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How to Recognise a Smishing Attack

Patrick Cassidy
Oct 30

What is a Smishing Attack?

The average person now spends over 3 hours on their phone every day. Hackers are constantly looking for new opportunities to exploit people, so deploying an attack straight to your phone is a no-brainer.

Smishing attacks are a form of phishing through direct messaging. This includes but is not limited to WhatsApp messages, SMS text messages, iMessage, Slack etc. These messages will contain a malicious link, if you click it you could be giving a hacker access to your phone and all your data.

Types of Attacks

Track My Parcel

Hackers know people are obsessed with tracking their packages so getting a text message from a courier is now a regular occurrence for most of us. When you’re expecting a package, why would you second guess this kind of message?

COVID-related Attacks

Unfortunately, the global pandemic is a massive opportunity for hackers. A common COVID-related smishing attack notifies the user they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, the message includes a link for the user to find out what the next steps are.

Urgent Bank Message

An urgent message from your bank is a sure-fire way to get attention. The more sophisticated hackers already have your email address and will try a two-pronged attack to seem more legitimate. Messages could contain information about unusual activity, a simple message asking you to confirm personal details or asking you to confirm a new payee.

C3 Can Help

Our advice is…
  • Question every message you are not expecting.
  • Be especially aware of messages asking you to act urgently.
  • If it feels wrong it probably is.

If you’re worried about cybersecurity measures in your business – get in touch below for a free, no obligation assessment.

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hello@ionic-it.com

028 7964 5865

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