As the technology advances, malware is also being developed in the dark market to scam users widely around the world. Many people are unaware of the Phishing that lurk in their emails or social media platforms to attack at any opportunity given.
There are times when you might receive emails from some company that you never browsed in or subscribe to giving you too many links in the description, this is the most common way of phishing since digital media became common among people.
Now the phishing is more advanced which lurks on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook by messaging you based on your interests they find in your profile, it is your responsibility to avoid these phishing scams at all costs!
What is Phishing?
Before we dive into the phishing threat, you first need to have a basic understanding of what phishing really is.
Phishing is an act of stealing data through an attack on a user’s profile, it can be your personal information, your credit card information, etc. The hacker designs malware that can be reduced to a link and send through an email with manipulation of words or a text message on social media or network services. When clicked, the link spreads the malware in the user’s device and takes away all the information by freezing it.
Digital threat
Phishing is a dangerous malware that can reveal sensitive and private information to the world. They use this information to threaten or ransom money out of the users. The digital threat to a user is always there as cybercriminals manipulate users to provide important information to them in exchange for something that ends up causing harm to the user itself.
Most of the time, it usually takes place among employees who are unaware of the digital threat or do not know how phishing can take place and how they can report it to the authorities. Many companies end up having a loss because of a leak of information.
Types of Phishing attack
Phishing attacks are designed using human weaknesses as a factor, this is why there are types of phishing attacks that most commonly happen all around the world.
Outdated software
There are times when people do not bother updating software that cleans bugs from it. Outdated software is easy to hack into to grab information. This is why companies work hard on making sure that their software is up-to-date and checked by an engineer.
Connected devices
Modern advanced technology lets many appliances or devices be connected through the internet to operate; phishing attacks use it to secure some private information to blackmail the users. Many attacks also cause the devices to malfunction costing a loss to the person easily.
The security cameras can easily be hacked into using phishing attacks, this then brings threat to the physical security of a person as well.
Whaling
This phishing attack is aimed at the senior and rich executives to take over their money or threaten their position. They use the tax return forms to get the social security number or bank account information.
They make special bugs or use different means than the common way of phishing to threaten these executives.
Targeted Phishing
This is the most recent type of phishing in which the hackers get information through social media and target victims through screenshots or pictures that can bring shame to them.
It was found that many users who use Facebook were sent a message from their friends to visit a duplicate website that eventually hacked into their accounts.
To tackle these cybercriminals, cybersecurity is always on the lookout to catch them.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a team of experts in cyber engineering who work to remove malware or avoid any phishing scams. They usually belong to the police special forces under the governments to protect the people online. The victims are always advised to contact cybersecurity if they come across a phishing attack or find someone suspicious of phishing to suspend them and avoid further attacks on other people.
Cybersecurity Software
There are software systems designed by engineers that protect from unauthorized access to the user’s information. The software recognizes the malware and alerts the user to exit the website immediately. These days there is software that scans the email content and documents before letting the user download them to avoid phishing.
Final Words
Phishing attacks are a digital threat, but cybersecurity ensures that you are safe from the phishing scam. But still, there is a need for awareness among employees and public about phishing because anyone can be manipulated easily in exchange for something.
Cybersecurity keeps users safe and it is important that you have the right and most secure cybersecurity software to protect yourself online.