Don’t Take the Bait

For many of us the word fishing brings about fond memories of childhood or even last weekend. But this phishing (pronounced “fishing”), is far from that American pastime. This phishing is even more dangerous than the occasional hook that may get miscast by the novice fisherman. Phishing is the activity of defrauding an online account holder of financial information by posing as a legitimate company or person that you truly trust and/or recognize. You may think to yourself, this can’t happen to me, I’m careful with my information. You would be surprised. In 2015, Symantec Corporation, a global leader in next generation cyber security reported that over half a billion personal information records were stolen or lost; and more companies than ever are not even reporting the full extent of their data breaches. Phishing can occur via email, a phone call, or even through text.

1. Be wary of emails asking for personal or confidential information. Legitamate organizations will never request sensitive information via email.
2. Don’t get pressured into providing sensitive information or succumb to scare tactics. They may threaten to disable an account, delay services or even sue you, until you update certain information.
3. Never use links in an email to connect to a website unless you are absolutely certain they are authentic. Instead, open a new browser window and type the URL directly into the address bar.
4. Verify the URL address of the site if you do access the link. The IRS website address for example is www.irs.gov NOT www.exampl.com/www.www.irs.gov