• Atul Gupta
• July 09, 2024
• No Comments

 Phishing attacks have posed a very high risk to the users because of their high prevalence and increasing technicality. Below are ways in which one can easily grasp on the causes of phishing attacks. 

1. What is Phishing? 

Phishing is a type of cyber attack that is executed by making the recipient believe that the message came from a trustworthy source with the intention of getting the receiver to disclose sensitive information. 

• Most commonly entails the use of legitimate appearing emails, messages, or websites. 
• This is designed to gather such data as password, credit card number, or social security number. 

2. Increasing Frequency 

Phishing attacks are quite rampant for the recent past. 

• Cyber criminals have now taken to sending phishing emails which account for a considerable percentage of all emails. 
• Attackers learn from events like the ones occurring currently, for instance, the COVID-19 or general elections. 
• The attacking strategies have become more effective due to new targeting means. 

3. Advanced Techniques 

New techniques of phishing are invented to by-pass the conventional security mechanisms. 

•  Spear phishing is even more selective than phishing attackers create messages or emails that look like they are from someone the target would trust. 
• Clone phishing is a variation of the mentioned attacks that imitates genuine messages but contains links or files that lead to a phishing site. 
• Vishing is voice phishing and smishing is short for SMS phishing and they both use phone communications. 

4. Impact on Individuals 

Phishing really affects people, it has major impacts to them. 

• This will definitely result in identity theft because personal as well as financial information will have been exposed. 
• Although it can virtually be impossible to completely avoid compromising of accounts, it can lead to unauthorized transactions. 
• Frustration of losing money to cons and being lied to. 

5. Impact on Organizations 

Below are the considerations which states that organizations are at a high risk of suffering from phishing attacks. 

• It can lead to leakage of important corporate data which may cause a lot of problems. 
• Dire monetary consequences like the costs of dealing with cases of embezzlement or paying ransoms. 
• Reduction of brand image and consequent decrease in customer loyalty. 

6. Common Phishing Indicators 

 Therefore, knowing the type of scam is vital since it is all about prevention of the fraudulent act. 

• Search for a corporate greeting such as, “Dear Customer. ” 
• Scan the text for bad grammar, or spelling mistakes. 
• You should bring your pointer over links to see if they take you through a real site. 

This blog explicates the ways these two types of threats relate to each other, so the reader can understand phishing attacks and prevent these constantly growing threats in the future.