Definition

SECRY – Smishing – Before discussing what is smishing in cyber security, smishing is a type of phishing attack or social engineering that uses SMS (Short Message Service) or text messaging to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers, or clicking on malicious links. Smishing attacks often disguise themselves as messages from legitimate sources, such as banks, government agencies, or delivery companies.

Smishing attacks can be very effective because they often catch people off guard and can exploit their sense of urgency. For example, a smishing message might claim that your bank account has been compromised and that you must click on a link to verify your information. Or, it might say that you have won a prize and that you need to reply with your personal information to claim it.

Once a victim clicks on a malicious link in a smishing message, the link may redirect them to a fake website that resembles the actual website of the company that supposedly sent the message. On this counterfeit website, the victim may encounter prompts to enter their personal information or to download malware.

If a victim downloads malware, the malware could infect their device with a virus or other type of malicious software that can steal their personal information or damage their device.

Here are some examples of smishing attacks:

• A text message that claims to be from your bank, saying that your account has been compromised and you need to click on a link to verify your information.
• A text message that says you have won a prize and need to reply with your personal information to claim it.
• A text message that says you need to update your phone’s security settings and click on a link to do so.
• A text message that says you have missed a delivery and need to click on a link to reschedule it.

How to protect yourself from smishing attacks

There are a few things you can do to protect yourself from smishing attacks:

• Be suspicious of any text message that asks for your personal information or that asks you to click on a link.
• Don’t click on links in text messages from unknown senders.
• If you’re not sure whether a text message is legitimate, contact the company that the message is supposedly from directly.
• Keep your phone’s security software up to date.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts whenever possible.

What to do if you think you’ve been a victim of a smishing attack

If you think you may have been a victim of a smishing attack, it’s important to take the following steps:

• Change your passwords for all of your online accounts, especially your bank accounts and social media accounts.
• Contact your bank or credit card company to let them know that you may have been a victim of fraud.
• Monitor your accounts for any suspicious activity.
• Report the smishing attack to the authorities.

Smishing is a serious cyber security threat, but it’s possible to protect yourself from it by being aware of the risks and taking steps to protect your personal information.

So that’s the article about what is smishing in cyber security. Thank You