Types of Phishing Attacks
There are several types of Phishing Attacks, some of which are mentioned below. Below mentioned attacks below are very common and mostly used by attackers.
- Email Phishing: The most common type where users are tricked into clicking unverified spam emails and leaking secret data. Hackers impersonate a legitimate identity and send emails to mass victims. Generally, the goal of the attacker is to get personal details like bank details, credit card numbers, user IDs, and passwords of any online shopping website, installing malware, etc. After getting the personal information, they use this information to steal money from the user’s account or harm the target system, etc.
- Spear Phishing: In spear phishing a phishing attack, a particular user(organization or individual) is targeted. In this method, the attacker first gets the full information of the target and then sends malicious emails to his/her inbox to trap him into typing confidential data. For example, the attacker targets someone(let’s assume an employee from the finance department of some organization). Then the attacker pretends to be like the manager of that employee and then requests personal information or transfers a large sum of money. It is the most successful attack.
- Whaling: Whaling is just like spear-phishing but the main target is the head of the company, like the CEO, CFO, etc. A pressurized email is sent to such executives so that they don’t have much time to think, therefore falling prey to phishing.
- Smishing: In this type of phishing attack, the medium of phishing attack is SMS. Smishing works similarly to email phishing. SMS texts are sent to victims containing links to phished websites or invite the victims to call a phone number or to contact the sender using the given email. The victim is then invited to enter their personal information like bank details, credit card information, user ID/ password, etc. Then using this information the attacker harms the victim.
- Vishing: Vishing is also known as voice phishing. In this method, the attacker calls the victim using modern caller ID spoofing to convince the victim that the call is from a trusted source. Attackers also use IVR to make it difficult for legal authorities to trace the attacker. It is generally used to steal credit card numbers or confidential data from the victim.
- Clone Phishing: Clone Phishing this type of phishing attack, the attacker copies the email messages that were sent from a trusted source and then alters the information by adding a link that redirects the victim to a malicious or fake website. Now the attacker sends this mail to a larger number of users and then waits to watch who clicks on the attachment that was sent in the email. It spreads through the contacts of the user who has clicked on the attachment.
What is Phishing?
Phishing is a form of online fraud in which hackers attempt to get your private information such as passwords, credit cards, or bank account data. This is usually done by sending false emails or messages that appear to be from trusted sources like banks or well-known websites. They aim to convince you so that they can manage to have your information and use it as a fraudster. Always ensure that you are certain about whom you are dealing with before you provide any information.
Contact Us