(a) Describe what is meant by a phishing attack. [2] (b) Explain two ways a user can identify that an email may be a phishing attempt. [2] (c) State two act...
Question 1 Report
(a) Describe what is meant by a phishing attack. [2]
(b) Explain two ways a user can identify that an email may be a phishing attempt. [2]
(c) State two actions a user should take if they receive a suspected phishing email. [2]
Answer Details
(a) A phishing attack is when a fraudulent email or message is sent that appears to come from a legitimate organisation, such as a bank or online retailer. [1] The aim is to trick the user into revealing personal or financial information such as passwords, bank account details or credit card numbers by directing them to a fake website or prompting them to reply. [1]
(b) Two ways a user can identify that an email may be a phishing attempt:
- The email address of the sender may be slightly different from the genuine organisation's address. For example, it might use a misspelled domain name or extra characters, which a real company would not use. [1]
- The email may contain spelling or grammar errors that a genuine organisation would not make, since legitimate companies typically proofread their official communications carefully. [1]
(c) Two actions a user should take if they receive a suspected phishing email:
- Do not click on any links or open any attachments in the email, as these may lead to a fake website designed to steal information or may install malware. [1]
- Report the email to the IT department or the organisation being impersonated, so that they can investigate and warn other users. [1]
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