Everybody has to be on their guard – but you can’t say “trust no-one”, because society would not function.
South Africans like to believe they’re world leaders when it comes to technology, but the reality is that we’re particularly gullible — and vulnerable — when it comes to cybercrime.
Experts say that, for that reason, this country has become a major centre for these types of scams.
It is true that the more con tricks are exposed and publicised, the fewer the number of victims will be, as awareness spreads.
However, sadly, the scammers in this sector evolve almost at the speed of light themselves, adapting and adjusting their methods and approaches to sound plausible and legitimate.
And that’s just in the personal attacks… there’s an even bigger, juicier pie waiting to be sliced up in the form of businesses that have lax security, both in their processes and IT systems.
Another terrifying wrinkle is “ransomware”, which is a form of malicious software which can shut down a company or government digital network until a ransom is paid.
The answer for companies and government departments is better training, just as the answer for private consumers is education and awareness.
Everybody has to be on their guard – but you can’t say “trust no-one”, because society would not function. Far better is to “trust, but verify”.
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