60 Seconds to Better Security: What is Smishing Transcript
Ready to learn about smishing? Let's play Super Smish 3000.
Smishing is an odd sounding word that's short for SMS phishing. Smishing scams are much like phishing except cyber criminals contact you via text message instead of email. These malicious texts may take advantage of your desire to be helpful, create a sense of urgency, or stir strong emotions like fear and curiosity. They often attempt to scam you out of money or get you to reveal important information like your passwords. Sometimes a smish tries to trick you into downloading malicious software onto your phone or tablet which gives attackers control. A smishing attack may seem more convincing. That's because text messages arrive on our phones and we often keep our phone numbers more private that our email. An attacker may pretend to be a friend who needs money for an emergency or they might claim to be your bank telling you that your password needs to be reset. Some malicious texts will try to trigger your curiosity. Just because you get a text message doesn't mean it's from someone you know or someone you should trust. Remember, when it comes to cybersecurity we all need to level up!