What is phishing attacks (and how to protect yourself against them).

You've heard of the term Phishing attacks (no its not related to fishing). Phishing attacks are when a website that you know and recognize (like Facebook) but in-fact it's a fake website that is waiting for you to unknowingly submit your information that they can then use to steal your identity.

It's quite easy however to spot a fake. In your address field make sure that the website is spelt right (e.g. facebook.com). If it is spelt faceboak.com then your not at the right site. Also if your what looks like your banking website (like HSBC) make sure it is secured (https: and or the lock symbol in your browser).

Also if you get a email saying you have to change your password due to fraudulent activity...don't click the link! If your bank, or the company really is detecting something suspicious then they would call you. If you are unsure give them a call to make sure everything is OK. Check over the email, if there is any spelling or grammar mistakes then its a red flag. Also hover over the click here link, if the url displayed is the actual website (e.g. paypal.com) then it maybe legitimate. But type the link in your browser just to make sure that everything is OK.

If it says its from paypal.com it acutally may not be from it, the from sender can easily be faked to make it look like it came from them. I am saying you can't trust anything in your email, but you do need to be careful!

The most common Phishing attacks are PayPal account issues scams, Ebay auction you won scams, your bank needing your info ASAP.

The latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera all provide phishing protection. They are not perfect but do offer some protection. Currently IE/Firefox offer the best phishing protection as they respond the fastest to the fake attacks.

OpenDNS also provides phishing protection. Kaspersky uses OpenDNS (as do many other companys) for up to date phishing lists. You can vote for phishing sites at phishtank.com.

So make sure you check the URL, if its secured, if the links work (e.g. help page), and if everything is spelt right before you proceed.