Phishing

Phishing is a type of cybercrime where attackers attempt to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic communications.

Key Characteristics

1. Deceptive Communication:
2. Phishing typically involves fraudulent emails, messages, or websites designed to look legitimate.
3. Commonly impersonated entities include banks, social media platforms, and online services.
4. Social Engineering:
5. Attackers utilize social engineering tactics to exploit human psychology, inducing fear or urgency to prompt quick actions without careful consideration.
6. Information Theft:
7. The goal is often to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, or other personal data.
8. Malware Distribution:
9. Some phishing attacks involve links or attachments that, when clicked, install malware on the victim's device.

Common Types of Phishing

1. Email Phishing:
2. The most prevalent form, where attackers send mass emails with malicious links or requests for personal information.
3. Spear Phishing:
4. A targeted attack where emails are personalized for a specific individual or organization, increasing the likelihood of success.
5. Smishing and Vishing:
6. Smishing: A type of phishing attack delivered through SMS or text messages, where attackers impersonate legitimate organizations to trick users into clicking malicious links or sharing sensitive information.
7. Vishing: Short for "voice phishing," this is a form of social engineering where attackers use phone calls to impersonate trusted entities and manipulate victims into revealing confidential data, such as passwords or banking information.