How to recognize a phishing attack

With the development of electronic commerce and online banking services has increased and the number of computer crimes by which authors try to obtain financial benefit or confidential information from customers of large companies, usually. Phishing is one of the most common offenses, the goal is to collect confidential information such as identity number, account numbers, card numbers, PIN codes and then using them for stealing the money. Typically, targeted clients are financial and banking companies in the industry, but appear to be contested cases and companies in other sectors and even online stores.

In short, in a phishing attack author send email or SMS as from a certain well-known companies, the presumed its customers. Most times, email addresses that are sent messages are collected by the methods used by spammers. Very rarely, the attack builds on the theft database clients of the company concerned. Subject line and content varies from a phishing attack to another. Thus, the offender can announce the existence of technical malfunctions or errors to be corrected by re-introduction of personal data and going up to messages that promise a prize. All but these things have in common:

* Calls for confidential information (identity number, account numbers, card numbers, PIN etc.), "necessary" to remedy the defect or winning the prize promised;

* Messages sent by users of websites that copy well design company with all the distinctive elements (eg logos), to have as big chance to fool the user;

* Subject contains company name, the user is already familiar with the text is often personalized with the user

* At the end of the message was added to the official signature of the company.

These messages appear legitimate for many lay users who, therefore, not able to detect crime behind the images. DISCLAIMER