Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Communication Can Take the Bite Out of Phishing

    By
    Cameron Sturdevant
    -
    February 2, 2004
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      For companies trying to get their message to business partners, customers and prospects, simply complying with CAN-SPAM legislation may not be enough. The reason: Many spammers are going phishing.

      Phishing, the latest spam trend, occurs when e-mail masquerading as a message from a real company directs recipients to a false Web page that looks identical to the real companys Web site. Phishing is a significant step in the transition of spam from nuisance and productivity speed bump to a potentially huge fraud problem.

      Phishing messages have already targeted PayPal, an eBay Inc. company; Citigroup Inc.; and FleetBoston Financial Corp., among many others. Finding these messages and stopping them cold is the bread and butter of e-mail spam filters, but any company with a popular brand that uses credit card or financial account information is a potential victim of this kind of identity theft.

      eWEEK Labs believes IT managers should take a hint from this new technique and get closer to the marketing department with advice on improving reliable communication with current customers and potential customers. For example, PayPal, Citibank and Fleet have posted messages on their Web sites that outline how these companies communicate with customers. The sites also discuss ways real PayPal or Citibank representatives contact customers to check on account status.

      Educating customers and partners about company practices is an important weapon against phishing, but, like spam in general, well be seeing a lot more of these bogus messages before long. The reason is simple: The costs associated with spam are minuscule compared with the payoffs. “The Real Answer to the Spam Problem,” a brief published last month by Forrester Research Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., argues that if spammers incurred costs of even $0.0025 cents per unsolicited message sent, most would go out of business.

      Although we take issue with the Forrester papers conclusion that everyone should be charged a nominal fee to send e-mail, we agree that the current nature of e-mail means the financial incentive to spoof e-mail from companies such as Citibank is too tempting to be quashed with legislation alone.

      2004 is very likely going to be the year when the convergence of spammers and virus writers makes beefing up basic e-mail protocols more important than ever. But dont count on speedy resolution of e-mail protocol security issues, as eWEEK Labs Technical Analyst Michael Caton warns in his Tech Analysis.

      Cameron Sturdevant
      Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at [email protected]

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×