Identify Security Risks
In the Identify section, you’ll learn how to recognize the warning signs of online threats, such as suspicious emails, unfamiliar login requests, unauthorized access attempts, and other red flags. Understanding these signals is the first critical step in responding confidently and protecting yourself and your data. Use this section to sharpen your awareness and equip yourself with the knowledge to spot trouble before it becomes a problem.
Click each section below to learn more.
Human-Driven Threats
How to identify fishing:
- Email or message uses urgent or threatening language (“Act now or your account will be closed!”).
- Sender address is unusual, domain mismatches, or looks very similar but slightly off from a legitimate address.
- Generic greeting (“Dear Customer” instead of your name).
- Spelling, grammar errors, odd punctuation, weird formatting. Links that don’t match the displayed domain, attachments you weren’t expecting
- A message asks you for sensitive data (passwords, SSN, credit card info) unexpectedly.
How to identify cyberbullying:
- Repeated negative/hate messages, comments or posts directed at someone via social media, gaming communities or chat rooms.
- Unwelcome sharing of embarrassing images or personal information about someone.
- Someone being excluded from online groups or conversations.
- The target reports feeling anxious, stressed, or excluded because of online behavior.
- The content is persistent or escalates across platforms.
How to identify online predators:
- A person you (or your child) don’t know contacts you online, often pretending to be a peer or using a fake profile.
- They quickly seek to move from public platform to private message, ask for personal information, gifts, or photos.
- They use flattery, secrecy (“Don’t tell your parents”), or pressure to send explicit content.
- They try to meet in person or connect outside the safe platform.
- Changes in behaviour: the child becomes secretive about their online activity, limits sharing of who they're talking to.
How to identify doxing:
- Your personal details (address, phone number, email) suddenly appear online in places you didn’t post them.
- You receive harassment or threats after someone has published your personal info.
- You notice unknown individuals refer to your personal data or use it to intimidate.
- There is a spike in unwanted contact, unknown access to accounts or messages referencing details you never shared.
- Your online searches for your name show unexpected or suspicious exposure of private info.
How to identify identity theft:
- Unexpected bills or transactions you didn’t make.
- Accounts locked out or unable to access because someone changed your password.
- Receiving credit card or loan applications you didn’t request.
- Notifications from your bank or credit monitoring service about unusual activity.
- You notice your personal information (like address, birthdate) being used in places unexpectedly.
How to identify social engineering threats:
- Unexpected bills or transactions you didn’t make.
- Creates Urgency: Uses high-pressure tactics or threats of account suspension to force immediate action.
- Impersonates Authority: Claims to be a CEO, government official, or IT support to gain compliance.
- Plays on Emotions: Appeals to fear, curiosity, or a desire to help a "friend" in distress.
- Promises Big Rewards: Offers prizes, free money, or deals that seem too good to be true.
- Builds False Trust: Quickly references shared details or acquaintances to disarm your skepticism.
Technical Threats
How to identify keylogging:
- Your device becomes significantly slower or starts lagging more than usual (mouse/keyboard delays).
- The cursor disappears or jitters, or strange things happen while typing (characters you didn’t intend).
- Unfamiliar programs running in Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) that you don’t recognize.
- On mobile devices: sudden battery drain, device heat up, odd shutdowns.
- Hardware keylogger: physical extra device plugged in between keyboard and computer, or hidden USB dongle.
How to identify Malware:
- Unexplained spikes in network traffic or large amounts of data being sent when you’re idle (could signal malware is communicating).
- Files get encrypted or you see ransom demands (specific to ransomware).
- Pop-ups, applications you didn’t install, unauthorized permissions granted.
- System behavior changes: random crashes, strange icons, unexpected reboots.
- External drives/USBs plugged in, or you downloaded something from an untrusted source. (Given how malware is often introduced.)
AI and Emerging Digital Threats
How to identify AI dependency:
- You begin trusting AI-generated content without checking its accuracy.
- You use AI tools to do work (essays, research, decisions) without verification.
- You assume “because AI said so” is enough, and skip basic fact-checking.
- You notice decisions made by AI tools that don’t make sense or have errors that a human would catch.
- You realize your critical thinking or decision-making process is being bypassed by always relying on AI.
How to identify deepfakes:
- Oddities in videos or images: lip movements not matching speech, unnatural blinking, weird shadows or lighting.
- The source is unknown or not credible; you weren’t expecting the media.
- Metadata inconsistent (dates/times don’t make sense); file quality odd.
- Reverse-image or video search reveals the content has been reused elsewhere in a different context.
- The message is emotionally charged, urging you to believe or act quickly before verifying.
How to identify AI bias:
- You notice AI systems consistently giving different results for the same type of person based on race, gender, age, or other characteristics.
- Search results, recommendations, or content suggestions seem to favor certain groups while excluding or negatively portraying others.
- AI-powered hiring tools, loan applications, or academic platforms appear to treat similar candidates differently based on demographic factors.
- Voice assistants, chatbots, or translation tools respond less accurately or helpfully to certain accents, languages, or cultural references.
- Social media algorithms consistently show you content that reinforces stereotypes or creates "filter bubbles" that limit diverse perspectives.
- AI-generated images, stories, or examples predominantly feature certain demographics while underrepresenting others.
- Automated systems (like facial recognition or content moderation) work less effectively for people with certain physical characteristics or cultural backgrounds.
How to identify data privacy issues:
- You’re asked for excessive information by apps/websites (more than seems necessary).
- An app or service you use collects your location, contacts, or personal behaviour data with minimal explanation.
- You find your personal data being used for adverts or offers you didn’t expect.
- Your data appears in breach notifications, or you see indications your credentials were exposed.
- You receive targeted scams or unsolicited offers that seem based on behaviour/profile data.