Whaling

Whaling Maliciously Targets Personal Data of the Wealthy or Powerful

Whaling is a form of phishing that focuses on an individual, particularly wealthy ones or those in positions of power. It involves gathering individual information about those users that can be later utilized by the hacker.

Hackers who participate in whaling frequently portray these endeavors as “reeling in a major fish,” applying a well-known similitude to the way they scour innovations for escape clauses and open doors for data theft.

The individuals who are occupied with whaling may, for instance, hack into explicit systems where these influential people work or store delicate data. They may likewise set up keylogging or other malware on a workstation related to one of these officials. There are numerous ways that hackers can deploy whaling, driving C-level or top-level in business and government to remain watchful about the likelihood of digital dangers.

As with phishing, these are practical steps to avoid Whaling:

1. Use refreshed PC security apparatuses, for example, anti-virus software, spyware, and firewalls.
2. Never open suspicious or unknown email attachments.
3. Never uncover individual data asked for by email, for example, your name or credit card number.
4. Check that the site URL is legitimate by typing the real address in your Web browser.  
5. Check the site’s telephone number before ringing the number provided in the email.