Phishing..
Is a type of deception designed to steal your valuable personal data or confidential information, such as credit card numbers, passwords, account data, or other information.
Con artists might send millions of fraudulent e-mail messages that appear to come from Web sites you trust, like your bank or credit card company, and request that you provide personal information. They often include official-looking logos from real organizations and other identifying information taken directly from legitimate Web sites.
The origins of the word "Phishing"..
The word "phishing" comes from the analogy that Internet scammers are using email lures to "fish" for passwords and financial data from the sea of Internet users. The use of the “ph” in this terminology has been forgotten about over time. It was most likely linked to hacker naming conventions such as freaks.
- Phreaking + Fishing = Phishing..
Fishing = Use bait to lure the target.
Levels of phishing:
Phishing in 1995..
Target: AOL users
Purpose: getting account passwords for free time
Threat level: low
Techniques: Similar names ( www.ao1.com for www.aol.com ), social engineering
Phishing in 2001..
Target: Ebayers and major banks
Purpose: getting credit card numbers, accounts
Threat level: medium
Techniques: Same in 1995, keylogger
Phishing in 2007..
Target: Paypal, banks, ebay
Purpose: bank accounts
Threat level: high
Techniques: browser vulnerabilities, link obfuscation