• About
  • Visiting
  • Campus Map
  • Campus Tour
  • History & Facts
  • Administrative Services
  • Contact
  • Employment
  • Trustees
  • Support Bowdoin
• Academics
  • Academic Calendar
  • Academic Programs
  • The Curriculum
  • Museum of Art
  • Arctic Museum
  • Advising & Resources
  • Library
  • Off-Campus Study
• Admissions
  • Apply
  • Locate your Admissions Counselor
  • International Students
  • Request Information
  • Schedule an Interview
  • Student Aid
  • Visit the Campus
• Campus Life
  • Athletics
  • Bookstore
  • Dining
  • Health & Safety
  • Housing
  • Information Technology
  • News & Events
  • Student Activities
  • President's Office
• Gateways
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Academic Staff
  • Staff
  • Parents & Families
  • Students
  • Prospective Students
  • Visitors & Friends

Phishing
April 28, 2005

What is Phishing?
The tech phrase “Phishing” is when a person sends out thousands of emails claiming to be from a reputable financial institution or web site like eBay or Key Bank. The message will ask you to either click on a link to update personal information or carry out a transaction. The link takes you to a fake website designed to look like the real thing. Once there, you are asked to provide confidential information about yourself (e.g., your credit card number, bank account information, social security number, etc.). After you have entered this information, the phisher can use it to try to gain access to your online bank accounts and steal money, to charge purchases to your credit card(s), and/or to use your identity for illegal activities.

There is another potential and growing target for phishing attacks. This same approach can be used to gather institutional access information from users of educational systems. A criminal intent on gaining access to student data, for example, can send official-looking email to students, directing them to a provided link to a site where they are asked to enter their student-access information (Student ID, email password etc.).- Cedric Bennett, Information Security Matters, Volume 2, issue 2 April 2005.

Anatomy of a Phish:

Click the image to see it at full size. (Opens in a new window.)

How can you protect yourself from Phishing?

• Install anti-spy-ware, firewall and anti-virus software.
• Don’t click on pop-ups or links in Instant Messenger
• Always check with your bank or institutions you deal with before you give out any information requested via an email.
• Keep up to date on the latest techniques used by phishing spammers.
• Set up spam filters in your email to redirect these emails.
• Try using browsers that are not targeted as much as Internet Explorer (the most vulnerable to Phishing).
• Keep your browsers up to date with the latest security patches.
• If you use wireless internet make sure you have wireless encryption turned on.

Stay safe, stay clean and practice good cyberhygiene.