Posts Tagged phishing

Cyber Threats: Phishing Top Tips

Jul 23

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | No Comments

In our final post of the week the Internet Explorer team have compiled a list of top tips to help you against the threat of phishing scams.

1.  Make sure you have the latest Internet Explorer installed on your machine with SmartScreen filters turned on http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/internet-explorer/browse-with-confidence.aspx?WT.mc_id=Search&WT.srch=1

2.  Recognise a phishing email. Emails sent to you may look authentic but simply techniques such as ‘typo-squatting’ usually give websites away. For example rather than “www.microsoft.com” it might be typed “www.micosoft.com”, “www.mircosoft.com” or “www.verify-microsoft.com”. For more information visit http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/phishing/symptoms.aspx

3.  Be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information

4.  Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information. You should only communicate information such as credit card numbers or account information via a secure website or the telephone

5.  Install up-to-date antivirus and antispyware software. Some phishing e-mail contains malicious or unwanted software that can track your activities or simply slow your computer. Try new antivirus and comprehensive computer health services like Windows Live OneCare. To help prevent spyware or other unwanted software, download Windows Defender

6.  Check website addresses! When reading your emails, hover your cursor over the links in the email, whilst the cursor is over the link, look at the status bar at bottom of the screen which will show the correct URL for the link.        

7.  Always ensure that you’re using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser

8.  Don’t use the same username and password details for multiple accounts – once the data snatcher has access to one account, it will be easy for them to access all the others.

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Cyber Threats: Phishing in the press

Jul 21

Posted by Blue E Blogger in In the news, Tips & Tricks | No Comments

In our second post of the week we wanted to showcase some of the recent phishing scams that have been covered in the press.

The most recent phishing scam was on social network site Facebook, where people were invited to watch a video that billed itself as revealing the ‘horrors’ of Coca-Cola. The video in fact linked to a site where people were asked to submit their personal details

 

Another phishing scam that has been grabbing the headlines and our attention at Internet Explorer HQ is the fake PDF Reader.

The main aim of the scam is to get the users credit card details by offering them the chance to apply for a non-existent update and free gift.

 

 

This Friday we will be offering our top tips on avoiding the perils of phishing scams.

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Cyber Threats: Phishing

Jul 19

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Tips & Tricks | 1 Comment

Last week we spoke about the malware virus and this week, continuing our series discussing cyber threats, we’re talking about phishing. Not to be confused with the world of fishing rods, phishing is usually carried out across email or instant messenger where people are directed to a fake website and asked to enter their personal details.


The malicious software often tricks users into going to familiar websites such as banking and auctions sites that are in fact fake. One way you can protect yourself against phishing is by installing Internet Explorer 8 and making sure your SmartScreen filter is turned on

In our Wednesday post we will showcase some examples of phishing in the press and round up our week with some helpful tips on how to protect your PC against this virus.

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Protect yourself against ‘Tabnabbing’

Jun 17

Posted by Blue E Blogger in Uncategorized | No Comments

Yesterday we discussed some simple tips to keep you safe while shopping online. Today, following our week on security, we are discussing ‘tabnabbing’.

Tabnabbing is a phishing scam that creates a copy of a familiar website. If you are browsing the Internet, accidently open a malicious website and then open another tab but leave the malicious site open in its own tab, a cybercriminal could refresh the page so that it now looks like your web email or other sensitive website.

If you enter your password on this refreshed page that mimics the original site, you could be handing it over to a cybercriminal.

Despite tabnabbing’s clever name, this technique isn’t that different from a standard phishing attack. And the way Internet Explorer can protect us against this kind of attack isn’t that different either.

3 tips to avoid tabnabbing when you use Internet Explorer

1.       Update your browser. The most recent version of Internet Explorer is Internet Explorer 8 and it helps protect against phishing scams, including tabnabbing.

2.       Check that the lock icon appears on the address bar and that the web address of the page is correct (“https” rather than “http,” for example) before you enter personal information on any website.

3.       Turn on SmartScreen Filter. SmartScreen blocks millions of malicious or potentially malicious pages and can help protect you from tabnapping.

For more information, see Reduce the risk of online fraud.

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