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Around 62 per cent of Indians who were surveyed are planning to use the AI chatbot <keyword id="15681942" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="chatgpt" source="Orion">ChatGPT</keyword> to help write their love letters this <keyword id="6426726" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="valentine" source="Orion">Valentine</keyword>'s Day, the highest out of all the countries surveyed, with 73 per cent also using AI to boost their dating profiles, a report showed on Thursday. With ChatGPT starting to infiltrate every aspect of our daily lives, 78 per cent of Indians surveyed were also unable to spot the difference between a love letter written by the AI chatbot and one written by a human, according to the report by cyber-security company McAfee. The vast majority (60 per cent) of Indian respondents preferred a machine-generated love note. The most popular reason given for using AI as a ghost-writer was that it would make the sender feel more confident (59 per cent), others cited lack of time (32 per cent) or lack of inspiration (26 per cent), while 14 per cent said it would just be quicker and easier, believing they would not be found out. However, 57 per cent of respondents said they would be offended if they found out the note they had received was produced by a machine. "With Valentine's Day around the corner, it's important to stay vigilant and use security solutions that can help safeguard your privacy and identity and protect you from clicking on malicious links a scammer might send," said <keyword id="3541923" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="steve-grobman" source="Orion">Steve Grobman</keyword>, <keyword id="16450720" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mcafee-chief-technology-officer" source="Orion">McAfee Chief Technology Officer</keyword>. "It is easy to drop your guard when chatting to a potential partner but it's important to be on alert if you're asked suspicious requests for money or personal information," Grobman added. With the rise in popularity of artificial intelligence, particularly tools such as ChatGPT that anybody with a web browser can access, the chances of receiving machine-generated information are on the rise. In fact, 76 per cent of Indians admit to being catfished -- which is when somebody pretends to be someone they're not online -- or knowing somebody who has. Additionally, 89 per cent of Indian respondents have engaged in direct conversations with strangers on social media across platforms, compared to 66 per cent globally. "Those looking for love are often more vulnerable to scams, and cyber criminals use that to their advantage, engaging in long, sophisticated attempts to steal from their victims," said the report. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/reliance-capital-case-battling-for-higher-value-to-stakeholders-says-iihl/articleshow/97776304.cms">Reliance Capital case: Battling for higher value to stakeholders says IIHL</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rate-hikes-will-not-impact-collections-efficiency-of-nbfcs-icra/articleshow/97776942.cms">Rate hikes will not impact collections efficiency of NBFCs: ICRA</a>

This V-day, Indians want ChatGPT to play Cupid & write their love letters

<ul><li><keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ai" source="Orion">AI</keyword> will play a major role this Valentine’s as people plan on deploying <keyword id="4514704" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ai-tools" source="Orion">AI tools</keyword> to get the best greeting and letters.</li><li>As per a report, over 60% of Indians plan on using AI tools to express their feelings.</li><li>Nearly half of the people said they would not like to receive something written by a machine.</li></ul> It's fast and it's furious. Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become a part of our daily lives and it is just the start. Whether it comes to recommending movies or songs, answering questions through virtual assistants or automating tasks at home, the presence is undeniable. However, while many are taking to it like fish to water, many aren't convinced yet, at least when it comes to romance. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, people have found a new use for AI. People are now using AI tools to pen love letters or poems to win hearts quickly and relatively effortlessly. According to a report by McAfee, over 60% of Indians have said that they will use AI tools to express their feelings. “With the rise in popularity of artificial intelligence, particularly tools such as ChatGPT that anybody with a web browser can access, the chances of receiving machine-generated information are on the rise,” said Steve Grobman, chief technology officer, McAfee. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Indians at the forefront" comment="subhead" text="Indians at the forefront">Indians at the forefront</cmsannotation> While the global average for people planning on using AI tools to express their feelings is around 30%, it is much higher in India, with 62% of men and women stating that they plan on using the available tools. The major reasons mentioned for this is that they would feel more confident with the output and that they don’t have enough time. Another reason offered is that they do not know what their partner wants to hear. While 46% of the people said that they expect to get an AI-generated wish on Valentine's Day, a third of the people said that they probably wouldn’t be able to tell. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Not all aboard the AI train" comment="subhead" text="Not all aboard the AI train">Not all aboard the AI train</cmsannotation> While over 60% of the people plan on using AI this Valentine’s, almost half the surveyed men and women (49%) said they would be hurt or offended if they discovered what they’d received hadn’t been written by their partner but by a machine. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="AI and catfishing – The big risk" comment="subhead" text="AI and catfishing – The big risk">AI and catfishing – The big risk</cmsannotation> Catfishing, for those unaware, is pretending to be someone you're not online, often using stolen photos and fake info to trick people into relationships, friendships, or scams. According to the report, 51% of adults confessed to either being catfished or knowing someone who was catfished. The rising popularity of AI has made catfishing very difficult to spot. Experts suggest exercising increased caution while talking to strangers, taking things slowly and not just depending on text chat to communicate. You should also avoid sending money and gifts to people you have not met in person. “We know it’s easy to drop your guard when chatting to a potential partner but it’s important to be on alert if you’re asked to share potentially sensitive information about yourself. We don’t want to put people off finding a perfect match online, but it’s important that they only fall in love, not for a scam,” added Grobman. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/webstories/five-out-of-the-top-10-unlisted-companies-in-india-slipped-in-valuation-in-2023/slidelist/107650633.cms">Five out of the top 10 unlisted companies in India slipped in valuation in 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/seven-out-of-top-10-smartphones-sold-worldwide-in-2023-were-iphones/articleshow/107617907.cms">Apple domination: Seven out of top 10 smartphones sold worldwide are iPhones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/webstories/top-ten-selling-cars-in-india-in-january-2024/slidelist/107547644.cms">Baleno regains the top selling car spot as Maruti Suzuki dominates the Jan top-10 list</a>

Using AI to impress someone this Valentine’s? Nearly 50% say they will be offended

Eddie Cumberbatch was sitting in his Chicago apartment in April when he received a frantic call from his father. As soon as he heard his dad's voice, Eddie, a 19-year-old TikToker, knew something was up. His dad asked whether Eddie was at home and if everything was all right. "That was a really weird way for him to start off the call," Eddie told me.After Eddie said he was safe at home, his father asked whether he had been in a car accident. Eddie was baffled — not only had he not been in a wreck, but he hadn't driven in six months. His father was relieved, but Eddie was confused: Why did he think he had been in a car accident?His dad explained that someone had called his house phone from a foreign number. When Eddie's grandfather picked up, it sounded like Eddie on the phone. This "Eddie" said he had been in a car accident and needed money immediately. Fortunately for Eddie's family, his father was immediately suspicious of the call. When his father found Eddie's grandfather on the phone and heard about the incident, he called Eddie to verify the story. He knew it was out of character for Eddie to ask for money — plus, Eddie didn't even have a car in Chicago. His dad's call to Eddie confirmed that it hadn't been Eddie on the phone. In truth, his family had been the target of a terrifying new scam: The fraudsters used an artificial rendering of Eddie's voice to try and bilk his loved ones out of cash.Impersonating someone to steal money is nothing new. Known as impostor scams, these schemes are the most common type of scam in the US, according to <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/02/new-ftc-data-show-consumers-reported-losing-nearly-88-billion-scams-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Federal Trade Commission</a>. People reported losing $2.6 billion to imposter scams in 2022, an increase from $2.4 billion the year before. But new technology is making imposter scams even more pernicious. In March, the FTC said tricksters were starting to use artificial intelligence to supercharge "family-emergency" schemes in which scammers convince people that their family member is in distress so they can get cash or private information. In an April <a href="https://www.mcafee.com/content/dam/consumer/en-us/resources/cybersecurity/artificial-intelligence/rp-beware-the-artificial-impostor-report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> of adults in seven countries conducted by the global security-software company McAfee, one-quarter of respondents reported experience with some kind of AI voice scam — one in 10 said they had been targeted personally, while 15% said it happened to someone they knew.With just a small fee, a few minutes, and an internet connection, bad actors can weaponize AI for their personal gain. The <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcafee.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Fconsumer%2Fen-us%2Fresources%2Fcybersecurity%2Fartificial-intelligence%2Frp-beware-the-artificial-impostor-report.pdf&amp;esheet=53390925&amp;newsitemid=20230501005587&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=The+Artificial+Imposter&amp;index=1&amp;md5=de5e528bc81bd101acb39311ecae12ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from McAfee found that, in some cases, all a scammer needed was three seconds of audio to clone a person's voice. And with social media, it's easy to find a snippet of someone's voice that can then be weaponized. While Eddie and his family were able to avoid the scam, many victims of these AI-enabled con artists aren't as lucky. And as AI technology goes mainstream, these scams will only get more sophisticated.<h2>Supercharged scams</h2>Imposter scams come in many forms but typically work the same way: A scammer pretends to be someone you trust to persuade you to send them money. According to the <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/imposter-scams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTC website</a>, there are cases of imposter scammers posing as love interests, IRS officials, caregivers, computer technicians, and family members. Most scams occur over the phone, but they can also take place on social media, over text, or by email. In one traumatic <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virtual-kidnappers-scamming-terrified-parents-out-of-millions-fbi-2022-3">case</a>, Richard Mendelstein, a software engineer at Google, received a call from what sounded like his daughter Stella screaming for help. He was instructed to withdraw $4,000 in cash as a ransom payment. It was only after he had sent the money to a money-wiring center in Mexico City that he realized he had been scammed and his daughter had been safe at school the whole time. Previous iterations of virtual kidnapping scams, like the one Mendelstein's family fell victim to, used generic voice productions that vaguely lined up with the age and gender of the child. The scammers banked on parents panicking at the sound of a terrified young person — even if the voice didn't really match their kid's. But with AI, the voice on the other end of the phone can now sound eerily like the real deal. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/05/ai-voice-scam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a> reported in March that a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-canada-reportedly-lost-21000-in-ai-generated-voice-scam-2023-3">Canadian couple were scammed out of $21,000</a> after hearing an AI-generated voice that sounded like their son. In another case from this year, scammers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-scam-voice-clone-fake-kidnap-call-mother-money-ransom-2023-4">cloned the voice</a> of a 15-year-old girl and posed as kidnappers to try to get a $1 million ransom. As an online creator with over 100,000 TikTok followers, Eddie knew that fake accounts imitating him would inevitably pop up. The day before the scam call, a fake account of Eddie had appeared on Instagram and started messaging his family and friends. AI is taking the schemes to the next level. "Taking my pictures and uploading posts on Instagram is one thing," Eddie told me. "But trying to clone my voice is really freaky to think about, and it scared me." Eddie called the rest of his family to warn them about the scam and made a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@eddiecumberbatch/video/7220883549862350123?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TikTok video</a> about his experience to raise awareness.Most of us likely think we would recognize our loved one's voices in a heartbeat. But McAfee found about 70% of adults surveyed lacked confidence in distinguishing between cloned and real voices. A <a href="https://www.ndss-symposium.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ndss2019_08-3_Neupane_paper.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 study</a> found that the brain didn't register a significant difference between real and computer-generated voices. The subjects in the study incorrectly identified morphed (software-altered) recordings as real 58% of the time, leaving plenty of room for scammers to take advantage. Plus, more people are making their real voice available to scammers: McAfee said 53% of adults shared their voice data online weekly.Whether it's a kidnapping, a robbery, a car accident, or simply being stuck somewhere with no money to get home, 45% of McAfee survey respondents said they would reply to a voicemail or voice note that sounded like their friend or loved one, especially if it appeared to come from their partner, parent, or child. McAfee also found that over one-third of victims lost more than $1,000 in AI scams, with 7% losing more than $5,000. The <a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/FraudReports/SubcategoriesOverTime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTC</a> reported that victims of imposter scams lost an average of $748 in the first quarter of 2023.<h2>Faking voices</h2>While the AI technology that makes these scams possible has been around for a while, it has increasingly gotten better, cheaper, and more accessible. "One of the things that's most important to recognize with the advances in AI this year is it's largely about bringing these technologies into reach of many more people, including really enabling the scale within the cyberactor community," McAfee's chief technology officer, Steve Grobman, said. "Cybercriminals are able to use generative AI for fake voices and deepfakes in ways that used to require a lot more sophistication."He added that cybercriminals were similar to businesspeople — they look for the most efficient ways to make money. "In the past, these imposter scams were highly lucrative because when they paid off, they would often pay off with pretty substantial sums of money," Grobman said. "But if instead of having to take somebody along for three months on a romance scam to get $10,000, they can do a fake audio scam that executes in 10 minutes and get the same result. That's going to be far more lucrative."Previous phone-call imposter scams relied on a scammer's acting skills or a level of gullibility on the victim's end, but now AI does most of the legwork. Popular AI audio platforms such as Murf, Resemble, and ElevenLabs allow users to create realistic voices using text-to-speech tech. The low barrier to entry for these programs — most providers offer free trials, and these tools don't require a computing degree to figure out — make them attractive to scammers. The scammer uploads an audio file of someone's voice to one of these sites, and the site builds an AI model of the voice. With a small clip of audio, scammers can produce a 95% voice match. Then, the scammer can just type out whatever they want, and the AI voice will speak what is typed in real time.Once they've perpetrated their crime, voice scammers are difficult to catch. Victims often have limited information for police to go off, and since voice scammers operate from all over the world, there's a host of logistical and jurisdictional challenges for law-enforcement agencies. With minimal information and limited police resources, most cases are left unresolved. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/01/fraud-surges-prosecutions-slump-record-low/#:~:text=Just%20one%20in%201%2C000%20frauds,ONS)%20annual%20survey%20of%20crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In the UK</a>, just one in 1,000 fraud cases result in a charge.However, Grobman believes that if you are aware that the scams exist, you don't need to be particularly worried. All it takes if you get one of these calls is the ability to take a step back and ask a few questions that only the loved one on the other end of the phone would know the answer to. The <a href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FTC</a> has also recommended that if a loved one tells you they need money, put that call on hold and try calling your family member separately to verify the story — just as Eddie's father did. Even if a suspicious call comes from a family member's number, that, too, may be faked. Another telltale sign is if the caller asks for money through questionable channels that are hard to trace, such as wiring, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. Security experts even recommend establishing a safe word with loved ones that can be used to distinguish between a genuine emergency and a scam.<h2>Risks of AI</h2>As AI becomes ubiquitous, these kinds of scams put our ability to trust even our closest family members at stake. Thankfully, the US government is attempting to get a hold on the deceptive ways AI can be used. Supreme Court <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/21/supreme-court-online-content-section-230-gonzalez-arguments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Neil Gorsuch</a> in February highlighted the limitations of legal protections that safeguard social networks from lawsuits when it comes to content generated by AI, meaning websites are largely shielded from liability for what third parties post. And <a href="https://www.macaubusiness.com/ai-companies-have-moral-responsibility-to-protect-users-w-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vice President Kamala Harris</a> in May told CEOs of leading tech companies that they had a "moral" responsibility to protect society from the dangers of AI. Similarly, the FTC <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/02/keep-your-ai-claims-check" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told companies</a> in February: "You need to know about the reasonably foreseeable risks and impact of your AI product before putting it on the market."Ally Armeson, the executive program director of Cybercrime Support Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping businesses and people combat cybercrime, agreed that some regulation was needed. "Generative AI is evolving very quickly," she told me. "Like any technology, generative AI can be misused or exploited for harmful purposes, so certainly regulation will be necessary as these generative-AI tools continue to develop."But while there are a number of AI cybersecurity solutions being rolled out, Armeson believes that at this point, the best anyone can do is keep their wits about them and keep the conversations going: "Until all consumers have access to these security solutions, the responsibility is on us as individuals to understand the new cyberthreat landscape and protect ourselves."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/eve-upton-clark" rel="">Eve Upton-Clark</a> is a features writer covering culture and society.

The terrifying new AI scam

<keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, The growing <keyword id="10390824" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cybercrime-incidents">cybercrime incidents</keyword> now cost the world economy more than $1 trillion, or just more than one per cent of global GDP, which is up more than 50 per cent from a 2018 report that put global losses at close to $600 billion, leading cyber security firm McAfee revealed on Monday. Two-thirds of surveyed companies reported some kind of <keyword id="4844527" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-incident">cyber incident</keyword> in 2019 and the <keyword id="3262141" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="average-cost">average cost</keyword> was more than half a million dollars per incident. IP theft and financial crime account for at least 75 per cent of cyber losses and pose the greatest threat to companies, according to the report conducted in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The report. titled 'The Hidden Costs of <keyword id="6375096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cybercrime">Cybercrime</keyword>,' also explored the damage reported beyond financial losses, revealing that 92 percent of businesses felt there were other negative effects on their business beyond financial costs and lost work hours after a cyber incident. "The severity and frequency of cyber attacks on businesses continues to rise as techniques evolve, new technologies broaden the threat surface, and the nature of work expands into home and remote environments," said Steve Grobman, SVP and CTO at McAfee. "We need a greater understanding of the comprehensive impact of cyber risk and effective plans in place to respond and prevent cyber incidents given the 100s of billions of dollars of global financial impact." Damage to companies also includes downtime, brand reputation and reduced efficiency and 56 per cent of surveyed organisations said they do not have a plan to both prevent and respond to a cyber-incident. Out of the 951 organisations that actually had a response plan, only 32 per cent said the plan was effective. The system downtime was a common experience for around two thirds of respondents' organisations. The average cost to organisations from their longest amount of downtime in 2019 was $762,231, said the report based on interviews with 1,500 IT and business decision makers online. Thirty-three per cent of survey respondents stated that IT security incident resulting in system downtime cost them between $100,000 and $500,000. "As a result of system downtime, organisations lost, on average, nine working hours a week leading to reduced efficiency. The average interruption to operations was 18 hours". According to the report, it took an average of 19 hours for most organisations to move from the discovery of an incident to remediation. Nearly 26 per cent of the respondents identified damage to brand from the downtime experienced because of a <keyword id="1159547" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-attack">cyber-attack</keyword>, the McAfee report mentioned. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-ril-maruti-suzuki-nmdc-sbi-ongc-eicher-motors-likhitha-infrastructure-tata-consumer-and-others/articleshow/79600409.cms">Top stocks to watch — RIL, Maruti Suzuki, NMDC, SBI, ONGC, Eicher Motors, Likhitha Infrastructure, Tata Consumer, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/petrol-is-less-than-a-rupee-away-from-being-more-expensive-than-it-has-ever-been-for-indian-consumers/articleshow/79601841.cms">Petrol is less than a rupee away from being more expensive than it has ever been for Indian consumers</a>

The global economy lost $1 trillion to hackers, with McAfee pegging the average cost of cybercrime at $500,000

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Jeff Chiu/APIn general, there's little to no risk of your iPhone getting a virus.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The everyday risk of viruses on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a> is virtually zero, thanks to its "walled-garden" approach to software and services running on the iOS platform. </li><li>There are simple precautions you can take to protect yourself that include keeping your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a> software up to date and using strong passwords. </li><li>Users should be on guard from all kinds of security risks, not just viruses. </li></ul>Viruses and other kinds of malicious software - collectively known as malware - hang like a dark cloud over the world of technology. Security experts warn about the risk of malware on PCs and Macs, and most people run some kind of antivirus software on their desktop or laptop for protection. But what about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhones</a>? Are they also at risk? Here's what you need to know. <h2>In general, there's little to no risk</h2>In short, no. For the vast majority of everyday users, there's virtually no risk of viruses on the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhone</a>. "In the consumer space, there is so little risk as to be none," said Marc Rogers, executive director of cybersecurity at <a href="http://okta.com">Okta</a>. Rogers was the white hat hacker who was one of the first to hack Apple's Touch ID, and he is one of the technical advisors for the TV show, "Mr. Robot." Amit Serper, the head of security research at <a href="https://www.cybereason.com/">Cybereason</a>, agrees. He said the low risk is a consequence of the fact that "Apple has a very closed security model for their iOS that takes a walled garden approach." The so-called walled garden, another term for Apple's approach to requiring third-party apps and services to be specifically approved and vetted through the App Store, effectively prevents malware from taking control of the entire phone. Another factor working to the iPhone's advantage: "Apple has avoided OS fragmentation which is the curse of Android," Rogers said. Android is a much more fertile environment for malware because there are so many versions of the OS in the wild, and it's the carriers - not Google - that get to decide when or even if the operating system is patched with security updates on specific model phones. In contrast, Apple device owners update their operating system software far more frequently, and Apple doesn't have to deal with the same amount of OS fragmentation found within the Android ecosystem.<h2>No device is invulnerable</h2>That said, a more thorough answer to the question of whether <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/iphone">iPhones</a> can get viruses is that "it depends," though the number of potential viruses that could affect an iOS-based device is minuscule compared to the tens if not hundreds of thousands of known <a href="https://www.cknow.com/cms/vtutor/number-of-viruses.html">viruses for PCs</a>.Still, there are active threats in the wild today. As Rogers explained, the economic value of these exploits is so great that they are generally only leveraged by nation states against very high-value targets. "It's no surprise that nation states have been looking for ways to crack mobile devices for years," Rogers said. "You'll remember that after the San Bernardino shooting, Apple refused to open devices. It was a testament to Apple's security, but it also meant that governments had to come up with their own way in."<h2>You should take sensible precautions</h2>Though the risk to everyday users is quite low, you should still take sensible precautions - and thankfully, it requires almost no effort. It should go without saying, but do not "jailbreak" your phone. Jailbreaking is an unauthorized change to iOS that allows you to install apps that aren't found in the official Apple App Store. But moreover, the best defense against malware is to "keep your iPhone updated to the latest version," Serper said. To make sure you have the most current OS update installed, do this:<ol><li style="font-weight: 400;">Open the Settings app and tap "General."</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Tap "Software Update."</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">Make sure "Automatic Updates" is turned on.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">If there is an update available, install it. If there's no update available, it'll say that your software is up to date. </li></ol>Rogers had some other tips for avoiding malware: "Set strong passwords on your phone and online services. Only install apps you trust, and don't click on unknown links in email."<h2>The future of iPhone malware</h2>It's reasonable to assume that Apple will continue to update iOS as hackers play cat and mouse with newly discovered vulnerabilities. Steve Grobman, chief technical officer at antivirus company <a href="https://www.mcafee.com">McAfee</a>, said you should also be aware of other risks, like social exploits - in which criminals pose as a business to get you to reveal passwords and other personal information. This could be done over the phone or via email, which commonly referred to as a "phishing.""Malware is just one of many security concerns for mobile devices," Grobman said. "iOS had a significant Bluetooth vulnerability in 2018, and we recently saw security problem with FaceTime. Cybercriminals have even set up rogue Wi-fi networks in public places. Viruses are just one way in." (Apple has since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-security-audit-on-group-facetime-bug-discovers-second-flaw-2019-2">fixed the vulnerability found in group FaceTime calls.</a>)If you take simple precautions and stay vigilant, you should be safe. But as Serper said, "I'm not a fan of the popular narrative that iPhone are impervious to malware. Anything with a CPU is vulnerable."<ul class="read-more-links"><li><h3>Read more of our iPhone coverage:</h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-transfer-photos-from-iphone-to-computer" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to transfer photos from your iPhone to a computer</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-block-a-number-on-iphone" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to block a phone number on your iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-change-apple-id-on-iphone" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to change your Apple ID on an iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-rotate-a-video-on-iphone-edit" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How to rotate a saved video on your iPhone with a simple edit</a></h3></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jeff-bezos-divorce-hq2-wild-year-2019-2">What's going on with Jeff Bezos and Amazon</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Can iPhones get viruses? Here's what you need to know

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AppleThere's almost no risk of your iPad catching a virus.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The risk of viruses on an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipad">iPad</a> is virtually zero, but the device is not completely invulnerable.</li><li style="font-weight: 400;">There are quick precautions you can take to protect your device. These include turning on automatic updates for your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipad">iPad</a> and following the same safe computing practices you do on your PC, such as using strong passwords. </li><li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipad">iPad</a> users should be on guard from all kinds of security risks, not just viruses.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.</a></li></ul>Spend any time at all around a traditional desktop computer or laptop, and you'll hear dire warnings about the risks of viruses and other malware. But there's much less talk about viruses for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ios">iOS</a> devices like the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipad">iPad</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/can-iphones-get-viruses-what-you-need-to-know">iPhone.</a> Why is that? Is there an actual risk?<h2>In general, there's no risk</h2>In general, there's essentially no risk of viruses (and other malware) for the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/ipad">iPad</a>. "There is so little risk as to be none," said Marc Rogers, executive director of cybersecurity at Okta. Rogers was the white hat hacker who first hacked Apple's Touch ID, and went on to be a technical advisor for the TV show, "Mr. Robot."Why is the risk so low? Dionisio Zumerle, senior director at research firm Gartner, explained that the iPad's operating system is designed from the ground up to be compartmentalized and isolated, robbing malware of most of the techniques used by hackers to infiltrate traditional computers. "iOS retains a lot of control. For example, users don't have administrator privileges," Zumerle told Business Insider. "Applications are isolated from each other and are restricted in how they talk to the operating system. And they're filtered before going into the App Store." Precautions like those make it hard for malware attacks to take place. "Evidence of this is that a zero-day exploit that can give full remote access to an iPad is worth $2 million today," Zumerle said.<h2>But your iPad is not invulnerable</h2>Experts have documented about four dozen examples of <a href="https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/Malware_for_iOS">malware that target iOS</a> devices like the iPad, which means it's not completely invulnerable. However, that number pales in comparison to the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.cknow.com/cms/vtutor/number-of-viruses.html">viruses for PCs</a>. That said, beware of messages that your iPad has a virus. There's a good chance that this is "adware" - a message in your iPad's Safari browser that is designed to look like a virus advisory, but in reality is simply trying to lure you to a web site to buy some sort of purported anti-virus software. You can ignore this message, but if it persists, you should clear Safari's cache. 1. Open the Settings app.2. Tap "Safari."3. Tap "Clear History and Website Data," then confirm you want to do this by tapping "Clear."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderClearing your browser cache can sometimes clear your iPad of malicious online behavior.</div></div></div><h2>Take sensible precautions</h2>Though the risk to everyday users is quite low, you should still take sensible precautions - and thankfully, it requires almost no effort. The single best defense against malware is to keep your iPad updated to the latest version, as well as to keep apps updated as well. To make sure you're got the most current OS update installed, do this:1. Open the Settings app and tap "General."2. Tap "Software Update."3. Make sure "Automatic Updates" is turned on.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderBe sure you always have Automatic Updates turned on so you get critical fixes from Apple as soon as possible.</div></div></div>4. If there is an update available, install it. If there's no update available, it'll say that your software is up to date. Also, be sure that your apps are set to update automatically as well. 1. Open the Settings app.2. Tap "iTunes &amp; App Store."3. In Automatic Downloads, make sure "Updates" is turned on.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Dave Johnson/Business InsiderIf there are issues with specific apps on your iPad, try seeing if there's an update available for it. If you have automatic updates for apps turned on, you won't need to worry about this.</div></div></div>In addition, you should follow the same best practices on your iPad that you do on your desktop computer to avoid malware. That includes setting strong passwords on all of your websites, apps, and services, and using a password keeper app to keep track of them. Also, only install apps from the App Store (don't use developer tools to install apps from other sources), and don't click on unknown links in email.<h2>The future of iOS malware</h2>Of course, Apple will continue to update iOS as hackers explore and try to exploit newly found vulnerabilities. Steve Grobman, chief technical officer at device-to-cloud cybersecurity company <a href="https://www.mcafee.com/">McAfee</a>, said you should also be aware of other risks, like social exploits - in which criminals pose as a business to get you to reveal passwords and other personal information. "Malware is just one of many security concerns for mobile devices. iOS had a significant Bluetooth vulnerability in 2018," Grobman told Business Insider. "Cybercriminals have even set up rogue Wi-fi networks in public places. Viruses are just one way in."If you take simple precautions and stay vigilant, you should be safe.<h2>Related coverage from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tech-how-to">How To Do Everything: Tech</a>:</h2><ul><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/can-iphones-get-viruses-what-you-need-to-know">Can iPhones get viruses? Here's what you need to know</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remove-virus-from-iphone">How to diagnose and remove any virus from your iPhone</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-restart-ipad">How to restart and force-restart any iPad model</a></h3></li><li><h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-backup-ipad-to-icloud-computer">How to backup your iPad to iCloud or a computer</a></h3></li></ul> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tv-plus-oprah-tim-cook-original-video-service-debut-2019-3">Watch Oprah and Tim Cook debut Apple's original-video service: Apple TV+</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Can iPads get viruses? Here's what you need to know

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Ransomware is evolving and that's bad news for just about everybody except cyber-thieves.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-yourself-from-ctb-locker-ransomware-2015-6" target="_blank">Ransomware</a>, which is a form of malware, works by either holding your entire computer hostage or by blocking access to all of your files by encrypting them. A person infected with ransomware is typically ordered (via a pop-up window) to pay anything from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars in order to get the key to unlock their encrypted data.Of course, there's no guarantee that even if a victim pays the demanded amount they will actually get access to their files again, which makes dealing with ransomware somewhat of tricky issue. And with new sophisticated strands of ransomware on the rise, it's likely that more people will become infected and have to deal with the headache that comes along with it, security experts tell Business Insider.How is ransomware evolving and how is it spreading?Cyber criminals are now using the most modern cryptography to encrypt stolen files and are getting really good at making their dangerous links and downloads seem perfectly benign. One new strand of ransomware that falls into this category is called <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-yourself-from-ctb-locker-ransomware-2015-6" target="_blank">CDT-Locker</a> and is often times very hard to detect. CDT-Locker can be hidden in files in such a way that even security software can't tell its there. To make matters worse, hackers are getting people to willingly download these dangerous files by using sneaky tricks to make them appear legitimate.For example, a hacker might pose as your utility company in an email stating that they need you to fill out an attached form or else your power will be cut off. Or a hacker might even use social engineering to pose as someone in your contact list to get you to click on a link in an email.Cyber criminals are even using social media sites and newsgroup postings to spread the malicious code. "There's a lot that the facilitators are doing to take advantage of natural human reactions that we would find disturbing in the real-world," said Steve Grobman, the chief technology officer, of Intel's Security Group."They are really using any sort of content that you can put in front of a user's eyes. Whether it's Twitter or various news feeds or websites. It's any point of contact to download and run the software with the ransomware."So what do you do if you accidently fall victim to ransomware?Well, the first thing you may want to do is alert law enforcement, said Jason Glassberg, the co-founder of the security firm Casaba Security. While they might not be able to help you much, they should still be made aware of the crime.Second, you should turn off your infected computer and disconnect it from the network it is on. This is important because an infected computer can potentially take down other computers sharing the same network, Glassberg said.While the malicious software itself can be removed, getting your data back is a whole different story, Glassberg said. Because new strains of ransomware are using advaced cryptography, recovering files is pretty much impossible without the necessary key to unencrypt them, he said. So finally, you have to decide whether or not you are going to pay the ransom. If you've backed up your data on a separate hard drive you can at least recover the data you lost from the point of the last backup. And this can prevent a major headache of debating whether or not to chance paying the criminals who locked your computer. "We want to make it very clear, as far as preventing yourself from getting into this situation to begin with, it is really critical that everyone regardless of whether you are a consumer, a small business or a large business that backups are set up in such a way that they are separate from your computer. So if you are are hit by ransomware you are able to get data back without paying the ransom," Grobman said. But if you decide to risk paying the ransom you should know that the cyber criminal will likely require you to pay using Bitcoin or another virtual currency over the Tor network, which is a software used to make web browsing anonymous. This means that tracing the thieves is nearly impossible and if they decide not to unlock your computer you are pretty much out of luck and money. And even if the hackers do give you the keys to unlock your encrypted files, there is always a chance they can lock your computer again in the future to demand more payment. Considering the risks, Grobman advises against caving to the hackers. "We have seen many scenarios where even if the user pays, they don't get the recovery keys. So it's one of the reasons we tell our customers that paying the ransom is not the best course of action," Grboman said. "For starters, paying the ransom may not result in you getting your keys back. And you are also providing additonal incentives for the criminal element to continue to build ransomware and make it more effective and helping it become an even bigger problem in the future." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-power-user-hacks-2015-4">5 clever iPhone tricks only power users know about</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="huN2Zzczr6N8qz_gUrYzZxcxaCD8z5Sv" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Here's what to do if your computer gets taken over by ransomware - a form of malware taking over the internet

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>A new <a href="https://www2.trustwave.com/GSR2015.html">report by Trustwave</a> reveals that certain types of hacking can yield an insane return on investment - to the tune of 1,425%.Hackers are targeting two types of malware in 2014 to maximize how much they make: "Exploit kits" and "ransomware schemes."Exploit kits typically deliver malware through the victim's web browser, while ransomware schemes encrypt files on a victim's computer, and only decrypt them when they pay up. The average return seen by attackers using these kinds of malware was $84,100 on an investment of only $5,900.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-to-do-if-your-computer-gets-taken-over-by-ransomware-2015-6">Ransomware is evolving fast</a>, and most cyber criminals are getting really good at making the downloads that house the malware appear benign to the average user. One particularly virulent strain of ransomware is called CDT-Locker, which can hide files so well even security software can't find it.And even if you pay up, that doesn't always mean you'll get your files back. "We have seen many scenarios where even if the user pays, they don't get the recovery keys," Steve Grobman, CTO of Intel's Security Group, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-to-do-if-your-computer-gets-taken-over-by-ransomware-2015-6">told Business Insider</a>. "So it's one of the reasons we tell our customers that paying the ransom is not the best course of action."The Trustwave study pulled from 574 breach investigations the SpiderLabs team conducted to put together a comprehensive picture of 2014 trends.The report also found a 14% increase in hackers targeting payment card data over 2013, which was sought almost half the time. Victims were usually unaware they had even been compromised, and 81% of them did not detect the security breach themselves. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/watch-the-trailer-for-the-interview-2014-12">Here's The Trailer For 'The Interview' - The Movie The Hackers Don't Want You To See</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lnN2JjcjoiHWHJ37avvad3gF6eko_cmE" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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