Other attacks

Now, we will explore the dark underbelly of the digital landscape as we delve into the realms of extortion, the pervasive spread of fake news, and the deceptive allure of forex scams.

Sextortion

Sextortion is a form of cybercrime where malicious individuals or groups threaten to reveal sensitive or damaging information about a person or organization unless a demand is met. The primary goal of these attacks is to exploit fear, embarrassment, or financial repercussions to coerce victims into complying with the attackers’ demands.

In email sextortion attacks, the attacker sends threatening messages to the victim, often claiming to have compromising or confidential information. They demand a payment, usually in cryptocurrency, in exchange for keeping the information secret. The attacker may threaten to leak sensitive data, publish damaging content, or disrupt the victim’s online presence.

Figure 6.4 is an example of what a sextortion attack can look...