Phishing attack, email phishing, whale phishing

8 smart ways to avoid phishing attack. [Phishing Definition and Email Phishing]

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topictrick
Earning money is not an easy task. But, keeping your money save is even tougher. Scammers are looking for an easy target for massive profits. Phishing attacks are around for the last couple of years and it booming year on year. You can protect yourself and avoid phishing scam by following top tech tips. Let's get started with What is Phishing?

Table of Contents

Introduction.

Every day, you hear that – World is getting smaller and smaller. You can live or work in any part of the world. In fact, you reach any part of the world within days or might be in a couple of hours. With the help of Skype, Google Hangouts, Teams, or Apple’s FaceTime. You can talk face to face to almost anyone in the world with broadband. In the 21st century, almost all information is available on the internet. You can access this information anytime and from any part of the world.

In fact, virtual connectivity has become such a common phenomenon in our society. But, the excess dependency and use of technology have their implication. In fact, sometimes you have to pay a very steep cost and difficult-to-recover from the incident.

People with criminal background use technology to steal billions of Euro from customers bank accounts. In some cases, they used the social media platform to spread fake news, blackmail, phishing attacks etc. The Internet was design and built as an open platform for people to meet and exchange data or idea. But, these days companies spend huge amount of money to keep internet safe and preventing hackers from the break-ins.

Criminals are watching for you to make a mistake so they can obtain your password(s) when you allow them to access unwittingly.

What is Phishing? [Phishing Definition]

In laymen’s term, Phishing stands for a scam. In Phishing, an Internet user is tricked into disclosing personal or confidential details such as username, passwords, credit card details or bank account details. The scammer uses confidential details illegally. In general, the scammer, contact users via email, mobile call, texts message or probably a fake social media account.

Did you know?

Ph – The letter Ph of Phishing means “illicit act”.

CEO Phishing
Phishing Definition
Type of Phishing, Phishing attacks, Phishing scam
Type of Phishing attacks.

Type of Phishing?

Phishing attacks such as email phishing, spear phishing are very common, scammers generally used different techniques to steal personal details such as username, passwords, credit card details or bank account details. Phishing attacks are classified as follows:

Email Phishing.

It is one of the most popular among hackers. As the name suggests, the scammer sends an email to the customer from a fake domain requesting personal details. Email generally request you to click on a certain link after filling in the required details. The fake domains are generally registered with the name of a bank or government institution.

Spear phishing.

Spear-phishing is a coordinated attempt to steal confidential information from a particular user, such as user name, account credentials or financial information such as credit card, for malicious purposes. This is the most effective and common method of obtaining sensitive information on the internet, Spear phishing accounting for 91% of all attacks.

Whaling Phishing.

A whaling attack is like spear phishing, it is also known as CEO fraud. In whaling phishing, the targets are higher – thus the name whale phishing. Cybercriminals target senior management such as CEO, VP, CFO, CTO, etc.

Smishing and vishing.

The two new variants of Phishing are Smishing and vishing. In this form of a phishing attack, the scammer targets mobile phones via SMS or social media chatting apps. Phishers generally send a text message that appears from trusted senders (i.e. Bank, Govt Agency etc).

Top tips to avoid online phishing scams.

It is always said that “Prevention is better than cure”. You should be vigilant while sharing your details on social media. In fact, you should never ignore the fact that bad guys can not be identified from the face. Following are the top tech tips or BT Tech tips to avoid phishing.

Phishing definition, phishing scam
Phishing Scam

Tip #1. Keep your eyes peeled for scammers.

During pandemic time everybody is working from home and scammer take advantage of the current situation. They pretend to legitimate support executive or a banking officer or a government agency etc. Think twice before you share any personal information.

Tip #2. How to avoid getting scammed.

There are plenty of ways to avoid phishing scams such as Email scam. You should read the email. If the email asks for an urgent response, request your personal details, or ask to download some attachments. In such a case, you never responded and revalidate the authenticity of an email.

Tip #3. Never post personal information.

Humans tend to commit mistakes and scammer are waiting for that moment. It's simple but very important, never share personal information (birth date, phone number, etc.) over the internet. Even a small piece of information can lead to disaster.

Tip #4. Staying up-to-date.

The scammer is active 24x7 and they always look for targets. You should be extra vigilant. Phishing can happen at any time so always think before you click. Always keep your laptop or any other device updated with the latest software. Check the law enforcement agencies website for the latest information.

Tip #5. Don't Look for a Free Stuff.

People are crazy about free items. But, they don't know that free is not always free. In fact, sometimes you end up paying a heavy price. Think twice before you click on any link that offers a free product or service.

Tip #6. Don't Be Careless with Your Phone.

The mobile phone has become a necessity of life and mobile has almost all the information. You should be extra careful while answering a phone call or responding to any text message. You should never respond to social media message if it is not legitimate or offering you a free service. Keep your mobile phone password protected and updated with the latest software versions.

Tip #7. Don't Trust Anyone Over ... Anything.

Phishing can happen to anyone at any time and in any part of the work. Follow the simple thumb rule "Never Trust Anyone!". Think twice before interacting with any unverified person over the internet. Never share your confidential information.

Tip #8. Report Immediately.

If you receive an email requesting personal details on behalf of a bank or government agency. Then you should report immediately to the concerned agency. For example, if you receive any phishing email on behalf of Paypal, then report phishing emails, spoofing PayPal.

Summary.

Finally, you should be extra vigilant while interacting over the internet or phone. You should only share details with legitimate and verified people or family friends only if it’s necessary. Think twice before you share any information over the internet or over the phone. Scammers are active 24×7 and your minor mistake can end us with huge monitory loss.