Vishing

Updated: 08/31/2020 by Computer Hope
Person on phone vishing

Voice phishing, also known as vishing, describes an attack where an individual makes a personal or automated voice call to another person to get that person's login credentials.

Note

Vishing attacks are becoming more prevalent as more people know about e-mail phishing and are working from home.

Vishing example

An attacker may call an employee of a company using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and using social engineering pretends to be with the support department. Then, they indicate they need the user's VPN (virtual private network) login details to move their account to a new server. The attacker may even create a sense of urgency by indicating the employee will be unable to log in to the new VPN and work if they don't get their details.

If the attacker gets the user's details, they can access the company's VPN and may obtain private information for financial gain or disrupt the company's network.

Tip

When dealing with anyone over e-mail or the phone, never tell them your login details. If this person were from support, they could move or reset your account without needing to know your password.

Computer crime, Computer slang, Phishing, Security terms, Social engineering