WHAT IS PHISHING?

Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone, or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking, and credit card details, and passwords.

DANGERS OF PHISHING

Malicious Files
When malicious content in the email attachment reaches the user, it may take the whole computer system and network. For successful anti-phishing solutions, these files must be analyzed with signature-based antivirus software and behaviour analysis services.

Spear-Phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) Attacks
Another crucial point is that a cybercriminal who bypasses all security precautions uses the unawareness of the end-user to attack the system. Since 97% of people around the world cannot identify a sophisticated phishing email. Users should be trained regularly to be aware of the threats via phishing tests, exams, questionnaires, and games.

HOW TO AVOID PHISHING

Seek out the Sender
The sender should be familiar to you. If it has a suspicious name or you are unfamiliar with the sender at all, then do not bother to click on the email link. However, you can always seek a second opinion just to be sure.

Recognize the Recipients
If you've been sent or forwarded an email with a large group, make sure to check the rest of the recipients. If they're unfamiliar to you, or if it seems suspicious, delete the email to reduce the risk of being scammed.

Scan the Subject
The subject of an email provides an overview of its content. If it is irrelevant or a reply to an email you never sent, then do not click on it. One obvious big red flag would be wild subject lines.

Determine the Date
Usually, people go for the content instead of the time and date. You should always be aware of those two elements. The usual suspicious emails appear around the middle of the night. Next time you receive an email, make sure to glance at the time stamp.

Comb over the Content
The content section of an email is where a hacker attempts to gain your trust. There may even be pictures or logos to make the overall appearance seem genuine. They often include random or illogical content, poor grammar, and spelling errors. They may also ask you to click on a link or open an attachment to avoid a negative consequence or to gain something of value. These are all red flags. A real email will be written professionally and will have relevant content that directly applies to you. Anything out of the ordinary should always be questioned.

Hold over the Hyperlinks
A hyperlink is a reference to data that points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hackers often include hyperlinks that lead to an unprotected page. One way to avoid this is by hovering (don't click!) over the link to check its URL.

Avoid Attachments
Unlike hyperlinks, you can’t hover over an attachment; but you can gather contextual information about it. For example, if you were not expecting an attachment, or if the attachment makes no sense in the context of the email, then you should probably ignore it. Clicking on a risky attachment can open your computer up to viruses and hazardous material. So, in this case, don’t gamble with chance and you will remain secure.

References
• Bobby. (2015, May 31). The Truth About Clicking Links in Email and What To Do Instead. TipTopSecurity. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://tiptopsecurity.com/the-truth-about-clicking-links-in-email-and-what-to-do-instead/
• Dutko, J. (2018, July 5). 7 WAYS TO AVOID CLICKING ON DANGEROUS EMAILS. CruSolutions. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://crusolutions.com/blog/7-ways-to-avoid-clicking-on-dangerous-emails/
• GLS Team. (2015, January 14). The Dangers of Phishing Scams and How to Protect Yourself. Global Learning Systems. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.globallearningsystems.com/the-dangers-of-phishing-scams-and-how-to-protect-yourself/#:~:text=Once%20the%20individual%20or%20organization,your%20financial%20stability%20and%20credit.
• Moon, B. (2016, January 14). Don't Click On Strange Links: 6 Tips To Avoid Phishing Attacks. Forbes. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradmoon/2016/01/14/how-to-avoid-becoming-a-victim-of-phishing/#3ed9137443f6
• What Is Phishing? (n.d.). Phishing. Retrieved October 23, 2020, from https://www.phishing.org/what-is-phishing#:~:text=Phishing%20is%20a%20cybercrime%20in,credit%20card%20details%2C%20and%20passwords.