As more people are using their computers and mobile devices to carry out various personal and professional tasks, there are more opportunities than ever for cybercriminals to gain access to your private data and information. This increasing use of digital technologies in everyday life has led to a subsequent spike in the rate of phishing attacks worldwide.
These attacks are often conducted via email or social media by cybercriminals posing as reputable companies. Through their communications with you, phishers aim to get as much private data as they possibly can, including credit card numbers, passwords, and other sensitive personal information.
If you are using technology to send and receive messages, store information, conduct online banking, make purchases online, work remotely or do any other task, you need to ensure that you keep yourself protected. Having some kind of threat protection in place is essential if you want to stay safe online both in the present as well as over the foreseeable future.
There are many great options available to consumers nowadays, including NordVPN Threat Protection which has a range of different functionalities to deal with just about any cybersecurity concern. As the needs of each individual and business are different, it’s worth looking at some different options to find a solution that works for you. However, for most people, a reputable and effective solution such as NordVPN Threat Protection features everything you could need to keep yourself secure and protected from even the most insidious phishing attacks.
Let’s look at six different types of phishing attacks that are becoming more common nowadays and the measures you can take to keep you and your devices safe.
Deceptive Phishing
Deceptive phishing is the most common type of phishing scam and often takes the form of scam emails. With this type of scam, cybercriminals will pose as reputable companies in an effort to steal your personal information, bank details, passwords, and other sensitive data.
In order to reduce your risks of falling victim to deceptive phishing attacks, it’s important that you inspect any URLs you are being redirected to very carefully to ensure they are legitimate before you click through. It pays to develop good attention to detail when reading through any and all emails you may receive.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is the same as deceptive phishing, except that it is a more personalised or targeted attack. When using this approach, cybercriminals will customise their messages to include additional details about the target such as their name, date of birth, place of employment, phone number, and other information that may make it seem like the spam message is actually coming from an authoritative source.
To combat this issue you can install security programs that will detect malicious links and email attachments that could pose a threat. And again, training yourself to properly identify spam or scam content can play a major role in ensuring that you stay safe online.
Whaling Attacks
While spear phishing attacks are generally conducted on a large group, such as all the employees at a particular company, whaling attacks go after higher-ups or targets they know must have considerable wealth (hence the term ‘whales’). In an effort to steal the login details of an executive, whaling attacks will target execs directly to conduct CEO fraud. If successful, they can do anything from file false tax returns to authorise fraudulent bank transfers and so much more.
One of the best ways that executives can protect themselves against this type of attack is to implement multifactor authentication systems to ensure that no payments can be authorised solely through email. CEOs and other high-ranking executives should also ensure that they take part in cybersecurity training alongside their employees.
Vishing Attacks
While phishing is primarily conducted via email or social media channels, vishing is carried out over the phone. Using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) server, cybercriminals can closely replicate different entities to steal money online or to access sensitive data and other important information.
To protect yourself from these types of attacks, the best approach is to simply avoid answering the phone if you do not recognise the number. You should also ensure that you never give out personal information over the phone unless you know exactly who you are speaking to.
Smishing Attacks
Smishing attacks basically involve sending spam or fraudulent SMS text messages to targets. Using this strategy, cybercriminals will send a malicious text message designed to trick the recipient into clicking on a dubious link that will then prompt them to unknowingly submit personal details right into platforms set up by cybercriminals. These types of scams are very common nowadays and it’s important you know how to identify them in order to stay protected. If you received a message from a number you do not recognise, avoid clicking on any links it contains, as clicking on some links may trigger malware to be downloaded onto your mobile device.
If you have any doubts as to the legitimacy of the sender, simply pick up the phone and call the company the message is supposedly from. If they can verify that they did try to contact you, then you know the text is legitimate. If they didn’t send the text, then your information may potentially help save others from falling victim to this smishing attack.
Finally, if you feel that you’re receiving a large number of smishing texts, chances are high that your mobile number has unfortunately been added to spam lists online that are being used by hacker communities. You can reduce the number of smishing messages you receive by getting a new mobile number and taking efforts to ensure that this number appears on no public pages, including on social media.
Make Sure You Stay Protected Against Phishing Scams Going Forward
There are many ways that cyber criminals can try to gain access to your important and sensitive data. The phishing scams outlined above are all commonplace nowadays and you need to be aware of each of these tactics and the warning signs to look out for to ensure that you can keep yourself protected. With the right systems and safeguards in place, you can avoid being a victim of these phishing scams moving forward.