Who’s Really Out to Get You Online?

It’s a scary world on the internet, and the threats are more diverse than you might think. We’re not just talking about the Nigerian Prince scam anymore. To protect yourself and your family, it’s important to understand who the bad actors are, what they want, and what they’re capable of.

Think of it like this: your home is a target, and different criminals have different motives and methods.

The Opportunistic Scammer

These are the internet’s petty thieves. They’re often solo actors or small groups looking for a quick score.

• Abilities: They’re masters of social engineering—the art of manipulating people. They use phishing emails that look like they’re from your bank, romance scams to build trust, and fake tech support calls to get you to give them remote access to your computer.
• Resources: They don’t have high-tech gear. Their main tool is a compelling story and an easy-to-use email service or phone.
• Motivation: Purely financial. They want to trick you into sending them money, revealing your passwords, or buying gift cards for them.

The Malware Author

These are the digital burglars. They don’t want to talk to you; they want to break into your house and steal your valuables without you even knowing they’re there.

• Abilities: They write “malicious software” (malware) like viruses, ransomware, and spyware. These programs can be hidden in fake apps, disguised as attachments in emails, or even lurk on seemingly legitimate websites.
• Resources: They have coding skills and access to online marketplaces where they can buy and sell malicious tools.
• Motivation: Financial gain is a big driver (especially with ransomware), but some are motivated by a desire to cause chaos or to prove their skills.

The State-Level Actor

These are the espionage agents and saboteurs of the digital world. They’re not interested in your personal bank account. They’re after bigger, strategic targets.

• Abilities: They have the highest level of skills and resources. They can launch sophisticated attacks that target critical infrastructure like power grids, steal government secrets, or spread disinformation to influence elections.
• Resources: They are backed by the full financial and technical resources of a nation-state. This means they have dedicated teams of experts, unlimited time, and custom-built tools that are hard to detect.
• Motivation: National interest. They’re motivated by geopolitical goals like intelligence gathering, economic advantage, and military strategy.

What’s Your “Threat Model”?

A threat model is just a fancy way of asking, “Who are you worried about, and what are you trying to protect?” For most people, the biggest threats are the opportunistic scammers and malware authors. State-level actors are not likely to target you unless you’re a high-profile government official or work in a sensitive industry.

Your threat model should inform your online habits. If you’re most worried about scammers, you need to be cautious about emails and phone calls. If malware is your concern, you should make sure your software is always up-to-date and have good antivirus protection.

The key takeaway is this: be aware of the different types of threats and understand what you need to do to protect yourself. The internet is a useful and wonderful tool, but like any public space, it’s important to be mindful of your surroundings.