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Many computer users have been confused about what exactly a
"phishing" attack is. A phishing attack is when you get an
official-looking e-mail from a banking or financial institution or any
service that deals with money. The e-mail says that you should click a link
and confirm your login and password to this particular institution enter
your account number, or credit card number.
When you
click on the link, you are sent to a Web page that looks virtually the same
as the company's real Web site, but it's not. What is happening is that you
are sent to a "fake" page that is controlled by someone who is
trying to get access to your personal financial information. As soon as you
type your login, password, account information or credit card number, they
capture the information and then steal your identity by using your credit
card or they steal your money from your account.
You should
know that any reputable banking, financial institution or credit card
company would never solicit this information from you over the Web via
E-mail.
Here are a
couple of suggestions to help keep you as a consumer safe from phishing:
1. Keep
your antivirus updated - One of the most important things you can do is
keep your antivirus software up-to-date because most antivirus vendors are
able to protect against known common technology exploits. This can prevent
things such as a Trojan disguising your Web address bar. If your antivirus software
is not up-to-date, you are more susceptible to attacks that can hijack your
Web browser and put you at risk for phishing attacks.
2. Do not
click on hyperlinks in e-mails - It is almost never a good idea to click on
any hyperlink in an e- mail, especially from unknown sources. You never
really know where the link is going to take you, or if it will trigger
malicious code. Some links can take you to a fake HTML page that may try to
scam you into typing in sensitive information. If you really want to check
out the link, retype it into a Web browser instead of simply clicking on
it.
3. Get
educated - This is probably the most important point. Educate yourself on
how to prevent these types of attacks. Some research on the Internet now
could save you a lot of pain later if you are ever the victim of identity
theft.
Education
is the most effective way to keep you safe from phishing attacks. By
following the above points your chance of falling victim to a phishing
attack will be greatly reduced.
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