Death by a thousand cuts: Daily internet threat examples
Posted by Shanna Gordon on Mon, Nov 22, 2010
Internet threats to the rights, revenues and reputation of companies have been well documented in media, particularly with respect to some significant social media issues. But what isn’t always as well documented is the fact that every day, companies are exposed to threats that, while less significant in isolation, in aggregate can have a significant impact on the achievement of business goals. This is the “Death by a thousand cuts” effect that can lead to significant erosion of consumer trust over time. Below are some examples of some of the more common type of issues that we see that need to be addressed for our clients:
Incorrect Business Listings - The number appearing on Google Maps for “Client A” was incorrect, as a result people were calling that number getting through to a “Client A’s” executive. We helped to correct this by taking ownership of that listing and changing it through Google so that only “Client A” c
ould make changes to the listing going forward.
Outdated logos and/or company names - When “Client B” went through a branding change it was important for them to reach out to affiliates to have them update the company information on their websites. Using an automated process through the client’s portal, letters were sent to each affiliate notifying them of the change and providing direction as to how to make the appropriate changes.
YouTube video removals - We have had a number of issues with people posting copywritten commercials on YouTube. Since only those authorized to act on behalf of the company should be submitting these videos, they violated YouTube's Terms of Service (TOS) and were subsequently taken down by filling the appropriate YouTube online form.
Domain Name issues - “Client C” wanted to roll out their new online order service, this service allows customers to pre-order items online and have them delivered to their local “Client C” store. The problem was that an electronics distributor in “Denmark” owned the desired domain and “Client C” had to negotiate with them to have it turned over. The lesson here is to ensure you do your due diligence before launching a campaign. While there are several ways to have domains transferred to you, including pursuing an ICANN process called “UDRP”, the simpler choice may just be pick another name!
Framed Websites – This is where the client’s corporate website appears in a frame contained within the boundaries of a third party website. This is especially important for any client that uses a login/password for their customers such as a bank. This website is more than likely pretending to be or to represent the client by displaying a copied or illegal reconstruction of the original corporate website. Because it is contained within the third party website, any data collected including usernames and passwords can be used for identity theft, spam or digital theft, if it is a bank’s website that has been framed. Many ordinary people who don’t understand internet security well do not understand the concept and the risks of a framed website.
Vanity Websites – This may be a situation where an employee of a bank for example has created a website that looks very similar if not exactly the same to the actual corporate website. This may not be malicious or have any negative intention to it, but it may not be authorized by the company and can confuse people as to who they are dealing with. This situation may also occur when a former employee has done the same thing and is still claiming to work with or at the bank when they no longer do. Again the danger with this is that a person may contact the “so called” employee and commence a business transaction with them thinking they are dealing with the bank.
Logo abuse in Social Media - Often for well-intentioned reasons, logos are posted on Twitter and Facebook, unfortunately, care isn’t always taken to adhere to brand standards. Since it is against the law to display the logos without authorization we are often called in to work with the social media sites to have the offending pages taken down.