Introduction:

As cybercrimes continue to rise with a phenomenal speed there is no way to predict what the next move or motive of these cybercriminals might be. With the increase in cybersecurity and strict protective measures, there also comes the increase and advancement in cybercrimes that keep inventing new methods to steal and exploit sensitive data for malicious activities.

Phishing is a popular means of malware attack that is used to hack and steal users’ information by opening any email or link. These cyber criminals when disposing of these emails and links to innocent users pose to be genuine workers or suppliers from any valid and authentic companies. 

By clicking on these links, users are exposed to the hacking of private information or other resources, the reason internet users have started utilizing VPNs on Mac, smartphones, laptops, etc. Because of these attacks, it is extremely crucial to recognize what are the signs of these various malicious attacks so you can adopt preventive measures to avoid them.

Exploring The Multiple Types And Forms Of Phishing Attacks

Before diving into how to recognize and prevent these attacks, first familiarize yourself with the types and forms of phishing attacks there are.

• Smishing/Vishing- Smishing involves sending fake SMS messages to users and vishing involves making voice calls to unsuspecting civilians and stealing their banking information or confidential details while posing to be someone genuine.
• Email Phishing- Email phishing is another very common type of phishing attack that traps internet users through certain links that are included in emails promising to offer something valuable and relevant to users.
• Spear Phishing- Spear phishing is an advanced form of email phishing where the attacker already holds certain kinds of information about the user like their name, job title, company, and more. Through this, they pose themselves as someone who already knows them to steal private banking information, etc.
• Angler Phishing- This phishing attack is through the internet where certain posts, comments, or websites include links that give the control of their computer and data to the third-party attacker and allow them to hack the user’s system.
• Whaling- Whaling is an even more advanced type of phishing where the attacker takes on the identity of a superior role like a CEO or manager of the user to gain their private and confidential information which can be either data theft or banking details theft.

Essential Tips To Recognize An Incoming Phishing Attack

Every office employee and even normal internet user must know how to recognize and detect phishing attacks to further keep their confidential data and information safeguarded from cybercriminals. Some of the essential tips that will assist you in recognizing these attacks are:

• Panic- A very significant thing to look out for is the sense of urgency and panic they create in emails to users that demand to provide information within a specific time frame. This usually creates a sense of panic in users that constricts them to think rationally in that situation.
• Errors- Emails and messages that are sent for phishing attacks usually involve some grammatical errors and mistakes that are not noticed because of that urgency factor. You will need to pay close attention to these emails before deciding on the authenticity of it.
• Domains- Emails including these fake messages and links also have simple email domains that are from simple Gmail accounts. Note that every authentic person from any valid company will send an email that will end with their company’s email domain.
• Attachments- Another common thing to look out for in these emails are unverified attachments and links that are usually connected to some outer source. Be careful before clicking on these attachments, making calls to the sender or sending messages on their private number will further confirm your suspicions.
• Information- Never share your private banking details with anyone through emails or online mediums. This is a great practice to adopt that can save you from many dire situations and events where you could lose your confidential information and money through these scams.

Best Practices To Adopt That Will Prevent These Phishing Attacks

Awareness is the best way to prevent and avoid these phishing attacks as there are many common mistakes that these attackers make. Once you start recognizing these mistakes, it becomes easy to avoid them. Some best practices to adopt for these are:

• Passwords- Passwords are the best way to provide a deep layer of protection over your accounts and information sources. Keep strong passwords over your accounts with various symbols, numbers, and characters while avoiding keeping the same passwords for all accounts.
• Authentication- Another advanced way to add an extra security layer of security is by incorporating multi-factor authentication a or two-factor authentication system. This will send more confirmation emails and messages to your accounts even if your password gets compromised.
• Filter- Filtering your emails to avoid all these unknown and suspicious messages that create urgency and panic in users is also a great practice to adopt. You can get help from any blocking service that does this job for you and transfer all these suspicious mail to your junk or spam folder.
• Updates- Continuously upgrading and updating your software will also help in increasing your security measures so these cyber criminals cannot reach you. Along with this, increased protection also provides more enhanced ways to back up your information even if it gets lost.
• Culture- Creating an office culture where all the new and existing employees are educated about how to avoid these phishing attacks should be given regularly. This will teach your employees better ways to adopt practices that will safeguard your private and personal information.

The Bottom Line

These are all the essential information that you need to keep in mind about phishing attacks. As the world becomes more and more digitalized, cybercriminals have also found new and enhanced ways to steal personal information from internet users. It is extremely important to keep yourself educated about all these issues and ways to prevent them in the future.