Phishing? Here’s Why You Need To Know About It

With the massive increase in remote work due to COVID-19, there has also been an explosion in cyber criminal activity like phishing. Not only is phishing still prevalent, but it continues to be on the rise.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals impersonate legitimate organizations via email, text message, advertisement or other means in order to steal sensitive information. This is usually done by including a link that will appear to take you to the company’s website to fill in your information – but the website is a clever fake and the information you provide goes straight to the crooks behind the scam.

The term “phishing” is a spin on the word fishing, because criminals are dangling a fake “lure” (the legitimate-looking email, website or ad) hoping users will “bite” by providing the information the criminals have requested – such as credit card numbers, account numbers, passwords, usernames or other valuable information.

For Instance;

Some types of Phishing Attacks

Standard Email Phishing – Arguably the most widely known form of phishing, this attack is an attempt to steal sensitive information via an email that appears to be from a legitimate organization. It is not a targeted attack and can be conducted en masse.

Malware Phishing – Utilizing the same techniques as email phishing, this attack encourages targets to click a link or download an attachment so malware can be installed on the device. It is currently the most pervasive form of phishing attack.

Smishing – SMS-enabled phishing delivers malicious short links to smartphone users, often disguised as account notices, prize notifications and political messages.

Vishing – Vishing, or voice phishing, involves a malicious caller purporting to be from tech support, a government agency or other organization and trying to extract personal information, such as banking or credit card information.

Man-in-the-Middle Attack – A man-in-the-middle attack involves an eavesdropper monitoring correspondence between two unsuspecting parties. These attacks are often carried out by creating phony public WiFi networks at coffee shops, shopping malls and other public locations. Once joined, the man in the middle can phish for info or push malware onto devices.

Avoiding Phone Scams

As discussed above, vishing is an attempt to collect sensitive information over the phone. Attackers often pretend to be with tech support, your bank or a government agency to steal account information or even gain remote access to your computer.

Follow these five best practices to avoid getting vished:

1. Be skeptical when answering calls from unknown numbers, even when the number appears to be local.
2. If they ask for personal information, don’t provide it over phone.
3. Use a caller ID app, but don’t trust it completely.
4. Search for the caller’s phone number online, even while on the call, to see if it’s a known scam.
5. If the call is about a product or service you use, go to the vendor’s website or call the vendor directly to confirm the claim.

What to Do if You’ve Been Phished

If you find you are the victim of a phishing scam, change all of your passwords immediately. Since most people use the same password for multiple sites (we hope you don’t), cybercriminals could be in the process of gaining access to your other accounts on commonly used sites.

 

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