Phishing attacks have been around since the dawn of the internet, and they have taken on many forms over the years. While you might be familiar with phishing emails that try to trick you into giving up your login information, there are more types of phishing than just this one kind. By reading this guide on the seven most common types of phishing attacks and how to protect yourself against them, you can keep your business safe and sound from any new threats that come your way.
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what is phishing
Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fake emails and websites in order to steal personal information. In other words, phishers send out emails or set up fake websites that look like they’re from legitimate sources. Then, they try to trick people into giving them their usernames, passwords, or credit card information.
There are many types of phishing attacks. These include: social engineering attacks; spear phishing; spoofing attacks; whaling; and vishing. Social Engineering Attacks
Social engineering attacks work by fooling the victim into thinking that they are interacting with another person when they are actually just talking to someone who’s impersonating them over the phone or on the internet. They typically use clever tricks such as asking for assistance, claiming that there has been an emergency situation, and then asking for confidential information about the victim’s employer or financial records.
Deceptive Phishing
One type of phishing attack is deceptive phishing, which can be more difficult to detect than other types. Deceptive phishings are often designed to look like an email from a bank or credit card company that informs the recipient that their account has been compromised and they need to click on the link in the email for more information. The email usually contains a shortened URL and recipients who click on it will find themselves on a website set up by the attacker.
Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is one of the most dangerous types of phishing attacks because it targets a specific person. It often relies on gathering personal information or getting someone to click on a link or open an attachment. Spear phishing can be done by email, text message, phone call, or even in person. One example is a fake email from someone’s boss asking them to wire money asap.
Whaling
Whaling phishing is a type of attack that targets high-profile individuals such as CEOs, celebrities and diplomats. These attacks often use large amounts of personal information about the target to convince them that the email is legitimate. The goal is usually financial gain or other sensitive information. One example of whaling in action was when a Nigerian woman targeted David Petraeus, who was director of the CIA at the time. She pretended to be an employee from Harvard University and sent him an email requesting his help with someone she met who was interested in working for his agency. He opened the attachment which infected his computer with malware that revealed access to classified documents on his computer.
Vishing
Vishing is a type of phishing attack that involves the use of voice over internet protocol (VOIP) technology in order to simulate an in-person phone call. Criminals will use this type of attack by calling their victim and posing as a trusted representative from their bank or another service provider. They may ask for the victim’s account number, PIN, credit card numbers or other personal information. If you are unsure whether you are talking to a legitimate company, hang up immediately and contact them through a secure channel such as email or live chat. Impersonation: An impersonation phishing attack involves sending emails that falsely appear to come from legitimate companies such as banks, payment processors, or shipping companies.
Smishing
Smishing is a form of phishing that uses SMS messages, or text messages, to trick you into giving up personal information. The term smishing refers to the act of sending a text message from an unknown number in order to steal your identity. This can be done by asking for information such as credit card numbers or bank account logins. The sender will also often include a link in the message that leads to a phony website designed look like one from your bank or credit card company.
Clone Phishing
Clone phishing is a type of phishing attack where the hacker creates a website that looks like the one for your bank. They’ll email you with a link to their site and ask you to log in, then they’ll steal your login information. For example, they might say that there’s an upgrade waiting for you or an offer on purchases before checking out. Ghost Ship: Ghost ship phishing is when hackers send out messages that appear to come from someone else.
SEPhishing
SEPhishing is one of the most common types of phishing attacks. It’s also one of the easiest for cybercriminals to carry out because it relies on convincing the victim that their computer has a virus or other problem. The hacker then asks for personal information, such as credit card or social security numbers, and promises to fix the problem in return. This type of attack is called SEPhishing because it uses social engineering techniques to trick people into giving away their personal information.