What is Online Phishing

This article introduces and defines online phishing, which is an online crime of deceiving users into accessing fraudulent emails, web links, and websites to steal their sensitive private information. Online phishing is the top starting point for cyberattacks and the leading cause for identity theft that brings financial and other losses to individual and organizational victims. Phishing is primarily a social engineering attack that exploits human vulnerabilities due to lack of user awareness and protection. This article classifies phishing into two general groups based on the primary method and technique involved: social engineering and technical subterfuge. The article discusses how various specific types of phishing work and proposes a comprehensive set of solutions.