Have you ever received a message that seemed a bit off? Maybe it said you won a contest you never entered, or that there’s a problem with one of your accounts or an item you never ordered is out for delivery. You may have felt pressured to click a link to claim your prize, solve the problem or learn more. These messages are likely phishing attempts and clicking on those links can be very harmful.
Let's look at why you should always be cautious with suspicious messages and how you can protect yourself from phishing scams.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a tactic cyber criminals use to trick you into giving them your personal or sensitive information, like passwords or credit card details, to steal from you. These scam messages come through emails, social media or text messages (also called smishing), often impersonating someone you know or a company you trust. In many cases, these messages include a button or link you may be tempted to click — but definitely shouldn’t.
How are phishing links harmful?
Cyber criminals might use urgent or threatening language or make false promises in phishing messages to tempt you to click on the links inside them. They may also send just enough information to make you curious about a link, or make you feel you’re missing out on something. These links contain malicious content that can risk your cyber security. They can include the following threats:
- Downloading malware - clicking a link in a phishing message can download malware onto your device. Malware is a harmful software that can damage your device, spy on you or steal your information.
- Stealing information - links in phishing messages often lead to spoofed websites, which are disguised to look like legitimate websites you might recognize, like your bank or social media. These sites might ask you to log in or enter personal or sensitive information for scammers to steal.
- Losing money - clicking on a phishing link can cause you to lose money. Cyber criminals can use your personal information to make purchases or steal your credit card information.
How can I avoid a phishing scam?
Even the savviest cyber security expert can fall for a phishing scam. But the easiest way to avoid falling victim to phishing is to follow this basic rule: if you’re not expecting to receive a link or attachment from a person or business, don’t click or download it, whether you think you recognize the sender or not. Protect yourself against phishing with these simple steps:
- Use anti-virus software - installing anti-virus software on your devices can help catch and block malware before it causes problems
- Keep your devices updated - regular updates to your software and operating system (OS) can patch security vulnerabilities that scammers exploit
- Enable automatic updates wherever you can to make sure you’re always up to date
- Back up your files - saving an extra copy of your files to an external hard drive or the cloud ensures you won’t lose everything if your system is compromised.
- Stay skeptical - if a message seems strange, be sure to verify it, even if it looks like it’s from someone you know
- contact the person or company directly by using another method
- don’t click links or reply directly to suspicious messages
- Forward phishing text messages to 7726 (SPAM) to report the scam
- Delete the phishing message to avoid accidental clicks and spreading it to others
- Get informed - learn the most common signs of a phishing message and share them with friends, family and coworkers
Conclusion
The links in phishing messages can lead you to malicious connections to compromise your cyber security. By keeping an eye out and taking some simple precautions, you can protect yourself, your data and your devices. Remember, if a message seems suspicious or presents an offer that’s too good to be true, it probably is.