Cyber Safety and Digital Security
Cyber Safety and Digital Security
This domain tests your knowledge of online fraud, account takeover, harassment, and digital evidence. In the Maldives, the Cyber Crimes Act 2020 creates offences for unauthorized access, data interference, computer-related fraud, and related abuse; the Maldives Police Service Cyber Crime Department handles reports.
Core rules and concepts
- Social engineering targets people, not systems. A caller claiming to be from a bank, a prize link, or a fake login page is trying to obtain an OTP, password, or card number.
- Never share an OTP. A genuine bank will not ask for it by phone, message, or social media.
- Preserve evidence: do not delete messages, call logs, emails, or the account. Screenshot the profile, URL, transaction time, and number.
- Report quickly to the bank and police so that transaction records and subscriber data can be requested before they are lost.
- Digital evidence needs continuity: record who collected the device, when, and where; avoid examining original media unnecessarily.
Worked example
A person receives a call saying their card is blocked. The caller asks for the OTP sent by the bank. The person shares it and money is withdrawn. The correct response is to call the bank immediately, ask for the card to be blocked, preserve the SMS and call log, and report to police. The officer should record the timeline and request bank and telecom records. The reasoning is that the OTP was the authentication key; speed and preservation are what make tracing possible.
Traps
- Blaming the victim instead of investigating the fraud.
- Telling the victim to delete the account or messages.
- Clicking suspicious links on a police device to check them.
- Posting evidence on social media, which can alert suspects and contaminate the case.