What is Phishing?

The word 'Phishing' is a little bit similar to ‘fishing’.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a type of cyber-crime used to deceive people into sharing sensitive information such as passwords or bank details. The word phishing came up as an analogy to angling with a bait in the hope that a fish would bite it. It is the most common and the easiest crime in the world of computers to commit but it is is among the most dangerous ones. It is also the oldest type of cyber-attack which is widespread and pernicious till now!

Its threat

The scam generally targets elders. But it’s still important for everyone to know and understand its consequences. We should take it seriously. Anyone using an email might click on a link and download a virus and get the computer infected without knowing. Everyone who uses internet needs to be aware about what they want to download, use and give permission to. The main threat is to give ones sensitive information such as passwords, credits card details, login details, photographs, debit card details, etc., all of which can be used to do illegal activities. Though emails are the most common way of doing this, we should be alert about other sources as well. We can also lose a lot of money it! You might now ask what we should do to get protection from it. The answer is below.

How does it work?

You now might be thinking that how does it work? Wait, I will explain.

Its attacks are done through some social networks, of which emails and phone calls are the most commonly used options. What the attacker does is it collects personal details such as name, email id, work place, information about friends or colleagues, etc., many of which are readily available on networking sites. This information is then used to draft a very convincing email or message that’s sent to the target device. The mail could seem to be sent by a bank or other legitimate source and can demand the victim to go to a particular URL or link and take some action.

Some ways to get protected from Phishing

1) Do not click on any link received from any strange email.

2) If a person asks you to tell him/her your account details, credit/debit card details be aware of him/her. If you think you are subjected to a phishing attack, consult an elder immediately.

3) You can also try copy-pasting the received link in another browser.

4) You should never give out any sensitive information on phone calls or emails.

5) You should always mouse over a link before clicking on it so as to make it know where you are going to be redirected when you click on that link. If it’s an unknown link don’t click on it.

6) This should always be remembered that what information can or cannot be put up on social networking sites.­