An e-mail was sent to a manager at your company that appeared to be from the company’s CTO, asking for access. It’s no secret that we’re living in a time where cybercrime is on the rise. With new technology comes new opportunities for criminals to take advantage of people. One of the most common ways criminals do this is through phishing attempts. Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fraudulent emails or websites to steal personal information. Attackers will often pose as a trustworthy entity in order to gain your trust and access to sensitive information. So, how can you protect yourself from these attacks? The best way is to be aware of the signs of a phishing attempt. In this blog post, we’ll go over some scenarios that represent phishing attempts. By the end, you should have a better understanding of how to protect yourself from these kinds of attacks.
You receive an email from your bank asking you to click a link to update your account information
If you receive an email from your bank asking you to click a link to update your account information, this may be a phishing attempt. Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals send emails or texts pretending to be from a legitimate organization in an attempt to steal your personal information. If you click on the link in the email, you may be taken to a fake website that looks real but is actually designed to steal your login credentials or other sensitive information. To protect yourself from phishing scams, never click on links in emails or text messages from unknown senders. If you’re unsure whether an email is legitimate, contact the company directly using a phone number or email address you know to be real.
You get a pop-up window while browsing the internet that looks like your antivirus software is out of date
If you get a pop-up window while browsing the internet that looks like your antivirus software is out of date, it may be a phishing attempt. This is because phishers will sometimes create fake antivirus or other security software update messages in order to trick people into installing malware on their computers. If you see a message like this, be sure to check with your security software provider to see if there is actually an update available before downloading anything.
You receive an email from a friend that contains a link to an interesting article
You receive an email from a friend that contains a link to an interesting article. You click on the link, and it takes you to a website that looks like the website of the company your friend works for. However, upon closer inspection, you notice that the URL is slightly different than the usual URL for the company’s website. This could be a phishing attempt, as cybercriminals will sometimes create fake websites that mimic legitimate websites in order to steal people’s personal information.
You get a text message from your phone carrier about a problem with your account
If you receive a text message from your phone carrier about a problem with your account, it is likely a phishing attempt. This is because scammers will often pose as representatives of legitimate organizations in order to try and obtain personal information from unsuspecting victims. If you receive such a text message, do not respond to it and instead report it to your carrier immediately.
Which of the following scenarios is NOT a phishing attempt?
The answer is C. A phishing attempt would not come from a company that you have an account with, asking you to update your information. They would already have your updated information on file. The email would also likely have other suspicious characteristics, like poor grammar, that would tip you off that it’s not legitimate.
Conclusion
All of the scenarios listed above could be potential phishing attempts. If you are ever unsure about an email or website, it is always best to err on the side of caution and either contact the company directly or do a quick Google search to see if others have reported anything suspicious.
