Hornbill Festival: Vendors, Visitors Urged to Be Vigilant Against Cybercrimes

Nagaland is transforming into a bustling hub of activity as the highly-anticipated Hornbill Festival prepares to kick off. While the event promises to celebrate culture, art, and commerce with unparalleled enthusiasm, cybersecurity experts have sounded an alarm, highlighting potential vulnerabilities that crooked cybercrooks might exploit.

Festival-goers and vendors alike are being warned to keep their digital feet grounded amidst the vibrant celebrations. As many festivals increasingly become cashless, digital transactions and e-books sales are emerging as the preferred channels for tourists to book accommodations and buy event merchandise, however this trend can be exploited for malicious purposes according to security analyst Pangerkumzuk Longkumer.

The main threat lies in fake payment confirmations, false online store fronts, counterfeit websites advertising festival packages, along with deceptive Quick Response (QR) codes designed to capture unsuspecting customers into some of the many digital scams circulating. Scammers are likely to manipulate innocent property listings over unverified platforms like social media or apps in order to fleece tourists for advance payments.

During festival management, businesses managing a large influx of customers and using digital payment systems can fall victim to a number of attacks including financial losses and digital data theft if they lack knowledge about general cybersecurity. Pangerkumzuk Longkumer warned: "As vendors use increasingly popular digital payment channels and mobile apps to manage sales - there is an increasing threat from malicious individuals who hack these systems to steal money."

To shield themselves against these cyber threats, security experts recommend that all festival-goers be prepared with the following measures in place:

Cybersecurity Tips for Vendors:

Use secure online banking services if you must make transactions via email Never download emails or attachments if they contain attachment icons

Cybersecurity Suggestions for festival Participants:

Ensure you book accommodations through trusted platforms only. Only check official festival websites before booking homestays.

A comprehensive list of security recommendations and tips would also be provided by cyber security experts to all festival-goers:

• Set up 2-factor authentication on your social media accounts
• Regularly check the latest digital safety trends on the internet.