Phishing

In short: Phishing is the attempt to get passwords, payment data or other sensitive data through fake messages or web pages.

In more detail: The word comes from “fishing” with “ph” as in “phreaking”. The attackers pose as a bank, parcel service, authority or colleague and rely on time pressure and fear.

In Depth

Variants

E-mail phishing, spear phishing, smishing (SMS), vishing (phone), quishing (QR codes) and AI phishing.

Typical features

Urgent request, impersonal salutation, link to a similar but wrong address, attachment, request for data that legitimate organisations never ask for by e-mail.

Protection

Do not click links, type the address yourself. Check the sender. Use MFA and passkeys (they only work on the real site). Report suspicious cases to the consumer advice centre or the provider.

See also: Phishing Mails, Social Engineering, Spear Phishing, MFA