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When Fiction Becomes Fact: How Movies Can Help Protect You Online
by Kevin Gardner
Movies can be a great escape from the real world. Fantasies set in magical lands, science fiction films set on alien planets, and even action movies set here on Earth can take away your cares for a couple of hours and bring some much-needed fun into your life. That fun can come with practical tips as well. Here are three ways to protect yourself online as inspired by some of your favorite films.
1. How to Prevent Spoofing Attacks
A spoofing attack is when a scammer assumes the identity of a brand or person in order to gain access to your personal or financial information. This may come in the form of a sales call from a falsified number, a message on social media from a fake profile, or even a letter in the mail that appears to be official. The common thread is that the scammer isn't who they claim to be and shouldn't be trusted. One of the best-known spoof attacks in movies is 2002's "Catch Me if You Can." It tells the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr, who successfully posed as an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer all before the age of 19. He forged checks, identity documents, and more to appear legit. Now, he is one of the foremost experts on financial security and helps banks protect your money by identifying forged and spoofed documents. You can help prevent spoof attacks by using call screeners on your phone, reporting scam calls and accounts, and refusing to give out any personal information to an unknown person.
2. How to Prevent Phishing
Another common type of scam is called phishing. Attackers will send an email that appears to be official. It asks people to click on a link to change a password or verify their information. The link goes to the attacker's webpage instead of the business's real webpage. Any information the victim enters into the fake website goes straight to the attackers, who can then use it to access their accounts. You can see this type of attack in action in the movie "Blackhat." A phishing email is sent to employees of a certain business. Those who fall for the scam give up their passwords and download a file that contains a keylogging program. This allows the attackers to get even more information out of them. You can prevent this kind of attack by always verifying any email that asks you to click a link to change a password or verify an account. If you didn't request the email, or if the subject line, email body, or sending email address look off, delete the email or send it to your IT department for review.
3. How to Prevent Vishing
Vishing is a telephone-based scam where attackers will try to trick you into calling them back under a false pretext. Often, they'll claim to be from a business and ask that you call them back to handle an urgent issue. The problem is that the number they give isn't real. It's a direct line back to them where they'll try to get you to reveal your personal or financial information. A great example of this is in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Cameron calls the high school and pretends to be an angry parent. He successfully convinces Principal Rooney to let Sloane be checked out of school. Principal Rooney could have protected himself by hanging up and calling back on the number that the school had on file for Sloane's father. That would have gotten him to the right person instead of back to Cameron.
Movies may often be fictionalized stories, but even the most outlandish tale may have kernels of truth. You can protect yourself from common scams online by learning from the mistakes of others in your favorite films. Verify all requests for personal and financial information before responding, and you won't have to worry about ending up as a cautionary tale in the next hit movie.
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