Gone Phishing!

Although phishing has been around in one form or another for some time now, it seems all of us are susceptible to scams even though we may take sensible precautions. A study conducted by Harvard and Berkeley academics demonstrates that even the most security conscious surfer can still fall foul to bogus sites. The full research document (PDF) can be downloaded and is well worth a look whether you are a consumer, web developer or company that promotes its products and services online.

It appears that many consumers still fail to recognise even the most basic security measures such as 'typejacking attacks' that use similar-looking URLs, presence of 'HTTPS' and associated padlock icon through to the use of SSL certificates. However, given that many casual surfers may not even be aware of these security protocols, it's hardly surprising they are frequently overlooked!

It would seem that the lack of basic 'online security' awareness within the wider population will continue to line the pockets of the unscrupulous operators for some time to come. The best tip I have received to provide some protection when conducting online transactions is to use a secondary credit card with a much lower credit limit- say £250, £500 or whatever is appropriate to your lifestyle. This way you should be able to protect yourself from the worst case scenario if you ever get caught.

I'd be interested in hearing other useful tips relating to online security and may well create a short course within our forthcoming Edgeworks Academy.