Phishing

Phishing is a deceptive attempt to get someone to reveal sensitive information, send money, or take another action that benefits an attacker. It often arrives as an email or text that pretends to come from a trusted company, coworker, or service.

How can phishing use a domain?

A message may contain a link to a lookalike website, use a misleading sender address, or point to a real website that an attacker has gained control of. The address bar and message appearance can help, but a familiar logo or an encrypted HTTPS connection does not prove that the request is legitimate.

For example, Alex receives an unexpected email saying an invoice is overdue and linking to a sign-in page. Instead of following the link, Alex can open the known website address or contact the company using details from a previous bill. This checks the request independently of the message.

Phishing differs from email spoofing: spoofing makes a message appear to come from a different sender, while phishing is the attempt to trick a person. A phishing message can use a lookalike domain without spoofing the real domain. Malware is harmful software that phishing may try to install, but phishing can also aim only to steal login details or payment.

Related terms

• Email spoofing — misleading sender identities
• Malware — harmful software a message may deliver
• HTTPS — encrypts a connection but does not prove a site is trustworthy
• Domain reputation — how a particular service assesses a domain's risk