Just Spam, or Phishing? — TechKnowSurge

About this interactive

What you are doing: deciding whether each unwanted message is spam or phishing. Spam, as the lesson defines it: unsolicited or unwanted email. Much of it comes from real companies, newsletters you never asked for, bulk ads and offers, and some people even want it. Its harm is lost time, and real email deleted by mistake among the clutter. Phishing: an attempt to trick you into disclosing sensitive information (a password, a card number, a code) or doing something that compromises security (opening an attachment, enabling macros, signing in on a fake page). How to use it: ask whether the message is trying to trick you into giving something up or doing something unsafe. If it is only unwanted, it is spam.

What you'll learn

Tell spam, unsolicited or unwanted bulk email with no trick in it, from phishing, which tries to trick the reader into disclosing information or doing something that compromises security

Aligned to

CompTIA Security+

2.2 Explain common threat vectors and attack surfaces.

5.6 Given a scenario, implement security awareness practices.

Key terms

Spam: Spam is unsolicited bulk electronic messages, most commonly email, that serve as a primary delivery vector for phishing campaigns, malware attachments, and social engineering attacks.
Phishing: A social engineering attack that uses deceptive emails or messages to trick users into revealing sensitive information.

Topics

Spam Phishing Interactive Streak Sort

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