What Are Text Message Phishing Scams?
This type of phishing scam involves a fraudulent text message that is sent to you that appears to be coming from a legitimate source. Some sources that hackers may pretend to be (and have pretended to be in the past) are your university, your Internet service provider, your email, or even your bank. They typically say that something is wrong with your account or that you need to update your login information because your security has been compromised. Then, the text message will include a link to their fake website that is pretending to be a real company. Once you’re on the spoofed website, it will typically ask you to enter your private information. The website may ask for your password, a credit card, or any other login information. Once you have entered your personal information, the hackers will use it to steal your accounts or credit cards.

Read More: 5 Unknown Phishing Scams to Watch for During the Holidays

How You Can Keep Yourself Safe From Phishing Scams
The best way to keep yourself safe from phishing scams is to be very wary of any text message you get from a “trusted” source. Very few Internet providers or universities will text you asking to update your information. In general, don’t click any link that an unverified text message number sends you. The safest way to check if the text message is real is to email or call the real trusted source and ask.

Plainly, think of phishing as that email that solicits money through a cunning story, like the famous email chain about the prince who needed money to return to the throne. While phishing attacks can occur in almost any part of the world, it’s worth noting the countries and regions where it occurs the most. Unsurprisingly, the biggest hotspots for phishing and cybercrime occur in countries known to be victims of cybercrime, such as the United States and China.

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Asia
East Asia has endured an uptick of cybercrime and phishing attacks in the last decade. Countries like Vietnam, China, Russia, India, and Japan all rank high on countries that experience a high number of phishing attacks. The likely reason for the increase is twofold: the standing of these countries in geopolitical terms, and the sophistication of their country’s network. For example, China’s mostly closed Internet has given rise to a black market Internet, which inherently breeds a space for cybercrime. On the other hand, Japan’s relatively open Internet has been plagued in recent years by an uptick in phishing scams as their economy increases in size.

Europe
Germany, France, and the U.K. also experience a high number of cybercrime and phishing attacks. The attacks on the three largest economies of Europe probably happen because of that fact — financial incentive attracts hackers.

The Americas
The U.S. and Brazil can also claim to be high on the list of victims from cybercrimes and phishing attacks. U.S. cybercrimes increased from 18.89% to 23.96% in 2016, making it the country most susceptible to cybercrime. Brazil also saw an uptick, as it moved form the 10th highest victim of cybercrime to the 3rd.

How to Stay Safe
There are many ways you can stay safe from cybercrime and phishing attacks. The easiest way is to make sure you’re browsing safely by using a security and antivirus app. The second way is to look at emails with scepticism, especially if you haven’t done anything different with your online accounts. Also, be aware of your friends or family getting hacked and odd messages coming from them.

If you like the idea of having an antivirus app block malicious links before you even click on them, the anti-hacking feature does just that. So how did this Google Docs attack work, and what can users do in the future to sniff out future attacks before they happen, in addition to using anti-hacking? Continue reading to find out more about Google Docs phishing attacks.

Read More: Google Play Protect Fails to Deliver – Only Stops 65.8% of Malware

How This Attack Worked
First, the initial issue that caused this was a minor one, and it stemmed from a simple email that appeared as if it was sent by a recent contact. The email then encouraged individuals to open and log in with their Google account. The page that users were delivered to looked exactly identical to the normal Google permission pages, which is what caused so many users to grant and fall for the attack.

Of course, once they had signed over their information, it was too late. Hackers were able to use the information and passwords for whatever they wanted, and users were left scrambling to change their information and ungrant permissions. Of course, while the attack targeted less than .1% of Gmail users, that still means that millions of people were at risk, and many clicked on the link.

Of course, there’s a lot to learn about this that users can use to protect themselves in the future. First and foremost, users should be careful and always think twice about sharing their information. If an email takes you to a page looking for information that you’ve likely already shared on your computer, you may have encountered the phishing page. Maintaining a healthy skepticism is key to staying vigilant and on top of attacks that may be incoming.

The Email Address Doesn’t Match Your Records
As mentioned, hackers are savvy. They have the capability to make emails appear as if they’re from someone in your contact list, when really, they are from a different and malicious email account. Always verify that emails containing outbound links are actually from whom they claim to be from. Check the email address in your records. You’d be surprised — sometimes hackers use email addresses at domains containing dead giveaways like the word “evil.”

It Has a General Salutation
Hackers may put in a general salutation that isn’t personalized or isn’t how your friend or family member would actually greet you. It may say “Hi!” or something else devoid of a specific name.

The URL Doesn’t Go Where it Claims to Go.
Hackers know how to make URLs (that are embedded into emails) look like they’re going to direct you somewhere that they aren’t. Before clicking on a link, hover over it to verify that it is going to direct you to a trusted site or at least to where it claims it will send you.

The Email Urges Immediate Action.
Phishing emails often attempt to trick you into clicking on a link and divulging sensitive information that you wouldn’t want to be compromised. If your “contact” sends an email that seems to be pushing you towards clicking a link, filling out a form, or completing a request, be cautious.

The Email Contains Attachments
You should always be cautious when opening attachments in emails, even if they appear to come from a trusted source. Look at the attachment name, verify the email address from your records, and even follow up directly with your contact to confirm they’ve sent an attachment before opening it if you find it to be questionable. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Read More: How Google Bombs Can Lead to Phishing Attempts

With hackers’ methods growing in stealth, precision, and finesse, there have been many devastating security breaches throughout the last 10 years. Listed in chronological order, here are some of the decade’s worst phishing attacks.

Operation Phish Phry (2009)

Back in 2009, Operation Phish Phry was the biggest international phishing case that the FBI had ever witnessed. Nearly 100 people in the USA and Egypt were arrested for stealing $1.5 million through phishing scams. The hackers’ methods were rooted in bank fraud, and they successfully targeted hundreds of online users.

RSA (2011)

Irony took a cruel twist when hackers attacked RSA, a security firm, in March 2011. Turns out, the company’s Adobe Flash had been left unpatched and it fell victim to a spear phishing. Through this breach, the hackers were able to access the networks for U.S. defense suppliers.

Sony Pictures (2014)

2014’s notorious Sony Pictures breach was caused by a tirade of phishing emails. Through social engineering, the hackers convinced employees to open their infected attachments, since the recipients honestly believed a company colleague sent them. From this attack, over 100 terabytes of Sony’s data was stolen, which cost the company an estimated $100 million — and maybe even more!

Anthem (2015)

Back in February 2015, hackers invaded Anthem’s servers and took upwards of 80 million medical records, including files belonging to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Their attack was successful because five employees opened a phishing email and unknowingly downloaded a keystroke-logging malware. Reportedly, when sold on the Black Market, stolen health records are worth ten times more than a credit card theft.

Read More: How to Protect Yourself from Social Engineering Attacks

1. Follow the Strong Passwords and Use Two-Factor Authentication Rule

Your IT department will prompt you to create strong passwords and use two-factor authentication for your professional accounts. Don’t ignore this request, as this is how many companies are breached — employees who ignore this or put it on a to-do list but don’t follow through. Strong passwords are long passwords with lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, and numbers. Also, apply the same rule to your personal accounts.

2. Be Wary of What You Send Via Email

Email is not a secure form of communication for many reasons, one being that it’s easy to intercept emails. Don’t send any personal information via email or email forms (such as passwords or your Social Security number).

3. Be Suspicious of Unsolicited Emails and Phone Calls

Some unsolicited emails and phone calls are legitimate — but many are not. Many phishing scams are designed to prey on your emotions, and get you to respond with personal information or click on a link out of fear. This approach works, too: it is often most successful when the targeted individual is experiencing personal trouble or hardship, which the hacker can gather from stalking the victim’s social media profiles.

4. Be Skeptical of Emails From Trusted Sources

You should be skeptical of all emails you receive — even if they’re seemingly from a friend, coworker, or your bank. Phishing scams are getting cleverer by the day, and many scammers are able to spoof emails from people you know or else compromise a known, trusted email address. If the language in the email feels “off” or strange — and if that language is accompanied by a link, attachment, or a request for personal information — ask yourself if the email seems legitimate. If you have doubts, reach out to the sender by another form of communication and ask if they sent the email. If you’re at work, alert your IT support department right away.

5. Don’t Mix Business With Pleasure

Be cautious about what you post on social media, especially when it comes to information related to your job. Hackers are more frequently targeting employees’ social media profiles in order to collect personal information that could provide answers to job-related security questions or passwords.

Spam Emails

Right from the start, like most email clients, Microsoft Outlook evaluates your incoming messages, determining whether or not they are spam. Anything that doesn’t make the cut heads directly to your spam folder so you never have to deal with it.

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But this email program goes a step above and beyond. Most messages that arrive to your inbox are in HTML format. Many of them contain images or even sounds that are from another place on the Internet (an external source).

Sometimes, scammy email providers use those things to grab your email address. When you open the email, the content is downloaded automatically, and the spammer is able to effortlessly validate your email address. After that, it may be sold off to additional spammers so you receive even more junk emails — as if you didn’t receive enough already. Luckily, Microsoft Outlook blocks these automatic picture downloads.

Phishing

There are plenty of junk emails that pretend to be from legitimate sources. They may pose as a financial institution, an insurance company, or an online retailer (to name a few). No matter who they pretend to be, they share a common goal: to get you to provide your personal information. They are hoping to trick you into providing your account number or passwords so they can get into it themselves.

Phishing scams aren’t always easy to spot. The junk email filter checks out each incoming email to make sure it doesn’t contain suspicious links, and to see if the sender’s address is legitimate. To keep you from making a big mistake, those emails are routed to your junk folder, and any functionality (like clicking links or replying to the message), is disabled.

However, there is always a risk, as Outlook’s system isn’t perfect. Install DFNDR on your Android smartphone for highly effective antivirus and malware protection. If a malicious email slips through, DFNDR will detect the threat immediately.

Learn to Identify Suspicious Emails

There are a few clues you can look for to see if an email is legitimately from the company. First of all, Google the email address that sent you the email. This will often tell you whether the email is legitimate or malicious. Moreover, don’t let the imagery on the emails fool you. Phishers frequently attempt to copy and paste the emblem of the company to try and further legitimize their email.

Read More: Why Your Fingerprint Login May Not Be Safe

Never send your password over email

Your bank, and most other firms, will NEVER ask for your password via email. This is a common trick that many people fall for, resulting in a forfeiture of their private information. If a firm is asking for sensitive information over email, it is almost guaranteed that you are being phished. Avoid these at all costs.

Never go to websites linked to in emails

A lot of phishers embed faulty links in their emails to websites that masquerade themselves as the real firm. For instance, if you bank with Wells Fargo, a phisher could send you a link to a website that looks like a carbon copy to the Wells Fargo website. Don’t let the similarities fool you. If you wish to login to your bank account, access the website through an app or by typing the URL. These faulty links will oftentimes lead to trouble.

Stay up to date on internet safety

News outlets will often broadcast stories about mass phishing schemes. This usually results in their demise — once the public is aware of the scheme, fewer people fall for it. By staying up to date on internet safety news, you can be cognizant of widespread malicious attempts to phish.

Doubt it? Delete it.

If you have the slightest inkling that an email is malicious, you’re probably right.

Download PSafe Total and PSafe Total Windows so that if a virus does attempt to enter your device through a phishing scam, it will be detected right away.