The internet is a great place where you can do just about anything. You can shop online for anything you need — whether it’s groceries, fashion, or furniture. The internet also keeps you entertained for hours on end with platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney Plus. On top of that, our lives have become far more accessible and more convenient than ever before — you no longer need to stand in long queues to get into a bank, and you don’t have to visit a travel agent if you want to go overseas, and you can even order food straight to your doorstep without picking your phone to speak to someone.
Overall, the internet has been great and people all over the world have loved it. Some new websites and apps come out every day, and now and then there’s a sensational one that goes viral. But, there is a negative side to the internet, and unfortunately, it’s not spoken about as frequently as it should be. Cybercrime has been around for decades, but it’s become more and more frequent and dangerous in recent years. You need to understand how to avoid phishing scams if you want to keep yourself and your devices protected against hackers who are out to get you.
Phishing scams have also developed massively over the past few decades and you must understand the latest developments in this dangerous form of cybercrime. Being able to identify a phishing scam before you click on an illegitimate link could save you from tons of headaches in the future. Keep reading to understand what phishing is and how it works in a modern society where you can’t trust anyone.
What Is a Phishing Scam? (How to avoid it?)
If you want to protect yourself from devastating cyber attacks in our modern world you need to understand the root cause of these cyber attacks. One of the most effective methods that hackers use to attack potential victims is phishing scams. You might have heard of phishing before, but you must have an understanding of how this easy but complex cyber attack works.
The basic goal of phishing is to get the potential victim to click on an illegitimate link. By clicking on the link, a cybercriminal can make one of two things happen. We’ll dive into more detail below so you can fully understand the consequences of falling for one of these traps.
The first action that one of these links could do is prompt malicious software to be installed on your device. Malware is software that has been designed to cause severe damage to the device or the user and there are hundreds of different types of malware that exist. New types of malware are being developed every day too, so it’s difficult to keep up. Some of the most notable examples of malware are viruses, spyware, and ransomware. Any of these different types of malware are extremely dangerous and should be treated immediately — luckily there’s a perfect cybersecurity tool for the job, and we’ll take a look at it later on.
Alternatively, clicking on the link can also redirect the potential victim to a fake website that has a keylogger installed on it. Keyloggers are a type of malware that will record everything that the user types into the webpage and it will give a copy directly to the cybercriminal. Usually, the victim will be redirected to a page where they need to enter some valuable information that can be stolen.
For example, the hacker might replicate the Facebook login page. They will perfectly reproduce the color schemes, logos, and fonts on the page so that the victim has no idea that they are on a fake website. As soon as you enter your information and attempt to log in, the hacker will get hold of your login credentials and gain access to your account.
How Phishing Has Evolved?
Many people understand phishing scams and the risks that they face, which is why hackers have had to develop new strategies and change the way they structure their cyber attacks. This is done to get more people to fall victim to their scams — but how does it work?
It’s all about social engineering, which is when cybercriminals use a person or company that you would know and trust to trick you into falling for their scams. Social engineering works in much the same way as a typical phishing scam, but it’s much more effective because of how personalized the attack is.
For example, you might receive an email from your local bank stating that you need to log in to address something urgently on your online banking profile. Hackers can replicate the same logo, color schemes, and fonts that your bank uses, making the email look completely legitimate.
The email will urge you to follow the link provided to log into your account and address any issues. However, clicking on the can prompt malware to be installed, or it can send you to a fake login page that has been set up by the hacker (just like the Facebook login page from earlier). The difference here is that you’re in contact with an organization that you believe you can trust (your bank), and it’s dealing with sensitive information (the money in your bank account), which instantly triggers an emotional response.
When this emotional response is triggered, most people don’t hesitate to click on the illegitimate link that is provided in the email, which plays right into the hacker’s hands and gives them the upper hand. The keylogger will give them your login credentials and they can then log into your account and change the password, locking you out.
How to Stay Clear of Phishing Scams?
So, what’s the best form of defence against these devastating attacks? You can use a premium cybersecurity tool as a safety net to ensure that your device is not breached when you accidentally click on a phishing link.
The cybersecurity tool you need is antivirus software. This software has a built-in library of known malware applications and codes. Using this information, the software will constantly scan your device for any matches — if one is found, the software can take action to remove the malware before it does severe damage to your device.
It’s important to use premium antivirus software because it comes with additional features such as the ability to spot phishing scams. On top of the library of known malware, the antivirus software will also be equipped with known phishing scams and links, which allows the software to scan a link or email before you click on it.
Conclusion
While this gives you an early warning sign, it’s still important to keep an eye out for potential phishing scams. The red flags to look out for are spelling errors in emails and on log-in pages, emails and messaging that urge you to click on a link, and email addresses and links that don’t look legitimate. If you’re ever being coerced into urgently clicking on a link, it’s best to take the longer route and open a new window in your browser to head over to the real website and log in from there.
