BotNet News

Phishing is a form of cyber attack where the attacker uses email or text to get recipients to click a link that downloads malware on their device or network. This is a common technique that attackers use to steal personal information, access business accounts, and other financial details.

Cyber criminals can make phishing messages look very convincing, often with logos and fonts that are identical to the brand or organization they impersonate. They can also spoof email addresses to appear as legitimate ones and use URL shortening services to disguise malicious links. In addition to this, many phishing attacks will have language that differs from normal organizational communication which can be an early indicator of the attack.

There are several ways that you can protect yourself against phishing threats, including taking precautions with social media and reviewing privacy settings in your own account. You should also only open attachments from a vetted and trusted source and never give away personal information through an unsolicited method. For example, a company such as your bank would not call and ask you for login credentials or account information.

You can also supplement employee training with tools that help identify suspicious emails or texts and thwart hackers. For instance, a tool such as NetSparker will scan networks to detect phishing attempts that may be attempting to gain access to sensitive data. Additionally, an email encrypting tool like Safemail will help secure emails sent from untrusted sources. Finally, DMARC (Domain Management and Registration Common Policy) is an important tool that all organizations should be encouraging their contacts to implement as it can provide more assurances that an email asking for information actually comes from where it claims to do so.