Are you aware of tabnapping?

Posted on 25th April 2022 at 09:41

Until recently this was not a word I had ever come across. I am not a cyber security expert but I thought it might be helpful to share what I found out and how we can better protect ourselves.

I take my clients data security very seriously and recently was invited to attend an online webinar hosted by HSBC Fraud Prevention. The focus was on mortgage fraud and although this isn’t my area of financial expertise, I always try to update my CPD and find out any new learnings from other financial sectors which may benefit my clients and my business.

Here are some takeaways from the HSBC Fraud Prevention Webinar:

310,000 cases of fraudulent conduct reported in 2021

HSBC prevented 891 cases of mortgage fraud adding up to 252m

At the webinar they introduced us to tabnapping, which is one of the ways hackers can steal your data. I have since researched further and here is what I have discovered.

What is tabnapping?

The phrase was coined as far back as 2010 by a security and design researcher called Aza Raskin

Tabnapping is a type of phishing attack but it is harder to prevent as the damage is already done by the time it occurs. The hacker will have already compromised your network and are waiting for the right time to target you when the tabnapping occurs.

What are the examples of tabnapping and how are you more vulnerable to an attack?

You may not be aware of this, but if you are one of those people who keep multiple tabs open on your browser, you are more likely to be hit.

You are not alone, especially at work, when you may require access to a few sites throughout the day and it will be quicker and feels easier to leave the tabs open. This is what the hackers are looking for!

You are probably used to occasionally being logged out of a social media page and having to put your password back in, well that’s what they are waiting for. The hackers replicate a page, which looks exactly the same as one you were recently using, it could be an account where you shop regularly and with so many tabs open, you may not be aware that this is a fake account. You log back in with your password and possibly account details and they are in!

How can I prevent tabnapping on my computer?

Have as few tabs open as possible, this may be difficult if you have got into the habit of leaving tabs open, but create a routine of closing sites you are not using

Keep an eye on the URL of a website you are entering any data, especially passwords etc, try and make it a part of your processes before you enter your security information

Check out the website for spelling mistakes, and any thing that might look unusual

Keep your staff and colleagues up to date on training and get the process across of checking

a website address bar before you enter any security info into your business routines

None of the above is going to stop you being targeted but doing these simple steps will make it less likely you will have a data breach.

Have you been a victim of fraud?

If you think you have been a victim of this type of fraud, here is some more information from Action Fraud

If you are interested in finding out more about how to protect your data and cyber security in general, there is an excellent site here

Tagged as: Financial Planner