Protect Yourself
From Phishing Attacks

What is Phishing? Understanding the Threat of Phishing Attacks

Phishing is a form of cybercrime where criminals attempt to steal your personal information, often by posing as a trustworthy entity. These attacks typically come via email, text messages, or other digital communication methods, tricking you into revealing sensitive data or installing malware.

In 2023, the FBI's IC3 Crime Report showed nearly 300,000 reports of phishing, making it the most common type of scam. Effective protection requires a multi-layered approach, including awareness, caution, and security tools.

11 Key Tips How to Protect Yourself: 11 Phishing Protection Strategies

Here are 11 essential tips to help you avoid phishing scams and safeguard your personal information:

1. Recognize the Red Flags: Be wary of generic greetings, unusual links, unknown senders, poor grammar, and urgent requests for personal information. Look closely at URLs for misspellings and avoid clicking suspicious links or attachments.

2. Never Click Unknown Links: Before clicking any link, even in trusted emails, hover over it to preview the destination URL. Be cautious of attachments with .exe, .zip, or .scr file types from unknown sources. If you accidentally click a suspicious link, disconnect from the internet and run a full system scan.

3. Filter Unwanted Emails: Utilize your email provider's spam filters. Learn how to report emails as spam and create filters in Gmail and Outlook to automatically delete or move suspicious emails. Be sure to report suspicious messages to your email provider.

4. Report Suspicious Messages: Report phishing attempts to your email provider and, if applicable, your company's IT department. Consider forwarding suspicious messages to the Anti-Phishing Working Group or the Federal Trade Commission to help prevent future attacks.

5. Avoid Sharing Personal Information: Be cautious about sharing sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers, banking details, and passwords, via email. Legitimate institutions will not typically ask for personal information through email.

6. Use Strong Passwords & 2FA: Employ strong, unique passwords for each account and enable two-factor authentication (2FA). Microsoft reports that strong passwords and 2FA methods protect accounts from attacks around 99.9% of the time.

7. Keep Software Updated: Regularly update your operating system and software to patch security vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates for ease of use and to minimize potential disruptions.

8. Be Wary of Urgent Requests: Phishers often create a sense of urgency to manipulate you into acting quickly. Always take a moment to verify the request before responding or clicking any links. If something feels off, it probably is.

9. Verify Sender Information: Don't trust the 'From' field alone. Always verify the sender's email address and domain name. Phishers often spoof legitimate email addresses.

10. Use Security Software: Employ comprehensive security software, such as Norton 360 Deluxe. It offers AI-powered scam detection to help you identify and avoid phishing attacks. Use its built-in features to examine suspicious communications.

11. Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about the latest phishing techniques. Share your knowledge with family, friends, and colleagues to help them stay safe online. Encourage awareness and critical thinking when interacting with digital communications.

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Phishing attacks are a constant threat. Awareness, caution, and the right security tools are your best defense.

Ellie Farrier, Cybersecurity Expert

Norton 360 Deluxe How Can Help

Norton 360 Deluxe provides advanced protection against phishing attacks. Its AI-powered scam detection engine analyzes communications to identify potential threats, allowing you to take immediate action to stay safe.

With Norton 360 Deluxe, you gain a powerful tool to detect phishing attempts before they compromise your personal information or devices. Its robust features include real-time protection, a password manager, and secure VPN. Get Norton 360 Deluxe today to enhance your defenses against phishing scams.