Everyone reading that post doesn’t need to know the name of the street you grew up on.
James Martin/CNET
If you’re on any social media platform, you’ve likely encountered a post stating something like, “Your preppie name” (or your pirate name, your indie band name, etc.) “is the street you lived on as a child plus the name of your first pet.” The often hilarious results number into the thousands in the comments.
Facebook quizzes and questionnaires might seem like harmless fun, but the comments sections under these posts are a goldmine of potential passwords served up buffet-style for shady cyberthieves. Not on social media? Unfortunately, you’re still at risk via text messages, phone calls and email. This manipulative tactic is a more recent twist on a classic cyberattack known as phishing. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
What is phishing?
Phishing is a way that malicious hackers make use of human error — typically by preying…
