Have you noticed an increase in SMSishing attacks, if so, you aren’t the only one. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) there is an increasing amount of SMSishing attacks and to expect this to continue for quite some time. These SMSishing attacks are focusing on stealing your personal information and money.
Text messages
You may have not heard this term before, but SMSishing is really similar to a phishing email, but instead of an email, it is a text message and according to CSOOnline,
“Smishing is a cyberattack that uses misleading text messages to deceive victims. The goal is to trick you into believing that a message has arrived from a trusted person or organization, and then convincing you to take action that gives the attacker exploitable information (like bank account login credentials, for example) or access to your mobile device.”
Trust but verify
It is recommended to treat SMSishing similar to how you would a phishing email. Be on the lookout for:
- Unexpected messages, especially those that come from unknown phone numbers or email addresses
- Misleading information
- Unfamiliar links for you to click
- Sales offers
- Incomplete information asking you to click or contact them for more information
These can all be signs of a SMSishing message that requires a little extra attentionbefore you interact with it.
If you receive what you believe to be a SMSishing message, the best things you can do are:
- Do not respond
- Do not provide any private information
- Delete the message
- Block the sender
SMSishing messages come in all shapes and sizes, just like phishing emails. They will apply pressure for you to click a link or to reply to the message. SMSishing messages will attempt to scare and panic you into making a hasty decision that you would not normally make if not under the added pressure. They may also try a different approach and pretend to be someone you know or a company you trust. So be on the lookout!
Protecting your small business is never easy and we are here to help. Test your cyber knowledge and take our Learning Course. For more information on SMSishing cyberattacks and other small business cybersecurity resources, check out Small Business, Big Threat!