Before getting into the details of how to overcome phishing in social networking sites, first let us spend a couple of lines in defining the menace named Phishing. Every internet user accessing a website or a personal e-mail account must have come across certain links requesting you to click on it. It may be something like awarding a bulk of money or selling offer at amazing discounted rates that in other words lure you to click it. As soon as you commit this mistake, you are done for. Either you personal details are stolen or your PC system gets infested by a deadly virus. This is what we technically define as “Phishing”. It’s pretty obvious that the best way to combat phishing is by not clicking on any such luring links. Apart from this there are some other things as well that should be followed as well to ensure total security online, some of which are listed below:
1. Talking of social networking sites, cut down the number of common friends as much as possible. Try to avoid accepting friend requests of people you don’t know. Remember if you tend to accept whatever friend request comes your way, you are vulnerable to fall prey in the hand of some spammer who might send you a friend request and subsequently break into your account.
2. As aforesaid, please try not to click any link unless you are absolutely certain of the authenticity of the source. Remember a phishing link may come from a person you know and rely but make sure you don’t click anything that looks unexpected, unusual or suspicious.
3. Never stay logged into a website for long, especially when you not around. Always remember to sign out after you have completed working on a website.
4. If a website you have visited prompts you to download & install some application, software or patch file, never download. If you are really in need of similar applications, get it downloaded from the global website of a reliable software vendor.
5. Install anti-phishing toolbars on your internet browser. Such toolbars are going to help you in filtering phishing sites.
6. Always chance your account passwords from time to time.
7. At any point of time, if you believe you have somehow fallen victim to similar phishing scams, waste no time and notify the concerned site authority immediately.
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