phishingiem

Phishingiem is the Polish instrumental form of phishing and is used to refer to this class of frauds. Phishing itself is a form of social engineering in which attackers impersonate legitimate organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, account numbers, or credit card details.

Attack vectors include email, text messages (smishing), instant messaging, voice calls (vishing), or fake websites. Messages often create a sense of urgency and use familiar logos and language to appear legitimate. Common schemes include fake account alerts, payment requests, or prize notifications. Some attacks target specific individuals through spear phishing.

Impact can include financial loss, identity theft, and data breaches; organizations may suffer reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and remediation costs. Phishing remains a dominant threat in cybersecurity due to its low cost and sometimes high success rate.

Prevention and response: verify sender addresses and domains; avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages; use multi-factor authentication; maintain updated software; employ email filters and anti-phishing tools; educate users through regular training; report suspected messages to administrators or providers; conduct phishing simulations to raise awareness.