Computer Applications
What do you mean by online identity? List some threats to your online identity.
Answer
Online identity is a social identity that an internet user establishes in online communities and websites.
Some threats to our online identity are as follows:
- Phishing — It is the illegal acquisition of personal and sensitive information (such as, online banking details, credit card details, and other login details) through deceptive emails or fake web pages that mimic well-known organizations.
- Dumpster Diving — It is a method cybercriminals use to obtain personal information from discarded documents like bills, credit cards, and passwords, which they can then exploit to steal the online identity of the targetted person.
- Shoulder Surfing — It is obtaining personal information, such as a PIN at an ATM machine, personal details while filling up a form, or the lock code of a smartphone through direct observation by looking over a person's shoulder.
- Employment Scam — In this scam, job seekers are promised high-paying jobs in exchange for money and personal information, targeting them via email, leading to identity theft and financial losses.
- Pretexting — It is the practice of obtaining a person's personal information using a fake name or fake company and then selling that information to people who use it to steal that person's online identity.
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