Phishing Scams Aren't Just for Gullible Grandparents Anymore

Phishing scams.

They're not just for gullible grandparents anymore,

they're getting more and more sophisticated,

to the point that they're fooling even security experts.

You click on the wrong link in an email

and you may well expose yourself or worse yet,

your entire company to nasty hacks.

So we're here to help you protect yourself.

Follow these easy steps to avoid

being that person in the office.

I'm Brian Barrett, Wired News Editor,

and this is your guide to staying safe on the internet.

First up, always always always always think twice

before clicking, I know that sounds simple but it's not,

phishing emails tend to invoke a sense of urgency.

There's a discrepancy with your PayPal balance

or you need to reauthorize your Google account,

go go go, take a deep breath and double check that the email

address was sent from what it claims to have been.

In Gmail, for instance, click on the little down arrow

at the top of the message that says

show details when you hover over it.

That'll show you the real sender, even if the spammer

makes it look like it's from someone you trust.

Then there's spear phishing,

emails that target you specifically.

They seem more trustworthy because they know your name

and a few details about you, that's harder to see through,

but the same basic rules apply,

double check who it's really from and don't click

on any links unless you know for sure where they lead.

And please please please don't download any attachments.

At the end of the day, you have to trust your gut,

but it doesn't hurt to beef your password security too,

we have a separate video on that.

And of course, enable two factor authentication services

anywhere you can.

Ultimately, your best defense might just be accepting

that no one's gonna give you a free cruise

and your PayPal account is probably fine.

And if you need to know for sure,

just pick up the phone instead of clicking a link.