The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it an unprecedented digital acceleration. Companies and users had to adapt and change their habits in several areas, and one of them was online commerce. This was demonstrated by a report from the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), which revealed that online retail sales rose almost 120% in the first half of this year.
However, with digitalization also comes the challenge of achieving a culture of digital security that implies a great responsibility when it comes to protecting oneself from cyber-attacks and online threats.
In this line, and in view of the end of the year holidays, the Computer Security Incident Response Team of the Ministry of Interior (CSIRT of the Government) together with the technology and telecommunications company Entel and the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), launched the campaign “Cyber consejos de seguridad para evitar estafas esta Navidad” (in English, “Cyber security tips to avoid falling into scams this Christmas”), with the aim that users can safely buy their gifts at a time when online commerce increases significantly.
“Every year there is an increase in online shopping, both on specialized sales pages and on social networks. In view of this phenomenon, it is key to make citizens aware of the safest ways to buy online, reminding them what to look out for to avoid falling into fake sites or fraudulent offers that only seek to steal their personal data, payment information and charge for products or services that do not really exist”, explained Vartan Ishanoglu, head of the Network and Information Security Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security of Chile, on which the Government’s CSIRT depends.
Fernanda Mattar, Entel’s Deputy Manager of Security Engineering, stressed that “with great connectivity comes great responsibility, and it is essential to incorporate cybersecurity as a practice not only in online purchases, but also at many levels, since today we live in an era of hyperconnectivity, where our information is online. By following the advice in this guide, people can shop safely and avoid being victims of scams”.
According to experts, the vast majority of cyber-attacks on users are the result of human error or carelessness, so many of them are avoidable. For this reason, it is important that users are aware of the threats that exist and how to act against them to avoid putting themselves and their personal information at risk.
Practical steps when making a safe purchase
On the Internet there are many sites that appear to be stores, but they are just fronts for stealing data, especially bank card information. For this reason, the guide recommends buying in well-known stores and entering the web addresses directly in the browser, avoiding going through search engines and clicking on ads in social networks.
Another important point is that users should hesitate if an offer is too good to be true. When viewing stores on social networks, people should look at the stock and whether or not the product is available in the established store. Also, people should pay attention to whether the brands have mistakes in the letters, if they are not followed by domains such as .cl or .com, and if they use old company logos.
Likewise, a fraudulent site can be recognized by the characteristics of the link. In general, real sites are usually https (more secure) instead of http, and also have a padlock in the address bar. Another good practice is that if they show physical addresses, these can be checked on Google Maps or other similar application, to confirm that they exist, and if office buildings or stores are visible. At the same time, be wary of a contact email if it does not use the same domain as the page, and if there is a phone number and nobody answers when calling.
Another good practice is to check the reputation of the stores and ask friends or relatives if they have already bought there, check the complaints against the stores in pages such as reclamaciones.cl or sales sites such as Mercado Libre. If the store does not have legal information, terms or conditions, it should be avoided, since it is most likely a cyber scam.
However, it is relevant to mention that entrepreneurs may not have the most sophisticated websites and this does not mean that they are fraudulent. The key is to ask for references from other customers and avoid making purchases of large amounts with stores that generate distrust.
“Just as digitalization has brought multiple benefits to consumers, it is also important to be aware of possible fraud and follow the advice in the guide we launched. We hope you can shop with peace of mind, but, if for any reason you are a victim of some kind of scam, we recommend that you immediately notify your bank and cancel payments, changing cards and passwords. It is also important to make a report and warn people you know”, said the president of the CNC, Ricardo Mewes.
The infographics and the complete guide in PDF format can be downloaded at csirt.gob.cl/recomendaciones/ciberconsejos-navidad-2021/. The technology and communications company has also set up a site with cybersecurity tips at entel.cl/ciudadano-digital
6 Dic, 2021
The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it an unprecedented digital acceleration. Companies and users had to adapt and change their habits in several areas, and one of them was online commerce. This was demonstrated by a report from the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), which revealed that online retail sales rose almost 120% in the first half of this year.
However, with digitalization also comes the challenge of achieving a culture of digital security that implies a great responsibility when it comes to protecting oneself from cyber-attacks and online threats.
In this line, and in view of the end of the year holidays, the Computer Security Incident Response Team of the Ministry of Interior (CSIRT of the Government) together with the technology and telecommunications company Entel and the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), launched the campaign “Cyber consejos de seguridad para evitar estafas esta Navidad” (in English, “Cyber security tips to avoid falling into scams this Christmas”), with the aim that users can safely buy their gifts at a time when online commerce increases significantly.
“Every year there is an increase in online shopping, both on specialized sales pages and on social networks. In view of this phenomenon, it is key to make citizens aware of the safest ways to buy online, reminding them what to look out for to avoid falling into fake sites or fraudulent offers that only seek to steal their personal data, payment information and charge for products or services that do not really exist”, explained Vartan Ishanoglu, head of the Network and Information Security Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security of Chile, on which the Government’s CSIRT depends.
Fernanda Mattar, Entel’s Deputy Manager of Security Engineering, stressed that “with great connectivity comes great responsibility, and it is essential to incorporate cybersecurity as a practice not only in online purchases, but also at many levels, since today we live in an era of hyperconnectivity, where our information is online. By following the advice in this guide, people can shop safely and avoid being victims of scams”.
According to experts, the vast majority of cyber-attacks on users are the result of human error or carelessness, so many of them are avoidable. For this reason, it is important that users are aware of the threats that exist and how to act against them to avoid putting themselves and their personal information at risk.
Practical steps when making a safe purchase
On the Internet there are many sites that appear to be stores, but they are just fronts for stealing data, especially bank card information. For this reason, the guide recommends buying in well-known stores and entering the web addresses directly in the browser, avoiding going through search engines and clicking on ads in social networks.
Another important point is that users should hesitate if an offer is too good to be true. When viewing stores on social networks, people should look at the stock and whether or not the product is available in the established store. Also, people should pay attention to whether the brands have mistakes in the letters, if they are not followed by domains such as .cl or .com, and if they use old company logos.
Likewise, a fraudulent site can be recognized by the characteristics of the link. In general, real sites are usually https (more secure) instead of http, and also have a padlock in the address bar. Another good practice is that if they show physical addresses, these can be checked on Google Maps or other similar application, to confirm that they exist, and if office buildings or stores are visible. At the same time, be wary of a contact email if it does not use the same domain as the page, and if there is a phone number and nobody answers when calling.
Another good practice is to check the reputation of the stores and ask friends or relatives if they have already bought there, check the complaints against the stores in pages such as reclamaciones.cl or sales sites such as Mercado Libre. If the store does not have legal information, terms or conditions, it should be avoided, since it is most likely a cyber scam.
However, it is relevant to mention that entrepreneurs may not have the most sophisticated websites and this does not mean that they are fraudulent. The key is to ask for references from other customers and avoid making purchases of large amounts with stores that generate distrust.
“Just as digitalization has brought multiple benefits to consumers, it is also important to be aware of possible fraud and follow the advice in the guide we launched. We hope you can shop with peace of mind, but, if for any reason you are a victim of some kind of scam, we recommend that you immediately notify your bank and cancel payments, changing cards and passwords. It is also important to make a report and warn people you know”, said the president of the CNC, Ricardo Mewes.
The infographics and the complete guide in PDF format can be downloaded at csirt.gob.cl/recomendaciones/ciberconsejos-navidad-2021/. The technology and communications company has also set up a site with cybersecurity tips at entel.cl/ciudadano-digital
The Covid-19 pandemic brought with it an unprecedented digital acceleration. Companies and users had to adapt and change their habits in several areas, and one of them was online commerce. This was demonstrated by a report from the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), which revealed that online retail sales rose almost 120% in the first half of this year.
However, with digitalization also comes the challenge of achieving a culture of digital security that implies a great responsibility when it comes to protecting oneself from cyber-attacks and online threats.
In this line, and in view of the end of the year holidays, the Computer Security Incident Response Team of the Ministry of Interior (CSIRT of the Government) together with the technology and telecommunications company Entel and the National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism of Chile (CNC), launched the campaign “Cyber consejos de seguridad para evitar estafas esta Navidad” (in English, “Cyber security tips to avoid falling into scams this Christmas”), with the aim that users can safely buy their gifts at a time when online commerce increases significantly.
“Every year there is an increase in online shopping, both on specialized sales pages and on social networks. In view of this phenomenon, it is key to make citizens aware of the safest ways to buy online, reminding them what to look out for to avoid falling into fake sites or fraudulent offers that only seek to steal their personal data, payment information and charge for products or services that do not really exist”, explained Vartan Ishanoglu, head of the Network and Information Security Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security of Chile, on which the Government’s CSIRT depends.
Fernanda Mattar, Entel’s Deputy Manager of Security Engineering, stressed that “with great connectivity comes great responsibility, and it is essential to incorporate cybersecurity as a practice not only in online purchases, but also at many levels, since today we live in an era of hyperconnectivity, where our information is online. By following the advice in this guide, people can shop safely and avoid being victims of scams”.
According to experts, the vast majority of cyber-attacks on users are the result of human error or carelessness, so many of them are avoidable. For this reason, it is important that users are aware of the threats that exist and how to act against them to avoid putting themselves and their personal information at risk.
Practical steps when making a safe purchase
On the Internet there are many sites that appear to be stores, but they are just fronts for stealing data, especially bank card information. For this reason, the guide recommends buying in well-known stores and entering the web addresses directly in the browser, avoiding going through search engines and clicking on ads in social networks.
Another important point is that users should hesitate if an offer is too good to be true. When viewing stores on social networks, people should look at the stock and whether or not the product is available in the established store. Also, people should pay attention to whether the brands have mistakes in the letters, if they are not followed by domains such as .cl or .com, and if they use old company logos.
Likewise, a fraudulent site can be recognized by the characteristics of the link. In general, real sites are usually https (more secure) instead of http, and also have a padlock in the address bar. Another good practice is that if they show physical addresses, these can be checked on Google Maps or other similar application, to confirm that they exist, and if office buildings or stores are visible. At the same time, be wary of a contact email if it does not use the same domain as the page, and if there is a phone number and nobody answers when calling.
Another good practice is to check the reputation of the stores and ask friends or relatives if they have already bought there, check the complaints against the stores in pages such as reclamaciones.cl or sales sites such as Mercado Libre. If the store does not have legal information, terms or conditions, it should be avoided, since it is most likely a cyber scam.
However, it is relevant to mention that entrepreneurs may not have the most sophisticated websites and this does not mean that they are fraudulent. The key is to ask for references from other customers and avoid making purchases of large amounts with stores that generate distrust.
“Just as digitalization has brought multiple benefits to consumers, it is also important to be aware of possible fraud and follow the advice in the guide we launched. We hope you can shop with peace of mind, but, if for any reason you are a victim of some kind of scam, we recommend that you immediately notify your bank and cancel payments, changing cards and passwords. It is also important to make a report and warn people you know”, said the president of the CNC, Ricardo Mewes.
The infographics and the complete guide in PDF format can be downloaded at csirt.gob.cl/recomendaciones/ciberconsejos-navidad-2021/. The technology and communications company has also set up a site with cybersecurity tips at entel.cl/ciudadano-digital