You get an new email. It’s from Paypal. It says there is a problem with your account. It provides a link and instructs you to click on it to “verify your login credentials.” You follow instructions, but when you you enter in your username and password, it doesn’t take you to your account. It takes you to a fake (but mostly legit-looking) page, and now your info is in the hands of criminals. What just happened? It’s called “phishing”.
About a year ago, we discussed the merits of creating a secure password. A lot has changed in technology over the past 12 or so months, especially in the mobile arena with the proliferation of tablets and smartphones becoming more and more functional. They are able to emulate many functions that were previously the venue of laptops or netbooks. What this means is that now there is even more need for unique, secure passwords than ever!
These days protecting yourself is essential. The threat of identity theft is a real and present danger. But it’s not all dark alleys and scam stories. You can protect yourself by following some simple, and for the most part, common sense procedures while online.