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From next Monday, May 13 to 15, a new edition of the Hot Sale organized by the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE). This is an event during which they usually offer discounts and payments in installments in a wide variety of products.
According to the CACE, in previous editions there were more than 4.7 million visits to its official site, among which 69 percent came through cell phones. In addition, more than 7.2 million products sold were recorded.
Cybercriminals, also attentive to the Hot Sale
With the rise of digital life and e-commerce Frauds and scams are also growing. In the same way that companies prepare for cybersecurity, cyber hackers also evolve in their new forms of attack, especially through ransomware, attacks that use deepfake and geotargeted phishing to fake pages.
The numbers in this sense are overwhelming: Argentina is among the three countries most affected by cyberattacks in the region. Unit 42, the analysis division of Palo Alto Networks, conducted a study that revealed that Argentina experienced 23 cybersecurity incidents in 2023, with techniques such as ransomware intrusions to phishing actions. These data show a worrying increase in the region, with a growth of 56.4% in the number of attacks from 2021 to 2023.
Hot Sale: 4 security measures to avoid scams
For their part, consumers or users can also pay attention to various aspects when making their purchase.
- Know what are the official information channels of the companies, by what means personal data or keys will be requested, as well as what are the platforms to carry out the transactions.
- Upon receiving mailmake sure that the website address or sender email is spelled correctly and is the official domain. If not, do not click or download content.
- To make out-of-home transactionsdo not use public networks but cell phone data.
- More levels of access securityusing a second factor of authentication, based on a one-time code that arrives, usually via SMS.
How companies can prepare
Mauricio Glvez, Cybersecurity Manager of TIVIT Southern Cone, highlighted that “cybersecurity is no longer just a necessary investment for companies, it is a basic operational requirement.” It is an “eclectic and holistic tool that has become the cornerstone.” Below are TIVIT expert recommendations to prepare for this new key date for electronic commerce:
First of all, understand what the main types of cyberattack are and what the weakest flanks are within the company. He phishing and ransomware They are the most frequent types of attack.
Phishing involves the impersonation of companies, from banks to service companies, and organizations to request personal information. The term refers to the attempt by cybercriminals to try to “catch” something, and right now, it is more present in our lives than we think. Mobile phones are another entry route for phishing, through SMS or WhatsApp.
One of the most dangerous cyber attacks is ransomwarewhich is responsible for downloading malicious files and softwarewhich will try to expand as much as possible by searching for databases and the most critical information of the company to encrypt it.
Another of the most used means is Electronic mail? Nicothrough which they try to steal credentials, introduce malware or direct to a URL of a page that is not legal.
Finally, the fake portals, especially in online sales sectors, are growing more and more. These are visually very elaborate websites, in which they simply change one letter of the URL description with respect to the original and that even have payment systems, so in addition to stealing credentials, they can even receive economic transactions.
The training of collaborators in risk mitigation is key. It is necessary to create an institutional awareness or protection culture that allows security mechanisms to be strengthened. It is imperative to work to turn people into the strongest link in the chain.
“Not only a problem of public policy and large companies, cyberattacks should be a matter of concern for every internet user,” concluded Mauricio Galvez, TIVIT Southern Cone Cybersecurity Manager.
