For a while, it seemed that phishing reports had diminished to the status of a minor issue, threatening only naive Internet users. Unfortunately, cyber criminals’ techniques have become more sophisticated as they strive to separate consumers from personal information. The quality of their counterfeit communications has become so convincing, it’s difficult to detect a fake. New types of phishing campaigns, designed to evade traditional antivirus and anti-phishing products, can fool even security-savvy computer users, and often target employees with access to the most sensitive information. Successful phishing can lead to identity theft.
Don’t let your guard down! Successful phishing can lead to identity theft, so it’s imperative to remain vigilant, and proceed with extreme caution to any information-gathering request that comes from anything but a trusted source. Remember this: Legitimate companies or institutions will not ask for personal information via email, so err on the side of caution when confronted with such a request.