Ugh, another term we have to know to understand the ways to be a victim of a scam. Quishing.
While "quishing" might not be a widely recognized term, the underlying concept is a variant of phishing, and the same cybersecurity principles and precautions apply to protect yourself from such threats. Always be cautious and verify the legitimacy of requests for sensitive information or actions, whether they come via email, QR code, or any other medium.
To protect yourself from such threats, you can follow these general cybersecurity best practices:
- Be Skeptical: Always be cautious when receiving unexpected emails or messages with links, QR codes, or attachments. Verify the sender's legitimacy and consider if the message makes sense.
- Don't Click on Suspicious Links or QR Codes: Avoid clicking on links or scanning QR codes in emails or messages from unknown or unverified sources. If you're unsure, contact the sender directly through a known and trusted means to verify the request.
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enable MFA wherever possible, especially for critical accounts like email and banking. This provides an additional layer of security in case you do fall victim to one of these scams and mistakenly provide your credentials.
- Educate Yourself: Stay informed about various types of cyber threats and phishing tactics. Regularly update yourself on cybersecurity best practices.
- Install Reliable Security Software: Use reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on your devices to help detect and block malicious content.
- Verify the Sender: If you receive an email claiming to be from a trusted organization, verify the sender's email address, and be cautious of any unsolicited requests for personal information.
- Keep Software Updated: Ensure your operating system and all software are regularly updated with the latest security patches.
- Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect you've received a phishing email, report it to your email service provider and, if relevant, the organization it claims to be from. You should also report to ic3.gov as this is the FBI portal to report nefarious cyber activity, these reports are vital in linking threat activity to prosecute threat actors.
- Protect Personal Information: Avoid sharing sensitive personal information unless you're certain of the legitimacy of the request.
And as always, when in doubt, delete the message. It would be better to have your account mistakenly disabled rather than give away your account information or other PII that could lead to more issues in the future.