In the world of computer security, the word “phishing” unfortunately doesn’t relate to sitting lazily in a canoe in the middle of a lake, waiting for a whopper to take your bait. What it actually refers to is how criminals attempt to gain access to private or sensitive data (like internet passwords and credit card numbers) by posing as a trustworthy and legitimate organization online. Phishing is very frequently seen in e-mails or instant-messaging. The message will contain a link to a website that looks and feels almost identical to a legitimate one, and it is sometimes very difficult to determine that the website is not genuine.

Many social networking sites have become a prime target for phishing, as these websites contain personal information or details that can be used for identity theft. Criminals will often create a website that looks identical to the homepage of a social networking site to get you to enter your username and password. This information is then sent to the creator of the website and used to hack your account and gain access to all of your information. Criminals might also set up a link in a message within the internal messaging system of the social networking site itself.

There are a few measures you can take to avoid getting “hooked” by phishing websites. First of all, don’t respond to an e-mail asking for personal banking information. This process is rarely ever authentic, and if a bank really does require such personal information, you should call them instead of sending the information online. Authentic companies will not ask their clients for their username or password via e-mail.

Exercise caution with e-mails and personal messages. If you don’t know the sender, try to find out if they are legitimate. Chances are, if something feels “phishy”, it probably is. While many websites have been detected by e-mail servers as potential phishing websites, it is not possible for them to catch every single one.

Protect your computer with spam-filters and anti-virus software, and make sure your firewalls are turned on. These programs are usually helpful in avoiding phishing scams and will help you to detect scams that might be hidden within your computer.

Overall, be cautious and critical of messages from people you don’t know and trust. Never enter personal information online unless you are 100% sure that the website is legitimate and authentic. If you are not sure, it’s a good idea to ask an adult for help.

Good luck, and don’t take the bait!

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 12:24 pm by Erin Siksay and is filed under privacy online. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.