Safe Internet for Employees and Students: Tips from Vasily Katarov

Employees and students of PetrSU will have the opportunity to learn more about personal safety on the Internet in a convenient format: until November 9, all "Vremya Est" food outlets will have cups for hot drinks with QR codes, each of which contains a digital tip. 

This approach will help draw attention to important issues of personal safety on the Internet, especially in the context of an increasing number of cyber threats. 

As part of a new educational project for employees and students of Petrozavodsk State University, specialists from the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Extremism of PetrSU, together with the Vice-Rector for Discipline and Social Work Vasily Kuzmich Katarov, discussed a number of important issues related to digital literacy and safety on the Internet.

 - What age groups do you think are a priority for learning digital skills? 

It is a mistake to think that scammers deceive only the older generation. We have had cases when scammers deceived students. Moreover, students gave the scammers their financial aid that they had just received. 

– Rate the project, is it necessary? 

This is a relevant topic. Fraud concerns all ages, can catch you at any time and covers all areas of human life where there is a digital presence. 

– What is online fraud now?

 This is no longer a telephone fraud, but a "smartphone" one. It uses modern technologies: neural networks, deepfakes, imitation of voice features. All this is a very developing world. 

– How do online fraudsters most often operate? 

If an attack is carried out, it is carried out simultaneously on everyone. Fraudsters know that people can warn each other, so there is a massive attack on a certain community. They create entire chains of people who pass the "victim" from one fake account to another in order to create the illusion of communication with certain organizations. For example, they can distribute information from the rector to the vice-rectors and so on. I think that there have even been cases of mailings from the trade union organization of our university. Thus, it is important to note that they take some authority, and then begin mailings and interaction in order to prepare potential victims for communication. 

– Have you or your friends encountered scammers online? 

Among my friends, there are people who have been subjected to telephone fraud, suffered from it. I myself have encountered a lot of fraud online. For example, recently I received a call from a delivery service. They did not tell me who sent the parcel, but they accurately indicated its weight, and also explained what I needed to do to receive it. At first, I even believed it, but later, having figured out the mechanisms of this delivery service, I realized that scammers were talking to me on the phone. First of all, I made this conclusion because I did not receive any other push notifications from the delivery service.

 – Do you have your own personal Top 5 tips for network security that you could share with students and staff of our university? 

First, pay attention to the manner of communication. If it used to be rude, now the communication is polite, competent, the scammers have a detailed legend. Second, pay attention to the number. Scammers can repeat the avatar of an official organization, but it is quite difficult to copy the number. If the number arouses suspicion, it is better to check it. This option is freely available on the Internet. Third, scammers often delete messages. Fourth, do not be rude to scammers. It is better to calmly respond to the offers of a suspicious interlocutor and refuse the service. In the end, you can even thank them for the call. Well, the last piece of advice - if you are alarmed by the call you received, you can calmly disconnect and call back the bank or the boss, to whom the scammer tried to introduce himself, through the usual communication channel. 

We urge all students and employees of Petrozavodsk State University to be vigilant. If you are not sure that you are talking to an official, you have the opportunity to consult by phone. 

Katarov Vasily Kuzmich: (814-2)71-10-08. 

Coordination center of PetrSU for the prevention of extremism: (814-2)71-32-66.