---
title: "Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams | Phish Protection"
description: "Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams: Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams In."
image: "https://phishprotection.com/images/og-default.png"
canonical: "https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attack-definition/"
---

#  Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams 

## **Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams**

In simple terms, _a phishing attack is like picking your pocket_. When a pickpocket steals your purse, he/she not only steals your money but also the debit and credit cards that you had in your wallet. You even lose your identity cards or documents such as your driving license. All **phishing attacks** are thus similar to pickpocketing in many ways. The only difference is that you hand over the wallet to the criminal voluntarily.

In a phishing attack, _hackers entice you into parting with your confidential information without realizing_ that you are exposing yourself and your organization to a great deal of risk.

![Anti Phishing Software](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/04/anti-phishing-software.png) ![Anti Phishing](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/02/anti-phishing.png) 

### How Do Phishing Attacks Happen?

Cybercriminals use various ways to hack into your enterprise networks.

- _An embedded link in an unsolicited email can be a dangerous thing_. It can redirect employees to [unsecure websites](https://www.digicert.com/blog/not-secure-warning-what-to-do/) that could be seeking sensitive information.
- An attachment received by you through an email can contain a Trojan virus. On downloading such an attachment, _the virus can attach to various files and wreak havoc with your data_.
- Hackers send spoof emails that appear as genuine. _Many employees fall into the trap and part with sensitive information_.

The list can go on and on because hackers are intelligent people. Let us now see the steps we can take to [prevent phishing](/).

- End-user awareness is the single major [phishing prevention](/) measure. Employees who operate the computers and attend to emails and other correspondence are the most vulnerable to such phishing attempts.
- Educating such employees by conducting mock [training exercises](/blog/phishing-prevention-users-weakest-link-training-solution/) that include actual phishing scenarios is one of the best [anti-phishing solutions](/products/advanced-threat-defense/) available today. Employees or end-users should know how to avoid **phishing attacks**. Unless they experience a real-life scenario, it will be a challenge to explain it theoretically.
- This training will teach employees not to open unsolicited emails and _refrain from clicking on malicious links_.
- Install **spam filters** to avoid viruses and other malicious software that can find their way into your enterprise networks.
- Technology is improving every day. Hence, hackers are also updating their hacking modus operandi. Therefore, updating your security patches is an integral aspect of [phishing protection](/).
- The organization should have a robust [IT security policy](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-an-it-security-policy) that is not limited to password expiry and renewal. One of the most common **anti-phishing solutions** is to restrict the inward email attachment capacity, especially of employees in the lower rungs of the hierarchy.
- Installing a web filter to block malicious websites is another excellent way of **phishing attack prevention**.
- Encryption of data is one of the ideal solutions to deal with phishing attacks.
- Disabling HTML email messages is also an efficient anti phishing security measure.

_One should note that hackers are always on the prowl scouting for the weakest link in your security chain_. Therefore, business entities should identify weak links and take steps to strengthen them.

### Think Like A Hacker

There is an old adage, ‘Set a thief to catch a thief’. This logic holds good under these circumstances as well. To [prevent phishing attacks](/), one has to learn to think like a hacker.

Thinking like a hacker can help to pre-empt **phishing attacks** to a considerable extent. _Encourage employees to report any suspected phishing activities_. Remember that many phishing attempts can bypass the most stringent **anti-phishing security** set-up. _The employee at the end of the line is the final link of defense_. Equipping this end-user to identify and deal with phishing attacks is the ideal solution.

![Prevent Email Phishing](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/04/prevent-email-phishing.png) ![Phishing Prevention](https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2020/03/phishing-prevention.png) 

### Final words

As we have discussed, _hackers entice people into parting with information during a phishing attack_. Therefore, being alert and vigilant can help [prevent phishing attacks](/) and nip it in the bud. Every employee has to take it upon himself/herself to equip themselves to deal with the phishing menace which can only be possible if they know and understand the **phishing attack** definition in the first place.

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