The 3 Types of Phishing to Look Out For
When we talk about phishing, we are typically referring to email phishing. However, that is far from being the only type you should be looking out for. There are several ways that scammers can steal information from you, so let’s talk about a few different types of phishing you may be targeted for:
#1 Email phishing
You are probably familiar with email phishing. It is the most common type and frequently encountered in everyday life.
A recent scam email masquerades as Amazon Prime and warns that unless you click through to update your details in 24 hours, you lose access to the account.
Once the victim clicks through, they land on a fake website that steals there log-in details. These can be then be used by the cybercriminals to access credit card data and other sensitive information about them.
How to protect yourself against it:
- Always check the sender of the email; more often than not, it will be a random address.
- Do not download any attachments from unverified sources, as they are almost guaranteed to infect your computer with malware.
- Remember that most companies will never ask you for your password.
#2 Spear phishing
Much like “traditional” phishing, spear phishing is perpetuated via email, but as the name suggests, it is more specifically targeted than the first type.
These emails are sent to specific targets that they have already been able to find out information about:
- name
- address
- phone number
- employment details, etc.
Armed with this personal information, they follow the same plan as regular phishing – trying to get the victim to click through to a malicious URL and surrender their details.
How to protect yourself against it:
- Avoid making public any information about yourself and your company, if possible.
- As always, pay close attention to the sender of the email and there supposed intent.
- Invest in malware detection software; this will alert you of malicious content.
#3 Whaling/white whale phishing
Whaling is the most sophisticated and “high-level” type of phishing. White whaling does not go after just any victim, only CEOs and senior executives.
The aim is to obtain highly valuable and sensitive information by tricking the victim with the same kind of very specific, targeted email used in spear-phishing – but this time masquerading as other senior employees.
Once in the possession of this information, the scammers can gain access to other sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers, company email addresses, and even tax information for all the company employees.
How to protect yourself against it:
- Make sure that employees at all levels undergo cybersecurity training, including those at senior and executive levels.
- Ensure that all senior and executive devices are equipped with malware detection software and the most effective anti-virus software.
- Make use of multi-factor authentication, especially for payment authorization. That way, even if sensitive information falls into the wrong hands, they will not be able to easily commit fraud.
As you can see, phishing threats are not limited to just the typical emails. They go beyond that, and into more targeted, sophisticated ways of obtaining information. It is important to be aware of all of them, so that you may protect yourself accordingly.
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