When going through cybersecurity news and articles we have all come across a term called phishing. But the question arises is that, what is phishing? It is a type of scam to steal your information, steal your money, and perform identity theft.
Here are some common phishing scams that you should look out for:
The Malicious Microsoft Office File
In this, the malicious Microsoft Office file is sent to the user instructing them to open and edit the document or just go through the document. These Microsoft Office files contain malware, ransomware, spyware, and Trojans and when you open any such file, your system gets infected.
How to stay protected from it?
Do not open attachments you receive from unknown sources. Always use the latest version of Microsoft Office on your system. Install a trusted antivirus and antimalware product on your machine.
The Irate customer
This scam is used for the businesses. In this phishing technique, a message is sent to the organization posing as a customer facing a problem. The message sent is infected and opening it will infect the whole network. In case, the first message gets ignored then another message is sent.
Once the unsuspecting employee opens the message and attachment, the whole system gets infected.
How to stay protected?
Before opening the attachments check if the customer is genuine or not. And if there is any suspicion then ask the customer to explain the issue and send the records. Keep a good antivirus and antimalware program installed on your system.
The Fake Job Listing
Scammers put fake job listings on online job portals and often send emails to the job seeker requesting personal information. Once the user enters the information, the same will be transferred to the scammers which will then be used for identity theft.
There is no job in this type of application; however, the only thing the user will get is their identity gets stolen.
How to stay away from this scam?
Check the credibility of the organization. Check if the job portal website is legitimate or not. Check the company address if it is true. You can also call the company and confirm if requirements are true or not.
Also Read : Systems That Are Vulnerable To Attacks
Update Personal Information Requests or to Resolve a Discrepancy
We have all received emails requesting us to send or change our personal information from our bank or credit card company. There is very little chance that bank or credit card company will send emails requesting the information. Scammers send these emails in order to get information, they make very good fake clone of the websites of bank or credit card company. Once you enter the information it gets transferred to the scammers.
How to stay protected?
Always check the message for grammatical errors and do a spell check, scammers often make these types of mistakes. Also, check the URLs present in the message, they should be wrongly spelled. Also contact the bank or credit card company directly and then update the information.
Messages from Friend’s Social Media Account
Scammers hack a user’s account and start sending messages on behalf of the person who’s account is hacked. Messages will be sent to the friends and family, requesting them to send money or to click on the link they have sent. These links will redirect them to fake websites from which their system will get infected.
How to avoid it?
Whenever you receive any suspicious from friends and family, always contact them and inquire about the messages they have sent. Do not click on any suspicious links from the messages. You can also secure your accounts by using two-factor authentication.
Spear Phishing Attack
These attacks often carry out on an organization. Scammers steal the personal and professional details of the person working in the organization. After stealing the information, they create the fake account of the person and start sending the messages to the employees requesting them to send information or to click on the malicious link.
Must Read : How Safe Is Your Android Phone For A Digital Transaction?
How to avoid it?
Always double check if the message that is sent is being sent by a genuine person or not. Check if the link is fake or not. Check every email and message with caution.
Phishing attacks can be avoided with little knowledge. We should install best antivirus program on our system with a best antimalware program. These programs will help in removing any threats present on the system and will also block the malicious links. Phishing attacks are becoming more common and common; therefore, they must be stopped at any cost.
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