Issue 05
العربية

Esharat is a digital magazine, issued biannually and freely by Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) to provide information and raise community awareness about cyber security and technology, in line with DESC’s mandate to implement government strategy and support Dubai’s journey to becoming the safest cyberspace in the world.

We are now as comfortable surfing online as we are walking into our corner shop. Actually, it takes less effort to browse so much further and it’s certainly way more exciting!

Unfortunately, as we click easily from one appealing screen to the next, we risk venturing into dangerous areas, where clever cyber tricksters have laid traps to steal sensitive information or infect devices with malware. How can you be sure that the website offering you the best deals on stylish sneakers or appealing to you for charitable donations is real or fake?

Don’t be fooled by the familiar

At first glance, it looks just like your favorite online store… but is it really? Scammers often use website addresses and logos that are close to the real thing to fool you into cyber danger.

  • Be especially cautious if you have been redirected to this website from another page – perhaps by clicking a pop-up ad that caught your eye.
  • Carefully check for anything weird about the address and domain name.
  • Click on the security certification padlock icon on the website. It should open a new tab with security details. If it is just a static picture, get out of there!
  • Sometimes the language contains spelling errors or the images are not high quality.

Use only secured channels for online payments

Any legitimate e-commerce website will offer standard payment options. These include the most popular credit cards (like Visa or Mastercard) and PayPal, amongst others.

  • Any online platform that requires you to use an unsecured, non-refundable payment method may not be trustworthy.
  • Before you punch in your credit card details, do a quick online search for reviews. People who’ve been scammed do like to warn others about it, so if you find a lot of negative reviews, you’ll be so glad you checked.
  • Does the website include contact details, like a phone number, email and physical address? If there is only an online form or a phone call goes to voicemail, close the site.

Beware of fake websites that hackers use to trick you!
#AwarenessIsSecurity