Phishing FAQ

What is Phishing?

Phishing attacks use 'spoofed' e-mails and fraudulent websites designed to fool recipients into submitting personal financial data such as credit card numbers, account usernames and passwords, etc.

What is Pharming?

Pharming uses the same kind of spoofed sites, but uses malware or spyware to redirect users from real websites to the fraudulent sites (typically DNS hijacking). By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known banks, online retailers and credit card companies, phishers are able to convince recipients to respond to them.

What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes.

What is keylogging?

Keylogging involves using a piece of software - or a piece of hardware - to monitor and record every keystroke entered at a computer terminal, including its time and date. That includes passwords, credit card details and, in one celebrated case, the entire source code for a high-profile computer game. It's also sometime known as "sniffing".

What is a Trojan?

Trojans are malicious programs that install themselves or run surreptitiously on a victim's machine. Unlike viruses, Trojan do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. They do not install or run automatically, but may entice users into installing or executing by masquerading as another program altogether or they may be packaged with hacked legitimate programs that install the trojan when the host program is executed. Hence, a user thinks they're installing a new program that they found, when they're actually installing a nasty piece of software. One of the most insidious types of Trojan is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer. Named after the Trojan Horse, used in the Greek story of the Trojan War.

Who is vulnerable to Phishing?

Everyone. Phishers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, and they have successfully targeted and scammed even savvy internet users. The risk of becoming a victim to phishing is not linked to age, race, income or geographical location. By hijacking the trusted brands of well-known financial institutions or e-commerce websites, and by using new sophisticated technologies pretty much anyone can fall victim.

How can someone steal my identity?

Identity thieves may use a variety of low- and high-tech methods to gain access to your personally identifying information. For example: They can steal your bank statements or other correspondence that you might have thrown away, they get information from businesses or institutions by stealing records from their employer or hacking into the organization's computers. Other high-tech methods include phishing, pharming and keystroke loggers etc. to gain access to your personal information from your home or work PC.

Where does the word "Phishing" come from?

The word "phishing" comes from the analogy that, Internet scammers are using email lures to "fish" for passwords and financial data from Internet users. The term was first used in 1996 by hackers who were phishing America On Line accounts. The first mention on the Internet of phishing is on the alt.2600 hacker newsgroup in January 1996 according to APWG.

"Ph" is a common hacker replacement for "f", and the original form of hacking, was known as "phreaking". The "ph" spelling is used in many hacker pseudonyms and hacker organizations.

What can I do to prevent and detect phishing?

The best protection on the market today is Deepnet's sophisticated anti-phishing applications. Just download Deepnet Explorer or Deepnet Anti-Phishing toolbar and the phishing alarm will alert you if you visit spoofed websites. No solution is 100% reliable, new phishing technologies are invented constantly. Read our top 10 prevention tips and use common sense when submitting sensitive information on the internet.