Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as ransomware. The goal of a phishing attack is to trick individuals into giving away sensitive information or login credentials. Phishing attacks are often delivered via email spam and are sent in bulk to a wide audience. However, there are also targeted phishing attacks known as spear phishing, which use personalized emails to trick a specific individual or organization into believing they are legitimate. These attacks often utilize personal information about the target to increase the chances of success.
Phishing attacks can have various goals, including stealing sensitive data like credit card and login information or installing malware on the victims machine. Phishing emails can compromise all types of data sources, facilitate access to online accounts and personal data, obtain permissions to modify and compromise connected systems, and in some cases, hijack entire computer networks until a ransom fee is delivered.
Phishing messages manipulate a user, causing them to perform actions such as clicking on a link or downloading an attachment that can lead to the installation of malware or the revealing of sensitive information. Phishing emails can be identified due to poor copywriting and improper use of fonts, logos, and layouts. However, many cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated at creating authentic-looking messages and are using professional marketing techniques to test and improve the effectiveness of their emails.
It is important to be aware of phishing attacks and to take steps to protect against them. This includes being cautious of emails from unknown senders, not clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails, and verifying the authenticity of emails before responding or providing any sensitive information.
