Panic , embarrassment and shame are the real feelings resulting from things that happen in our digital world . counterculture is mainstream and online reputation is prominent . Digital personas can be deliberately curated , highly visible and tightly managed as we ’ re seemingly wedded to the devices in our pockets . The results can be devastating when bad actors take advantage , accounts get compromised and credential stuffing occurs .
F5 : THE CRIPPLING EFFECT OF CYBERCRIME ON OUR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
About 236.1 million ransomware attacks occurred globally in the first half of 2022 . As organisations focus on mitigating cyberattacks and reducing risk , very little is said about the effects of cybercrimes on the victims . Victims often experience a wide range of emotions and negative psychological experiences including guilt , shame , helplessness , emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress or sleep problems . Ian Lauth , Senior Technical Marketing Manager , F5 , explains the cost of cybercrime to emotional well-being and what both individuals and organisations can do in the phase of an attack .
don ’ t give a damn
‘ I about my reputation .’ These were the opening lines on the song Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts , a rock group that made classical hits long before the arrival of the modern Internet age .
Joan and the Blackhearts made music at a time when counterculture was subversive , cool and edgy . Today ,
Panic , embarrassment and shame are the real feelings resulting from things that happen in our digital world . counterculture is mainstream and online reputation is prominent . Digital personas can be deliberately curated , highly visible and tightly managed as we ’ re seemingly wedded to the devices in our pockets . The results can be devastating when bad actors take advantage , accounts get compromised and credential stuffing occurs .
Panic , embarrassment and shame are the real feelings resulting from things that happen in our digital world . This is specifically true in the case of social media account takeovers which has been named ‘ Account Takeover Epidemic ’ by the Identity Theft Resource Centre ( ITRC ).
ITRC – which in 2021 had over 15,000 identity crime victims contact them for support services – said there was a 1044 % increase in social media account takeovers from 2020 to 2021 . As a follow up , the organisation conducted a survey of social media account takeover victims and found that 66 % were experiencing strong emotional reactions to losing control of their social media account , 92 % felt violated , 83 % were worried and anxious , 78 % felt angry , 77 % felt vulnerable and 7 % felt suicidal . These are important statistics to consider within the cybersecurity space .
While it may be easy for some to view social media identity theft as a mere inconvenience , these figures illustrate how closely tied one ’ s online reputation is to their emotional well-being .
Two of my friends , Trevor and Stacey , had their social media accounts hacked by a credential stuffing attack in July 2022 and none of them had 2-Factor Authentication set up . They were both professionals active on social media with one of them being a crypto enthusiast .
On their Instagram stories , the bad actors posted a message about getting involved in a Bitcoin mining scheme . It was a screenshot of an iPhone lock screen which included a picture from their profile . In Trevor ’ s case , it was a picture with his wife displaying a bogus text message from Bank of America , followed by a screenshot from his supposed bank account .
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