What is the difference between phishing and spoofing email attacks in cybersecurity? And what are the prevention techniques against the two cyberattacks?
Phishing is a tactic where attackers attempt to deceive victims into disclosing their personal information by assuming the identity of a reliable organization, like a bank, online merchant, or social media platform. Typically, the attacker will send a link in an email that takes the receiver to a phoney website that imitates the real one and asks them to enter their login details or other personal data. Social engineering techniques can also be used in phishing attacks to convince the target to download malware, open an attachment, or send money
While spoofing is a method where the attacker alters the sender’s email address to make it appear as though the email is coming from a reliable source. Gaining the recipient’s trust and raising the possibility that they will comply with the attacker’s request are the two main objectives of spoofing. Attackers using spoofing techniques can send emails that appear to be from a company’s CEO or a reliable partner, or they can create a phoney email account that looks remarkably similar to the one used by the real sender.
Here are some best practices to adhere to in order to prevent phishing and spoofing attacks:
- Use spam filtering and email filtering to find and stop questionable emails.
- Teach staff members how to spot phishing and spoofing attacks and how to avoid them.
- Use DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) to safeguard your company’s email domain and avoid domain spoofing.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails at all times, especially if they have links or attachments.
- Check the sender’s email address carefully to ensure it is real.
- Before clicking on links, hover over them to view their URL. Avoid clicking on any suspicious-looking links.
- When two-factor authentication is an option, use it to bolster security.