Scams are an integral part of our digital world. Cybercriminals use hundreds of attack strategies, and phishing - or phishing in French - is one of the classic representations of this. Although the strategy is not new, Internet crooks continue to employ it with new variations.
The main source of phishing is spam. Skillfully crafted to manipulate their recipients, these emails are designed to bypass your email spam filters in order to appear in your inbox.
Above all, the “phisher” seeks access to confidential and critical personal information and corporate data. Bank details and passwords for access to the corporate network are therefore particularly coveted by scammers.
The many faces of phishing
Digital Bandits Use Different Types of Phishing Techniques.
1. Whale Phishing - the CEO Scam
Whale Phishing, or “whale” for “whale”, is a targeted phishing strategy that aims to hook the “big fish” of an organization. In line of sight: senior executives, directors, and other strategic collaborators. Also, before sending their emails, crooks study their subject from all angles. They personalize their messages by sprinkling them with key information about the organization. From an email address similar to the one used by the tax authorities or other government agency, the sender requests sensitive information or a money transfer. Overall, the email looks very professional, but because it targets smart, high-level people, it has a pretty low success rate.
2. Deceptive Phishing - Objective: to Deceive the User
Used for decades, this phishing strategy is classic. The spammer uses email addresses that are similar to real websites and large businesses - with one variation, which often goes unnoticed by the average internet user. The email asks you to click on a link that points to a bogus webpage or installs malware on your device. The goal? Hack your data and access your personal, secret, or confidential information.
3. Pharming - Insidious Operation of the Deflection
Pharming is another phishing strategy characterized by sending fraudulent emails from genuine sources (banks and social networking sites, for example). These emails urge you to take urgent action on one of your accounts, such as changing your password or taking security measures. The manipulation involves redirecting you to a dummy web page. If the web address used is identical to the source and seems in every way identical to the original site, it is because, with pharming, the crooks also intervene at the level of the DNS cache. Once your login details are entered on the fake site, the crooks just have to hack your accounts.
4. Spear Phishing - Targeted Phishing
Spear Phishing is a targeted phishing strategy that targets a specific category of people. Emails sent directly to recipients impersonate an authentic source. It could for example be an educational institution or a bank. The use of logos and original signatures aims to reassure the recipient about the authenticity of the message. In the case of spear phishing, hackers have the same will as with other phishing strategies: to steal login information. And for that, they do not hesitate to manipulate the students of educational establishments and the customers of banking or merchant sites.
5. Phishing Attack via Google Docs
A large part of Internet users is dependent on Google applications, from the Play Store to Gmail. A single Gmail account makes it possible to use several Google services. Most of those who choose Google Docs use it to store documents and photos for convenience and security. This makes it easy to understand why Google passwords are a prime target for cyber crooks. These send emails to Gmail users to redirect them to their Google login page. However, once the password is entered, the scammer can access their account and all the stored files.
How to Protect Yourself From Phishing
Phishing is a widely used scam strategy, but not very powerful. We can therefore easily protect ourselves from it.
1. Double Check the Content of Your Messages
The content of most fraudulent emails has a number of flaws. Although the majority of phishing messages are addressed directly to you and use personal information to better trap you, this information is not complete. It is enough to observe carefully the subject of these e-mails to easily judge their authenticity.
Classic trap used by scammers: create a message that plays on the sense of urgency. Above all, stay calm and think before you act; you can only fall for it if you act in a rush.
2. Secure Your Identity
By opting for a VPN or virtual private network, you have an encrypted tunnel for all your online activities. This tunnel masks your identity and your original location; it allows you to connect through secure remote servers. By protecting you from prying eyes, your VPN eliminates any possibility of spying. This way, cybercriminals cannot access your information or your identity.
A strong VPN also protects your connection from malicious attacks; it protects and secures your existence online. Le VPN is a secure barrier that prevents phishing emails from reaching your device.
3. Check All Links
To avoid phishing traps, we recommend that you check email addresses and website links before clicking. Fraudulent addresses sometimes appear to be identical to the original addresses. But beware, they are not the same. For example, the Cyrillic alphabet can be used, and other alphabets feature Latin-like glyphs in current typefaces: the Greek, Armenian, Hebrew, and Chinese alphabets. With a sufficient number of combinations, a fake domain can be created and secured. It is then almost impossible to distinguish the true from the false. On the other hand, on sites where you must enter your passwords and other confidential information, favor secure HTTP (HTTPS) sites. Also, use endpoint security software for multi-layered protection.
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