Russia is accused of hacking top U.S. officials, most notably Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta. And Thursday we learned other phishing attacks against U.S. computer systems could happen. So what can you do about it?
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A phishing attack isn't like a computer virus, where up-to-date security software might catch it before it does any damage. Phishing relies on human error, and humans are prone to errors, whether they run a political campaign or the town's corner bakery.
The best defense — no matter your position — is to recognize what a phishing attempt looks like. That means knowing how companies handle sensitive information. The message might look urgent, the letterhead might look official, but a company like Google won't ever ask you to alter your account details over email.
Don't open attachments, and don't follow links from suspicious emails. If you think you need to visit a website, type out its address into the search bar.
And if a message looks — well — fishy, say something. The FBI runs a fraud complaint website where you can report phishing attempts.
