How to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are one of the most common cyber threats facing individuals and businesses today. These deceptive emails, texts, and websites are designed to trick you into revealing sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal data.

The first step in protecting yourself is learning to recognize phishing attempts. Look for red flags like urgent language demanding immediate action, misspelled sender addresses, generic greetings instead of your name, and links that don't match the supposed sender's website.

Never click on links in unexpected emails. Instead, go directly to the website by typing the address into your browser. If a bank or service provider contacts you about an urgent issue, call them directly using the number on their official website — not the number in the email.

Keep your software and operating system updated. Many phishing attacks exploit known vulnerabilities that have already been patched. Enable automatic updates whenever possible.

Use two-factor authentication (2FA) on all important accounts. Even if a phisher gets your password, they won't be able to access your account without the second factor.

Report phishing attacks to the authorities. If you think you've been the victim of a phishing attack, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and to the company that the scammer was impersonating.

Finally, consider signing up for our guaranteed malware protection. While we can't guarantee you won't encounter a phishing attempt, we will remove any resulting infections at no additional cost.