London Concerned about the risk of espionage and cyberattacks endangering citizens and the country, the British government launched a free app on Tuesday to identify and report links to fake profiles used to steal data or gain access on social networks. national security information
“Think Before You Connect”, with tips on the most common features used by cybercriminals on fake accounts and the mechanism for reporting suspicious people, is available in the Apple and Google app stores.
The app was developed by the British agency Centro de Proteção da Infraestrutura Nacional (CPNI), which in April launched an internal campaign against the most targeted officers by enemy forces.
The app teaches you to identify fake links
After the war between Russia and Ukraine, fears of cyber attacks and espionage increased in the UK.
Ken McCallum, director general of British intelligence service MI5, explained the approach of the spies on social media.
“Foreign spies are actively working to build relationships with those working in government, high-tech businesses, and academia.
The Think Before Connection app assists those who may take confidential approaches by helping them conduct their own digital research before admitting unknowns online.
The government-issued app has “classes” to identify malicious profiles. After completing the courses divided into modules, the user earns credits.
At the end of the module you get a trophy. At the end of all modules, you receive a digital certificate proving that you meet the requirements to share with the administrators of the corporate network you are connected to.
The modules are: recognizing the link to a fake profile, recognizing it as a threat, reporting the threat, and removing the profile from your network.
The app also has a function to report suspicious profiles to CPNI. And it offers personalized messages based on the user’s area of expertise.
An example of the malicious profile presented is that of Georgina Wang, who presents herself as an employee of a recruitment company seeking professionals in communications. The offer is attractive: compensation, expenses paid for speaking at an event for clients of the travel and consulting company.
In the simulation, the default candidate exchanges messages, sends their resume, and the recruiter requests data to hold a virtual meeting. The application shows that the candidate has forwarded confidential data after receiving praise for its capabilities and benefits.
Fake Links: Targeting LinkedIn Users
When announcing the new app, the government highlighted the results of the University of Portsmouth survey released Tuesday, suggesting that 16.8 million UK LinkedIn users may have accepted connections from unknown people.
The new data shows that people pay less attention to the potential risks of interacting with links that lead to fake profiles than other online threats, such as fake news and scams.
In the survey, more than half (53%) of users could not identify a fake profile. However, 75% say they knowingly receive connection requests from suspicious profiles.
The UK’s concern about digital spying on its citizens, particularly current and former officials, is not unfounded.
Chinese governments, and Russia in particular, are portrayed as major “digital villains” for monitoring their own populations and foreign agents that concern them.
That’s why the “Think Before You Connect” app was developed in partnership with behavioral scientists to include features like a profile review that helps social media users identify potentially fake profiles and report signs they see as suspicious.
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Spies target those who seek professional contacts online
According to intelligence service MI5, more than 10,000 UK citizens were targeted on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook last year.
The use of fake profiles on social networks and professional networking sites is routine. In the first half of last year alone, LinkedIn deleted 11.6 million fake accounts.
The British government’s concern is more with current and former public officials, who are seen as attractive targets for potentially privileged information they may have and which could be of interest to cybercriminals.
On LinkedIn, the risk of false job offers with attractive salaries offered by unknown users is common. The “Think Before You Connect” campaign, which resulted in the emergence of the eponymous app, has been warning of these threats since last year.
With the new app, the UK hopes to increase support and guidance for government officials, particularly those working with sensitive data targeted by digital spies.
“The online threat via social media is increasing with the creation of industrial-scale fake profiles on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook,” said Steve Barclay, the Secretary of Cybersecurity.
“Many of these profiles were created as an elaborate ruse to obtain details of officials or members of the public who may have access to information about our national security.
That’s why it’s so important that we do everything possible to protect ourselves and our information, and ensure that the people we connect with online are who they say they are. This new app will be an important tool in that effort.”
The app can only be downloaded for free in the UK from Google Play or the Apple Store.
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source: Noticias
