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<\/a>Anmol Agarwal was\u00a0flattered\u00a0\u2014but a little suspicious too.<\/span><\/p>\nThe telecom executive had just received a LinkedIn request from \u201cMelissa Lambot,\u201d a writer for\u00a0Influential Women\u00a0magazine looking to feature Agarwal as a \u201ctrailblazing woman\u201d in an upcoming issue. Lambot wanted to schedule an online interview, but since Agarwal had never heard of the publication, she first did a quick search and couldn\u2019t verify the existence of either the magazine or the journalist. She did, how-<\/span><\/p>\never, find several accounts from other people who had received the exact same request \u2014including, oddly enough, some men.<\/span><\/p>\nYou may have noticed that suspicious communications like Agarwal\u2019s have become more frequent lately\u2014and more convincing too. That\u2019s largely thanks to the ubiquity of artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT, which can create nearly flawless scripts in seconds. However, AI is only part of the overall picture, says cybersecurity expert Keren Elazari, a.k.a. The Friendly Hacker.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIn the last five years, the tech industry underwent three significant revolutions,\u201d says Elazari, a senior researcher at the Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center at Tel Aviv University in Israel. \u201cOne, with cloud technology, when companies moved their data and infrastructure onto cloud servers, it became easier for hackers to reach multiple companies through shared data centers. Two, COVID-19 and the rise of remote work created ample hacking opportunities. And three, artificial intelligence\u2014a revolution we\u2019re still in the midst of\u2014is changing how companies handle technology and customer service.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nYet many companies still approach cybersecurity as they would have in 2019, Elazari says. \u201cMake sure the cybersecurity officer at your organization is aware of what\u2019s happening in 2025, and that they\u2019re not stuck in the past,\u201d she adds. To that end,\u00a0Executive Woman\u00a0spoke with cybersecurity experts to learn about the latest scams to watch out for and the best tips to avoid them.<\/span><\/p>\nRansomware<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nAs seen in recent news stories about\u00a0Coinbase<\/span>\u00a0and the cybercrime collective Scattered Spider, ransomware remains one of the most common types of computer hacking, thanks to its high profitability. With ransomware, hackers use malware to encrypt files or lock victims out of their systems, then demand millions of dollars in ransom payments\u2014often in cryptocurrency\u2014to restore access. All executives, regardless of job responsibility, should be aware of the potential for ransomware attacks, says Sivan Tehila, program director and professor in the cybersecurity master\u2019s program at Yeshiva University in New York City and CEO and founder of Onyxia Cyber. \u201cMany modern ransomware attacks involve \u2018double extortion,\u2019 where attackers also steal data and threaten to leak it if the ransom isn\u2019t paid,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\nTo protect yourself and your organization from ransomware, Tehila recommends frequent backups of your data. \u201cA reliable, uninfected backup will allow you to restore your files without paying a ransom,\u201d she says. Also, make sure to avoid suspicious links or attachments, keep your software up to date, only download software from trusted sources, use strong passwords, and enable multifactor authorization across your accounts.<\/span><\/p>\nDeepfakes<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nDeepfakes are synthetic images, videos, or audio recordings that seem real but have been manipulated with AI. \u201cWith deepfakes, scammers can make themselves look like anyone they want\u2014even celebrities,\u201d says Agarwal, who is a senior security researcher in Dallas for Nokia, the Finnish telecom giant. From 2023 to 2024 alone, deepfakes increased 3,000 percent,\u00a0according to IBM,<\/span>\u00a0and the use of deepfakes in job interviews is a growing trend, Agarwal says. \u201cNorth Korean hackers have used deepfakes to get hired by American companies that thought they were hiring US-based employees,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\nIf you suspect you\u2019ve received a deepfake, scan it for inconsistent or unnatural facial expressions, inconsistent lighting, or out-of-sync or unusual audio, Tehila says. If you\u2019re on a video call, Agarwal suggests asking the other person to blink or put their hand near their face and wiggle their fingers, then look for discontinuities or irregularities in their face, hair, hands, or fingers. To avoid having your own image or voice show up in a deepfake, Tehila recommends being cautious about publicly sharing high-quality photos, videos, and other personal data online, as these can be used to train deepfake models.<\/span><\/p>\nRomance and sextortion scams<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nRomance scams tend to target older women, particularly if they\u2019re recently widowed, divorced, or otherwise emotionally vulnerable, while sextortion scams disproportionately prey on younger women and teenagers, especially those active on social media, gaming platforms, or messaging apps, says Audite Talukder, an information security analyst for American Express in New York City. \u201cScammers use fake profiles and pretend to be peers or attractive strangers,\u201d she says. \u201cYounger users may not fully understand privacy risks or recognize manipulation tactics, and they can be tricked into sharing explicit images.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHow to avoid romance and sextortion scams? Be highly suspicious of anyone online who won\u2019t meet in person, especially if they suddenly claim a financial emergency. Use Google Images or TinEye to reverse-search profile photos to check if they were stolen. Never share explicit images of yourself with anyone, even if you know them (or think you do). Set your social profiles to private and don\u2019t accept friend requests from unknown people. If someone threatens sextortion, saying they\u2019ll share your explicit images if you don\u2019t pay or send more, don\u2019t pay and don\u2019t respond. \u201cReport the crime to local authorities and the FBI\u2019s Internet Crime Complaint Center at\u00a0ic3.gov,<\/span>\u201d Talukder says.<\/span><\/p>\nCalendar phishing<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nFirst there was phishing, then \u201csmishing\u201d (suspicious texts, a.k.a. SMS messages), now there\u2019s calendar phishing. \u201cCybercriminals are now sending official-looking Google or Outlook calendar invites that appear to come from HR departments, networking events, or even charity fundraisers,\u201d Tehila says. Once accepted, these fake invites quietly plant malicious links or access tokens in the invitation, bypassing the recipient\u2019s inbox filters.<\/span><\/p>\nThe fix? Turn off auto-accept on calendar invites, preview any links before clicking, and double-check the sender\u2019s email domain, not just the name. \u201cIf something feels even slightly off, it probably is,\u201d Tehila says.<\/span><\/p>\nHuman hacking<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nToday\u2019s cybercrime is no longer about using programming skills to breach firewalls and the like. \u201cCriminals are going after individual employees and tricking them into sharing corporate data or even their password,\u201d Elazari says. \u201cWe know this from metrics of security incidents, which show that many hackers can log into the systems they target.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nSocial engineering is the use of psychological manipulation to convince a target to reveal sensitive or personal information. \u201cIt\u2019s the most solicited attack method because people are the weakest link in cybersecurity,\u201d says Cristina Dolan, who is an advisor for Crimson Vista, a cybersecurity engineering firm in Austin, Texas.<\/span><\/p>\nHow to avoid a social engineering attack? Fabianna Rodriguez-Mercado, a cybersecurity professional based in New York City, suggests memorizing the acronym STAR<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\nS = Slow down.\u00a0<\/strong>Scammers count on urgency, and you not having time to think, so pause and verify before responding to anything that feels rushed.<\/span><\/p>\nT = Think twice.\u00a0<\/strong>If it feels off or too good to be true, it likely is. Odd links, unusual requests, or unfamiliar senders should always raise a red flag. For example, a text message from a recruiter or the post office\u2014why would they text you?<\/span><\/p>\nA = Ask someone.<\/strong>\u00a0When in doubt, check with a colleague, friend, or IT support. A second opinion can prevent a costly mistake.<\/span><\/p>\nR = Review sources.<\/strong>\u00a0Double-check URLs, sender emails, and attachments, especially in unexpected messages. Hover before you click on anything to see if the full URL looks legitimate.<\/span><\/p>\nBy staying vigilant\u2014much as Agarwal did with the so-called journalist\u2014we can guard against social engineering tactics that take advantage of our human instinct to trust, help, and believe in others.\u00a0EW<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nSara J. Welch is an award-winning writer based in Jersey City, New Jersey, who has been\u00a0writing for\u00a0Executive Woman\u00a0since 2007.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n