Dr Keith Nicholson of Cyber Security Scotland has published some top tips on how to recognise scam messages related to the Census.
Dr Nicholson who lives in Mey is renowned as a leading cyber security expert, serves on the Scottish Government’s National Cyber Resilience Advisory Board and is the author of the Cyber Resilience Framework.
He said: “I fully anticipate greater use of text messages in scams of all kinds as people tend to trust texts and are more alert to malicious links in emails.
“Also, while people recognise the need for security software on laptops; mobile phones are often forgotten and vulnerable. As so many payment transactions are made using mobile phones, these devices increasingly hold personal and financial information which makes them an easy target for cyber criminals.”
Dr Nicholson added that though he had not seen any specific alerts on mass cyber campaigns using the census as cover, people need to be aware of the threat and take precautions. “Articles through the press such as these are important in raising public awareness and providing guidance.”
Dr Nicholson’s cyber security advisory notice on Scottish 2022 Census scams:
As Census day of March 20 approaches it is likely that scams pretending to be from the census will be seen more frequently. These are most frequently sent by email or text and any…
