"In Spain, there are more than 9,100 professional influencers with over 100,000 followers on one of the existing social media platforms: TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or Twitch. 900 of them have reached one million followers." Tubular Labs.
Furthermore, the latest Digital 2022 study by HootSuite and We Are Social revealed that there are over 4.033 billion social media users worldwide. The average daily global exposure to social media by these users is 1 hour and 53 minutes.
The report also indicates that cyberattacks on social media have increased by 50% in the last year.
The influx of users on social media has made them an attractive target for cybercriminals due to the abundance of data and personal information generated on these platforms. Social media remains a showcase for both individuals and companies. However, undoubtedly, the most desirable targets are influencers, given that they interact with thousands of personal and business accounts, promoting their products.
Have you ever been tagged in a post claiming you've won an iPhone or a gift card to shop at a specific brand?
Undoubtedly, such posts are phishing attacks. Cybercriminals use the name of an influencer to send messages to users, telling them they've won a prize. When the user falls for it and clicks on the link accompanying the image, they are taken to a fake page, a replica of an official brand page, aiming to steal their data.
Below is an example.
Some accounts have found that suddenly they cannot access their profile and inappropriate content starts getting posted, completely unrelated to the type of content the user normally publishes. Cybercriminals use malware to take control of important accounts, such as those of influencers and companies, to disable their access and use them to obtain users' data by impersonating their identity.
DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service attacks aim to disable a server, a service, or an infrastructure. It is the equivalent of having the account blocked, rendering the user unable to access their own account while the cybercriminal can take unauthorized actions as they please.
When cybercriminals use SQL injection techniques, their goal is to gain access to social media databases and obtain information about different users, often companies. They threaten these companies that if they don't pay a ransom for their data's recovery, it will be made public.
Influencers often collaborate with many brands, which is why cybercriminals often target direct database access to influencer accounts.
This technique is very common during giveaways on social media. When an influencer or company launches a giveaway, which typically generates a lot of interaction, cybercriminals create duplicate accounts pretending to be the account hosting the giveaway. They then send messages to users, notifying them that they have won the giveaway and asking for their information to send them the prize.
Use strong passwords. It is recommended to use very long and easily memorable passwords (constantly resetting passwords can put your account at risk) and change them regularly.
Carefully analyze incoming messages before clicking on any links.
Avoid sharing personal information or important data through direct messages.
Have cybersecurity solutions configured on your computer system, such as anti-phishing tools, firewalls, password managers, and endpoints.
Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
Influencer accounts are more vulnerable to hacking by cybercriminals due to the high volume of data they generate. It is essential to protect yourself, as cybercriminals often target accounts following these influencers.
Influencer accounts are the most vulnerable to being hacked by cybercriminals due to the high volume of data they generate. That's why it's essential to protect yourself, as cybercriminals actually target the accounts following these influencers.