Who is more prone to being phished?

Those aged 25 to 44 years are most likely to be targeted, according to results from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey of England and Wales (TCSEW). Traditionally sent via email, phishing involves messages from fraudsters posing as legitimate organisations to extract personal information, or money, from the victim.
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Who is most affected by phishing?

Industries most vulnerable to phishing attacks
  • Financial - 23.6%
  • Software-as-a-Service - 20.5%
  • E-commerce - 14.6%
  • Social media - 12.5%
  • Cryptocurrency - 6.6%
  • Payment - 5%
  • Logistics - 3.8%
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Who is a likely target of a phishing attack?

Phishing may target every industry and individual, from a business executive to a home social network member or an online banking customer. This is why it's imperative to take preventive measures against phishing and be very careful about what you do online.
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Who falls for phishing?

Gender and Falling for Phish

On average, women clicked on 54.7% of phishing emails, compared to just 49% for men (t(981) = 2.69, p < 0.01).
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How are people targeted by phishers?

Targeted phishing attacks succeed by using information gleaned from social websites and other sources to create a sense of familiarity. These phishing email scams may mention a mutual friend, cite a recent purchase or include information that appears to be a trusted source.
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How To Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams | Explained



How do hackers know who to target?

Hackers typically use spear phishing for targets in whom they've taken a deliberate interest. This process could take several days, weeks, or even months, depending on public (or privately-sourced) information about the target.
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What is the most common motivation of phishers?

The motive of the attacker can be anything, but the most reasonable reason is earning money. Mostly Phishing is used to get sensitive information. This information may be used by the attacker or may be sold for cash to a third party. Other motives are possible, but money is the primary concern in most cases.
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Why are people susceptible to phishing?

Phishing emails are carefully designed by scammers and criminals to manipulate our emotions and tap into our unconscious biases, so humans are practically hardwired to fall for them, says cybersecurity expert and computer scientist Daniela Oliveira, an associate professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
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What type of people do hackers target?

They often target anyone who they believe is weak and could bring them easy financial gain – sometimes targets of hackers are regular non-technical people, and sometimes Fortune 500 companies end up being the victims. But how do cyber thieves decide who to attack and where do they find their targets?
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Who are the usual targets of hackers?

Hackers typically target four main industries.
  • Healthcare. Over 90% of hospitals have been the victims of cyberattacks (most notably, ransomware) within the past three years. ...
  • Government. ...
  • Non-Profit. ...
  • Finance and Insurance.
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Which group is most at risk from cybercrime?

Industries Most at Risk
  • Financial Organizations. Unsurprisingly, financial organizations are a prime target for cybercriminals with around 24% of all breaches being targeted towards them. ...
  • Healthcare Organizations. ...
  • Public Sector. ...
  • Retail and Accommodation Sector.
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Who is more likely to be a cybercriminal?

For starters, individuals who are 18 – 34 years of age were most likely to suffer any social media hack and ransomware as opposed to older generations (35 – 65+ years of age). Younger generations were also the most likely to solve their Internet problems without any outside help.
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What percent of people get phished?

In fact, according to Verizon's 2021 DBIR, around 25% of all data breaches involve phishing and 85% of data breaches involve a human element.
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How do hackers choose who to hack?

A Hacking Scenario: How Hackers Choose Their Victims
  • 1) Scan for open ports.
  • 2) Try out default passwords.
  • 3) Once the hacker has control.
  • 4) Install malware.
  • 5) Search for affiliated IP addresses.
  • 6) Leave no trace.
  • Hackers don't care about their hacking victims. They just care how valuable they are.
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What attracts hackers?

Weak passwords are the number one cause of cybertheft. Using public Wi-Fi is a great way to have your personal information stolen. Location services and checking in apps can open you up to physical harm or theft. Increase usage of social media has triggered more identity theft.
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What age are most hackers?

Interestingly enough, the average age of hackers is 40+ years old, which represents 60% of the population.
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What is the psychology of phishers?

In addition to the implicit trust of coming from a known sender, a successful phishing email preys off the reader's emotions, creating a sense of urgency by applying just enough pressure to trick an otherwise diligent user. There are various ways to apply pressure to influence otherwise reasonable employees.
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What methods do phishers use?

Vishing isn't the only type of phishing that digital fraudsters can perpetrate using a phone. They can also conduct what's known as smishing. This method leverages malicious text messages to trick users into clicking on a malicious link or handing over personal information.
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What is the most successful technique used by phishers?

Legitimate-looking communication, usually email, that links to a phishing site is one of the most common methods used in phishing attacks. The phishing site typically mimics sign in pages that require users to input credentials and account information.
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Can hackers see your screen?

Can a hacker access my computer camera, microphone, and screen? Yes. Cybercriminals use malware like spyware to remotely access and control your camera, microphone, and screen.
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What are the first signs of being hacked?

Some of the warning signs that you've been hacked include:

You receive emails or text messages about login attempts, password resets, or two-factor authentication (2FA) codes that you didn't request. You see logins from devices and locations you don't recognize in your account activity or sign-in logs.
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What are hackers scared of?

Getting hacked. Hackers and crackers are extremely paranoid about their online activities; it would be the ultimate embarrassment to get hacked themselves.
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What are the 2 most common types of phishing attacks?

The 5 Most Common Types of Phishing Attack
  • Email phishing. Most phishing attacks are sent by email. ...
  • Spear phishing. There are two other, more sophisticated, types of phishing involving email. ...
  • Whaling. Whaling attacks are even more targeted, taking aim at senior executives. ...
  • Smishing and vishing. ...
  • Angler phishing.
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Why do phishers Phish?

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message.
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Where does phishing mostly occur?

Some methods include direct messages sent over social networks and SMS text messages. Phishers can use public sources of information to gather background information about the victim's personal and work history, interests and activities. Typically through social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
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