Phishing
Phishing
Overview of Phishing in relation to cyber crime: [1]Typically the message will describe an urgent need for the recipient of the message, a possible cybercrime victim, to click on aWeb link embedded within the text message in order to confirm or restore some aspect of a computer account they actually have. If the victim clicks on the hypertext link in the message, he will be taken to a Web site that appears to be that of the legitimate financial institution or retailer. Spoofed Web sites may actually contain digital images of the firm’s logo and trademark, along with instructions for the victim to enter confidential information such as their bank or credit account numbers, usernames, passwords, or Social Security number (SSN). Ostensibly, this is done in order to verify the identity of the person before the underlying problem, about which the victim was contacted in the first place, can be resolved. If the victim provides this information, it will be used by cybercriminals, who then pretend to be the victim online.
Resources
Notes and References
1. By Ben Woelk
See Also
- Types of Cybercrime
- Cybercriminal
Further Reading
Anti-PhishingWorking Group. Web site (internet link) antiphishing. org, and, specifically, Phishing activity trends: Report for the month of June 2007, available at https://apwg.org/reports/apwg_report_june_2007.pdf, and Origins of the word ‘phishing,’ available at (internet link) antiphishing.org/word_phish.html; Gartner Group. (2006, November 9). Gartner says number of phishing e-mails sent to U.S. adults nearly doubles in just two years. Gartner.com Web site: (internet link) gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id =498245; McQuade, S. (2006). Understanding and Managing Cyber Crime. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon; Message Labs. (2007, September). Message Labs Intelligence: September and Q3 in review. A downpour of virus & phishing activity, in the wake of a storm worm surge.” Available at messagelabs.com Web site: (internet link) messagelabs. com/mlireport/MLI_Report_September_Q3_2007.pdf; National Conference of State Legislatures. (2007, February 21). 2007 State legislation relating to ”phishing.” NCSL Web site: (internet link) ncsl.org/programs/lis/phishing07.htm; Richardson, R. (2007). CSI 2007 computer crime and security survey, from https://i.cmpnet.com/v2.gocsi.com /pdf/CSISurvey2007.pdf; U.S. Federal Trade Commission. (2008). OnGuard Online Web site: https://onguardonline.gov/index.html; Washington Post. (2004, November 18). A brief history of phishing. Washington Post Web site: (internet link) washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/articles/A59350-2004Nov18.html.