Phishing vs. smishing vs. vishing: How to educate clients on the difference

Cybersecurity threats like phishing, smishing and vishing are on the rise, and they pose significant risks to both businesses and individuals. According to recent Nationwide survey data, 28% of small business owners and 23% of mid-market business owners who have been victims of a cyber threat have experienced a phishing attack.¹

Smishing (SMS phishing) and vishing (voice phishing) are equally concerning, with smishing attacks surging 328% in recent years² and 59.4 million Americans³ falling victim to vishing in 2021 alone. The need to understand and combat these scams is critical, especially as nearly 76% of businesses report being targeted by smishing attacks annually.² What’s more, faced with a cyberattack, 22% of small businesses and 36% of mid-market businesses knew how to start their response, but had to do some research on next steps and what exactly to do.¹

With this in mind, it’s vital to educate your clients about the distinctions between phishing, smishing and vishing, explain how each attack works and provide actionable steps to help prevent these threats.

What is phishing?

Phishing is one of the most prevalent forms of cyberattacks, often carried out through email. It involves cybercriminals impersonating legitimate organizations to trick recipients into revealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, financial data or personal details.

How phishing works

Phishing emails often appear to come from trusted sources, like banks, suppliers or even colleagues. These messages typically contain urgent or enticing information to provoke an immediate response, directing recipients to click on links leading to fake websites or download harmful attachments. Once victims enter their information or download malware, the scammers gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or network systems, which can lead to identity theft or financial loss.

How to prevent phishing

Here are some best practices that business clients can implement within their workforce to reduce phishing risks:

• Verify the sender’s email—Check for slight alterations in email addresses that could indicate spoofing.
• Avoid clicking on unexpected links or attachments—This is especially true for emails that create a sense of urgency.
• Hover over links—This helps to verify their actual destination before clicking.
• Use anti-virus and email filtering software—Do this to detect and block malicious emails before they reach employees’ inboxes.

What is smishing?

Smishing, or SMS phishing, is an attack conducted via text messages. As mobile phone usage increases, so does the appeal of smishing to cybercriminals, with SMS messages having a much higher open rate than emails.⁴ Attackers use smishing to trick recipients into clicking on harmful links or calling malicious phone numbers, often under the guise of banks, delivery services or customer service notifications.

How smishing works

Like phishing messages, smishing messages often convey a sense of urgency, such as a supposed account issue or a delayed package. The message may include a link that directs recipients to a fake website where they’re prompted to enter sensitive information. Alternatively, clicking the link can install malware on the user’s device, enabling cybercriminals to steal data or control the device remotely.

How to prevent smishing

Clients can follow these tips to help protect their business and employees from smishing attacks:

• Be wary of urgent text messages—Messages from unknown sources that create urgency are often scams. Avoid clicking on any unsolicited links.
• Verify requests independently—Contact the company directly using official communication channels to confirm any suspicious messages.
• Use mobile security software—This can detect and block smishing attempts before they reach employees’ devices.

What is vishing?

Vishing, or voice phishing, involves scammers making phone calls pretending to be from reputable organizations, such as banks or government agencies. Vishing capitalizes on people’s trust in verbal communication, using social engineering tactics to elicit sensitive information.

How vishing works

A vishing attack typically involves a scammer calling a target, often using a spoofed number to appear credible. They may claim there’s a pressing matter that requires immediate verification of the target’s personal or financial information. The information gathered during these calls can lead to identity theft, fraudulent account activity and financial loss.

How to prevent vishing

To help clients and their employees avoid falling victim to vishing, recommend these best practices:

• Be cautious with unsolicited calls—If a call requests personal or financial information, treat it with suspicion.
• Hang up and verify—Call back using an official number to confirm the caller’s legitimacy.
• Use caller ID and call-blocking features—These can help filter unknown or suspicious numbers before they reach employees.
• Educate employees on social engineering tactics—Recognize methods like urgency or guilt-tripping often used by scammers.

Key differences between phishing, smishing and vishing

Phishing, smishing and vishing are distinct but interconnected scams, all designed to obtain sensitive information fraudulently. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Phishing uses emails with malicious links or attachments, typically targeting large numbers of users.
• Smishing employs SMS messages to reach mobile users with fake links or prompts to call scammers.
• Vishing takes place over the phone, where scammers often pose as official representatives to extract information.

Each type of scam represents a unique method of attack, but they all lead to the same risks: identity theft, unauthorized financial transactions and data breaches. More than 1.4 million identity theft reports were filed in 2021,⁵ underscoring the value of recognizing these scams early.

Help your clients protect their business

Awareness of phishing, smishing and vishing can be a powerful defense against costly cyberattacks. By understanding how these scams operate, business clients can implement the right security measures to protect their information and prevent unauthorized access to critical systems. Encourage your clients to regularly educate employees on recognizing these threats and share additional cybersecurity resources to strengthen their cybersecurity posture.