10 Types of Online Risk
The 10 categories of online harm
Online risks can be broadly categorized into several categories:
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Cybersecurity Threats: These include malware (viruses, worms, Trojans), phishing attacks, ransomware, and hacking attempts aimed at stealing sensitive information or disrupting systems.
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Privacy Concerns: Risks related to the unauthorized collection, use, or disclosure of personal information. This can include identity theft, data breaches, and invasive tracking practices by companies or advertisers.
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Online Scams and Fraud: Various schemes designed to deceive users for financial gain, such as fake websites, sextortion, fraudulent emails, investment scams, and online shopping scams.
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Cyberbullying and Harassment: Harmful behavior conducted online, including cyberbullying, grooming, harassment, stalking, and trolling, which can have serious emotional and psychological impacts on victims.
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Content Risks: Exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, including explicit material, violent content, extremist propaganda, and misinformation or disinformation campaigns.
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Social Engineering Attacks: Manipulative tactics used by malicious actors to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security, such as pretexting, baiting, and impersonation.
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Online Reputation Damage: Risks associated with negative online interactions or content that can harm an individual’s or organization’s reputation, including defamation, negative reviews, and social media backlash.
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Phishing: Attempts to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or financial data, through deceptive emails, messages, or phone calls.
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Device and Data Theft: Risks related to the loss or theft of devices containing sensitive information, as well as unauthorized access to data stored on devices or transmitted over networks.
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Emerging Threats: New and evolving risks arising from technological advancements, such as Internet of Things (IoT) vulnerabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) misuse, and deepfake manipulation.
