What is Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing?

 Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing are all ways that people try to get sensitive information from other people. They are all done in similar ways, but they have different ways of getting this information. It is important to know the difference between the three and how it looks when someone is getting targeted.

Phishing

           Phishing is an online scam that gets sent to email accounts. It consists of getting sent a link or attachment from an unfamiliar email domain. When a user clicks on the link or attachment that is when the sender gets access to data. There are many different types of phishing to watch out for. Some of include spear, email, and whaling. Spear phishing is when someone specifically targets one person. They do this by adding their name, job, or social life. Whale phishing is when someone targets a big target like a manager, owner, or celebrities. They target these people since they have a lot of information on companies or other people.

Smishing

           Smishing is a scam that gets sent as a text message (SMS). Scammers send a text to a target. The text that the target receives looks like a text from a trustworthy company. The scammers make the message look like it is the real company, and they send a link that they want the target to click on. There are different ways that these messages look. It can look like you won money or a prize. It can also look like a tax report or bank statement.

Vishing

           Vishing is a scam where the target gets called over the phone rather than receiving a text message or email. The target is selected, and they call trying to convince them to download software for their device.

How To Protect Yourself from All Three

 There are many ways to prevent these things from happening. Most importantly, do not click on links or attachments from unknown sources. Report suspicious emails, text messages, or calls that you receive. When you report these, you protect yourself and others from getting information taken.

           Seifert Technologies’ IT Division is your source for cybersecurity awareness. We are a registered agent of KnowB4 Products (www.knowbe4.com). These products implement sate of the art programs which:

• Send fully automated simulated phishing attacks, using thousands of customizable templates with unlimited usage
• Train your users with access to the world's largest library of always-fresh awareness training content
• AI-Driven phishing and training recommendations based on your users' phishing and training history
• Use Assessments to gauge proficiency of your users in security knowledge and security culture attitudes
• Easy user management using Active Directory Integration 

Contact our IT Service Team

  To learn more details about cybersecurity training contact us at (330) 833-2700 or sales@seifert.com. Please visit www.seifert.com/itservices for more information on our full range capabilities.