But Smishing makes digitalized banking experience in the nation become an unsafe action.
One of the most malicious weapon of cybercriminals recently is Smishing, a social engineering attack. A portmanteau of “SMS” (short message services) and “phishing”, this attack works on the same principle as phishing – fake text messages will direct you towards a fake website, which will then try to steal your sensitive information.
Cybercriminals are aware of the robust security of banks, hence they prefer to attack consumers through social engineering techniques. They are also becoming more creative in their ways, creating an almost-identical bank websites, and seducing customers to believe its legitimacy.
As Vietnamese continue to enhance to the digitalized banking world, we urge users to adhere the security guidelines being given by the government and the financial institutions against these fraudulent attacks. It is also important to always be vigilant when conducting monetary transactions online.
To protect your financial information against Smishing, Kaspersky recommend the following tips:
- You should regard urgent security alerts and you-must-act-now coupon redemptions, offers or deals as warning signs of a hacking attempt.
- No financial institution or merchant will send you a text message asking you to update your account information or confirm your ATM card code. If you get a message that seems to be from your bank or a merchant you do business with, and it asks you to click on something in the message, it’s a fraud. Call your bank or merchant directly if you are in any doubt.
- Never click a reply link or phone number in a message you’re not sure about.
- Don’t store your credit card or banking information on your smartphone. If the information isn’t there, thieves can’t steal it even if they do slip malware onto your phone.
- Refuse to take the bait—simply don’t respond.
- Secure your devices: Install a powerful anti-virus on your desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone. Make sure that you choose an anti-virus service that automatically updates to protect against the most recent trojans, malware and spyware.
- Defend your browser: Install a browser add-on that warns you if you’re about to visit an unsafe website. This program will flash up a warning before you visit a site that’s known to contain active security threats, such as viruses or malicious cookies.
