Phishing indicators are small signs in a fake email or message that hint that the message you are reading is likely a phishing scam. These signs could be as small as a spelling error or as obvious as a highly suspicious email address.
In 2019, the number of victims of phishing scams was estimated to be around 115,000 per year. By 2023, this figure had skyrocketed to over 300,000 victims each year. Phishing is an extremely pressing cybersecurity crime and one that the vast majority of people will come into contact with several times over the course of a year.
The main danger of phishing scams is that it only takes a single wrong click to infect a computer with malware or to accidentally navigate to a site that downloads a keylogger to your computer. A few moments of distraction where you enter your details into a fake site or validate your payment details on a falsified portal can be all it takes.
If you fall victim to a phishing scam, then a hacker may use your credentials to gain access to your account or social security, steal your credit card details, or commit identity fraud.
It’s always a good idea to enable zero-trust network access on your accounts to protect yourself.
Understanding phishing indicators is vital because it lets you instantly recognize an email as a phishing scam and take the appropriate actions to protect yourself. Once you know the common phishing indicators, it becomes extremely easy to spot a phishing email and simply report it as spam.
The best course of action when aiming to protect yourself from phishing attempts is to develop a deep understanding of the most common phishing indicators.
By instinctively spotting these indicators in emails and texts, you’ll know not to click on any malicious links or download any files. From there, you can quickly report the message and make sure that you stay clear of any phishing scams. Here are the most common indicators that you should know:
While not an exhaustive list, these are the most common phishing indicators that you’re likely to come across. Others could include brief emails, out-of-the-blue messages, or strange requests.
Phishing is an incredibly common form of cyberthreat and one that almost every individual will come across from time to time. Other cybersecurity issues, like ransomware attacks, will only really ever be directed at enterprises, making them less relevant for the everyday internet user.
By familiarizing yourself with the typical phishing indicators, you can protect yourself against this common cyber threat. To give yourself an additional layer of support, Perimeter 81 will act as a blanket network and email security system that monitors your incoming traffic and prevents malicious content like phishing scams from arriving in your inboxes.
By partnering with a world-class security solution like Perimeter 81, you can minimize your contact with internet crime and keep yourself safe when browsing online.
