What is phishing? 

Phishing refers to a fraudulent practice of sending emails that are purported to come from reputable companies that compels individuals to personal information like credit card numbers and passwords. Phishers usually use different channels to carry out their attacks on unsuspecting organizations. These attackers may use avenues such as text messages, social networks and email to carry out their attacks. Phishing attacks can come in different sizes and shapes as follows:

Whaling attacks

This form of spear phishing is aimed at executives of a company to swindle money from them.

Spear phishing

This kind of attack is directed at someone using information which is related directly to that individual or company.

Wi-Fi phishing

In this kind of phishing attack, phishers normally set up Wi-Fi access points which are similar to the ones that are used by a well-recognized network.

Voice phishing

With this kind of phishing attack, the software is used to leave voice messages that are purported to come from a specific company. The messages normally ask an individual to confirm their bank charges or identity via phone.

Pharming

This phishing tactic redirects a user from a legit site to one that is fraudulent with an aim to get the login information of a target.

SMS phishing

This kind of attack is normally done using a cell phone. An attacker normally sends text messages which if opened can install malicious software to a victim’s phone.

How to prevent phishing attacks online

Phishing attacks are a common problem that affects almost one million companies worldwide. This crime occurs when phishers try to access personal information such as social security numbers, account logins, bank details, and passwords. They usually trick workers in an organization to hand over their personal information. In case your company’s security is breached and personal information is accessed, attackers can use the same information to commit identity crime or even steal your cash. To prevent phishing, you should have sound know knowledge on how to prevent phishing online. It is possible to identify phishing attempts by following these tips. First, do not click on any links that you receive on your email unless you know where they originate from. Second, check if the body of the email has typos on the text. Sometimes phishers can change one letter in the email domain to trick you that it came from the original source. Third, check if the opening greetings of the email have any vague references such as dear customer or valued customer. Fourth, look at the contact information to know where they originate from.

3 Ways to Prevent Phishing                                       

Anybody can fall victim to phishing attacks which is why you need to know how to avoid phishing. Other than installing phishing prevention software to safeguard your accounts, you must follow these three steps to prevent phishing.

 1. Vigilance

You never know when phishing attacks can happen which is why you need to stay vigilant at all times. When you remain vigilant you can tell whether an email that is designed as legit is a phishing email. 

2. Education

Phishing methods usually change from time to time which is why you need to educate yourself so that you can stay up to date with the latest phishing knowledge. For example, you can provide the latest resources to your employees which they can use to protect themselves from phishing attacks. Phishing education can come in the form of handbooks, training manuals, and reports.

   3. Double-check  

­To prevent email phishing you must ask questions to protect yourself from attackers. This means you should not hesitate to reach out to the company that sent you the email. You can contact the sender of the message by using the email address or phone numbers available on their website. The benefit of this is that you can verify if an email you received is legit or a scam message.

How to prevent phishing spoofing

Check the URL spelling in the email link before you enter any sensitive information or you click any link.

Avoid posting personal data such as birthday, phone number, vacation plans, or address.

Look for URL redirects that send you to a different website that comes with the same design.

Phishing guide

Many companies have suffered from phishing attempts. Phishers are always targeting unsuspecting employees so that they can get away with their personal information as well as their personal information. To avoid this problem you should reach out to an expert to provide security to your personal information and customer accounts. Hopefully, this phishing guide article helped you know how to prevent phishing.