Phishing

Phishing

1. Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where an attacker attempts to steal information by posing as a representative of a trusted brand. The most common form of phishing attacks uses the electronic medium of communication, such as emails, text messages or social media posts. To avoid phishing, one must be aware of phishing attempts and should read more about the subject to be updated with new and advance methods of phishing. Lacking appropriate knowledge might cause the victim to fall prey to phishing scams. The internet browser used in personal computers must be updated regularly so that they can detect phishing activities. In case of any phishing emails, one should report the mail to authorities if possible, and block the sender to avoid receiving such emails. For clickbait phishing attempts, the security of the website should be verified before clicking. To detect and prevent phishing, anti-phishing tools must be installed in computers.
2. Phishing attempts can be prevented to a great extent by merely being aware of them. In case of any received emails or messages, the first step should be deleting them and blocking the sender if possible. In case of any clickbait attempts which asks the user to click on links to websites, the security of the website should be confirmed before clicking. Security patches of the browser used for browsing the internet should be up to date so that they can protect against any malware attached with phishing emails. Online passwords must be changed regularly, to make them resistant to brute force attacks associated with phishing. Online firewalls should be used so that the browsing is secured and safe from unwanted malware. Phishing attempts may use advanced software to break in the system to avoid these, and appropriate anti-malware software must be installed in the computer which would give protection against these threats.
3. Phishing emails are one of the most common forms of social engineering attempts these days, where an external user attempts to steal information by faking a story and demanding information from the receiver. The information received would be otherwise difficult to obtain. The sender of the email fabricates the emails in such a way that it appears like an email sent from a trusted source. This often confuses people and them giveaway the information. To avoid phishing attempts, people should have awareness about phish8ing and its effects. Also, it is essential to be updated about phishing attempts, as phishing attempts are becoming advanced and are using new techniques to steal data. Any suspected phishing messages should be deleted. Network firewalls should be installed so that any probable phishing attempts are detected and reported. Bank records and documents should be updated regularly to avoid phishing attempts which claim a deduction of funds from the bank account.
4. Phishing attempts can be avoided in multiple ways. Firstly, users should know possible phishing attempts and should read up on past cases of people who have fallen victim of phishing attempts. Online accounts must be secured by using strong passwords. To avoid credit card phishing and other bank-related phishing attempts, bank records must be kept up to date and ready. Sometimes, pop up browser windows open up and pose as a trusted source from a trusted website. To avoid these types of attempts, network firewall should be installed. Anti-phishing toolbars must be installed and updated. Also, users should avoid giving out personal information over mail to unknown parties. Before clicking on any website link or URL mentioned in such letter, the credibility of the website should be checked. For this, appropriate anti-malware software must be installed in the system. Files from unknown sources should not be downloaded in the system.