ANTI-FRAUD
Your Cyber Protector Against Fraud and Online Threats
At Cyber Angel Security, we are like a cyber angel by your side, dedicated to guiding, protecting, and warning you about online security risks. Our goal is to provide education and advice in clear and accessible language, so you can protect your information, finances, and peace of mind online.
Cyber Angel does not take retaliatory actions against criminals; our focus is on prevention and protection. Legal and official channels should always be used to address online crime.
At CyberAngel Security, we provide comprehensive cybersecurity solutions to protect your digital assets from cyber threats.
We teach you how to identify and avoid online fraud with clear, easy-to-understand advice.
We empower users (you) to resist social engineering strategies and manipulations.
We provide resources and tools to help you adopt safe digital habits.
We do not engage in offensive actions against online criminals. Instead, we believe in respecting the law and promoting legal and official channels to combat cybercrime.
All our actions and recommendations adhere to ethical and legal principles.
Our focus is on using simple language so that everyone can understand, regardless of their technical expertise.
Cyber Angel was created exclusively for all U.S. citizens, with a particular emphasis on older adults. We know that this group is often the target of online fraud and scams, and our mission is to provide them with a space where they can learn to protect themselves in a simple and clear way.
We want every visitor, regardless of their prior knowledge of technology, to find accessible and easy-to-understand information. Our goal is for anyone to learn how to identify and avoid online fraud in a straightforward manner.
In the world of cybersecurity, we often talk about several layers of protection and systems. However, there is one essential layer that is not in software or hardware: Layer 8, which refers to the human being behind the screen.
Users like you are the most vulnerable target of attackers, who use psychological strategies and deceptions to manipulate us and take advantage of our trust.
At Cyber Angel Security, our commitment is to protect Layer 8. We believe that everyone, especially older adults and retirees, has the right to feel safe and confident in the digital world. Our goal is to give you the knowledge and tools necessary to recognize and avoid the traps set by
attackers who attempt to exploit Layer 8.
Cyber Angel has been designed to be easy to navigate, without complications, so you can focus on the essentials. These are some of the areas we focus on:
Cybersecurity Basics: We introduce security topics in a clear and direct way so you can understand how threats work and how to protect yourself.
Online Protection and Good Practices: Practical advice to apply security measures in your daily digital life.
Resources to Strengthen Layer 8: Everything you need to know to avoid falling for social engineering traps and other types of manipulations.
The purpose of Cyber Angel Security (CAS) is to eliminate technical jargon and complicated concepts. We believe that online security should not be a confusing topic, and that everyone, especially the most vulnerable, has the right to be informed and protected.
Simplicity: We ensure that the information we share is easy to understand, so that everyone can apply it, regardless of their technical knowledge.
Education: We believe that education is the key to reducing online fraud. Putting what you learn here into practice can prevent losses of any kind.
Community: We are creating a space for support and collaboration to empower more people to protect themselves against online fraud.
The Internet is a wonderful place to learn, shop, and stay connected with friends, family, and the world. However, it is also a place where scammers lurk, looking for victims to exploit their trust.
Online fraud is growing rapidly, and knowing how to identify it is key to protecting ourselves. Here are some examples of common threats you might encounter:
Fraudulent Emails: Messages that seem to come from your bank, a well-known company, or even a friend, but are actually trying to trick you into revealing personal information.
Fake Websites: Pages that pretend to be online stores, financial institutions, or official services to steal your data or money.
Deceptive Phone Calls: People pretending to be representatives of companies or institutions trying to convince you to share sensitive information or make immediate payments.
At Cyber Angel, we teach you how to recognize these and other threats.
Learn to verify the authenticity of emails and links before clicking.
Identify warning signs on suspicious websites, such as grammatical errors, offers that are too good to be true, or incorrect URLs.
Avoid sharing personal or financial information over the phone with strangers.
If you find this site easy to understand and apply the advice we share, it will bring us immense satisfaction. By taking steps to protect yourself, you become part of a shared mission, a digital space strengthened by hope and security.
We are here to guide you on the path to online self-protection. Every proactive step you take is a move toward a safer and brighter digital future for everyone. Together, we can build a more secure and empowered online community.
At Cyber Angel Security (CAS), our goal is to empower you with tools and knowledge to protect yourself online. Explore our resources, organized into categories for easy navigation:
Stop.Think.Connect.
Official campaign by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to promote safe online practices.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Develops cybersecurity standards, including the Cybersecurity Framework.
FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
Report fraud and access resources to recover from online scams.
Child Exploitation CyberTipline
Report crimes related to child exploitation online.
Cybercrime Support Network (CSN)
Helps victims of cybercrime and provides educational resources.
National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)
Promotes cybersecurity awareness through campaigns like Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC)
Provides free support to victims of identity theft in the U.S.
IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center)
Report cybercrimes and connect with authorities for investigation.
FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
Official resource to report fraud and learn how to recover from scams.
Child Exploitation CyberTipline
Report crimes related to child exploitation online.
r/cybersecurity (Reddit)
An active community sharing practical tips and solutions for cybersecurity issues.
Transferable skills are abilities developed in different areas of our lives that can be applied to new contexts. In cybersecurity, these skills are essential for protecting ourselves online and effectively managing risks. Here's how they apply and how they can help us improve our online security.
The ability to analyze a problem, understand its cause, and find a simple and practical solution.
Imagine an elderly family member receives a suspicious message asking them to confirm personal details to avoid their bank account being blocked. For them, this could be a difficult problem to resolve. Using your problem-solving skills, you:
Explain why they shouldn’t access the bank through the received link.
Verify directly with the bank if there’s a real issue.
Teach them how to recognize similar scams in the future.
By resolving this issue, you realize you're applying a transferable skill. This experience prepares you to handle more complex situations in other personal and professional areas. If you don't know how to do it, we're here to help you.
The skill of sharing knowledge and ideas clearly, both with technical and non-technical individuals. In cybersecurity, this skill helps explain risks like viruses or phishing attacks in a simple, accessible way.
Imagine you need to explain to your coworkers how to avoid phishing attacks. Instead of using complex technical terms, you apply clear and effective communication:
Describe phishing with relatable examples, like emails pretending to be from their bank or another trusted institution.
Use simple analogies, such as comparing fraudulent emails to "wolves in sheep’s clothing."
Provide practical steps to verify email senders and avoid clicking on suspicious links.
By doing this, you demonstrate your ability to translate technical concepts into practical and accessible information. This skill not only helps others better understand risks but also strengthens your role as an effective communicator, allowing you to protect those around you.
The willingness to learn and adapt to constant changes.
Imagine your device gets infected with a virus while browsing the Internet. Your computer slows down, and some functions stop working properly. Instead of getting frustrated or giving up, you apply your growth mindset and think:
“This is an opportunity to learn and improve my online security skills.”
Instead of waiting for someone else to fix it:
You research the type of virus and how it spreads.
Implement measures to remove it.
Ensure your system is updated, install reliable antivirus software, and improve your browsing habits to prevent future problems.
This approach demonstrates how a growth mindset helps you not only face problems but also learn from them to be better prepared next time. What once seemed like an obstacle becomes a learning opportunity.
Using recognized software and antivirus programs to avoid risks is essential. A growth mindset includes learning to choose reliable tools and working in safe environments.
When we talk about online security, it's essential to understand not only the technical mechanisms that protect our information but also how human interactions affect those systems. The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is a structured way to understand how networks operate in seven layers, each with specific roles.
In the realm of IT and cybersecurity, there's often an unofficial reference to an "eighth layer": the human factor. This represents how users, with their decisions and behaviors, impact system security. For example, even if a technical system is robust, a human error, like sharing a password, can compromise its security.
After exploring skills such as a growth mindset, problem-solving, and communication, we can understand why certain skills we already possess can help us improve our online security and why the human factor is considered the weakest link in security.
Layer 8 encompasses human decisions, errors, and habits, which are often entry points for threats like phishing, weak passwords, or downloading malicious files. With basic and simple measures, we can reduce the vulnerability of the human link.
There’s a critical layer that doesn’t belong to software or hardware. By understanding this concept, we realize that users, like you, are the most vulnerable targets for attackers, who use psychological strategies and deception to manipulate and exploit our trust.
All the information found here relates to people and their online interactions. For example, basic concepts like:
PII (Personally Identifiable Information) – Any data that can uniquely identify a person.
SPII (Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information) – Highly sensitive data that requires extra protection.
Protecting this information is crucial, as it can lead to fraud, identity theft, or privacy breaches if it falls into the wrong hands.
With this brief and simple introduction, we are better prepared to understand the rest of the cybersecurity concepts.
Date: September 1, 2023
Google Chrome has replaced the padlock icon in the address bar with a "settings" or "information" symbol to provide more accurate security information.
This change emphasizes that HTTPS encryption does not guarantee a site’s trustworthiness.
