Let's dive into how bad guys (we'll call them hackers) use the information they've gathered about people or companies to trick them into giving away even more sensitive information or to directly harm their computers. Think of it as someone using clever tricks and disguises to sneak into a castle and steal the treasure, but in the digital world.
Not all tricks happen online. Some hackers try to get what they want face-to-face.
Spear phishing is like phishing but more targeted. The hacker spends a lot of time learning about you or your company and then sends a very convincing, personalized message. It's like if someone watched your house for weeks to figure out when you're gone, so they could pretend to be a delivery person and trick your neighbor into giving them a package meant for you.
Phishing is a very common trick where you get an email or a text message that looks like it's from a real company you use, telling you there's a big problem that needs your immediate attention. They'll ask you to click on a link and log in, but the website is fake and just steals your username and password. Imagine getting a letter from what looks like your school, asking for your locker combination because they need to do a "security check," but it's actually someone trying to steal your stuff.
Pretexting is when the hacker pretends to be someone else, like a police officer or a bank employee, to make you trust them. They ask you questions that seem normal for their fake job but are actually designed to get your personal details. It's like someone pretending to be a doctor to find out all about your health, only to use that information against you.
Imagine someone telling you that you've won a free video game if you just download it from their special website. But when you download the game, it turns out to be a trick that lets the hacker into your computer. This is called baiting. It's like leaving a trail of candy that leads straight into a trap.
If a hacker knows a company director's email and address, they might set up a fake website and trick the director into entering their password. Since many people use the same password for everything, the hacker could then try that password to break into the director's home Wi-Fi, and from there, access all sorts of personal and financial accounts.
In all these situations, the key to the hacker's success is trickery and disguise, taking advantage of people's trust, curiosity, or lack of attention to sneak past their defenses and steal valuable information.
This is when a hacker pretends to be someone they're not, like a repair person, to get into a building or office. It's as if someone dressed up as a librarian to sneak into the library's restricted section.
This is a simple trick where a hacker follows someone through a door they need a badge to open, like following closely behind someone at a concert to get in without a ticket.
Just like it sounds, this is when a hacker literally looks over your shoulder to see your phone or computer screen to steal information, like peeking at your friend's quiz answers.