Warning! Phishing attacks in SA on the rise
Recent reports from the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (Sabric) have expressed concern about the increase in phishing attacks, urging local consumers and banks to be extra vigilant.
According to Sabric this is especially necessary considering that the number of phishing Web sites targeting local bank clients which have been detected and shut down by the banks have more than trebled in the last four months.
Kaspersky Lab, a developer of computer security products, assured that it’s not just a local problem.
The security software vendor said that they have increasingly expressed concern regarding the constant rise in phishing attacks, also commonly known as carding or brand spoofing, year on year.
David Emm, senior regional researcher, UK, global research & analysis team at Kaspersky Lab says: “The real concern in this regard is that although not a new concept, phishing is either not being taken seriously enough or not fully understood, resulting in an increase in the number of victims affected by such attacks – and the effects are not good!”
Phishing is a deliberate misspelling of the word ‘fishing’ and refers to a specific form of cyber crime where computer users are tricked into divulging personal information such as usernames, passwords, PIN numbers, and credit card numbers.
The steps to phishing are clear: First obtain the personal information and then the money.
“The scary aspect is that the site is so well put together, it looks incredibly authentic which results in victims falling prey to the scam. Just look at the ‘tax refund mails’ from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) or the request to login to a certain banking account to check details – identical to that of the organisation in question and specifically constructed to lure users,” continues Emm.
Phishers are constantly looking for more sophisticated ways to entice users into giving up their personal information and this is evident in the number of attacks that are occurring every day, Kaspersky warned.
“Be cautious and wary of any email asking for personal information and don’t just click on links. Only submit sensitive information via secure Web sites and when in doubt ask – it’s not only a matter or security, it’s also a matter of common sense and gut feel,” concludes Emm.
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