To prevent Internet phishing, users should have knowledge of how cybercriminals do this and they should also be aware of anti-phishing techniques to protect themselves from becoming victims. While traditional phishing uses a 'spray and pray' approach, meaning mass emails are sent to as many people as possible, spear phishing is a much more targeted attack in which the hacker knows whichspecific individual or organization they are after. They do research on the target in order to make the attack more personalized and increase the likelihood of the target falling into their trap. Using the most common phishing technique, the same email is sent to millions of users with a request to fill in personal details. These details will be used by the phishers for their illegal activities. Most of the messages have an urgent note which requires the user to enter credentials to update account information, change details, orverify accounts. Sometimes, they may be asked to fill out a form to access a new service through a link which is provided in the email. Web based delivery is one of the most sophisticated phishing techniques. Also known as “man-in-the-middle,” the hacker is located in between the original website and the phishing system. The phisher traces details during a transaction between the legitimate website and the user. As the user continues to pass information, it is gathered by the phishers, without the user knowing about it. Link manipulation is the technique in which the phisher sends a link to a malicious website. When the user clicks on the deceptive link, it opens up the phisher’s website instead of the website mentioned in the link. Hovering the mouse over the link to view the actual addressstops users from falling for link manipulation. Keyloggers refer to the malware used to identify inputs from the keyboard. The information is sent to the hackers who will decipher passwords and other types of information. To prevent key loggers from accessing personal information, secure websites provide options to use mouse clicks to make entries through the virtual keyboard. A Trojan horse is a type of malware designed to mislead the user with an action that looks legitimate, but actually allows unauthorized accessto the user account to collect credentials through the local machine. The acquired information is then transmitted to cybercriminals. Malvertising is malicious advertising that contains active scripts designed to download malware or force unwanted content onto your computer. Exploits in Adobe PDF and Flash are the most common methods used in malvertisem*nts. In session hijacking, the phisher exploits the web session control mechanism to steal information from the user. In a simple session hacking procedure known as session sniffing, the phisher can use a sniffer to intercept relevant information so that he or she can access the Web server illegally. Content injection is the technique where the phisher changes a part of the content on the page of a reliable website. This is done to mislead the user to go to a page outside the legitimate website where the user is then asked to enter personal information. Some phishing scams involve search engines where the user is directed to products sites which may offer low cost products or services. When the user tries to buy the product by entering the credit card details, it’s collected by the phishing site. There are many fake bank websites offering credit cards or loans to users at a low rate but they are actually phishing sites. In phone phishing, the phisher makes phone calls to the user and asks the user to dial a number. The purpose is to get personal information of the bank account through the phone. Phone phishing is mostly done with a fake caller ID. Phishing conducted via Short Message Service (SMS), a telephone-based text messaging service. A smishing text, for example, attempts to entice a victim into revealing personal information via a link that leads to a phishing website. Phishing scams involving malware require it to be run on the user’s computer. The malware is usually attached to the email sent to the user by the phishers. Once you click on the link, the malware will start functioning. Sometimes, the malware may also be attached to downloadable files. Ransomware denies access to a device or files until a ransom has been paid. Ransomware for PC's is malware that gets installed on a user’s workstation using a social engineering attack where the user gets tricked in clicking on a link, opening an attachment, or clicking on malvertising. Related Pages: What Is Phishing, Common Phishing Scams,Phishing Examples
There are a number of different techniques used to obtain personal information from users. As technology becomes more advanced, the cybercriminals'techniques being used are also more advanced.
Spear Phishing
Email/SpamWeb Based DeliveryLink ManipulationKeyloggersTrojanMalvertisingSession HijackingContent InjectionPhishing through Search EnginesVishing (Voice Phishing)Smishing (SMS Phishing)MalwareRansomware
FAQs
What is phishing answers? ›
What Is Phishing? Phishing attacks are the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source. It is usually done through email. The goal is to steal sensitive data like credit card and login information, or to install malware on the victim's machine.
What is phishing techniques in detail? ›Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.
What are the four 4 common techniques of phishing and spear phishing? ›- Spear Phishing. A Spear Phishing attack occurs when a phishing attempt is crafted to trick a specific person rather than a group of people. ...
- Whaling. Whaling is a sub-type of Spear Phishing and is typically even more targeted. ...
- Smishing. ...
- Vishing.
Your credentials may be compromised, allowing attackers to access your accounts. You might inadvertently install malware, leading to data theft or system damage. Sharing banking details on a fake phishing website can result in unauthorized transactions and financial loss.
What is spear phishing answers? ›Spear-phishing is a type of phishing attack that targets specific individuals or organizations typically through malicious emails. The goal of spear phishing is to steal sensitive information such as login credentials or infect the targets' device with malware.
What are the techniques used in phishing detection? ›AI Phishing Detection
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models can be trained to analyze the text of an email or the websites that it points to. These models will identify common red flags of phishing attacks, such as misspellings, attempts to coerce the recipient, and URL structure and targets.
Smishing is a social engineering attack that uses fake mobile text messages to trick people into downloading malware, sharing sensitive information or sending money to cybercriminals. The term “smishing” is a combination of “SMS”—or “short message service,” the technology behind text messages—and “phishing.”
What is the new method of phishing? ›In a typical QR phishing attack, the malefactor creates two-dimensional matrix barcodes that conceal malicious URLs. These innocuous-looking objects are often placed in phishing emails, text messages, or social media posts, enticing users to scan them.
What is the most common method for delivering phishing? ›- Spear Phishing: Spear phishing attacks are targeted to a particular individual or small group. ...
- Vishing: Vishing or “voice phishing” is a phishing attack performed over the phone. ...
- Smishing: Smishing is a phishing attack performed using SMS text messages.
Email phishing is the most common type of phishing, and it has been in use since the 1990s. Hackers send these emails to any email addresses they can obtain. The email usually informs you that there has been a compromise to your account and that you need to respond immediately by clicking on a provided link.
How is phishing solved? ›
Solutions can detect emails that contain malicious links, attachments, spam content, and language that could suggest a phishing attack. Email security solutions automatically block and quarantine suspicious emails and use sandboxing technology to “detonate” emails to check if they contain malicious code.
What is the greatest defense against phishing? ›The greatest defence against phishing comes from arming your people with a solid understanding of what potential attacks look like. Make sure everyone in your organisation considers the sender's email address and makes sure it's genuine, since some clone emails can look very convincing.
What is the meaning of phishing? ›phishing. noun. phish·ing ˈfi-shiŋ : a fraudulent operation by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which can be used for illicit purposes (as identity theft)
What is phishing short summary? ›Phishing is when attackers send scam emails (or text messages) that contain links to malicious websites. The websites may contain malware (such as ransomware) which can sabotage systems and organisations.
What are phishing multiple choice questions? ›Explanation: Phishing is a category of social engineering attack that is used to steal user data. Phishers often develop illegitimate websites for tricking users & filling their personal data.
What is phishing quizlet? ›phishing. a technique to gain personal information for the purpose of identity theft, usually by means of fraudulent e-mail. Pharming. An online scam that attacks the browser's address bar.