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What are 3 ways to avoid phishing? What is phishing and how to prevent it? What are examples of phishing attacks? What is the best protection against phishing? What are anti-phishing tools? All these questions will be answered in this video, stay tuned!

What is phishing?

To give you a textbook definition, phishing is a social engineering attack designed to steal user data. And what I just described above is known as an email phishing attack. So what is a phishing email? What are its common characteristics? First of all – impersonating an authority figure. A phishing email would take advantage of the authority of the organization or person asking you to do something. It is often associated with a sense of urgency, forcing the victim to act immediately, often without thinking first. This court case is a striking example of this.

When you try to access the link in a phishing email, you'll be taken to another website that looks the same, functions the same, and may even have legitimate security measures and protocols. Just little things like a difference in the web address can trick you into spotting a fake. However, if you can't prevent phishing attacks and try to log into the fake website, that website will forward your details to the cybercriminals, who will now have control over your personal information.

Which brand is most often imitated?

Facebook is the most impersonated brand this year, along with other social media platforms. Facebook phishing alone accounts for 14% of fake websites used by cybercriminals, and when other platforms are included, this proportion rises to 24%.

With 2.8 billion users, Facebook is a goldmine for cybercriminals. Fake emails asking users to change their password are usually the most popular example of Facebook scams used to steal user data. However, criminals can also lure users with messages containing keywords and images related to important current events. Last year, one of the most used topics was coronavirus, and currently it is the war in Ukraine.

What are the worst consequences of phishing?

The first thing a criminal would do is request new PINs for their account and remotely recreate your bank cards using your banking information and social security number. They will take or use any available funds you keep in banks, and that would be just the beginning.

Identity fraud is very likely, as the information you give out can be used to apply for a new passport, driver's license, and more. This allows criminals to take out loans from microfinance organizations and accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars in loan debt. In a single moment, you can lose all your money and accumulate insurmountable debt. This is how phishing works. But that's the worst case scenario.

Spear phishing – what’s behind it?

The target of spear phishing is researched beforehand so that the scam message is tailored specifically to the victim, posing as close friends, family members, or business clients and partners. Sometimes the victim is part of an organization, and the attack requires immense background research to identify the power structure and hierarchy within that company.

Then, out of the blue, a lower-ranking employee receives an email from one of the senior managers asking him to sign a document and return a signed copy. With proper research, the employee does not even notice that this email was sent from a slightly different address and personally hands over the company stamp and signature to the cybercriminals.

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About us: Our dedicated team of security researchers and investigative journalists regularly delve into previously unexplored depths of online security and privacy to bring to light stories that often have an invisible impact on the online world as a whole. Many of our investigations and reports have been featured in industry-related publications and leading global news magazines such as Forbes, PC Mag and Techradar.
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00:00 Introduction
0:42 What is phishing?
1:55 The most frequently imitated brands
3:30 The worst consequences of phishing scams
4:40 What is spear phishing?
6:36 How to prevent phishing attacks?
7:47 What to do after an attack?
8:29 Conclusion
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