Phishing
Phishing
Phishing (/ˈfɪʃɪŋ/; from the word fishing) is a type of cybercrime where a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.
Etymology
The term "phishing" is a homophone of the word "fishing", as these scams involve luring victims and attempting to steal their information. The word was coined in the mid-1990s by hackers who were stealing AOL Internet accounts by scamming passwords from unsuspecting AOL users.
Types of Phishing
- Spear Phishing: This is a more targeted version of phishing where the perpetrator knows more about the victim and makes the trap seem more believable.
- Whaling: This is a type of phishing attack that specifically targets senior executives within an organization.
- Smishing: This is a type of phishing attack where the user is tricked into downloading a Trojan horse, virus or other malware onto their cellular phone or other mobile device.
- Vishing: This is a type of phishing attack that is conducted by voice email, VoIP (voice over IP), or landline or cellular telephone.
Prevention
Prevention measures against phishing include education and awareness training among individuals and employees, up-to-date antivirus software, firewalls, and keeping web browsers up to date with their security patches.
See Also
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