This week:
3 – Online messages from Elon Must? Don’t trust them!
2 – Emails from a government department? Don’t trust them!
1 – Ads on Facebook? Don’t trust them!
3 – Online messages from Elon Musk? Don’t trust them!
“A deepfake video of Vice President Kamala Harris, shared by Elon Musk, has sparked a heated debate over the boundaries of free speech and the responsibilities of tech platforms.”
Summary: A deepfake video of Vice President Kamala Harris, shared by Elon Musk, including the claim that Harris is “just a diversity hire”, has reignited discussions on free speech and the ethical responsibilities of social media platforms. The incident reflects ongoing concerns about the challenges in balancing free expression with the need to prevent harm and the spread of (blatant lies) disinformation.
So what? Be skeptical of any content on social media, especially when it is shared by billionaire boys.
Source: NBC News
2 – Emails from government departments? Don’t trust them!
“Attackers are increasingly spoofing public bodies and U.S. government departments to create highly convincing phishing [emails].”
Summary: This article discusses how cybercriminals are increasingly sending emails that look like they have come from public bodies and U.S. government agencies. In many cases, the attackers are using the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform to increase the likelihood that the scammers’ emails will get through to our inboxes. They are using Dynamics because many organisations use Microsoft 365 and apparently, Microsoft has configured Microsoft 365 to inherently trust emails that come from its Dynamics platform.
And sure, why wouldn’t they, given Microsoft’s proven ability to mismanage our security and privacy.
So what? It’s another reminder that we always need to verify the authenticity of emails before clicking links or sharing information, especially those claiming to be from our beloved government departments.
Source: SC Magazine
1 – Ads on Facebook? Don’t trust them!
“Half of crypto ads on Facebook are scams or violate Meta’s policies.”
Summary: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accused Meta of failing to prevent scams that misled users into investing in fraudulent schemes, especially relating to cryptocurrency. The case highlights the ongoing challenges tech platforms (refuse to address) face in regulating advertisements and protecting users from online fraud.
So what? Be cautious of ads on social media platforms, especially those related to investments. And if the ad relates to cryptocurrency, put it in the same folder as messages from Elon Musk – Preferably, the folder labelled ‘trash’.
Source: The Guardian (via ASPI Daily Cyber)