Phishing is a type of cybercrime where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as ransomware. The attackers often pose as a legitimate institution or person through email, telephone, or text message to lure individuals into providing sensitive data. Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticated and often transparently mirror the site being targeted, allowing the attacker to observe everything while the victim is navigating the site, and transverse any additional security boundaries with the victim.
Phishing often uses social engineering techniques to trick users into performing actions such as clicking a link or opening an attachment, or revealing confidential information. Attackers can use public sources of information, such as social media, to gather the victims personal details, work history, interests, and activities to craft a believable phishing email.
To protect oneself from phishing, it is important to recognize the red flags commonly seen in phishing emails, such as unexpected emails or text messages that look like they are from a company you know or trust, or messages that ask you to click on a link to make a payment. It is also important to avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown or suspicious sources, and to keep software and security systems up to date.
