Journal Entry #6

Can you spot three fake websites and compare the three fake websites to three real websites, plus showcase what makes the fake websites fake?


Fake websites are prevalent throughout the internet and are tools and ways that
cyberattacks, and hackers utilize to steal information from their targets. Examples of
fake website that attackers like to utilize, and mimic are websites pertaining to e-
commerce, misinformation and streaming/social media. I would say that fake e-
commerce websites are the most common one’s that I see online. If someone goes
shopping, for example a textbook, and they see on the official website it’s going for 100
bucks. They look for a cheaper alternative and come across a site that’s selling the
same textbook for 10 dollars. The biggest red flags should be the price. If something is
too good to be true, then that should always be a warning sign. Cyberattacks like to
mimic legitimate brands and copy the User Interface and layout of their website to make
it seem like it’s official and real. Sign’s you could see that make’s a website fake is
spelling errors, incorrect placement of logos and web layout, etc. The website URL
might be something silly or ridiculous, like instead of calling it Nike.com they might call it
officiallynike.com to make it seem like its legitimate. There are tools one can use to see
if a website is fake like trustpilot.com or even utilizing reddit.com. Another example of
fake websites is fake news or misinformation. These kinds of websites are created for
political swaying or monetary gains. They are utilized to push certain political agendas
to sway the public to their personal viewpoints and beliefs, or even to cause panic and
create stock manipulation by pushing false narratives on companies. Like fake e-
commerce website’s, they would mimic popular media sites like CNN or the New York
times and create a website that makes it seem legit and real. Biggest red flags of fake
news site are to always check the source and the credibility of the writer of the article
and to check the sites for any spelling mistake’s. Lastly, the one that is the trickiest in
my opinion are fake social media/streaming service sites. These are a little more
personal and cyberattacks would utilize email notifications and send emails saying your
accounts needs to update the payment method or your account’s been suspended.
When you click the email’s hyperlink it’ll connect you to a fake website that looks like
Netflix or Amazon and will prompt you to update or input your payment methods. These
are examples of phishing or fraud, and attackers would then use your information for
other nefarious acts. Like the other types of fake website, one should check for red flags
such as spelling mistakes, poor UI layout or design and you could even check the site’s
security certificate. With how digital everything is becoming; we should equip ourselves
with the proper tools and knowledge to prevent attacker’s from gaining access. The Ted
Talk from Rob May really showcased how “human nature” is flawed, but there are ways
to mitigate attacks by equipping ourselves with the necessary tools and knowledge to
prevent future attacks. Cyberattacks start with us and needs to end with us.

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