Among all the cyber attacks that we can suffer, Phishing is undoubtedly one of the most important. It is present in social networks, email, messaging programs … Hackers aim to collect information and steal passwords from users. Luckily we can take into account certain tips to protect ourselves, although not just anything is enough. In this article we will explain why many anti-Phishing measures can be an even bigger problem.
Anti Phishing measures can be a bigger problem
When we talk about how to protect ourselves online, how to prevent cybercriminals from attacking our devices, we are surely thinking of an antivirus, a security tool that can detect threats and prevent the spread of malware .
We can also take into account specific software to protect ourselves from specific attacks. Anti spyware to avoid spyware, tools created to detect keyloggers in the system and thus prevent them from stealing our passwords, etc. However none of that is really going to protect us 100%, but we need a combination of everything.
The main problem, as experts believe, is that the anti-Phishing measures that many users take is basically using an antivirus or some specific program that detects malicious emails. There are also filters that the e-mail providers themselves have to detect and avoid this type of mail.
Now this alone does not protect completely. It is true that it can help us, that it can detect or avoid certain problems, but experts believe that it may even be a bigger problem. The reason is an excess of confidence , to believe that we are protected in the network and that any mail that reaches us will be safe.
One of the biggest mistakes is precisely believing that we are protected when we surf the net or use any tool. Overconfidence is what leads on many occasions to suffer cyber attacks that end up stealing our credentials and personal information.
How to avoid Phishing
Without a doubt, the best solution to avoid being victims of Phishing is common sense. We must avoid mistakes we make, such as opening attachments from addresses we do not fully trust. No matter how much antivirus we have on our computer, it is possible that we receive an email of this type and that it contains malicious files or a link that takes us to a page controlled by the attackers.
We must pay close attention to any suspicious link, even if it appears to be real. We could run into a masked link.
Another very important aspect that many users overlook is the importance of keeping the equipment properly updated . Hackers take advantage of vulnerabilities and failures that are present in computers to achieve their goal. That is why we must always have the latest versions and all the patches installed.
In short, we can say that using anti-Phishing tools is not enough and that it could even be a bigger problem. We must especially keep common sense in mind at all times. In another article we also saw how to detect defacement on a website. It is another major threat.