Crime still doesn’t pay, even if it’s phishing. And although phishing may seem to be a new word to many, especially with the latest updated Internet Explorer browser that is said to detect possible phishing activity on websites, it is an old term for a new term.
With regards to computers and the Internet, phishing is a shortening of the word fishing, which is what phish proves to be. It is a term that combines the word fishing and internet. Because spam is prohibited by Internet criminal laws, illicit groups have to resort to more sophisticated ways of obtaining victims. They turn to individuals, who are more numerous and can afford to hire expert scammers, to do their dirty work for them.
Phishing is usually short of executing a scam, which is done using e-mails and fake Web sites that bait users into giving information about themselves or their browsing habits. Because of the shared knowledge computer users have about computer viruses and the knowledge that almost all programs contain bugs, it is easy to create a spoof site and send a virus to unsuspecting users.
Once you visit the spoof site, your computer is at risk because malicious code can be easily installed in your browser. The more you visit the site, the more likely you are to come across a portion of the page that is infected. It is essential that you do not go to Web sites that are not well known or are not familiar to you. Do not click on any pop-up unless you know that it is safe.
You should not open unsolicited e-mails, if you are not sure of the entity who sent it. Some e-mails explicit directions to not visit a particular Web site. If you cannot recall signing up for something, but remember signing up for something, don’t calls to other entities for verification. If in doubt, call the institution on the phone.
Be cyber safe
To be legitimate, all Web sites should have a valid business address. Should you find an e-mail for a Web site that is not listed on the CNNIC or other reliable public list of trusted sites,see them right away. Other unsolicited e-mails identify themselves as being from a child’s birthday party and urge you to click on a linkrss that says “Happy Birthday!”. One especially disturbing lot consists of a multimedia image that exploits the popularity of the game “Doom” and has a banner on the bottom with the words “Happy Birthday!” This exploits the popularity of the video game “Doom”. This isessorious lot of people might mistake it for a joke. If you look carefully, you might mistake it for a joke too. We all might think that it is the schoolkids at the birthday party that wrote that.
It might be a good idea when you receive the e-mail to forward it along with a brief description to:[email protected]. Triple check by adding the words “verified” after the IP address. You might also want to send a typed copy of the e-mail to the person who started it, just to make sure that they know about it.
You might also want to send a few paragraphs about why you think the link is dangerous to others. Remember, this is something that might end up being on the front page. You don’t want to ruin someone’s reputation by attacking their privacy.
One final note. Make sure you have the most updated version of anti-virus software installed on your computer. Version and updates are automatic and frequent. But do not install the newest version of your anti-virus software. Updating is too important. You could save yourself a lot of problems by doing so before you hit the link.
It is important to make sure that you protect your Internet privacy from unsolicited mail as well as other messages. There are sites that contain malware that can be harmful to your computer. Through spamming, these sites can spread harmful programs to your computer.
Phishing is another common type of fraud. This is done by impersonating a respected institution in the received e-mail. The links in the e-mail appear to belong to the received mail server, but they actually belong to the phishers.
Ensure that you do not reply to questionable mails. Simply deleting the mail does not count. You can also report the matter to the “abuse” department of your Internet Service Provider. Through them, government officials can investigate Internet crimes.
Use anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. These programs defend your computer from viruses that allow malware to get into your computer. If you have anti-virus software installed, you must be sure to keep it updated.
Step 4: Now that you have protected your computer through the use of software and through using the Internet, now it is time to change your password to your own personal use.
