PHISHING: SIMPLE PRECAUTION GUIDE

Phishing: The unwanted plant

Phishing attacks are common today as we humans are moving forward to a more digitalized era, now one might ask themselves what exactly “phishing” is. Phishing like an unwanted plant is a way bad actors use to steal your information, such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers, once they have gotten such information find their way to stealing your companies' resources, just like weeds in your garden trying to share resources with your desired plants. There are ways to prevent phishing from happening such ways are:

1. Watch out for suspicious emails

Phishing activities frequently come through startling emails that inquire for companies’ data same way weed blends with your actual plants, these emails come looking legitimate disguised as trusted companies or partners just to get information. Look out for key identifiers, for example spelling errors, wrong locations, wrong contact information etc.  

2. Use strong password

To keep online security intact, you need to actively manage and update your passwords. This involves creating strong passwords, constantly changing them, and avoiding reuse. To keep a garden healthy, you need to actively prevent and manage weeds. This might involve regular weeding or using herbicides.

3. Empower Two-Factor Confirmation (2FA)

Two-factor authentication provides a layered defense for your online accounts. It adds an extra layer of security beyond just a password, requiring something you know (password) and something you have (a code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app). To effectively manage weeds, you often need multiple layers of defense. For example, you might use mulch to suppress weeds, combined with manual weeding and herbicides for more persistent problems

4. Keep systems up to date (Do your regular weeding)  

Regularly managing and removing weeds helps prevent them from spreading and causing more significant problems in your garden. Similarly, keeping your software updated is a form of preventive maintenance. Updates often include security patches that address vulnerabilities, preventing malware and other issues from exploiting those weaknesses.

5. Teach Yourself and Others

Learning about weed management and sharing that knowledge helps create healthier gardens. Teaching others about effective weeding techniques, pest control, and garden maintenance helps prevent problems and improve overall garden health. Same goes for phishing, teaching yourself new skills, knowledge and sharing that information with others promotes personal growth and development. Whether it is learning modern technologies, understanding security best practices, or improving any other skill, education benefits both individuals and communities.