Phishing

Definition:

Phishing is a social engineering attack in which an attacker poses as a legitimate entity to trick individuals into providing sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers.

Use Cases:

  • Used by attackers to steal login credentials or financial information from unsuspecting users.
  • Employed in email-based attacks to direct victims to fake websites that mimic legitimate ones.

Related Terms:

Questions and Answers:

  • How can individuals recognize phishing attempts?
    Signs of phishing include unexpected emails asking for sensitive information, suspicious links, and email addresses that don't match the sender's legitimate domain.

  • What are the most common types of phishing attacks?
    Common types include email phishing, spear phishing (targeted attacks), and smishing (SMS phishing).

  • How can organizations prevent phishing attacks?
    Organizations can prevent phishing by using email filtering, educating employees on phishing signs, and implementing multi-factor authentication.
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