What is Phishing?

Answer 1

Phishing is from the word "fishing". It refers to email (or web sites) that try to trick you into giving them personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords, etc. They send out some kind of "bait", such as an email saying your bank account is about to expire, please go to a web site and log in to keep the account working. When you log in, they steal your password. They use the "bait" to "hook" as many people as they can -- like fishing.. thus the word phishing.

Answer 2

According to Wikipedia...

In computing, phishing is a form of criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message.

Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, and technical measures.

The first recorded mention of phishing is on the alt.2600 hacker newsgroup in January 1996, although the term may have appeared even earlier in the printed edition of the hacker magazine 2600[1]. The term phishing is a portmanteau of password harvesting[2] and alludes to the use of increasingly sophisticated lures to "fish" for users' financial information and passwords; ph is a common leet replacement for f[3].

Basically with a phishing attempt, you'll see a request to enter a bank site, Amazon, ebay, whatever, to update a password or something like that. These vendors would never ask you to do something like this, so when you see it, be wary.

This site is dedicated to protecting yourself from identity theft and has many more articles on phishing.

Answer 3

In computing, phishing is a form of criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message.

Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, and technical measures.

The first recorded mention of phishing is on the alt.2600 hacker newsgroup in January 1996, although the term may have appeared even earlier in the printed edition of the hacker magazine 2600. The term phishing is a portmanteau of password harvesting and alludes to the use of increasingly sophisticated lures to "fish" for users' financial information and passwords; ph is a common leet replacement for.

Answer 4

In computing, phishing is a form of criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using email or an instant message.

Answer 5

Its the searching of the chocolate pieces in Ben & Jerry's Phish Food Ice Cream.

Alternatively, its the term used for when someone tries to obtain your personal details in a fraudulent matter - and is most frequented with credit card fraud.

Answer 6

Phishing is how lads relieve themselves when they leave the pub after being out on the lash. The nearest wall is most populer to lose a few gallons from the bladder.

Answer 7

phishing: verb
the act of catching a phish from a lake, river, ocean, sea or the toilet bowl

Answer 8

It is when you get an email (for example) that looks like it came from eBay or Paypal or your bank and they ask you to click on a link in the email. If you do it will take you to a site that looks legitimate, but isn't. If you give them any personal info such as credit card numbers, social security number, passwords, they can steal your identity and rob you blind. So the best rule is to ALWAYS open a new browser window and go to the website directly. No cut and pasting their link. No clicking on their link.

Answer 9

Obscenities aside, it is an attempt to trick you into revealing finanical information to a hacker. It's usually in the form of a fake letter from Pay Pal or a local bank.

Answer 10

its when you go out on a boat & try to catch phish.