6 Security Tips For Freelancers

Freelancers or freelancers, usually often communicate with people they do not know, and open files that come from parties that are not clear. The files are usually in the form of translation text, coded documentation, and descriptions of images that they should have made themselves.

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Some of these factors make freelancers an easy target for cybercriminals of all kinds. Security researchers recently discovered active attacks that target people who have accounts on freelancer websites such as Fiverr and freelancer.com. The perpetrator's mode is to contact the people listed on the site by claiming to be people who are interested in their work. The perpetrators will usually send e-mail containing the link or. Doc details of the work.

Extensions to .doc have been known to us as files from Microsoft Office, but don't expect, who knows that document already contains macrom malware, which is malware hidden in the macro used in MS Office documents.

Macromware will ask the user to activate the macro feature found in MS Office. In some cases of attacks, there is a keylogger or remote access Trojan program on their computer.

With a keylogger or RAT installed on your computer, criminals can see all the types, including logins and passwords that allow them to steal your account and money.

For this reason, here are some information security tips for freelancers or freelancers.

1. Do not install any software that the client wants, unless you download it from an official source.

2. Do not open documents with .exe extensions or other executable documents, because they have the potential to be dangerous. If you feel it's necessary, make sure you've scanned the .exe with anti-virus.

3. Don't activate macros in Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and so on. Macros are basically executables hidden in files, and criminals often deceive people by sending documents that seem legitimate but actually contain malware.

4. Be aware of phishing. Criminals may be interested in gaining access to your account on sites like Freelancer or Fiverr. If they access your account, it can also cause damage to the reputation you have struggled to build. So be aware of sites and misspelled letters that urge you to re-enter or send your credentials to someone for whatever reason.

5. When paid directly, never send photos of your credit card to anyone. Also don't show important information such as the expiration date or CVC / CVV code (three digits behind your card). Sending banking information (such as card numbers) when someone needs to pay you is indeed necessary, but it's better to do so by using secure encrypted channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram secret chat, or other such applications.

6. Install anti-virus on your computer or laptop, and make sure all your software and OS are in the latest version.

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