Don’t let the fact that it snowed in Michigan this week fool you—summer is right around the corner. With summer comes more time outdoors—swimming in pools, lakes, and oceans—and that means people are anxious to shed a few pounds and get into prime bathing suit shape. According to a new study from McAfee, attackers know this and are leveraging the urgency and desperation to lose weight in attacks.
Intel Security commissioned a survey to learn more about user behavior when it comes to fad diets and fitness. The report, titled “Online Security Diet: You Are What You Click”, reveals some concerning trends and realities when it comes to online security.
What sorts of things did Intel Security discover? More than 61 percent of survey respondents have clicked on a promotional link for a diet program, and nearly 60 percent admit that they would most likely click on similar links or articles in the coming weeks before summer. The odds that someone will click on a fad diet or fitness-related link or post increase significantly if it features tips or an endorsement from a celebrity.
Attackers know all of this as well. Cyber criminals craft malware and phishing attacks designed to target naïve or gullible individuals, and they’re often very good at creating emails, online ads, and other links that appear reasonably legitimate and prey on human nature.
“Let me explain. We’ve all seen headlines like: “The Secret to Shedding 20 Pounds in 20 Days” and “The Magic Diet Pill That Melts Fat.”,” explained Gary Davis, Chief Consumer Security Evangelist for Intel Security in a blog post. “What many might not know is that cybercriminals are getting savvier at exploiting consumer search habits. Even realistic information can be a veil for threats. With diet, health, and fitness programs proving a hot topic as we head into summer, phony weight loss ads may lead people into digital traps.”
Davis also stressed, however, that there are safe and legitimate diet and fitness ads online as well. Intel Security shared some tips to help you guard against these online diet scams. The advice is actually useful for protecting yourself against attacks in general:
Click with caution. Offers from sites that seem too good to be true, such as “Lose 10 pounds in one week,” may indicate that a site should be viewed with caution. Websites or emails might include phishing links that can lead you to websites that lure you into giving personal information to cybercriminals or download malware to your computer.
Browse safely. Beware of phony websites. Sites aimed at scamming consumers may have an address very similar to a legitimate site, like “Wait Watchers” opposed to “Weight Watchers.” Phony sites often have misspellings, poor grammar or low-resolution images. If a site asks for personal information, double check the URL, and make sure it’s the site you intended to visit and not an imposter. Use a web reputation tool such as McAfee WebAdvisor that can help identify risky sites and inform you that you may be about to visit one.
Develop strong passwords. Do away with the “123321” password, and use a strong one, like “9&4yiw2pyqx#.” Regularly change passwords and don’t use the same passwords across all your accounts. As a way to improve the quality of your passwords, consider using a password manager.
Stay up to date. The best security software updates automatically to protect your computer. Use the manufacturer’s latest operating systems and allow security patches to be updated on an ongoing basis. Also ensure you have the appropriate software set to conduct routine scans.
Use a comprehensive security solution. Protecting all your devices with a comprehensive security solution, like McAfee LiveSafe, can help shield you from malware and other cyberattacks.
I am on my own seemingly eternal diet and fitness quest, so I can sympathize. Just use caution and a healthy dose of skepticism before you click on links or ads. In part because they might contain malware or phishing attacks, but mostly because there’s a very good chance it will be hype and fantasy anyway.
I can save you a click. If you want a swimsuit-ready body, or you want to lose weight or get fit, the solution is simple—eat healthy and exercise.
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