Phishing – What is Phishing and How Does it Affect Your Business?
Phishing is an attack technique that uses email, websites, social networks, or phone calls to trick users into handing over their personal information. This information can then be used for malicious purposes.
A scammer may send an email that looks like it comes from a bank, credit card company, or other business to collect user IDs, passwords, and other sensitive data. The message is usually accompanied by a link to a fake website that looks like a legitimate version of the real thing.
The website may look real and even have a padlock icon, but the content may be malicious. It could download a virus onto the victim’s computer or cause their accounts to be suspended, which can result in loss of money and ruined credit.
Another common type of phishing is business email compromise (BEC). This involves an attacker sending an email that claims to be from the CEO or other high-level employee of a company, and asking the recipient to transfer funds to a foreign partner.
These types of phishing attacks are very sophisticated and often difficult to detect. They can look very authentic, with copywriting and formatting that matches a company’s logo and fonts.
In addition, a phisher might use social media or other public resources to gather background information about their target. This information can then be used to create a more convincing email.
Companies should always keep their employees up to date on the latest phishing and social engineering techniques. This is an essential part of building a culture of cybersecurity. It can also help prevent new phishing scams from happening to employees.