First of all, do you all know what phishing is? Actually, Phishing is an act by sending a fraud email to other users and scam them in order to obtain private information for illegal activities.
“Phishers” will try to hook and steal users’ information through several ways.
- Normally, “phishers” will send email to direct users to visit a Website where require users to verify their personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers, which the legitimate organization already has. In fact, the Website is fake and set up for the purpose of steal users’ personal information.
bogus website
- In order to convince the users, usually a phishing email will address itself as well known organization to ask for personal information. Besides that, they will threaten the users by closing their account if they don't reply with personal information immediately.
example of phishing Maybank email
- “Phishers” also attack social networking sites such as Facebook. Facebook contains privacy settings leads people to disclose their information freer and thus it exposes them to phishing attacks by sending fake notification of friend confirmation to Facebook users and would request them to click on a link to confirm that they are friends. Besides, “phishers” also might send a message to users and direct them to a site called areps.at or kirgo.at or bests.at which mimic Facebook login page to hook users login Facebook again.
fake Facebook website ( see clearer at http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/02/informationweek_5.html;jsessionid=DX33HVY1WIKNOQSNDLPCKHSCJUNN2JVN?print=true )
It is always better to prevent before you be the next victim. So, here are the prevention methods of phishing.
- Don’t click on links within emails that ask for your personal information.
To identify the credibility of the emails, users can directly make a call to the particular company for verification.
- Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen.
Install pop-up blocking software to help prevent this type of phishing attack.
pop-up blocker setting
- Protect your computer with spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall, and keep them up to date.
Look for anti-virus programs that will automatically update frequently and keep up-to-date. For an example, Kaspersky. For further information, please visit http://www.onguardonline.gov/ and http://www.staysafeonline.org/
Kaspersky automatic update setting
- Be alert of forged link.
Point the link and see whether it match what appears in the email. Don’t click on the link if it is different. In addition, usually website address that required personal information from the users will begin with “https” instead of “http”. (“s” stand for secure)
Fraud website address (without http"s" for webiste that required personal information) (more on http://www.geekzone.co.nz/juha/661)
- Here is the video of prevent phishing, please refer to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqRZGhiHGxg
In conclusion, internet users should be aware and prevent the trick of phishing. Government also plays an important role in educating users to avoid being cheated by the "phishers".
1 comments:
No doubt its a good review on phishing.
In my opinion, users nowadays are familiar with the dangers and ways to prevent phishing, so its difficult for "phisher" to "cari makan" anymore...haha!!
Beside of phishing, there is another online fraud call pharming.
Basically, both plays similar role but Pharming is more dangerous because it is more difficult to be detect.
As i know, antivirus software and spyware removal software cannot protect against pharming.
I found a website on ways to minimize the risk and prevent pharming. Here's the link if you are interested to study more.
http://www.techworld.com/networking/features/index.cfm?featureid=1615
(i'm not a "pharmer", so dun be worry, it's not a forged link) haha ^^
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