Network Security

 As technology has advanced, so has the way that scammers and con artists prey on individuals. These attempts to scam come in various forms, such as HTTPS Phishing, Phishing, and Smishing. These are becoming more clever and harder to distinguish. Phishing can be accomplished in multiple ways. It can be done through email, voice, text message, and through fake websites. These are known as Phishing, Smishing, and HTTPS Phishing. These are attempts to gain private personal information, or PPI for short. Phishing and Smishing have become more prevalent in recent years.

            Phishing, Smishing, and HTTPS Phishing scams can lead to various issues arising in your computer system, as well as in your personal life. According to Ariyadasa, S., et al (2024), “Phishing, a well-known cyberattack that cannot be completely eradicated from the internet, has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.” When it comes to your computer, these can be used to gain access to your databases, email, bank logins, and even your physical computer. These attempts are made to gather information in order to gain access to multiple types of systems. When you give information to these scams, they can use the information to gain access to computers, emails, social media accounts, and even your banking apps. These attempts can even lead to viruses in your computer system. These viruses can be used to do just about anything to your computer, depending on the virus.

            The damage caused by phishing and smishing attacks can range from minor to severe. They can steal your information and even trick people into downloading viruses. These are often carried out through fake emails, websites, and text messages. The damage that occurs is only evident after the issue occurs.

            The most effective way to prevent phishing attempts from succeeding is to not provide information or click on links from anyone you do not know. According to Waqas, M., et al (2023), “Self-regulation significantly positively predicted systematic information processing while it was a significant negative predictor of heuristic information processing.” To ensure you don’t fall prey to phishing attempts at your job or home life, verify all personnel and information that you receive requests from. If you verify the information, you will be able to determine, for the most part, whether it is a scam. Some of these phishing attempts are easy to identify because they are so outlandish, and you can tell by looking at the email or its content. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to determine the response in the end. Another way that companies do this is to prevent some of these scammers from gathering more information. Some of these individuals have been flagged by systems to prevent these numbers from appearing as regular calls. Some will be marked as spam, allowing individuals to quickly determine the number that is calling.