ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!
*

Why Valentine's Day is so attractive to malicious hackers

Published by

At the moment, there is much debate and argument in politics and elsewhere, regarding the renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear deterrent. But as some wise souls have pointed out, the most significant threat to the country may well not come from warheads in the sky, but via more insidious means: the digital networks on which our economy and infrastructure are now so dependent.

"One sector seemed to suffer the most, with an escalating amount of cyber-threats to online dating sites and tools."

Indeed, last year, we saw cyber attacks dominating the news as never before. And one sector seemed to suffer the most, with an escalating amount of cyber-threats to online dating sites and tools. Tinder, Match.com and PlentyofFish all met with digital assaults in 2015. PlentyofFish's advertising network was made to deliver fake ads to its users, and Match.com was forced into the position of suspending its UK advertising in September after an attempt to steal their customers' information.

"Hackers know every dating service holds databases."

So why are dating sites becoming particularly vulnerable to the cyber bad-guys? We can't be sure, but it would seem the hackers know every dating service holds databases where people store their payment details and share intimate and personal details about themselves. Unsurprisingly, this information is extremely attractive to the unscrupulous, and stolen data has currency in underground markets where personal information is readily bought and sold.

"We know it can take years for a business to build audience trust."

This is a particularly worrying situation for dating sites, because of their reliance on both advertising and subscription revenues, and their reputation for customers' trust and confidence. As consumers, we know it can take years for a business to build audience trust, but only a single malware attack to destroy it completely.

Once that confidence has been compromised, the damage to a brand's reputation has been done. Unfortunately, certain types of malware are virtually impossible to monitor or control by the usual server-side security measures. This is due to it being downloaded directly by users, together with free software and browser extensions that seem secure, but actually run invisibly on their browser or device.

Technical bods call this new, but growing threat Client-Side Injected Malware, or CISM, and it can make sales, profit and your brand reputation disappear with alarming ease. There are over 50,000 types of CSIM, including unauthorised ads, inappropriate content and various pieces of spyware, designed to collect private data for dishonest uses.

"The scale of this security problem is huge."

The scale of this security problem is huge - somewhere between 15% and 30% of online users are infected with some kind of malware threat on their browsers. A client-side script that lives in a user's browser can literally do anything: steal personal data and payment information and completely change the online experience.

It's also alarmingly effective at luring customers away to competitors, by injecting ads and other content to seduce customers to rival sites. With Valentine's Day fast approaching, dating sites will be operating at fever pitch. Which means the hackers will also be having a digital field day with the extra data available.

"They are lurking and waiting to pounce."

Personally, I can't help wondering whether these criminals are just bitter because they're so unlovable. But either way, we should be aware they are lurking and waiting to pounce. Perhaps a card and some flowers is a less risky approach to affairs of the heart.

Comments

More Leaders

*

Leaders

Inspiring Female Leaders: An Interview with RAPP CEO Gabrielle Ludzker

Gabrielle Ludzker is not just any CEO. The current head honcho at customer experience agency RAPP has spent her career breaking away from the traditional corporate CEO stereotype. and leads to inspire rule breakers. Gabby is an inspirational rule...

Posted by: Benjamin Hiorns
ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!