Can they impersonate our identity on the Internet? The reality is that there are many methods that an attacker could use to do this. They could collect personal information from users and use it to generate a profile on our behalf, for example. This affects many platforms and services on the Internet, such as social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, but also e-mail. In this article, we will explain what we can do to avoid being spoofed in email .
Impersonation by e-mail, a real problem
As we say, the fact that we are spoofed by email is a real and very present problem. It could seriously put our security and privacy at risk. Let’s say someone has access to our account. This would leave in the tray that they use e-mail to remember passwords, for example.
They may also search for personal information that we have stored in the mail. Possible attachments that we have received, copying our contacts, sending emails on our behalf to attack other users who think they are actually contacting us, etc.
All this makes it essential to protect our accounts , not to make mistakes that could expose information that is used by third parties to impersonate our identity. We must avoid failures that are sometimes very present.
How to avoid being spoofed our e-mail
To prevent our email from being spoofed, something essential is to protect the account. We must not facilitate the work of cybercriminals in any way. But you also have to take care of some external factors, such as not exposing more information than is really necessary.
Beware of social engineering
Undoubtedly this point is very important and is one of the causes of the identity of the e-mail being spoofed. Attacks such as Phishing seek to steal users’ passwords by using baits.
They can figure out how we need to log in or provide information. All this in theory we would be giving to a legitimate service or web page, but in reality they go to a server controlled by the attackers. You have to be very careful with social engineering and the attacks that they can carry out.
Properly protect the account
Of course we must properly protect our email account. This means using passwords that are strong and complex . They must contain letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols. All this in a random way, with a suitable length and never use the same key in another place.
But we must also take into account the importance of using two-step authentication. This allows us to add an extra layer of security to prevent the entry of intruders even if they have the password.
Keep systems safe
In the same way, we must keep our equipment totally safe . It is convenient to use security tools for this. The entry of malware can lead to the identity theft of our email account. We need to have software to protect us.
In addition, it is also desirable that the computers are properly updated. There are many occasions when vulnerabilities appear that are exploited by hackers to attack. Security patches protect us from these types of problems.
Avoid using insecure networks
Another important issue is to avoid using wireless networks that are not secure. We speak for example of the Wi-Fi of an airport or shopping center. We don’t really know who may be behind that network. We do not know if you could access the personal information that we put when entering the email.
Therefore our advice is to avoid this type of network and if necessary use a VPN to encrypt the connection.
Be careful with the attachments we receive
Attachments are a very important source of malware entry. We can receive them through any mail, even from sources that seem reliable. This type of malicious files could infect our system with the aim of stealing information and data from our mail, for example.
Avoid downloading files without being sure that they are really reliable. Otherwise we could be sneaking malware onto the computer.
Observe the directions very well
Another point to keep in mind is that we must observe very well the addresses of the emails we receive. It is essential to prevent them from sending us fraudulent links, malware or that may mislead us in any way.
One strategy hackers use is to try to look like a legitimate address. Sometimes they just change a letter or digit to be confusing. Others, on the other hand, the difference is very big and we will even see a long, strange-looking address.
Do not make the address public
We must also avoid making our e-mail address public . Sometimes when writing in a public forum, for example, we leave a trace of our identity, such as an email address.
This could lead to bots or any user being able to collect that information and use it against us. We must avoid this.
What can they do if they spoof the email?
We have explained how to prevent email spoofing. Now, what could they do if they succeed? We will show the most important points if necessary.
Send emails on our behalf
Logically, one of the most important and present problems is sending emails on our behalf. If they spoof the identity they could use it to send e-mails to other addresses as if they were us.
Attack other contacts
The act of spoofing could be used to attack other contacts . If we receive an email from a family member or friend, we are much more likely to open it, to click on a link, than if it comes from a third party.
This could be used against us. They could attempt attacks against our contacts by impersonating us.
Recover passwords
Without a doubt, another very remarkable point is being able to recover passwords . They have access to the account, so they supplant our identity to retrieve passwords from Facebook or any social network, as well as any other service.
Gather information
Finally, in the event of identity theft, they could recover a wide range of information . They could access all emails, send emails on our behalf to receive data, etc.
In short, it is very important that we avoid identity theft. The main objective is to protect the accounts and not to make mistakes. Here common sense plays a fundamental role.
