What is phishing attack? Attack techniques and how to prevent it.
Phishing attack or Identity theft is a type of social engineering attack that is often used to steal user data, including login details and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, impersonating an object, cheats the victim by opening an email, instant message, or text message. The recipient is then tricked into clicking on a malicious link, which may lead to malware installation, program freezing as part of a ransomware attack or exposure to sensitive information. This article will discuss the different types of criminal tactics for stealing sensitive information and preventing them.
Phishing techniques for stealing sensitive information
Here is a brief look at the five most common Phishing threats that often appear in business settings. Each example includes “Bob,” a middle-class employee in the finance department who tries to get through his busy day and respond to hundreds of emails.
1. Breach of Trust – Bob receives an email from what he thinks is his bank asking him to confirm the transfer of the cable. The email is kind to a link that looks like his bank’s website but is actually a “copy” of his bank’s website. When he came to the page, he entered his book but nothing happened. Too late, Bob already gave his cyber-criminal his bank password.
2. False Lottery – Bob receives an email claiming to have won a prize in sweepstakes. Usually, Bob has a great deal of ingenuity to fall into this category. But, this email is from his manager, Joe, and points to an organization that helps both poor people who support him. You click, save it to a fake page loading malware.
3. Data Update – Bob receives an email from Joe telling him to look at the attached text. Document contains malware. Bob may not even notice what happened. You look at this text, which seems familiar. The malware can unlock its keys for months, endanger the entire network, and lead to serious security breaches across the organization.
4. Psychological Abuse – Bob receives an email from someone claiming to be Joe’s brother-in-law. She is suffering from cancer and her insurance has been canceled. He asks Bob to offer to help him recover from his illness. Bob clicks on the link and is taken to the fraudulent site. The site may deal with malware or simply steal Bob’s credit card details with “fake online” donations.
5. Hypocrisy Can Bob make money right away? Looks like it’s normal. Bob connects the money to the requested account. Money is not downloadable and has never been seen again.
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Prevent Phishing attack
1. Keep up-to-date with phishing scams – new scam scams are on the rise. Without dwelling on these new forms of identity theft, you could fall into the trap of another. Keep your eyes peeled for news about new scam crime scams. By finding out about them quickly, you will be in a much lower risk of being caught in one trap. For IT managers, ongoing training on security awareness and identity theft for all users is highly recommended to keep security in mind throughout the organization.
2. Think Before You Click! – It is best to click on links when on trusted sites. Clicking links from random emails and instant messages, but, is not such a wise move. Hover over links that you’re not sure about before clicking them. Are they earning where they are supposed to pay? An email to steal sensitive information may mean it is from a legitimate company and if you click the link to the website, it may look like a real website. An email may ask you to fill in details but the email may not contain your name. Most phishing emails will start with “Dear Customer” so you should be careful when encountering these emails. If in doubt, go directly to the source rather than clicking on a potentially harmful link.
3. Install Anti-phishing Toolbar – Well-known Internet browsers can be customized with anti-theft tools. Such toolbars quickly scan the sites you visit and compare them to a list of known identity theft sites. If you come across a bad site, the toolbar will warn you about it. This is just one step away from being protected from the fraudulent theft of sensitive information, and it is completely free.
4. Ensure Site Security – It is natural to be cautious about providing sensitive financial information online. As long as you are on a secure website, however, you should not get into trouble. Before posting any information, make sure the site URL starts with “https” and there should be a closed lock icon next to the address bar. See also site safety certificate. If you receive a message that a certain website may contain bad files, do not open the website. Never download files from emails or suspicious websites. Search engines can also show specific links that can lead users to a criminal web page to steal sensitive information that offers less expensive products. If a user makes a purchase on that website, credit card details will be obtained by cyber criminals.
5. Check Your Online Accounts Regularly – If you do not visit your online account for a while, someone may also have a field day with you. Even if you don’t need the technology, check with each of your online accounts regularly. Make it a practice to change your passwords frequently. To prevent the theft of sensitive bank and credit card information, you should check your statements regularly. Get monthly statements of your financial accounts and inspect all entries carefully to ensure that no fraudulent activity is done without your knowledge.
6. Keep Your Browser Update – Security patches are always issued to popular browsers. They are removed in response to security breaches by hackers and other hackers and exploited. If you personally ignore messages about updating your browsers, stop. The moment the update is available, download and install it.
7. Use Firewalls – High quality firewalls serve as a distraction between you, your computer and external intruders. You must use two different types: desktop firewall and network firewall. The first option is software type, and the second option is hardware. When used together, they greatly reduce the risk of attackers and hackers infiltrating your computer or network.
8. Beware of Pop-Ups – Pop-up windows often act as official elements of a website. Often, however, they are attempts to steal sensitive information. Many popular browsers allow you to block criminals; you can basically allow them on charges. If a person can slip through the cracks, do not click the “cancel” button; such buttons often lead to criminal sites stealing sensitive information. Instead, click the small “x” in the top corner of the window.
9. Never Disclose Personal Information – As a general rule, you should never share personal or financial information online. The law goes back to the days of America Online, when users had to be constantly warned about the success of criminal scams to steal sensitive sensitive information. If in doubt, go visit the main website of the company in question, get their number, and call them. Most phishing emails will direct you to pages where financial or personal information is required. An Internet user has never entered a password for links provided in emails. Never send sensitive email to anyone. Make it a practice to check a website address. Secure website always starts with “https”.
10. Use Antivirus Software – There are many reasons to use anti-virus software. Special signatures are included with the antivirus software to combat the operation of popular technologies and spaces. Just make sure you keep your software up to date. New definitions are added all the time because new scams are also a dream come true. Anti-spyware and firewall settings should be used to prevent phishing attacks and users should update programs regularly. Firewall protection prevents access to malicious files by preventing attacks. Antivirus software scans all files that go online to your computer. It helps prevent damage to your system.