E-Mail Is the "Bait"
The e-mail states that due to internal accounting errors or some other pretext, certain information must be updated to continue your service. A link in the message directs the user to a Web page that asks for financial information. The page looks genuine, because it is easy to fake a valid Web site. Any HTML page on the Web can be copied and modified to suit the phishing scheme. Rather than go to a Web page, another option is to ask the user to call an 800 number and speak with a live person, who makes the scam seem even more genuine.
Anyone Can Phish
A "phishing kit" is a set of software tools from phishing developers that help the novice phisher copy a target Web site and make mass mailings. It may even include lists of e-mail addresses (how thoughtful of people to create these kits!). In the meantime, if you suspect a phishing scheme, you can report it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at www.antiphishing.org. See pharming, vishing, smishing and twishing.
The "Spear" Phishing Variant
Spear phishing is more targeted and personal. The e-mail supposedly comes from someone in the organization everyone knows such as the head of human resources. It could also come from someone not known by name, but with a title of authority such as a LAN administrator. Once one employee falls for the scheme and divulges sensitive information, it can be used to gain access to more of the company's resources.
![]() | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Microsoft: To spam or not to spam
- I'm rather suspiciousLook at the date. December 2008?Show me the headersI would never bother reading the body without checking them first.False dichotomyAnd oh, by the way: just because it's genuine doesn't mean it's not spam.TrashntHumm . . .Humm . . . We really need to start adopting digital signatures.It usually...
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- ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite is an essential antivirus, anti-spyware, and firewall protection for your PC. The OSFirewall monitors changes within your computer to spot and stop new attacks that bypass traditional anti-virus protection. The Advanced Download Protection analyzes browser downloads in three unique ways before they can infect your PC...
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- AntispamSniper for Outlook Express provides a professional antispam and anti-phishing protection for your mailbox. The unique combination of several methods for automatic email classification shows excellent filtering quality for all kinds of spam, including graphical spam with random text. The plug-in has a built-in option which allows spam deletion from...
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- Phishing experiment sneaks through all anti-spam filters
- Not mine.My e-mail address is not known to spammers and I haven't received spam ever since my Hosted Exchange provider uses a Barracuda Spam Filter.Sorry, you can't take advantage of my trust unless I know you for years -- even decades. :)And by the way, please mind your feelings as...
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