In crisis situations or natural disasters, social vulnerability is not only evident on the streets, but also in the digital environment. The initial disorganization and the massive flow of unverified information create the ideal scenario for cybercriminals to deploy social engineering tactics aimed at emotionally manipulating people and compromising their financial assets or personal data.

José Luis Rangel, Commercial Manager of ESET Venezuela, explains the tactics used by attackers during times of high stress: “In times of crisis, natural disasters, or pandemics, cybercriminals use social engineering strategies, which involve the psychological manipulation of individuals and corporations to deceive them and obtain sensitive information.”

Main types of fraud detected during emergencies

• Fake donation and fundraising pages: Creation of fraudulent websites and unofficial victim registrations that request immediate transfers, taking advantage of the public’s willingness to help.
• Hijacking of messaging accounts (WhatsApp): Compromising personal profiles to send mass messages to contact networks requesting financial assistance or selling currency under a false identity.
• Manipulation with Artificial Intelligence: Generation of fake multimedia content—deceptive news stories, altered audio or video—to simulate rescue situations or fictitious family emergencies.
• Risks on open Wi-Fi networks: Exploitation of community or open, password-free connections to intercept data traffic and confidential information from connected users.
• Deceptive offers of supplies or services: Requests for advance payments or down payments for heavy machinery rental or logistical support services that are never actually provided.

Pay close attention, guidelines: Recommended prevention measures

To avoid falling victim to these threats during critical times, it is essential to apply active verification principles and exercise caution before sharing data or carrying out any type of transaction:

• Verify web addresses (URLs): Carefully check the address bar of any website before clicking or entering credentials.
• Validate the recipients of donations: Be wary if a supposed NGO or aid organization requests transfers via mobile payment or other means directed to individuals instead of institutional accounts.
• Protect confidential data: No aid organization, bank, or official platform will request debit or credit card security codes, passwords, or validation tokens.
• Be wary of emotional urgency: Maintain a critical perspective when viewing chain messages or links that demand immediate action by appealing to panic or the urgent need for help.

In the face of information fragmentation during disasters, cybersecurity education and constant verification are fundamental barriers to protecting both citizens and organizations.

For more valuable information on cybersecurity, visit the ESET website: https://www.eset.com/ve/. You can also follow them on social media: Instagram (@esetla, @esetla_ve) and Facebook (ESET).

Information and main image provided by ESET and Comstat Roland

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In the face of a power emergency, shopping and payments become a headache. As an alternative that provides peace of mind and security to the population, the European Central Bank (ECB) has recommended keeping some cash.

This suggestion, in a context marked by electronic payments, cryptocurrencies, and the disappearance of fiat money in several countries, even due to government measures, seems contradictory.

However, it is a way to provide protection for Europeans in the event of another power outage like the one that affected Spain, France, and Portugal, among others, a few months ago. At that time, paying for necessities and utilities was impossible online.

For this reason, in its latest report, the ECB highlighted the importance of having cash in households in the face of global crises. “The European institution recommends having a cash reserve of 70 to 100 euros per person, or at least 72 hours of provisions. This sum, whether for a family of two, three, or four members, would be sufficient to cover basic needs for at least three days.”

M.Pino

Source: 20minutos

(Reference image source: Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash)

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The World Health Organization (WHO) inaugurated an Intelligence Center on Pandemics and Epidemics in Berlin, whose mission will be to provide nations with the best data and research that will allow timely decision-making for the detection and effective approach of diseases and health emergencies.

To fulfill its purpose, the new institution will have the support of various groups, qualified personnel in different disciplines, as well as the best and most advanced resources and technological equipment that facilitate the systematization, linking and analysis of data.

The center is part of the WHO Health Emergencies Program and will be a new grant from the countries of the world, allowing the momentum to “develop next-generation analytical tools and predictive models for risk analysis and link communities of practice throughout the world. world.”

Pandemics like #COVID19 highlight the need for a global response based on strengthened epidemic intelligence.

The 🆕 WHO Hub will generate:
✅ better data
✅ better analytics
✅ better decisions
across all aspects of managing public health emergencies.

👉https://t.co/jNNXolKjsR pic.twitter.com/6z3jbMybcW

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) September 1, 2021

Preventing emergencies

With this new center, the WHO aspires to support and promote the work of “public health experts to anticipate, detect and assess the risks of epidemic and pandemic” that allow timely prevention and action in the face of future health-related events.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, explained: “The world needs to be able to detect new events with pandemic potential and monitor disease control measures in real time to create effective pandemic and epidemic risk management. This hub will be key to that effort.”

For his part, Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, pointed out: “Despite decades of investment, Covid-19 has revealed the great gaps that exist in the global capacity to anticipate, detect , assess and respond to outbreaks that threaten people around the world.”

M. Rodríguez

With information from international agencies

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