Wiregrass Seniors Magazine March 2018 APRIL ISSUE | Page 24

Page 24
WiregrassSeniorsMagazine.com
Computer Tips:
For Us Seniors
Phishing Attacks
Do's and Dont’s to Protect
Your Personal Information
In Today's world, a phishing attack is one of the
most successful means a hacker uses to gain ac-
cess to your data. Phishing is an email that looks
like it comes from a company that you know, with
an urgent message to pay a past due balance or
some other similar situation that requires you to
click a link or call a phone number and clear it up.
To avoid these hazards, we have listed a few
tactics that might help you identify a phishing scam.
Validate the request
- If you receive an email from a vendor requesting
information, pick up the phone and verify the re-
quest. Always use contact numbers from external
websites – NOT the ones included in the potential
phishing email.
Alert the appropriate personnel
- If you think you have received a phishing email,
just delete the email. It is better to be safe than
scammed.
Use common sense
- If a vendor has never asked for your password
information through email, they probably wouldn’t
be starting today. Question requests that are
outside the norm and use common sense when
fulfilling requests.
Don’t trust the sender
- It doesn’t take any time or skill to “spoof” or
impersonate the sender of an email. From the
president of an organization to the President of
the United States, attackers can assume the
identity of anyone.
Don’t be so quick to reply
- Sometimes attackers are just looking to find valid
email addresses. By replying to an email like this,
even if it’s only to give the would-be attacker a
piece of your mind, you only help the attacker
determine that the email reached a recipient.
Don’t open that attachment
- Attachments that were once thought of as harm-
less (Word,Excel, PDF) are now being used to
launch various types of attacks against end-users.
If you weren’t expecting that attachment – don’t
open it!
Don’t give out personal information
- Most companies will NOT ask you to transmit per-
sonal information, account information, or account
passwords via email. Any requests similar in
nature should raise suspicions and be reported.
Don’t be embarrassed
- These attacks work, which is why we’ve seen an
increase in the amount of phishing attacks. Don’t
be embarrassed that you fell for it. It happens to
everyone.
Just remember, if an email seems unusual and out
of the norm, it is probably a scam.