Doesn’t that sound like some good rhyming words for a poem or song? Maybe, but in terms of data breaching, it’s just some of the methods for stealing, compromising, and controlling your data. Continue reading to learn how to protect your company from phishing, smishing, vishing, and whaling.
Phishing
Almost everyone has heard of phishing, but many do not fully comprehend what it entails. The recipient of a phishing email is usually pressured to act quickly. They use the language and tone of that company, as well as some personal knowledge, to persuade the recipient to open the email. If they do, malware has infected the target’s system.
Smishing
This is similar to phishing, but it comes in the form of a text message. The term “smishing” is derived from the term “SMS,” which stands for a text message. Again, the goal is to trick you into clicking on a bogus link in the text message, which will often take you to a realistic (but bogus) login screen where your username and password will be captured.
Vishing
Phishing is an email scam, smishing is a text scam, and “vishing” is a phone scam (v for voice). In this case, the criminal makes a phone call or leaves a voicemail. Sometimes it’s one of those obvious “robocalls,” but it can also be a real person who is surprisingly convincing. A sense of urgency, like other tactics, is used to trick you into acting before you think.
Whaling
A “whale” is a company’s CEO, president, or other senior-level position, whereas a “fish” is a general employee. Upper-level employees are a lucrative target for data hackers because they have access to all aspects of a company’s network. Whaling is any cyberattack that is specifically directed at one or more senior-level employees, whether through phishing, smishing, vishing, pharming, or other means.
Pharming
Pharming eliminates the need for cybercriminals to trick you into visiting a fake site to enter your data by simply programming your computer to send you there. Pharming can be caused by a malware-infected computer or a corrupted server (DNS server poisoning)
To know more about how to protect your business from cybersecurity threats, connect with Cegura Technologies. Call us today to schedule your appointment!
