Phishing and Pharming

Someone asked me today what the difference between phishing and pharming was. I'll try to explain.

Phishing
Phishing is where someone disguises themselves as being from one of your service providers online, like your bank or shopping provider. They contact you by email and ask you to go to an official looking but completely false website via a link. You are then misled into giving account or personal information which could be used against you.

Pharming
Again pharming is used to gain personal information about you and they do this by re-directing you away from the official site by accessing the domain name server. As far as you, and your computer, can see, you are connected to the correct website. Again, personal information is asked to be given.

Never email personal information. A common rouse is for the criminal to pretend to be from Ebay or Paypal or even your personal bank. If they want information from you there will be a way to give it through a link on their website. Don't follow the email link.

Take care with your personal details and who you give them to. Phishing and pharming is used to exploit uneducated users of the internet. Never follow email links to a website especially from your bank, type them in instead.

If you think that you've been a victim of pharming, check the website address in the browser toolbar - it may be ever so slightly different than what you typed. If it is, exit the site immediately.

Phishing and pharming is lucrative for criminals. Don't become a victim.