Phishing & Avoidance Methods

The internet has grasped our daily life activities in such a way, that we have to be cautious about the hazards and risks related to it. This article is being written to create awareness about those hazards and how you can get to manage your online security to prevent any kind of scams or fraud.

The online cybercrime rates are enormously high in the United States according to a study; a crime is committed twice every minute over there. Almost everyone living there has a high probability of being afflicted with the crimes every year.

In recent years after the global coronavirus pandemic, online crime rates have increased everywhere. Businesses shifted their operations online resulting in swindles and frauds. They are not even safe in virtual formal meetings because cyber attackers would always be ready to catch you off guard. Every American is a target to these criminals whether it is for any online household activity, school, or office work. People are more prone to being attacked hence it is crucial to adapt to techniques to keep yourself safe.

One of the common and critical frauds is called phishing, which targets your business and gets it messed up. We will be devising ways to secure yourself from these phishing frauds so read this article till the end for your benefit.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is one of the most commonly used cyberattacks. Phishing involves data theft by luring the individual with some trusted portfolios and mainly the email is used to get access to the victim’s information.

Prevention from online frauds:

Abiding by the following precautions and measures, you can keep safe from online swindles and cyber frauds, especially phishing, which is one of the most common types nowadays.

• Choose an internet provider that provides extensive security features. For example, if you subscribe to Xfinity Wi-Fi Plans, you get a security suite in addition to fast internet speed and HD channels. It is one of the best in the industry with a secure network to keep it safe from scams and attacks.
• Do not use suspicious websites having an insecure socket layer. You can check if the URL of the website starts with HTTPS, it is safe to use. If they don’t have HTTPS then they are not secure sites and may make you vulnerable to phishing scams through ads or messages in the pop-ups.
• Beware of sharing your personal and private information with anyone on social media because that might result in loss of the data and lead to identity theft. Scammers may pose as someone else or even your friends, get your information, and scam you. They have carefully calculated plans into putting you in situations where you have to use personal information, using your case for their gains.
• Do not forget to switch on your VPN if opting for a public WIFI network because it can contain unsafe networking. This is very important to keep yourself safe from scams and using a public network is very unsafe especially if you’re in a zone where scammers persist like malls, internet cafes, and such.
• Vigilantly report any activity online that seems suspicious. You need to make the internet safe for you and everyone around you. Report ads, emails, messages, notifications, and anything that seems slightly suspicious.

Types:

Phishing further has various types as it has the highest success rate when talking about cybercrimes.

Email phishing:

It occurs when the hacker sends you a trustworthy source of invitation via email. That email can be related to updating personal information or anything else that you do commonly.

Spear Fishing:

This is an advanced form of email fishing because in this you cannot detect any suspicious activity due to the encryption of the provided email. And you cannot detect it until you open an attachment full of viruses.

Whaling:

Whaling is also spearfishing but is performed to attack elite individuals such as the chief executives of a company.

Smishing:

This kind of attack is done via text and not by email and people are more likely to fall prey to it.

Vishing:

This is also a commonly used attack done through mobile phones. It involves the use of voice messages or calls to lure you into providing your details

Final Verdict:

Phishing frauds are a rising problem for the people; we have provided ways to protect yourself from these scams. By following these steps, you can keep yourself safe from online attacks such as your information or credit card theft.