Every day, thousands of people are exposed to phishing attacks. Through phishing, fraudsters try to trick users into revealing personal information.
What is phishing?
Phishing is forms of cybercrime where the senders pretend to be legitimate actors, such as banks, authorities, or well-known companies. Through fake emails, text messages, or websites, they try to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as login details or card information.
The goal is often to steal money from you, hijack your identity, or sell your information. The fraudsters may also aim to install malware on your phone or computer when you click on a link, for example.
According to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), phishing is currently the most common method used by cybercriminals to obtain passwords or bank and card details.
Example of phishing
A typical phishing attack may look like this:
- You receive an urgent message via email sent by the fraudster, but which appears to come from your bank or a company you trust – perhaps even your employer.
- The email warns you about suspicious transactions on your account or something else urgent.
- You are asked to click on a link to “verify your identity.”
- The link leads to a fake website that looks genuine.
- When you enter your login details, you unknowingly give them to the fraudster.
Different forms of phishing
Here are some common examples of phishing:
- Spear phishing: Targeted phishing attacks against specific individuals or organizations. Unlike regular phishing, which is often sent out to many recipients without customization, spear phishing is based on the attacker having researched the victim to increase credibility.
- Whaling: A specialized form of spear phishing that targets business leaders and executives with access to sensitive information or significant financial resources.
- Vishing (voice phishing): Fraudulent phone calls where the scammer pretends to be from a bank or government agency, for example.
- Smishing (SMS phishing): Phishing via text message where the recipient is asked to click on a link or call a number. It is common for fraudsters to try to get victims to download malicious files. It is therefore important to try to recognize warning signs and be careful about downloading files from unknown sources.
The difference between spoofing and phishing
Spoofing and phishing are easy to confuse because the terms are often used together. Spoofing involves falsifying an identity or technical information, and aims to manipulate users into believing that they are interacting with a legitimate source. Phishing is the actual method of tricking someone into revealing sensitive data or personal information.
Log in securely
To protect yourself against phishing and other forms of cybercrime, it is important to always secure your login processes, whether you are a private individual or a business owner. Use strong passwords and change them regularly. Make sure you have enabled two-factor authentication for your email and other online services. This can help prevent fraudsters from accessing your personal information and sensitive data or using malware against your devices.
Social media and phishing
Social media is a common place for phishing and other forms of cybercrime. Fraudsters may send messages or posts that appear to come from a legitimate source, but are in fact an attempt at phishing. To protect yourself, be careful when clicking on links or downloading files from unknown sources. Also, make sure you have enabled the security settings on your accounts.
How can you tell if it’s phishing?
So how can you tell if you’ve received a scam email or a fake text message? To protect yourself and your organization against phishing, it’s a good idea to look out for some common warning signs:
- The sender’s address resembles a legitimate address but contains small differences, such as support15789@bank.com.
- The message contains grammatical errors or strange formatting
- There is pressure to act quickly or threats of consequence
- Links lead to suspicious web addresses when you hover (hold the mouse pointer over the anchor text so you can see the URL before clicking) over them
Protect yourself against phishing
The most effective way to protect yourself is to be sceptical of unexpected messages asking for personal information.
As a private individual, you can use the following security measures:
- Always check the sender carefully.
- Never click on links in emails; instead, log in directly via the official website.
- Use two-factor authentication.
- Install security software that blocks malicious websites.
- Update your software regularly.
- Use unique, strong passwords and a password manager.
- Report suspicious phishing attempts to your email provider or IT department.
- Never disclose sensitive information or personal data on unknown websites.
Companies and organizations can reduce the risk of phishing by:
- Training employees to identify cyber threats and how fraudsters use various methods to carry out phishing attacks.
- Introducing email filters to block malicious messages.
- Requiring two-factor authentication and strong passwords.
- Conducting phishing simulations to train staff to recognize warning signs.
- Having a clear incident plan for phishing attacks.
- Monitoring network traffic and logging unusual behavior.
- Implementing security policies for handling sensitive information.
It is also important to keep in mind that fraudsters often try to create a sense of urgency in their messages, precisely so that you don’t think too much about it.
What to do if you accidentally click on an unknown link
Trying to get users to click on a link is one of the most common types of phishing. Perhaps that’s why you ended up reading this article? If you accidentally clicked on an unknown link, especially in an email or text message that seems suspicious, it’s important to act quickly:
- Start by closing the web page immediately and disconnecting from the internet if you’re unsure whether anything has been downloaded.
- Then run a full virus scan with an updated antivirus program.
- Change your passwords for important services, especially if you entered any information after clicking on the link.
- Keep a close eye on your bank accounts and emails for unusual activity.
- If you use a work computer, you should also contact the IT department immediately.
- If you have disclosed card or bank details, you should immediately contact your bank and block your card.
- You should also report the incident to the police, even if nothing seems to have happened yet, it can help both you and others.
Protect yourself against future phishing attacks
Phishing attacks evolve in line with technological developments, and two trends we are likely to see more of in the future are AI-generated phishing messages and Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS).
AI-driven phishing is becoming increasingly convincing
Previously, spelling mistakes could reveal phishing emails, but now AI can create flawless, tailored messages based on the victim’s behaviour. AI can also analyse social media and email leaks for more accurate attacks.
Phishing-as-a-Service
Phishing-as-a-Service allows anyone to purchase ready-made phishing kits online, lowering the threshold for cybercrime and enabling more advanced attacks even for those who are not particularly tech-savvy.
Want to protect your business against phishing, spoofing, and other cyber threats? Contact Dotkeeper today for expert help and security solutions!