What is whale phishing?


Quick Answer

Whale phishing occurs when a computer hacker gains unauthorized access to a company's email system and sends fake emails concerning important business to an employee or group of employees. The email generally comes from someone with a familiar name within the organization, but the email addresses will not be identical.

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Full Answer

The email will usually contain a harmful link that the email recipient must click on to find out more information concerning the contents of the email. The link instructs the user to enter confidential information, including a credit card or bank information. The hacker then uses the personal information to commit credit card or bank fraud. The link may also lead to a website that asks for confidential information concerning company passwords and user names to business financial information.

In order for a computer user to avoid being the victim of an email scam, it's best to never open an email from an unknown individual, antivirus software should be installed and updated frequently and personal information should never be given out. A legitimate website that asks for personal information will be encrypted. The website address will generally start with https instead of http or there could be an unopened lock or an unbroken key in the lower left hand of the website.

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