There’s a good reason why phishing attacks are so common and successful. Millions of malicious messages, links, and attachments are shared every day. And we as users, are relentlessly clicking on links, downloading files from unprotected sources, and so on. On the other side, cybercriminals are getting access to passwords, credit cards, or other sensitive information, using a variety of techniques through social media platforms, phone calls, emails, and several other forms of communication mediums to steal your valuable files.
Overconfident users who do not have authentic antivirus protection, are most prone to phishing attacks and end up losing personal data to hackers and bad guys.
Here’s A List of Common Phishing Attacks:
Company Impersonation
In this type of attack, hackers impersonate a reputable brand. The attack is typically conducted via sending emails that appear to be similar to brands that you probably use. For instance: You might receive an email from (name@amazon-support) which may ask you to click a link or download an attachment to grab a gift and so on.
Phone Phishing
Cybercriminals use VOIP technology to impersonate as CEO, Vice-president of renowned companies to get a higher take on the entire phishing scam.
Spam Phishing
In this type of phishing attack, spam messages are sent out in bulk by cybercriminals who are just looking for people who respond to the message, so that they can run scams and obtain passwords, bank account details, or simply inject malicious codes into the recipient’s computers.
Clone Phishing
In this type of attack, hackers simply create a clone of authentic messages and emails sent to you previously with legitimate attachments and replace them with malicious codes. So, there’s a high probability that you can click on the same (thinking it coming from a trustworthy source) & become a victim of a phishing attack.
Pharming
In this type of attack, the hacker uses malware techniques to reroute the traffic from safe/legitimate/authentic websites to phishing ones. Once the victim lands on the targeted platform, bad guys can get access to their device & do more for their good.
These were some of the most growing lists of phishing attacks. To avoid becoming a victim of such attacks, simply follow the list of tips shared below:
You might want to read:
- What Is Spear Phishing and How to Protect Yourself from it?
- How To Recognize Spam And Phishing Emails?
How To Avoid Being A Victim Of Phishing Attack?
Simply keep in mind the following tactics to protect yourself from common phishing attacks:
1. Think Twice Before You Click
While browsing the web, we tend to click on various links all the time. Well, it’s completely alright to click the links on trusted websites, but you should stay vigilant and think twice before clicking any link appearing on random websites while browsing. Most of the phishing attacks are routed via emails, so make sure you only download attachments and click links from authentic people/organizations.
2. Stay Up-To-Date
Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated than ever. They keep on inventing new phishing techniques to execute attacks. Hence, it is best to keep your game up when it comes to following security trends and the latest techniques used in the market to spread malware and other attacks. Keeping a check on new scams will certainly help you and your organization to reduce the overall risk of being a victim of a phishing attack.
3. Enhance The Security Of Your Computer – Use Solid Antivirus Software
The market is packed with a range of tools to protect users from a variety of attacks and vulnerabilities. Hence, it is highly recommended to install dedicated antivirus software on your device that would help you detect and eliminate potential traces that may harm your device. Try Systweak Antivirus for enjoying top-notch protection for your Windows PC against spyware, malware, adware, trojan horse, worms, and more. One of the major highlights of using this security tool includes:
- Silently runs in the background, hence doesn’t hamper overall system performance.
- Comprehensively scans your entire PC to ensure you get maximum protection against all kinds of threats.
- It’s lightweight antivirus software that doesn’t consume many
- Provides an ad blocker feature StopAll Ads that automatically blocks all the potential ads & stops spyware from entering your system.
- A reliable antivirus software when it comes to locating PUPs that may cause harm to your device.
- Allows users to keep a check on startup items that may slow down the boot time. You can manage them and improve overall system performance.
Want to learn more about Systweak Antivirus? Read below:
Systweak Antivirus Review, Pricing, And Features
Antivirus and Cybersecurity Statistics & Facts
4. Check Your Accounts Periodically
Well, there’s no harm in checking all your bank account statements periodically. In case you notice any suspicious behavior or irregularities in your transactions, immediately contact your Bank.
5. Don’t Ignore The Updates
We understand how annoying it is to receive numerous update messages on your device. But don’t ignore them! Security patches and updates are released for a reason, it helps users to keep their devices and apps up-to-date with modern cyber-attack methods, so there’s no scope of a security hole. Make sure you update your web browser also, that is certainly the easiest way to avoid being a victim of a phishing attack.
6. Change Your Passwords Regularly
If you are someone like me, who’s got several online accounts for shopping, communication, payments, and so on. Then, you should maintain the habit of changing all your passwords regularly. This certainly closes the door for an attacker from gaining unlimited access to your apps, accounts, and devices. To keep things easy, we recommend taking the help of a password management service that would relieve you from the hassle of remembering multiple passwords and you can securely auto-login at different websites using the password manager.
In case you are interested in getting a strong password manager, check out below:
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- Have you ever been a victim of a phishing attack? If yes, then what measures did you take to deal with it? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!