What is Phishing? – Learn how to stay safe online with MATE

Internet & Mobile Security Blog | MATE | 12 June 2024

In cybersecurity, phishing is one of the most prevalent and damaging threats to personal and organisational security. At its core, phishing involves deceiving individuals into providing sensitive information, typically through fake emails or websites. This tactic plays on human psychology and has evolved into various forms, making it a significant concern in today’s digital landscape.

Phishing attacks are alarmingly effective and widespread, with millions of people worldwide falling victim each year. According to recent reports, phishing is the most common type of cyber attack, and approximately 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent globally every day. As digital communication continues to grow, understanding what a phishing scam is, recognising its signs, and knowing how to protect yourself is essential for internet users everywhere.

Understanding phishing

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack where attackers deceive individuals into revealing confidential information, such as login credentials, personal and financial information, or access to their computer systems. This malicious act is often carried out through phishing emails that mimic correspondence from legitimate websites or trusted sources. The term “phishing” is a homophone of “fishing”, reflecting the technique of baiting users into falling for the scam.

The origins of phishing date back to the mid-1990s, with the rise of the Internet. Over the years, as attackers have become more tech-savvy and the range of digital communication has expanded, phishing attacks have evolved in complexity and scope.

Types of phishing attacks

Here are some of the most common types of phishing attacks prevalent today:

Email Phishing: This is the most common form of phishing, where attackers send phishing emails that appear to come from reputable sources. These emails often contain malicious links or attachments to steal personal and financial information.
Spear Phishing: Unlike the broader strategy of email phishing, spear phishing involves highly customised attacks targeted at specific individuals or organisations. Spear phishing attacks are designed to appear as legitimate as possible to trick the target into providing sensitive data.
Whaling: This type of attack is a specific kind of spear phishing that targets senior executives and high-level officials. The goal is often to steal large sums of money or sensitive company information.
Smishing and Vishing: These phishing attacks use SMS (smishing) and voice calls (vishing) to reach potential victims. Smishing might involve a text message prompting the user to visit a phishing website, while vishing involves a direct phone call to extract sensitive information directly.
Clone Phishing: In this method, attackers create a nearly identical replica of a previously received email from a trusted sender, replacing legitimate links or attachments with malicious ones. The goal is to trick the user into thinking the updated version is authentic.
Angler Phishing: Utilising social media platforms to launch attacks, angler phishing targets users by masquerading as customer support accounts. These fake accounts often reach out to individuals discussing their grievances online, offering a fake resolution link that leads to a fake website.

Understanding these types of phishing attacks is important if you want to detect different scams and safeguard yourself against potential threats.

How Phishing Works

Phishing attacks, designed to steal personal information, often follow a simple process. Here’s a typical step-by-step breakdown:

Strategy: Attackers choose their target and tailor their approach based on the victim’s background, activities, and possible vulnerabilities. This often involves gathering preliminary data to make the attack more convincing.
Lure Creation: Phishers create enticing emails or messages that mimic legitimate sources, such as reputable companies or known contacts. These messages are crafted to create a sense of urgency or importance.
Link or Attachment: These emails typically include a fake link or an infected attachment. The link directs the user to a fake website that mirrors a legitimate site, asking for sensitive information, while attachments may contain malware designed to steal data.
Data Harvesting: When the victim enters information on a fake website or opens an attachment, the phisher quickly captures the provided data.
Exploitation: With access to personal data, attackers can commit fraud, access bank accounts, or even launch further attacks against other targets.

By recognising the sequence—from the initial targeting and lure creation to the final exploitation—you can better guard against falling into phishing traps.

Psychological Tactics Used in Phishing

Phishing is deeply rooted in psychological manipulation, using social engineering to exploit human emotions. Phishers often impersonate credible sources, like well-known financial institutions or high-ranking company officials, making their communications appear legitimate and trustworthy. This exploitation of trust convinces victims of the authenticity of the request.

Adding to the complexity, attackers create a sense of urgency or threaten loss, compelling victims to act hastily and bypass their usual rational decision-making processes. For instance, a phishing email might urgently warn of a security breach or threaten account closure if immediate action isn’t taken, pressing the recipient into quick, often regrettable actions.

Phishing attempts also play on human curiosity and greed, with promises of rewards or exclusive access to enticing content. These offers tap into natural desires and can be particularly difficult to ignore. Alternatively, some phishers use fear tactics, such as the threat of legal action or significant financial loss, to provoke a stressed response.

Signs and Indicators of a Phishing Attempt

Phishing attacks often share common characteristics that can alert you to their malicious intentions:

Unusual Sender: Whether it’s a phishing email or a text message, the sender might appear unfamiliar, or it might mimic a known contact or organisation but with slight variations in the email address or phone number.
Urgency in Communication: Phishing messages commonly create a sense of urgency, pressuring you to act quickly. Watch out for phrases like “immediate action required” or “limited time offer.”
Requests for Personal Information: Legitimate organisations typically don’t request sensitive personal and financial information via email or text messages. Be wary of any communication asking for your login credentials, credit card details, or other personal data.
Suspicious Links and Attachments: Hover over any links without clicking them to see if they redirect to a legitimate website. Be cautious of emails and messages that include unsolicited attachments, as they could contain malicious software.

By staying vigilant and questioning the legitimacy of unusual senders, urgent communications, unsolicited requests for personal information, and suspicious links or attachments, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these deceptive schemes. Always exercise caution and double-check the sources before responding to any requests that could compromise your security.

The Impact of Phishing

Phishing attacks have serious consequences that can affect individuals and organisations long after the initial breach. Here are three critical impacts that can arise from data being stolen through a phishing attack:

Financial Loss and Identity Theft

Phishing often leads to direct financial loss. Attackers may gain access to bank accounts, credit card details, and other financial information, enabling them to make unauthorised transactions or open new accounts in the victim’s name. The long-term impact of identity theft can be devastating, requiring a lot of effort and time to resolve fraudulent activities and restore your financial health.

Compromise of Sensitive Information

Phishing can expose sensitive personal and corporate information. For individuals, this may include personal identification details, private communications, or personal health records. For organisations, a phishing attack can lead to the leakage of confidential business data, customer information, and strategic plans, putting the entire business at risk of espionage or competitive disadvantage.

Damage to Reputation and Trust

For businesses, the repercussions of a phishing attack can extend beyond immediate financial or data losses to include long-term reputational damage. Customers and partners may lose trust in a company’s ability to safeguard their data. Rebuilding trust can be a lengthy and costly process, negatively impacting the company’s market position and profitability.

How to Protect Yourself From Phishing

Phishing scams can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and significant privacy breaches. Here are practical steps and recommendations on utilising tools and technologies to bolster your defences against phishing attempts:

Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about the latest phishing tactics as scammers constantly evolve their methods.
Verify Before You Click: Always verify the authenticity of requests for personal information. Contact the organisation directly using a trusted number or website, not the contact details provided in a suspicious email or text message.
Use Strong, Unique Passwords: Create strong passwords and change them regularly. Consider using a password manager to manage and store your passwords securely.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Requiring two forms of identification can add an extra layer of security and significantly decrease the risk of unauthorised access.
Use Spam Filters: Advanced spam filters can detect phishing emails, reducing the number of malicious emails that reach your inbox.
Install Antivirus Software: Ensure your antivirus is up-to-date and includes phishing prevention solutions that can scan and remove potential threats.
Use Phishing Firewalls: Some firewalls can be configured to block known phishing websites or fake websites that mimic legitimate ones.
Use Email Authentication Tools: Tools like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can help verify that emails are from a legitimate source and not spoofed.
Regularly Update and Patch Software: Keep your operating system, antivirus software, and applications updated. Cybercriminals often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software.

By integrating these best practices and tools into your daily digital routine, you can enhance your resilience against phishing attacks and help ensure your online safety. Remember, the key to combating phishing is vigilance and proactive cybersecurity measures.

What to Do If You Fall for a Phishing Attack

Realising you’ve been a victim of the phishing attack can be distressing, but taking swift action can mitigate the damage. Here’s what you need to do immediately if you suspect you’ve been compromised by a phishing attack:

Change Your Passwords: First, change the passwords for all affected accounts. If you use the same password on other sites, change those to prevent further unauthorised access.
Alert Your Financial Institutions: Contact your bank and credit card companies immediately to inform them of the potential breach. They can monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and, if necessary, freeze your accounts to prevent further fraud.
Update Your Security Software: Ensure your security software is up-to-date and run a full system scan to check for any malware that may have been installed.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication: If your accounts don’t already have two-factor authentication enabled, turn it on for added security. This provides an extra layer of security beyond your password.
Check for Signs of Identity Theft: In the following weeks and months, monitor your credit reports and account statements for any signs of unauthorised activity.
Report to the Relevant Authorities: Report the email or SMS phishing scam to the National Anti-Scam Centre.
Contact Local Law Enforcement: Contact your local law enforcement agency if the phishing attack has led to financial loss or other criminal activity.
Inform Your IT Department: If the phishing attack occurred through your work email, immediately inform your organisation’s IT department so they can take steps to secure the network and prevent further incidents.

Taking these steps promptly can help minimise the impact of a phishing attack and protect your personal and financial information from further risk. It’s crucial to stay informed about phishing tactics and remain vigilant against future attacks.