Define phishing and What are some safe browsing techniques?

Phishing is a computer scam in which criminals utilize various techniques to trick computer users into divulging personal and financial information for exploitation.

Phishing can lead to some serious financial issues ranging from credit card fraud to having the contents of your bank account or money market account drained.

Although phishing is a high risk today, it can be easy to thwart those that try to obtain your information. Some safe browsing techniques can be utilized to protect the information on your computer; some of these are as follows:

Verity the website: never click on a link from your email service or on another website. Always enter the address directly on the address space at the top of your web server. Also check to ensure the website begins with https:// if you are using your bank, email, or any site you enter a password to gain access.

Clear your browsing history: all computers have a cache folder that stores a copy of every website you visit. This can contain your personal information so it is always a good idea to clear the cache folder when you are finished. You can also, using the internet options, clear your cache files each time you close the browser window.

Use a phishing filter: ensure your browser has a phishing filter that will warn or block you from potentially fraudulent or suspicious websites.

Use your pop-up blocker: sometimes internet ads will pop-up over your browser window that may be malicious software (aka Malware) and your pop-up blocker will prevent the ad from popping up. You can enter a website into an exclusion list that will allow pop-ups if the website requires you to view a pop-up page if necessary.

And lastly, you can browse anonymously: most web servers use an incognito browser window that uses a proxy server that will prevent your browsing history, passwords, user names, and other personal information from being revealed.

So, in conclusion, if you follow these basic safe browsing techniques it is far less likely you will fall victim to a phishing attempt.