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Phishing prevention tips - How Can You Protect Yourself From Phishing?

Phishing is one of the greatest security problems that you face today while using your email account. In fact, it is a much more serious threat than the commonly heard about problems like spyware and viruses. If you are tangled in the network of fake links sent by phishers, you can have severe financial losses. So, before anything of that sort happens, be on your guard and learn how to prevent phishing.

Cold Calls

Tech support cold calls are when an individual calls the target, claiming to be from a reputable company and states that they have found malware on the computer. The criminal will then try to get the user to install a type of remote desktop software under the pretext of removing the infestation, which would allow the attacker access to the computer in order to install real malware. In addition to attempting to install malware on the machine, these scammers will often ask for a fee to fix the issue.

Pop-Up Warnings

Tech support pop-up warnings occur when a user is browsing the Internet. Usually, the target is viewing a website that contains links to related content, and when the user clicks on one of those links it will redirect them to a website hosting the pop-ups. These pop-ups can be terribly intrusive, making it difficult for the user to close the window. The pop-ups will then display a message stating that the computer is infected with malware and offer a phone number for help with removing the malware. Often, these pop-ups will look like they come from a legitimate source, such as our own Norton products...visit - Norton to know more.

Use Context Clues

The best way to spot a phishing scheme is to listen to your gut. Remember, even if an email looks like it comes from a friend, that doesn't mean it's safe. If you weren’t expecting an email from someone, or if you were but the email seems rushed, or their tone is off, or they’re sending you a Facebook message when they usually text you ... If anything seems even a little bit off, check with the purported sender on another platform to confirm that they actually reached out.

If a message comes from a person or entity you don’t already know, consider the context of why you might be receiving it and whether the message really makes sense. Most online services won’t, for instance, appear out of the blue, asking you to make account changes through an email link. And even if they do, you should always navigate to the site separately, log in, and check to see what’s actually going on. Treat attachments with even more suspicion and avoid opening them altogether, particularly if you didn’t ask for them or didn’t have a pre-arranged plan to receive them.

Remember the Basics

Following standard digital defense advice will help with phishing as well. Keep a backup of your data. Enable multi factor authentication on every account that offers it. Close accounts you don’t use anymore. And set up a password manager to keep track of unique, robust passwords. All of these steps make you a tougher target, but more importantly, they'll help contain damage if you ever do get phished...for more information, go to - wired.

Watch out for shortened links

You should pay particularly close attention to shortened links, especially on social media. Cybercriminals often use these – from Bitly and other shortening services – to trick you into thinking you are clicking a legitimate link, when in fact you’re being inadvertently directed to a fake site.

You should always place your mouse over a web link in an email to see if you’re actually being sent to the right website – that is, “the one that appears in the email text” is the same as “the one you see when you mouse-over”. Cybercriminals may use these ‘fake’ sites to steal your entered personal details or to carry out a drive-by-download attack, thus infesting your device with malware...to know more, visit - welivesecurity.

Watch for impersonal introductions

Your bank, PayPal, Amazon etc know your name. A phisher sending out masses of emails doesn't. That's why real emails from these companies often address you by name. "Dear Customer" or variations on it may sound polite, but it's a definite warning sign, especially if the email is trying to get personal details from you.

Don't fill in embedded forms

If an email comes with an embedded form for you to fill in personal details, financial data and/or login details, don't do it. Trustworthy companies will never ask you to do this in an email...this and moreover at - The Guardian.

One of the best ways to protect your inbox from phishing emails is to get help from phishing protection services. This along with phishing protection training will help a person be safe against the threats of phishing.