How to Avoid Phishing – In the era of the internet that is growing and evolving rapidly, crimes are also on the rise, and the perpetrators are becoming more creative in carrying out their crimes. These include scams, hacking, and various unique ways that may not even be thought of by ordinary people.
Phishing has been around for a long time and even existed since the early days of the internet. The way that the perpetrators deceive people has also changed and there are many variations. Phishing cannot be easily tricked with software updates or security patches because the target of phishing is the negligence of users, either due to a lack of knowledge or carelessness.
So, what is phishing and how can we avoid it to keep our data safe?
One of the most common cybercrimes is phishing. If you are unfamiliar with this term, the Ministry of Finance has an explanation of the term. According to the Ministry of Finance website, phishing is an attempt to obtain someone’s data information through deception.
The data that is vulnerable to being targeted is sensitive data such as personal, financial, and account data such as passwords or usernames. The term comes from the English word “fishing.”
Actually, there are ways to avoid phishing or phishing sites. Although it requires extra caution, it is not impossible to do so. Here are some ways to avoid phishing that you need to know to keep your data safe.
1. Pay Attention to the URL Before Entering Usernames and Passwords
A common mistake made by internet users is not verifying whether the site they are accessing is an official site or a phishing site. The easiest way to do this is to check the URL, and if you find that the alphabet characters in the URL line have been changed to numbers or symbols, it is a phishing link.
Also, pay attention to the domain in the URL. If it looks different from the usual domains such as .com, .org, or .co.id, please double-check before continuing browsing. Make sure that the official URL is not using .blogspot.com, which is usually used by cybercriminals.
2. Do Not Download or Extract Anything from Suspicious Email Attachments
There is a saying that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is a lie or a scam. Especially if you receive an email saying that you have won a lottery prize worth billions of rupiahs just by installing or attaching the application.
The attachment may contain malware that ultimately will eavesdrop on financial applications, personal data, or even keyloggers.
3. Avoid Using Pirated Software
Indeed, not everyone has enough financial resources to use official paid software. However, using pirated software is more vulnerable to phishing or malware attacks.
You can work around this by looking for alternative open-source software. Although there are certain limitations due to software and usage incompatibilities, it is still better than having our financial data stolen by unknown people through eavesdropping and malware.
4. Check Bank Security Data by Logging in Every So Often
Apart from usernames and passwords, banking information is usually the target of cybercriminals. Our bank data could fall into the wrong hands and end up with our money disappearing. So make sure to log in to banking applications regularly and make sure there is no sudden decrease in funds. If it does happen, be sure to contact the Customer Service of the relevant bank for further action.
5. Learn About Phishing Techniques Commonly Used by Cybercriminals
One of the most effective ways to fight against such criminal acts is to equip yourself with knowledge about phishing techniques. By doing so, you already know the common ways that bad people in the virtual world do.
Make sure to always be careful when surfing and entering personal data. Always double-check whether the site is truly legit because once you enter
