For the seventh time in a row, the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium and the Cyber Security Coalition, of which DNS Belgium is an active member, are launching an awareness-raising campaign on cybersecurity. This year the campaign is geared entirely to the fight against phishing .
What is phishing?
Phishing is a widespread form of online fraud in which cybercriminals try to obtain your identity, account or bank details via e-mails, websites or messages.
They pretend to be a web shop, a bank or an institution that you trust and ask you, usually with great urgency, to click on a link. This link goes to a fake website that they manage and where they ask you to edit your data, download something... If you do that - often it is enough to click on the link in the message - they have access to your data or your computer.
Stay alert
Anyone who surfs the Internet is aware that not every message can be trusted. It is often very clear that the messages are malicious. You can see this in the bad language, the sloppy layout and the message itself. If someone you don't know e-mails you from the other side of the world to tell you in poor English that you have inherited a million euros, all sorts of alarm bells go off, of course.
Unfortunately, cybercriminals are getting better at their job. Their phishing messages are often very professional and so truthful that they still make many victims. They no longer limit themselves to e-mails, but also send messages via social media, whatsapp, sms, etc.
Phishing is a major problem for the individual internet user but also for companies, organisations and the government. That is why the campaign wants to increase everyone's vigilance and encourage every internet user to be smarter than phishers.
Outsmarting scammers together
The core message of the campaign is therefore very clear: be careful when receiving suspicious messages and never give out passwords, bank card codes or personal details in an e-mail, telephone call, text message or on social media.
Together we can outsmart scammers. Internet users remain alert, learn to recognise phishing better and send suspicious messages to suspicious@safeonweb.be. The CCB in turn will block the suspicious links.
Safeonweb-app
During this campaign, the Cyber Security Coalition is also launching the Safeonweb app. This app warns you of cyber threats and new forms of online fraud. This information comes from the analysis of the thousands of reports and messages sent to Safeonweb every day. The app is a quick and easy way to stay on top of what's happening in cybersecurity.
Safeonweb
Have you received a suspicious link? Think twice before clicking on it and forward it to suspicious@safeonweb.be.
With this article, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.