Information Security Awareness
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2016 03:11:44 +0000
I'm taking an on-line training course, and I really wish some of these other answers were correct:A specialized form of phishing that targets an organization's leadership is:Target Shooting
Whaling ✔
CIO Baiting
Shark Phishing
I'm up for having sport with the 1%. (Actually, I know next to nothing about this organization's leadership.)What should you do if you get an e-mail hoax (suspected or real)?
The answer is easy:DO NOT FORWARD the email; DELETE it.
But when I get one at home, I research it and SEND A REFUTATION to every address visible in the headers (including the previous headers from the included forwards). Not only does this give everyone better information, it embarrasses the sender(s) for being so gullible. After a few of these come back to them, most of my "friends" stop sending me these hoaxes and chain letters. Even if they're still gullible and sending them to their other friends, they've stopped sending them to me, and that's a win for my mailbox.
I sometimes also point out that these chain letters, with dozens of addresses exposed (or hundreds - forwarding often includes previous hops, each with its own set of headers), are a boon to spammers. (Again, if I'm dropped from the addressees next time, that's a win.)
I've gotten a few angry replies from people for adding to their spam; these people generally didn't read my email. More often I get a thank-you back (from a total stranger in those long addressee lists) for being a voice of sanity.
Gary Baseman
Some people must actively want to believe this stupid stuff (hoaxes). If, with logic, common sense, and supporting references, I point out - to them and to their think-alikes - that it's stupid unreasonable and unsupported, I guess it spoils their fun. Maybe I've prodded some of them to think for themselves, and shown them some sites where they can check nonsense before they forward it. And those who still insist on believing and spreading the nonsense at least have stopped including me.
If you want to send me an email sharing and ridiculing a hoax, I'm all for that!
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/831885.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]
I'm taking an on-line training course, and I really wish some of these other answers were correct:A specialized form of phishing that targets an organization's leadership is:Target Shooting
Whaling ✔
CIO Baiting
Shark Phishing
I'm up for having sport with the 1%. (Actually, I know next to nothing about this organization's leadership.)What should you do if you get an e-mail hoax (suspected or real)?
The answer is easy:DO NOT FORWARD the email; DELETE it.
But when I get one at home, I research it and SEND A REFUTATION to every address visible in the headers (including the previous headers from the included forwards). Not only does this give everyone better information, it embarrasses the sender(s) for being so gullible. After a few of these come back to them, most of my "friends" stop sending me these hoaxes and chain letters. Even if they're still gullible and sending them to their other friends, they've stopped sending them to me, and that's a win for my mailbox.
I sometimes also point out that these chain letters, with dozens of addresses exposed (or hundreds - forwarding often includes previous hops, each with its own set of headers), are a boon to spammers. (Again, if I'm dropped from the addressees next time, that's a win.)
I've gotten a few angry replies from people for adding to their spam; these people generally didn't read my email. More often I get a thank-you back (from a total stranger in those long addressee lists) for being a voice of sanity.
Gary Baseman
Some people must actively want to believe this stupid stuff (hoaxes). If, with logic, common sense, and supporting references, I point out - to them and to their think-alikes - that it's stupid unreasonable and unsupported, I guess it spoils their fun. Maybe I've prodded some of them to think for themselves, and shown them some sites where they can check nonsense before they forward it. And those who still insist on believing and spreading the nonsense at least have stopped including me.
If you want to send me an email sharing and ridiculing a hoax, I'm all for that!
[This entry was originally posted as https://syntonic-comma.dreamwidth.org/831885.html on Dreamwidth (where there are
comments).]