Phishing-

This is my favourite topic...

The number of internet users is constantly increasing, and new online services and market places are appearing every day, which means that more and more information, including private data, is being transferred via the web. As a result, there are more and more people trying to steal this sensitive data. One popular technique used by the criminals is phishing - a combination of social engineering and traditional digital data theft.

1. Phishing email messages, websites, and phone calls are designed to steal money. Cybercriminals can do this by installing malicious software on your computer or stealing personal information off of your computer. Cybercriminals also use social engineering to convince you to install malicious software or hand over your personal information under false pretenses. They might email you, call you on the phone, or convince you to download something off of a website. [Microsoft]

2. Phishing is an e-mail fraud method in which the perpetrator sends out legitimate-looking email in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from recipients. Typically, the messages appear to come from well known and trustworthy Web sites. Web sites that are frequently spoofed by phishers include PayPal, eBay, MSN, Yahoo, BestBuy, and America Online. A phishing expedition, like the fishing expedition it's named for, is a speculative venture: the phisher puts the lure hoping to fool at least a few of the prey that encounter the bait. [Tech Target]

3. Phishing is a fraudulent attempt, usually made through email, to steal your personal information. The best way to protect yourself from phishing is to learn how to recognize a phish. Phishing emails usually appear to come from a well-known organization and ask for your personal information - such as credit card number, social security number, account number or password. Often times phishing attempts appear to come from sites, services and companies with which you do not even have an account. In order for Internet criminals to successfully "phish" your personal information, they must get you to go from an email to a website. Phishing emails will almost always tell you to click a link that takes you to a site where your personal information is requested. Legitimate organizations would never request this information of you via email. [PhishTank]

4. Phishing and spoof emails aim to obtain your secure information, passwords, or account numbers. These emails use deceptive means to try and trick you, like forging the sender's address. Often, they ask for the reader to reply, call a phone number, or click on a weblink to steal personal information. [PayPal]

5. Phishing attacks use 'spoofed' e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool recipients into divulging personal financial data such as credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, etc. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince recipients to respond to them. The email can look just like it comes from a financial institution, e-commerce site, government agency or any other service or business. It often urges you to act quickly because your account has been compromised in some way. [American Bankers' Association]

6. "Phishing" is a technique used to gain personal information for purposes of identity theft, using fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from legitimate businesses. These authentic-looking messages are designed to fool recipients into divulging personal data such as account numbers and passwords and credit card numbers. Consumers are lured into providing their account details by deceptive emails that look like they have been sent by a financial institution or other company, but which are in fact clever copies sent by a "phisher" hoping to deceive and defraud. [Australian Communications & Media Authority]

• Some background infoURL

Assessment-

The number of internet users is constantly increasing, and new online services and market places are appearing every day, which means that more and more information, including private data, is being transferred via the web. As a result, there are more and more people trying to steal this sensitive data. One popular technique used by the criminals is phishing - a combination of social engineering and traditional digital data theft.

Your assessment task:

1. What is phishing

2. How is it perpetrated?

3. Why is it successful?

4. Why should organisations be concerned?

5. What are the current and future trends?

6. What can be done to avoid it?

Tips:

• Only use recent references/sources
• Use lots of headings and show a logical flow
• Give me your opinion
• Word limit 3000

12 apa reference.