The digital world is full of hidden enemies who are always hell bound to steal your information. They use different tactics, including spamming and phishing, to compromise the security of your website and deal a fatal blow. This is why online security has emerged as the key concern of the modern-day virtual world.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is the name of hacking attempts that are a result of lucrative or enticing offers that are too hard to say no. Hackers generally want webmasters or website owners to perform a task by sending a malicious link in the garb of free gadgets or piles of cash. Once you click on these suspicious links, you give hackers a great chance to get their files installed on your device. Normally, they ask you to click on a link or download an attachment, which allows them to access your machines.
Common Forms of Phishing
The phishing threat has increased at par with the growth of the internet. Now, banks are not the only institutions facing the threat of phishing and hacking. Top financial technology apps and services like Amazon, eBay, and PayPal are also at risk of getting compromised. We have listed down some of the most common types of phishing attempts below.
1. Whaling
Whaling is popularly known as “CEO Fraud. It happens when a top official of a company falls prey to the phishing attempt. In this case, the hacker or phisher directs workers of that particular company to transfer funds to an unknown account. Top celebrities, players, or politicians can be a victim of whaling incidents. It takes more than just hacking to carry out this crime since the company’s top executives don’t really have a direct connection with every department.
2. Deception
This is the prime example of phishing as in this case, phishers lure their target into something attractive or rewarding. Hackers generally carry out deceptive phishing by creating a fake business website and steal data by offering a lucrative proposition to their targets.
3. Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is a way of reaching targets with personalized fraudulent messages. The idea is to make them sound more believable. Hackers get the contact information of their targets, i.e. name, organization, contact number, email address, etc, from websites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Indeed.
4. Phishing Kits
You must have come across instances where you would have accidentally downloaded a software. Such software is quite dangerous because they launch huge phishing campaigns and send mass emails to spread phishing.
5. Login Impersonification
Hackers use fake login pages of leading online services like Facebook, Google Drive, etc, to steal login information from your social media or email accounts. However, you can maintain your online security by using two-factor authentication, which makes you log into your account by receiving a password or code on your cell phone instantly. If someone tries to log into your account, you get an alert on your cell phone or email address. If the login attempt is not yours, you can cancel it instantly.
The following are some tips to protect you or your business from phishing attempts.
Be careful while browsing on the internet. The more you know, the better it is. Try to keep yourself educated about the latest threats in the online world. As a business owner, it is your job to train your employees about the latest challenges in the online world.
You should invest in different Email Security, strong antivirus solutions, web filters, anti-phishing toolbars, a firewall, an up-to-date web browser, and pop-up blockers.
Another effective way of blocking phishing attempts through emails is by disabling HTML emails. This is because text-only emails can’t allow malware to impose themselves directly on your machine.
It is a must for every business owner to make sure that the company’s sensitive communications and data are fully encrypted. This would keep them from falling into wrong hands.
Keep a close look at your bank accounts to ensure your online security. When you keep checking your company’s bank accounts regularly, you are always updated about any unusual activity or transaction.
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