Allergic to Phish – Recognizing Phishing Messages

This an updated and expanded version of advice that I’ve given many times in blog articles, white papers and conference papers. I’m not resurrecting it with reference to any particular phish (though I’m seeing an interesting selection of Apple-ID-targeting phishing mails at the moment), but because in the course of a conversation I had on a social media site, I promised to generate an update: sadly, there’s a continuing need for (hopefully) reliable advice on phishing.

Note that phishing is by no means restricted to email messages, but most of the advice given here also applies to other messaging media such as direct messaging in social media and instant messaging applications. Then there are telephone scams, but they probably deserve an article of their own, given the range of unpleasantness they cover.

Allergic to Phish – Recognizing Phishing Messages