Chinese Hackers Might Carry Large-Scale Cyber Attacks in India: PIB Shares Tips to Secure Data, Prevent Hacking Via Phishing Emails
In view of the existing cyber threat, the government has listed suggestions for citizens to prevent hacking or leak of their private information.
New Delhi, June 23: Amid tensions with China in Ladakh, the Indian government has warned again large-scale cyber-attacks in India by Chinese hackers. Chinese hackers might send phishing emails in the grab of an offer for free testing for coronavirus (COVID-19), the government has warned. It specifically mentioned email address "ncov2019@gov.in", which is reportedly being used by Chinese hackers to send phishing emails to Indians. In view of the existing cyber threat, the government has listed suggestions for citizens to prevent hacking or leak of their private information. These tips have been shared on Twitter by the Press Bureau of India (PIB).
Secure your data:
To avoid any potential threat or leak, people should encrypt their sensitive documents. "Users should encrypt/protect the sensitive documents stored in the internet facing machine," the government said. DPIIT Website Not Hacked by Chinese, Was Down For Maintenance Work, Clarifies Government.
Do not click on link or open attachment sent through unsolicited emails:
Phishing emails carry files which appear to be harmless but can infect your system with malware. Hackers then steal data from your device. Hence, it is advised that people should be aware of unsolicited emails prompting you to click on the links and attachments. "Don't open attachments in unsolicited email. In cases of genuine URLs, close the e-mail and go to organisation's website directly," the government advised.
Do not share personal or financial information:
Luring with cash rewards and exciting offers, phishing emails seek information that may include IDs, banking details, OTPs and so on. If you receive such an email, make sure that you don’t respond to them with these details. "Some fraudulent websites are designed to look like genuine websites, with the intention of tricking you into revealing personal or financial details. Don't fall for them and be cautious before sharing your details," the government said.
Verify and cross-verify URLs:
Phishing emails contain malware-infected URLs that will steal your data. Make sure you verify links as if they are genuine or fake. You can check for the ‘https’ tag at the start of a link to confirm its authenticity.
Report suspicious activities to authorities:
If you ever encounter any of the phishing attacks, report them to authorities. You can report a phishing email at reportphishing.in. You can also report suspicious online activities at incident@cert-in.org.in. with the relevant logs and email headers.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2020 03:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).