The Steemit Crypto Academy Week 5 || Security problems in cryptocurrency || @gbenga
Security has become one of our greatest concerns with the internet but it has become more disturbing with cryptocurrency/digital money as unlike in the past where information was used to access the finance of a person, now it is easy to access the finance directly.
Phishing Links
Phishing links are ways in which a cyber-attack takes place in other to trick users into giving out personal information to hackers and cyber attackers. The most attack happens when users receive links or emails which serve as a weapon of mass destruction to users who click on such emails or messages. Such links are used to access one's bank details and other important files of an individual. Phishing links are mostly used tools by the cybercrime community in other to steal customer login credentials, steal bank card details, and also individual personal data.
In cryptocurrency, phishing link is aimed at getting private keys, Mnemonics, and passphrases amongst others so as to be able to steal funds from users. Messages or links are sent to users and at times most users may think the message or links are real and are forced into clicking on it whereby making it result in a devastating problem and this mostly happens in organizations/individuals with low security. In some cases, malware is also installed automatically once an individual clicks on such links or messages.
Phishing link technique
Email phishing links
Email phishing links tend to be the most used among other cybercrime always taking place, some emails may be sent to the accounts of users giving the users an expiring date making it kind of urgent to click on such emails, and pressure from such message may prompt a user to quickly click on such link or messages. Most messages may be diligently designed just exactly like the organization's one.
How phishing can be prevented
An individual must be vigilant as to the kind of link they click, such messages and links authenticity must be confirmed before clicking on it. An organization or an individual must get a two-factor authentication code or method which is mostly an effective way to counter phishing link attacks from taking place. People need to be educated as to how sure practice should be put into play on how not to click on external email links and this can help stop or reduce the rate of phishing attacks.
How to identify a phishing website link
You need to check your browser URL in other to check the authenticity of such a site. If such a site doesn’t start with HTTPS:// it then means that’s such a site is prone to cyber-attacks and data can be stolen from the site because of its insecurity. But sites with HTTPS are secure and have been encrypted which is making it impossible for hackers to access them.
Assessing a site's content
System users must take time to assess a site's content before attempting to click on any link sent to the user. Mistakes that have been made on phishing sites may be grammatical errors or bad English and also simple spelling mistakes. These are small things and mistakes they make while creating a phishing site link but a legit site will never make such simple mistakes.
It is important to take caution when it comes to phishing links. Both individuals, small and large firms can be phished.
Rating 7
It is actually really common and I know about people who fall into this scam all the time. Thanks for your time professor @gbenga