Task: Focus on Technology
Have you ever gone phishing? Probably not, but the Internet enables unscrupulous individuals to phish for your personal information. This and other types of attacks aimed at stealing your identity or your money are called "social engineering." Social engineering is remake of an old-fashioned con game that tricks people into giving information and then uses them it rob them. You might receive an e-mail, supposedly from PayPal, Amazon.com, or your bank, asking you to update your personal information. To make it easier for you, says the message, just click on the link in the e-mail to input your information. Don't do it! The click will take you to a site that looks legitimate but it really a skillfully designed fake, often located in another country. Even if you don't enter any personal information, just clicking on the link might put software on your computer that can track your keystrokes, revealing log-in and password information to the crooks.
Question:
Phishing scams also victimize businesses. Visits the Federal Trade Commission's Website (www.ftc.gov) to learn how businesses can deal with this problem and discuss recommendations for marketers who face this threat.
(AACSB: Communication; Reflective Thinking; Use of IT)