How could you be targeted online
As a high-risk individual you may be targeted online for the purposes of espionage, coercion or personal attacks. It may also be to gain access to your movements or travel information. The means may vary depending on the motivations of the hostile actor and your vulnerabilities. Methods that could be used include:
- Getting you to disclose sensitive information or perform compromising actions. This could involve the hostile actor impersonating friends, family members or authority figures to gain your trust and extract information.
- You may be targeted with phishing emails, messages, or fake websites designed to trick you into providing login credentials, financial information, explicit images or other sensitive data.
- Hostile actors may attempt to infect your devices with malware or remote access tools, allowing them to monitor your activities, steal information, or gain unauthorised access to your accounts or systems.
- You may be targeted for financial exploitation through online scams, investment fraud or identity theft schemes. Perpetrators may try to gain your trust before persuading you to transfer money or disclose financial information.
- Hostile actors may want to gain control of your online information and material to tarnish your reputation by leaking it or using it against you or to their advantage.
It may not always be obvious that you've been targeted online, especially if the tactics used by the hostile actor are subtle or disguised. You should Be Vigilant Online and Protect Information About You to reduce the risk of any unsolicited incidents.
What to do if you think you have been targeted online
If you receive a suspicious email or spot other suspicious activity on any of your devices:
- Do not click on any links or reply if there is any doubt about its authenticity.
- Collate any relevant information as evidence (e.g. take screenshots).
- If you have clicked on a link, or think you’ve been hacked on a device or account that your organisation has provided, report it to IT support.
- If it is your own device, follow the advice on the NCSC website. This includes:
- how to recover a hacked account
- running a scan on your antivirus software
- changing passwords
- contacting your bank or Action Fraud if appropriate.
It's important for high-risk individuals to seek support from, and inform, their organisations, the police or other trusted sources such as reputable cybersecurity experts if they experience online targeting.
When to call the police
If the threats or nature of the targeting makes you believe you may be in imminent danger you should call the Police using 999.
If you believe that you have been a victim of crime you should report this by calling 101.