
reported where a hacker stole articles/instant-insecurity-security-is-
logs of the CEO of a compa- staff of the company resigned.
sues-instant-messaging
ny. The hacker posted the logs
to several places on the Web, This case shows how danger-
thereby creating one of the ous it can be if a hacker is able
worst possible corporate night- to monitor instant messaging
Surveillance/Tracking
Sharing of location by shar-
ing the live location is a seri-
ous threat that can happen
to women. Any criminal who Use location services only
knows your number can catch with known people and avoid
hold of the location services to sharing with strangers
identify your general routine of
travel and plan illegal activities
accordingly.
Impersonation
Too much sensitive information used attack is simply stealing the
is stored online for hackers. A account information of an un-
hacker can obtain passwords, suspecting user.
system configuration informa-
tion, and sensitive files via instant Avoid sharing confidential
messaging. Hackers can imper- information through IM chats
sonate other users in many dif-
ferent ways. The most frequently
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 53

Hacking
examined concerning the Certain applications were devel-
manner in which personal in- oped for the purpose of getting
formation is transferred and access to the instant messaging
stored. One of the market conversations of other people
leaders in the instant mes- and for access to personal infor-
saging has been accused of mation.
transmitting address books
and personal information un-
encrypted to the app server. Make sure that the apps you
Many bits of private informa- choose transfer all information
tion, including ID, are readily in an encrypted form to the
Several other instant messag-
available for third parties to see server.
ing apps for smart phones were
and utilize.
A easy way to read of Malicious Code

An IM worm is self-replicating contains the malicious code.
malware that spreads in IM net- Instant messenging software
works. When an IM worm infects is also being used to deliv-
a PC, it locates the address book er spam. Spam delivered
for the IM client, which is called through IM instead of e-mails
a buddy list or contact list, and is known as ‘spim’.
tries to send itself to all the in-
fected person’s contacts. Some Be suspicious about links
IM worms use social engineering received, before clicking; ask
techniques to trick the recipient your friend if they sent it.
into accepting a message that
This is the use of technology to continuously contact, annoy, threat-

Harassment/Spamming: en, and/or scare the victim. This is ongoing behaviour and not one
isolated incident; e.g., persistent mobile calls/ texts; filling up voice-
mail with messages so no one else can leave a message.
IM software Vulnerabilities
Just like any other software ap- Instant Messaging brings a lot access to your PC or mobile
plication, popular Instant mes- of opportunity for hackers when device.
sengers have a history of com- it comes to breaching security
mon security vulnerabilities. because more people are While there are many benefits
Installing an IM application may using this application for a lot while using Instant Messaging
introduce new vulnerabilities to of different purposes including there are also security issues
a Smartphone/desktop. transferring files. Multiple while using this application.
vulnerabilities have been Make sure you enjoy the
Enable real-time virus discovered with others that benefits and use this application
protection by using Antivirus are up and coming that allows with caution.
hackers to easily gain remote
Network issues
The risk of denial of service at- illegally, and consume other re- become unresponsive. There-
tacks is much greater with an sources that your operating sys- fore, adding the attacking user
Instant Messaging application. tem needs to function properly. accounts to the ignore list of the
These attacks make the instant instant messenger may be very
messenger to crash. It prevents Very often women users are the difficult.
legitimate users from accessing main target. One common type
the network by using the net- of attack is flooding a particu- While using a network,
work excessively to consume re- lar user with a large number of organizations should consider
sources, destroy configurations, messages. However, there are updating their networks to
and alter network components. many tools that allow the hacker separate their internal IM traffic
The intruder is able to intercept to accomplish the flood-attack. from Internet-based IM traffic
messages, set up devices to By the time victim realizes what
communicate with each other has happened, the device may
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 55

An automated teller machine (ATM) is an electronic banking device, which allows cus-
tomers to complete basic transactions without the aid of a branch representative or
teller.
Most Common Types of ATM Cyber Fraud
Today, the criminals have got- Confidentiality Compromise – and currently represents nearly
ten a bit more technologically Where the perpetrator gains 95 percent of all losses. How-
sophisticated, with the most unauthorized access to ATM ever, card skimming can be ef-
common types of ATM “cyber system logs and the confiden- fectively prevented through the
fraud” being: tial information stored therein deployment of comprehensive
that can then be exploited. anti-skimming solutions.
Cassette Manipulation Fraud –
Where the ATM is programmat- Software Compromise Fraud – Card skimming continues to
ically altered to dispense multi- In this method they catch all for evolve, and criminals are be-
ples of the withdrawal amount all other ATM fraud that involves coming more organized, mi-
with a single cash withdrawal the exploitation of software vul- grating to the weakest link.
transaction. nerabilities so as to manipulate Anti-skimming solution helps
the ATM operation itself. everyone to reduce risk and
Surcharge Fraud – protect ATM networks.
it is the programmatic setting Out of the above, card skim-
of the ATM surcharge to zero on ming remains, by far, the most
the attacker’s card. frequent form of ATM attack
Types of ATM Crimes
Physical Attacks: attacks include solid and cess to the safe. Even per-
This category is related gas explosives, as well as sonal attack on the user to
to any attempt to rob the removing the ATM from get hold of money is quite
ATM of the cash in the the site and then using common now-a –days.
safe. Methods of physical other methods to gain ac-
Logical Attacks -ATM mal- performed by accessing out of service or damaged

ware/ cash out attack/ unprotected communica- (Jackpotting).
jackpotting: tion interfaces like USB or
A cyber criminal can run un- by booting an unauthor- Jackpotting: Targets the
authorized software (Mal- ised operating system. control of the dispense
ware), or authorised soft- The malware may include function in order to “Cash-
ware in an unauthorised features to counter detec- Out” the ATM.
manner to the ATM. They tion, reverse engineering
install ATM software stack and unauthorised usage. MitM: Targets the commu-
either onsite or remote- In addition it may include nication between the ATM
ly through the network. a secure deletion feature. PC and the acquirer host
Control of the malware is Depending on the mal- system in order to falsify
achieved onsite with help ware type the card holder host responses and dis-
of the ATM’s PIN Pad or either sees a normal trans- pense cash without debit-
remotely via the network. action (SW-Skimming and ing the criminal’s account.
Onsite installation can be MitM) or the ATM may be
Card Skimming: action and are usually un- subsequent cash with-
Skimming refers to the able to notice a problem drawals. It is the number
stealing of the electron- until their account is de- one threat globally but
ic card data, enabling the frauded. The card details thanks to deployment of
criminal to counterfeit the and PIN are captured at anti-skimming solutions,
card. Consumers experi- the ATM and used to pro- EMV technology and con-
ence a normal ATM trans- duce counterfeit cards for tactless ATM functionality.
Eavesdropping: wiretap, sniffing the func- dropping device is the

A cyber criminal installs tionality of the card reader, use of the legitimate card
a foreign device on an or connection to a mag- reading functionality of the
ATM to capture data from netic read head within the card reader to capture the
a customer’s card. This card reader. The defining customer’s card data.
is typically achieved via a characteristic of an eaves-
Card Trapping: through a device fixed to and PIN is compromised.

Trapping is the stealing the ATM. The card is phys-
of the physical card itself ically captured at the ATM,
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 57

Keypad jamming: to ‘Cancel’ the transaction with the withdrawal. The
The fraudster jams the ‘En- fails as well. In many cas- loss to the cardholder is,
ter’ and ‘Cancel’ buttons es, the customer leaves — however, limited by the
with glue or by inserting and is quickly replaced at ceiling on withdrawals,
a pin or blade at the but- the machine by the fraud- and the fact that only one
tons’ edge. A customer ster. A transaction is active transaction is possible
trying to press the ‘Enter/ for around 30 seconds (20 without swiping the card
OK’ button after entering seconds in some cases), again and re-entering the
the PIN, does not succeed, and he is able to remove PIN.
and thinks the machine is the glue or pin from the
not working. An attempt ‘Enter’ button to go ahead
Transaction Reversal had not been dispensed. physical grab (similar to

Fraud The account is re-credited cash trapping) or a cor-
TRF involves the creation the amount ‘withdrawn’ ruption of the transaction
of an error that makes it but the criminal pockets message.
appear as though the cash the money. It could be a
ATM Safety Tips

• Keep your card in a safe place
• Do not write the PIN number on the card
• Never allow other people to use your card
• Never tell anyone else your PIN number
• Don’t accept help from strangers at an ATM. Wait until you can ask a bank staff member to help you.
• If someone is standing too close to you at the ATM, ask that person to move away.
• Find another ATM if something looks suspicious at the ATM you intend to use.
• If the ATM swallows your card, report it immediately. All banks display a toll-free telephone number at
the ATM for this purpose—write this number down in case you need it.
• Report all lost or stolen cards immediately.
• Keep account, PIN and the bank’s HELP-line telephone numbers in a safe place.
SOCIAL
NETWORKING
A social networking is a way to stay in touch with your family, friends, colleagues and
make new friends. Social networks are fun to use, helpful for job hunting and great
for keeping in touch with friends, business contacts and relatives and share anything
anywhere. Although women may use general social networking sites to connect to
their friends, family, colleagues etc and share their experience, knowledge and advice.
They can use social networking sites to support one another through motherhood,
meet their career goals, inspire each other or find others who share an interest.
Women may be a parent, professional or general user and with the help of social
networking sites they can connect with the world and may get much useful informa-
tion. They can share their ideas and view other ideas which may help others and also
a good thought can reach many people through a big network. Women can be an
entrepreneur; they may get more profit by spreading their business through social
networking. There are many social networking sites women can use like facebook,
whatsapp, twitter etc.
Risks and Challenges
Fake friends Identity theft Abusive, vulgar, or

If you add an anonymous While using social network you irreverent language
person whom you don’t know may face identity theft problem Abusive, vulgar or irreverent
personally they can if you make unknown friends languages are the major
• Steal the photos or spy your on social networking sites. problem that women are facing
activities. Scammer may today, many fake friends may
• They can make fake profile • Steal your sensitive and talk about vulgar topics with
on the name and harm your personal information. you and they may
identity for their personal • Use your identity for gaining • Mentally or emotionally
benefit. money, impersonating them harass you.
• They can mentally or by your identity etc. • Use abusive words on your
emotionally blackmail you post or photo and defame
or defame you. you.
Fake advertisement Spam E-mails Sharing too much

Social networking sites Spam e-mail is usually information
are majorly targeted by unwanted e-mail advertising Sharing your more information
the scammer for the fake about a product sent to list like your home/office address,
advertisement of the product of e-mails or group of e-mail family relationship, phone
, they may target you and addresses to gather the no. etc may be risk for you,
steal your credential by doing personal information of the scammer may follow you or
following things unsuspecting users. They may stalk you.
• By representing the fake send spam e-mail
advertisement as original • About some online
one followed by malicious shopping products, health
link, if you click on the link insurance and you may be
your sensitive information in a danger risk.
may be in risk. • For some fake job interviews
• By fake app and services • For some special offers on
through it also they can home appliances.
steal your personal and And if you click on the malicious
sensitive information if you links given in the spam e-mails
install those apps. the scammer may gather your
sensitive information.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 61

2 Keep some privacy setting
like share your photos and
3
1
While choosing a
Always check activities only with your
Social Networking site,
the authenticity of the families and known friends
privacy issues should be
person before you accept considered, think before
a request on social you post, chat, upload or
networking sites download
What
women should
4 Take your father/husband/
brother’s or any family
do while
using social
6 If you think that
your social networking
members permission if you account details have
want to meet the person networking sites been compromised or stolen,
whom you met in the report your suspicions
networking site, so they can to the networking
5
give you some suggestions site support
and always know with whom Never respond to team immediately
you are meeting harassing or rude
comments which are
posted on your profile
What women should avoid while using social networking sites
1
Don’t give or post any personal
2
Do not post your friends
3
Avoid posting the plans and
information like your name, information in networking activities which you are going
address of the company / sites, which may possibly put to do in networking sites
home, phone numbers, age, them at risk
sex, credit card details.
6
4
Don’t give out your
5
Don’t use a webcam with
Don’t click the links which you
are getting through social
networking sites. If you want
password to anyone people you do not know to visit the site then directly go
through the original websites
Privacy Issues
You may be in risk if you ignore some privacy issues like-
• Sharing your photos and activities publically.
• Sharing your location on your post give chance to the scammers to track your location.
• Adding friends whom you don’t know without any proper identification become risk for you while
using social networking sites.
How you can control your privacy settings on
social networking sites?
In social networking sites, by default setting every things will public, by there are many privacy set-
tings they are giving for your security, so you must use all these facility to protect yourself from many
problems online.
1
You can restrict your post/videos/activity from strangers
and can be share to your members in your contact by
using ONLY ME option on privacy settings
2
You can disable the friend request option, so no one
can send request you.
3
You can restrict the comment section from public, so
members on your contact can only comment on your activity.
4
You can restrict your personal /professional information
from strangers
5
You can turn off the online mode so no one can know
how long you are online.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 63

SOCIAL
ENGINEERING
Mostly Social engineering is the preliminary step used by cyber criminal to get hold
of confidential information. It is the human element behind majority of cyber attacks
as it is unpredictable many a time. Social Engineering is an approach to gain access
to information through misrepresentation. It is the conscious manipulation of peo-
ple to obtain information without realizing that a security breach is occurring. It may
take the form of impersonation via telephone or in person and through email. Some
emails entice the recipient into opening an attachment that activates a virus or mali-
cious program in to your computer. At its simplest, social engineering means getting
someone to do something you want, or give you information you want, often without
the person considering the negative consequences of the action. Now-a-days more
women are connected to and interact with technology, whether they want to or not,
and they are not security-aware. This makes digital world easier to target a women.
A Social Engineer approaches women through various means to get sensitive confi-
dential information.
How social engineers target women ?
Public Places may meet you outside of your

Social Engineering can be done work place or organization and
in through public places like ca- may ask you about your work or
fes, pubs, movie theatres etc. How your organization does the
You may release or give some things.
sensitive information to the
public or a social engineer or
someone may overhear you. Avoid careless talks in
For Instance A Social Engineer public places
Gossips
Women are keen to gossip
about different matters. But in Gossiping is not right,
present scenario anything can you may end up help-
lead to cyber threats. When you ing a social engineer to
talk about some colleague with take out details of your
another colleague and may give enemy or friend. Never
some information to other col- gossip with strangers
league who might be a social
engineer.
information of your family or

organization to boast your
Be alert while discussing achievements, pride, and
sensitive information re- confidence to unknown persons.
garding your organisation A Social Engineer may come to
and your personal data your organization to present
with strangers. business needs and may ask for
network connectivity to know
Personal Pride or Confidence
about network information or
You may give sensitive
any sensitive information.
Online to gain unauthorized access to

Social engineers may obtain in- systems or information to com-
formation on-line by pretending mit fraud, network intrusion,
to be the Network Administra- identity theft or simply disrupt
tor, sending e-mail through the the system and network.
network and asking for user
password or any sensitive in-
formation indirectly. The basic
goals of social engineering are Never share your
the same as hacking in general: password
Vishing
It is one of the methods of social Don’t give any financial
engineering over the telephone information to unknown
system, most often using fea- people over phone, con-
tures facilitated by Voice over IP firm to whom you are
(VoIP), to gain access to private speaking and cross check
personal and financial infor- with the company con-
mation from the public for the cerned or bank before
purpose of financial reward. The giving any information.
term is a combination of “voice”
and phishing.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 65

Phishing tions and other identifying in-
Phishing is a type of deception formation taken directly from
designed to steal your valuable legitimate Web sites.
personal data, such as cred-
it card numbers, passwords,
account data and or other in-
formation. The attackers have If you think you have
become more sophisticated received a phishing email
and also their phishing e-mail message, do not respond
messages and pop-up windows. to it; and don’t even click
They often include official look- on the links you received
ing logos from real organiza- from the unknown users.
Baiting
It is one of the methods of social Don’t get tempted in
engineering which uses physical accessing the devices
media and relies on the curios- which left unattended
ity or greed of the victim. Here or found at sidewalk,
the attacker leaves the malware elevator, parking lot etc.
inserted or infected USB or pen
victim curiosity and waits for
Drive, CD/DVD ROM in a loca-
them to use the device.
tion that to be found and gives
a legitimate looking and makes
Persuasion
Be suspicious don’t Influence someone to give you
get influenced by confidential information either
the attractive offers by convincing them you are
and don’t give away someone who can be trusted
the confidential or by just asking for it. A Social
information to them. engineer may ask your identity
card to know about your per-
sonal information about your
School, organization etc.
Dumpster diving
Dumpster diving, also known
as trashing is another popular Don’t dump any
method of Social Engineering. confidential papers into
A huge amount of information trash, before dumping
can be collected through com- make sure you don’t
pany dumpsters or wastage have any important
from home. information in it.
Hoaxing
A Hoax is an attempt to trap
people into believing that Beware don’t believe
something false as real. This is the e-mails received
usually aimed at a single victim from unknown and don’t
and is made for illicit financial ever give the financial
or material gain a hoax is often information.
perpetrated as a practical joke,
to cause embarrassment.
Pre-texting
Pre-texting is the act of creating
Be cautious because and using an imaginary scenar-
strangers try to fool io to engage a targeted victim
you by creating false in a manner that increases the
situation and make you chance the victim will reveal in-
to believe in order to formation or do actions that
collect the confidential would be unlikely in ordinary
information. circumstances. It is more than a
simple lie.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 67

ONLINE
SHOPPING THREATS
Online shopping — the glorious invention which allows people to buy things from the
comfort of their homes. No more travelling to multiple stores to find the right prod-
uct; no more having to deal with over-enthusiastic sales persons; no more standing
in long lines at the checkout counter. The e-commerce boom has certainly changed
the way we shop for the better. But, like everything else, the world of online shopping
is not all roses. Despite all the efforts of e-commerce companies to alleviate them,
there are a few problems that customers still have to face while shopping online
Let’s look into few ways that cyber criminals may target women
Expensive branded products Natural remedies for weight Expensive Jewelry :
at low cost : loss : Cyber-criminals may spoof cer-
In social networking sites very Most often in our social net- tain online jewelry websites and
often we get advertisements working and Instant messaging give exciting discounted offers
showing expensive branded Applications we get messag- for jewelry products targeting
products at unbelievable prices. es giving tips on weight loss women customer. They pur-
This catches attention of cus- and for further inputs they re- chase products online with cer-
tomer’s most likely women and quest for payment to purchase tain value but end up receiving
they may end up paying money their product. Women who are some other products of less-
for those products which are not desperate to weight loss get er value. And they feel cheated
genuine. For example branded trapped by these messages. and when they raise complaint
bags, clothes, costly phone and They end up paying money for to the original website they just
beauty products. fake products. deny that purchase happened
through their website. This may
lead to loss of your money?
Risks in Brand- is the e commerce site genuine ?
online shopping
A few questions you Security- Is your credit card safe ?
need to check
before you start Privacy- Is your information being sold ?
online shopping Shipping - Are you getting the correct product at the
requested time?
Tips for safe online shopping

Keep computer OS updated: Keep track of your digital Different passwords for dif-
Make sure your payments: ferent websites :
PC is secured Immediately check the cred- If hackers crack your one pass-
with an antivirus, it card statements as soon as word they may crack all others
anti spyware, you finish and get if you are using same or similar
firewall, system them to know about password for all. So use differ-
updated with the charges you paid ent t password for all websites.
all patches and were same; and if you However it is more complex to
web browser security with the find any changes im- remember all passwords but it
trusted sites and security level mediately report to will add the Safety layer too.
at high. concerned authorities.
Shop only through trusted Don’t save the card details or

sites: bank details on websites: Change passwords frequent-
Research about the Do not store the card no either ly :
web site that you debit or credit on the shopping Don’t use a single password
want to buy things websites.After finishing your for a long time, change your
from, since attackers online shopping Email id, bank account, cred-
try to trap with websites that ap- clear all the web it-debit card passwords fre-
pear to be legitimate, but they browser cookies quently.
are not. So make a note of the and turn off your
telephone number’s physical ad- PC since spam- Use Secured Networks :
dress of the vendor and confirm mers and phishers Always use secured internet
that the website is a trusted site. will be looking for the system connection. Public Wi-Fi spots
Search for different web sites connected to the internet and are Vulnerable to cyber attacks.
and compare the prices. Check try to send spam emails and try
the reviews of consumers and to install the malicious software Don’t click on links offering
media of that particular web site that may collect your personal discounts/ prizes :
or merchants. information. Cyber criminals sent messages
in featuring great discounts in
Check the security aspects Never respond to email popular e commerce websites.
of the website: which asks about your pur- It is always better to check in the
If you are chases: original website for offers rather
ready to buy Beware of the emails like “please than clicking on links received in
something confirm of your payment, pur- WhatsApp groups or from un-
online check chase and account detail for the known numbers.
whether the product.” Remember legitimate
site is secure business people never send
with https or padlock on the such emails. If you receive such
browser address bar or at the emails immediately call the mer-
status bar and then proceed chant and inform the same.
with financial transactions.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 69

CYBER With technology and Internet playing a major role in our
lives women are at the risk of being bullied in cyber space.
BULLYING When a woman is threatened, harassed, humiliated, em-

barrassed or otherwise targeted by another person using
the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile
phones can treated as “Cyber bullying”. Social media profiles give people the freedom
to post pictures of anything they want. They can post pictures of themselves, Infor-
mation about their interests or update of their whereabouts which gives cyber bullies
the opportunity to pinpoint certain aspects of a person’s life to make fun of.
What makes cyber bullying so dangerous is that it gives bullies the ability to embar-
rass anyone they want in public at any hour of the day, using multiple, different types
of technology. These can be done in many ways like instant messaging platforms,
various social media platforms, interactive gaming websites, and even email. It is
mainly
• Posting any kind of humiliating content of the victim.
• Hacking the victim’s account.
• Sending or posting vulgar messages online.
• Threatening to commit acts of violence.
• Stalking by means of calls, messages, etc…
• Threats of pornography
Different ways Cyber Bullying can happen
Forwarding a private IM to make the hate group’s job your family money and
communication to others easier. also land you in criminal
Women may create a screen offence.
name that is very similar to Never spread any hatred
another women’s name. The mails, rumours by using Posting embarrassing
name may have an additional e-mail or mobile by photos or video
“i” or one less “e”. They may use impersonating another. A picture or video of women in
this name to say inappropriate a bathroom or dressing room
things to other users while By using web sites or blogs may be taken and posted online
posing as the other person. Women sometimes create web or sent to others on cell phones.
Cyber criminals may forward the sites or blogs which may insult
above private communication to or endanger another woman. Never post pictures/videos
others to spread their private They create pages specifically of someone or self without
communication. designed to insult another proper guidelines.
women or group.
Never forward or share Sending threatening e-mails
your or others private Insulting others in and pictures through e-mail
communications either place is not good or mobile to hurt another
without the permission etiquette. Never do it. Criminals may send hateful
of concerned users in or threatening messages to
Internet Chat Rooms. Humiliating text sent over women, without realizing that
cell phones while not said in real life, unkind
Impersonating to spread Text wars or text attacks are or threatening messages are
rumours when women gang up on the hurtful and very serious.
Forwarding gossip mails or victim, sending thousands of
spoofed mails to spread rumours text-messages related to hatred Never threaten anybody
or hurt another women.They messages to the victim’s cell through either Internet or
may post a provocative message phone or other mobile phones. Mobile communications as
in a hate group chat room the victim who may be a
posing as the victim, inviting an Never send messages child/teen may feel so hurt
attack against the victim, often related to humiliating and depressed that it may
giving the name, address and a kid or teen through even lead to his death.
telephone number of the victim cell phone. It may cost
Impact of Cyber bullying

Cyber bullying can have major impact on any individual in various ways. A few are listed below.
• Emotional distress: anger, frustration, embarrassment, sadness, fear, depression
• Interference with school work or job performance
• Quit job, drop out or switch schools
• Delinquency and violence
• Substance abuse
• Possession of weapons on school grounds
• Suicide
In India, there is no specific legislation which deals with cyber bullying but there are provisions like IT
Act 67 which can partially deal with such matters.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 71

BROADBAND Broadband refers to high-speed network connec-
tion. Traditional Internet services are accessed in
INTERNET “dial-on-demand” mode, whereas broadband Inter-

net is an “always-on” Connection, therefore security
SECURITY risk is very high. Without our knowledge, computer

can be compro¬mised and it can also be used as a
launching pad for carrying out disrupting activities on
other computers since broadband Internet is widely used, it is very important for
every citizen to securely configure it for safe usage.
Broadband Security Threats:
1. As broadband Internet connection is “Al-

ways ON” , it leads to intentional misuse
through
• Trojans and backdoors
• Denial of Service
• Intermediary for another attack
• Hidden file extensions
• Chat clients
• Packet sniffing
2. Default configurations are extremely vul-
nerable
Guidelines for Securing Broadband In¬ternet Access:

• Always download broadband • Always use the power adapt- lines. To filter unnecessary
drivers from the le¬gitimate er supplied by the manufac- noise generated during the
websites recommended by turer along with the modem. transmission.
the manu¬facturer. • In case of terminal adapter • Chang Default Administra-
• Regularly update/upgrade modem make sure that fil- tor (Passwords and User
the firmware (driver code) ter is enabled for broadband names) : In order to allow
only authorized access to • Enable Wireless Securi- Internet security threats.
the equipment, change the ty: Modem routers support • Enable Firewall on Modem
default administrator or ad- wireless security. User can Router as well as Comput-
min password of broadband select any one protocol and er:
router modem, as these de- a protection key. The same Broadband modem routers
tails are given by the manu- wireless security protocol contain built-in firewall fea-
facturer which are common and protection key has to be ture, but this option has to
to all modems and can be enabled in computer. be enabled. Computer con-
misused by anyone. • Turn on (Compatible) WPA nected to the broadband
• Assign Static IP Address- / WEP Encryption : All Wi- modem also needs to be
es to Devices : Most of the Fi enabled modems/router protected with desktop fire-
home users are allotted support some form of en- wall.
dynamic IP addresses, as cryption technology, which • Turn off Modems during
DHCP technology is easy to has to be enabled. extended periods of Non-
setup. This may even helps • Change the Default SSID Use : Shutting down a net-
the attackers who can easi- (Service Set Identifier) : All work will certainly prevent
ly obtain valid address from the access points and rout- outside unauthorized peo-
DHCP pool. Therefore turn ers use a network name ple breaking into the net-
off DHCP option in router or called SSID. Manufacturer work. Since it is very difficult
access point and use fixed IP normally ships their prod- to frequently turn on and off
address range. ucts with the same SSID set. the devices, it can be consid-
• Enable MAC Address Filter- As it can be misused by the ered during travel or extend-
ing : Every device is provided attacker to break into the ed offline period.
with a unique MAC address. net work / computer, it is • In case of USB broadband
Broadband access points necessary to change the de- modem, disconnect and re-
and router and provide an fault SSID while configuring move the device after usage.
option for the user to com- wireless security. • Install broadband Internet
bine the MAC address of the • Use effective end point secu- bandwidth usage monitor-
home equipment for access. rity solution (with anti virus, ing tool.
This facilitates to allow con- anti spyware, desktop fire- • Enable SSH (secure channel)
nections only from those de- wall etc) to protect comput- for remote administration.
vices. er/ laptop from broadband
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 73

SAFETY MEASURES ON
CYBERSTALKING
Cyberstalking is to stalk or repeatedly harass another person by using technologies.
It involves electronic media like e-mail, sending offensive material to stalk or harass a
person or group of people. It can include many things including threats, defamation,
identity theft, solicitation for sex, false accusations etc.. A cyberstalker may be some-
one the victim is familiar with, or a complete stranger, and is a criminal offense.
How a cyberstalker may harm women?

• They may impersonate your word. formation by interacting
online identity in order to • They may track your location with your family/friends/col-
harm your reputation or re- by using GPS or some spy- leagues etc.
lationships with your friends/ ware. • They may blackmail you to
family/colleagues etc. • They may use abusive lan- share your personal photos,
• They may access your social guage while commenting on videos etc which will very
media account and can learn your post/photos on social embarrassing to you.
your online activities, your media.
personal information and • They may try to gather your
also can change your pass- personal and sensitive in-
Nowadays cyberstalking is becoming a big topic of risk for woman. It can become danger-
ous and can develop into physical abuse. Don’t wait to report cyberstalking. The longer
cyberstalking goes on, the more problem you will face emotionally, mentally or physically.
The fact is that cyberstalking doesn’t involve physical contact doesn’t mean it is any less dangerous than
“real life” stalking. It’s not difficult for an experienced Internet user(cyberstalker) to find enough of the your
personal information, such as phone number or your friends, relatives, your working place etc to stalk you.
}
How you know that you are a victim of cyberstalking?
If you feel
When you feel some anonymous activities like –
these types of
• Someone visiting your profile maximum time in a day or a week
• Someone comment on your post or photos in a bad way or use abusive activities, don’t
words. ignore and
• Someone ask about your personal and sensitive information on social immediately
media
take action with
• Someone ask photos and videos of yours.
respect to it
Cyberstalking is difficult to defeat because the stalker could be in another state or sitting three cubicles
away from the victim. In the anonymous world of the Internet, it is difficult to verify a stalker’s identity,
collect the necessary evidence for an arrest and then trace the cyberstalker to a physical location, so it is
always preferable to be secure and use the online resources very effectively without ignoring the security
issues.
What should you do to be safe from cyberstalking :-
• While using any social me- not using it, so the stalker immediately block them.
dia it will always be better to cannot get your location. • If anyone of your social me-
restrict the privacy setting • If your online friend can ask dia friend misbehave with
within your family & known your personal information or you or do some anonymous
friends. demand for any photos/vid- activity report them through
• Before accepting any friend eos never share with them. social media setting or block
request always check the au- • Always be alert what your they , if after that also they
thenticity of the person on online friends are comment- will try to follow you don’t do
social media. ing on your photos or any delay for complaining about
• Always disable your GPS activities, if you feel that the them in police.
from your device if you are comments are anonymous
What you should avoid to be safe from cyberstalking ?

• Don’t trust any online friends while posting your activities you feel that cyber stalking
on social media. online. or any anonymous activities
• Don’t share your personal • Don’t ignore the anonymous are happening with you, be-
information/photos/videos behavior of your online cause it is not your fault.
publically on social media. friends.
• Don’t share your location • Don’t delay to do complain if
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 75

Many women are new to digital transactions. In India after demoneti-
zation it became more of a necessity for every individual to use differ-
ent ways of digital transactions. Digital payment is a way of payment
in which payer and payee both use digital modes to send and receive
money. It is an instant and convenient way to make payments.
Digital finance has the potential to put in

SAFETY AND SECURITY the hands of women the means to better
carry out their roles. But it will not happen
WHILE INVOLVING IN automatically. While digital financial servic-
DIGITAL es can be offered in many forms including

ATMs, point of sale terminals, and cards
TRANSACTIONS (pre-loaded or debit), one that is promising

particularly for women is mobile phones.
We put across challenges involved with women in using dif-

Safety and Security Concerns ferent methods of digital transactions. Women are using their
credit/debit cards at every possible place, but most are not
aware of what to check before making online payments and what details they need to keep secret. A large
section of technologically unaware women are now forced to use technology which can be misused by
cyber criminal.
Online banking :
• Cyber criminals often account requesting the receiver to
target women to • Cyber criminals send email ‘complete a bank transfer
get user cre- to women online entrepre- to an overseas account’ and
dentials. They neurs, that the Supplier of appears to be sent from the
try to get this their product has changed email Manager’s account
information their bank account num- but in actual money goes in-
through a ber and that all future to the criminals account.
fake phone payments should • They also try sending pass-
call (Vishing) say- be made to the word stealing malicious
ing that they are from their new account, which code URLs to obtain the cre-
bank and ask you to link your actually belongs dentials.
bank account to Aadhaar to the crim- • Most women tend to use the
card and you may give off the inal. This same credentials for multi-
information without thinking e m a i l ple accounts, which in turn
much. Also Other variants of spoofs the help the cyber criminals to
the fraudulent calls involve From: field, so access all your accounts if
the customer’s account be- the email appears to be they earn your banking in-
ing over credited and that from a Manager / Director / formation.
the customer must transfer Senior Staff Member within
money back to a third party the company. The email is
Mobile banking:
• Without being your banking information is and security
digitally literate at wrong hands. informa-
they may tend • Women are advised by their tion for the
to download online friends to download purpose of
fake banking the app from an online store identity theft
apps which which gives good offers for or financial
cyber criminals branded products. This app gain. The
send through mail. They of- may be malicious, once it’s fraudsters
ten send mail with logos of installed it steals one time send text mes-
banks with slight change in SMS authentication pass- sages to women that appear
spelling, making it look like words without their con- to come from legitimate
legitimate websites. They sent. numbers in an attempt to
may install the applica- • Text Message Fraud (Smish- fool you into supplying your
tion by clicking on the link. ing) is a common technique personal details.
They perform transactions used by fraudsters in an at-
through this application and tempt to obtain personal
Aadhaar based payment
Aadhaar based payment may put your biometric identity at risk if authentication for
transaction is hacked by a cyber criminal.
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 77

E wallets:
• Since there are many E-wal- shopping and purchase of information

lets available, it becomes movie tickets. and banking
difficult for a new user to • E-wallet services are inte- information
choose a trustworthy one. grated with other servic- are at risk
They may end in choosing es like cab bookings, food through use
the fake E- wallets. They items, transport/hotel book- of these ser-
may get request from their ings etc which most women vices linked to
friends to download these uses on regular basis. They E-wallets.
E-wallets citing the discount- are exposed to third party
ed benefits while online vendor risk . Their personal
How to avoid risk while using various digital transaction methods ?
• Use a hard-to-guess pass- tions should occur only on formation about new scams
word that contains upper a website that begins with and hacker tricks.
and lower case letters, num- “https://.” Do not trust a • Run virus scans regularly on
bers and symbols vendor without the “S” after your computer.
• Do not use the same user “http” at the start of the web • Use an ad-blocking software
name and password for all address. program and a spyware de-
online accounts. • Keep records of every Inter- tection program. Keep these
• Change passwords as of- net purchase and transac- programs updated and run
ten as possible, but at least tion, and compare them with scans often with them.
every three months. credit card and bank state- • Do not use “easy pay” pay-
• Do not share your pass- ments monthly. Report any ment options or “one-click
words or user identification discrepancies immediately ordering.” It takes a few ex-
information. to the issuer of the card. tra seconds to enter a user
• Always log out of bank, cred- • Learn what each of your name and password on a
it card, and merchant sites credit cards offers as fraud merchant site but often takes
after you have completed protection and liability pro- months to recover from on-
your transaction. tection. Learn what the dol- line credit card fraud.
• Do not allow your comput- lar amount limits are for your • Use the most up-to-date ver-
er to store user names and fraud protection coverage. sion of your Internet brows-
passwords for merchant or • Always use the most up-to- er. They will use the most
banking websites. date version of a strong an- recent technology to scram-
• When setting up security ti-virus and firewall security ble and protect data sent via
questions for sites online, program. the Web.
use false information unre- • Download and apply up-
lated to your personal infor- dates from your antivirus
mation, and keep track of and firewall programs when
your answers. available, to ensure your
• Secure online transac- program has the latest in-
AADHAAR CARD
Aadhaar card is slowly moving on to be a essential part of our daily life. Aadhaar is
a 12-digit unique identification number based on their biometric and demographic
data issued by the Indian government to every individual resident of India. Aadhaar
is the world’s largest biometric ID system and managed by UIDAI under planning
commission of India
• Demographic information : Name, Date of

What information is within Aadhaar ?
Birth (verified) or Age (declared), Gender, Ad-
dress, Mobile Number (optional) and Email ID
(optional)
• Biometric Information: Ten Finger prints, Two
Iris Scans and facial Photograph
Usefulness of Aadhaar
Aadhaar in near future will be- sion money on Time, Opening fed inside Aadhaar card is very
come the government’s primary Bank Accounts, Voter card Link- much crucial. As the popularity
requirement to avail the public ing, New Passport in 10 days, increases, people fear about the
welfare and citizen services. It Easy Provident Fund disburse- possible misuse of information
can be used for various pur- ment, Digital Locker, Jan Dhan linked and stored in connection
poses across the country like Yojna, Digital Life Certificate with Aadhaar. Let’s get to know
Aadhaar based direct benefit and many more. The security of more about the risk involved in
transfer (LPG subsidy), Get Pen- sensitive information which is using Aadhaar.
Risks involved in using Aadhaar
Lost/misplaced your where biometric verification is go on rented house in your

1 Aadhaar card?
Or
not mandatory. For Example an-
yone can apply for a new mobile
name. Any mischief done will ul-
timately refer to your name.
Your Aadhaar num- connection with the Aadhaar
ber is with a stranger, what card. With copy many can even Counter measure that can be
can happen? taken:
First of all, if someone gets your • Be very discreet about your
Aadhaar, they can pretend to be Aadhaar & other identity doc-
you. Secondly there are many uments. Do not share the ID
services provided by Govern- card number or a printed
ment as well as many other copy with anyone”.
daily requirements linked with • Wherever you are submit-
Aadhaar. ting a copy of your Aadhaar,
With the Aadhaar number or the self-attest it and state the
copy of Aadhaar card one can purpose clearly to avoid mis-
easily apply for various services, use.
Is there any risk to retailers will be equipped with third person is great challenge.
2 link Mobile number
with Aadhaar Card
finger print scanner, computers
and connectivity with Aadhaar
POS/retailers are also able to
access mobile number details
The main challenge server & TSP (Telecom service and Aadhaar number details at
here is with respect to the retail- provider) database. the same time leading to risk of
er/vendor involved. Even though The customer should be authen- Identity theft.
only registered POS/retailers ticated using his finger print
be given rights to link Aadhaar scan before linking his/her mo-
with mobile number, still there bile number to Aadhaar
will be the risk of identity theft card. Here again the
through Insiders. In the process ways in which the sen-
of linking these registered POS/ sor will be handled by a
Is your money at risk legitimate site. This can

3 by Linking Aadhaar
with bank account /
put your hard earned
money at risk. Same risk
PAN CARD implies while linking the
The main challenge here is while bank account through
linking your account, there are eKYC process. seeding the information. Use
chances that Spoofing of web- only concerned legitimate
sites can happen and as a result Counter measure that can be websites for linking of bank
you tend to feed your identity taken: Account or PAN card.
at wrong sites rather than the • Check the website before
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 81

Denial of Benefits change the biometrics of the fin- are unique in two ways: Larger
4 due to Aadhaar card
If a fake person uses
ger by the use of chemicals such
as gelatin; this can also lead to
percentage of population is em-
ployed in manual labor, which
the identity of a per- creation of duplicate or fake normally produces poorer bi-
son and establishes an Aadhaar, unique identifications. ometric samples. If an identity
then the genuine person will be Also a person can be deprived fraud happens, these non-revo-
deprived of the benefits of the of benefits if the Authentication cable fields can never be trust-
UIDAI forever. There are wide- fails at the POS due various pos- ed to confirm the identity of the
ly available products which can sible reasons. Indian conditions person.
Issues of Biometric, etric. the authentic UID holder will not

5 how it can happen?
Your identity is de-
Authentication failure
We have a larger percentage
be in a position to prevent fraud
as he is unaware of it.
fined as “ who you of population who is employed
are? ” Authentication is defined in manual labor, which normal- Similarly, iris image could be
as “How can you prove it” Biome- ly produces poorer biometric skimmed from photographs
tric identity is now serving both, samples. Also there can be is- and supplanted on an artificial
to identify you and to prove that sues of ageing of biometrics for eye-like object. It should always
you are you. fingerprint, iris and voice. There be remembered that at the oth-
The biomet- are many complaints relating to er end is a machine, so a few
ric factors are authentication failure even for rounds of trial and error are all
our ten finger youngsters. All these can lead to that would be needed to perfect
prints of hands, biometric authentication failure the fraud.
both the iris resulting denial of services.
and facial pho- Many private firms are using
tograph. There can be certain Misuse of Biometric Aadhaar biometric verification
issues during the authentication The extent of services linked to their products. For Example:
of biometric. They can be like . with Aadhaar, with biometric da- New sim card can be got by
• FINGERPRINT: The appear- ta as the only bar, will make bi- Aadhaar authentication at any
ance of a person’s finger- ometric data the biggest target place just by a biometric reader.
print depends on age, dirt, of cybercriminals. Biometric au- This may lead to breach of your
and cuts and worn fingers, thentication can even be faked biometric information through
depending on the occupa- externally, without any software the reader. And there is no way
tion and lifestyle of the per- or hardware. Fingerprints can that you can prevent the misuse
son in general. be copied from a variety of sur- once your biometic information
• IRIS: The performance of faces (even from the surface of is with someone else.
IRIS authentication can be the scanner device itself) and
impaired by the use of spec- used to create a dummy finger. Since there were so many vul-
tacles or contact lenses. nerabilities found with Aadhaar
• FACE: A face needs to be well An individual cannot revoke his/ based biometric like Replay at-
lighted using controlled light her fingerprint if it gets compro- tacks, Substitution Attack, Tam-
sources for automated face mised. Main challenge will be fix- pering, Masquerade Attack,
authentication systems to ing ID fraud is very difficult and Trojan Horse Attack, Overriding
work well. Face has certain this will become much more dif- etc. Many issues are addressed
cut marks are got distorted ficult for the individual to prove by UIDAI by now.
due to an accident as well. his innocence. That is imperson-
Two major issues with bi- ation will occur without any in- Few of the security measures
ometrics is Authentication volvement or knowledge of the implemented to overcome these
failure and Misuse of biom- authentic UID holder. Hence, vulnerabilities are given below.
Counter measure that can be you feel biometric data is use it. The chances of misuse
taken: at risk. This is a new facility (saving your biometric) by third
• If you feel your biometric data implemented by UIDAI for party vendors while purchasing
is at risk, you can very often AAdhar users to protect your their products will be relieved.
check for your biometric au- biometrics from misuse.
thentication history at UIDAI. • Never share the OTP over
This can help you to reduce If you lock your biometric the phone which is send from
the problems. advantage will be without you UIDAI.
• Lock your biometric data if unlocking, you yourself cannot
Violation of rights would violate people’s right to the apex court will test the valid-
6 It was argued that the
UIDAI might share
privacy. They also thought that
using the biometric data, people
ity of Aadhaar from the aspect
of privacy as a Fundamental
the biometric infor- might be singled out, tracked, Right soon.
mation of people with other harassed and have their rights
government agencies and thus violated. A five-judge bench of
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 83

your
tter !!
affer le
Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 84

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 85
To Share Tips / Latest News, mail us to
isea@cdac.in
About ISEA
Looking at the growing importance for the Information Security, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has identified
this as a critical area. Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Project was formulated and launched by the Govt.
of India. One of the activities under this programme is to spread Information Security Awareness among children, teachers,
home users, IT and non-IT professionals throughout the country. C-DAC Hyderabad has been assigned the responsibility of
executing this project by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. As part of this activity C-DAC,
Hyderabad has been preparing Information Security Awareness material, coordinating with Participating Institutes (PI’s) in
organizing the various Information Security Awareness events all over India.
About C-DAC
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is the premier R&D organization of the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.
C-DAC has today emerged as a premier R&D organization in IT&E (Information Technologies and Electronics) in the country
working on strengthening national technological capabilities in the context of global developments in the field and responding
to change in the market need in selected foundation areas. In that process, C-DAC represents a unique facet working in
close junction with MeitY to realize nation’s policy and pragmatic interventions and initiatives in Information Technology. As
an institution for high-end Research and Development (R&D), C-DAC has been at the forefront of the Information Technology
(IT) revolution, constantly building capacities in emerging/enabling technologies and innovating and leveraging its expertise,
caliber, skill sets to develop and deploy IT products and solutions for different sectors of the economy, as per the mandate of
its parent, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology,
Government of India and other stakeholders including funding agencies, collaborators, users and the market-place.
For queries on Information security

Call us on Toll Free No.
1800 425 6235

ISEA Whatsapp Number for Incident Reporting
+91 9490771800
between 9.00 AM to 5.30 PM
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https://www.youtube.com/c/
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1 www.infosecawareness.

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Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA)

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 7

• Enable auto-up- ly updates with lat- CD / DVD or USB changes such as

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 9

Use Licensed Software: Control Access to your personal computer:

Scan external devices before Use: Read the fine print:

Various Techniques used by hackers to retrieve Passwords

Shoulder Surfing Be aware of Shoulder Surfers at public places

You should not use dictionary words (like Dictionary attacks

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 13

If there is no other Password embedded in code

Social Engineering or delete it. This can be done by persuading them to

Trojan, Virus & Malware

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 15

Different possible ways of Email threats

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 17

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 19

Threats Unauthorized Usage

How to stop Data Leakage via USB storage ?

How to stop Device theft ?

• Always secure the drive physically by tagging it to a key chain.

About USB Pratirodh :

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 23

Connect us with /infosecawareness

Tracking an Individual code, or personal preferences. corporate financial information

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 25

Secure your wireless communication with additional

Mobile Phone Security Threats Categories:

Lost or Stolen devices from, even whether the smart

Typical impact of attacks against Mobile Phones :

• Exposure or Loss of user’s personal Information/Data, stored/transmitted through mobile phone.

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 29

Mobile Application and Operating System Security Threats

How Identity Theft can happen?

Online Taxi Booking Apps

While booking a taxi/cab our

Request for workhop at

Fake Weight loss/Beau-

Women Empowerment mation they never get the ben-

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 33

How can Internet Addiction be identified ?

Social Media Online Shopping Online Gaming Online chatting

Most women are addict-

How to avoid Internet Addiction ?

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 37

Internet Ethics for everyone

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 39

Generally, it happens by sending fake e-Mails for

How scammers target women

Lottery scam of mails/SMS huge amount of

Email Scam Like -- site by clicking the link given

Rental Property scam sent a checque from the renter

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 41

Passive fake friends and particular, they will be on the

Fake job offers portunity to work from home,

Tips to Prevent Online Scams

Toll Free No. 1800 425 6235 43

How it can happen ?