CyberGuard dictionary / Phishing & Social Engineering
Phishing
A deceptive message or site intended to trick someone into disclosing information or taking an unsafe action.
In simple terms
Phishing often looks like a normal email or text asking you to click, sign in, pay, or share a code.
Technical explanation
Attackers impersonate trusted senders, use links or attachments, and may copy login pages to capture credentials.
The lure and the destination should be checked separately: a message may look authentic while its link leads through redirects to a counterfeit site. Reported messages can be reviewed for sender context, requested action, and actual destination.
Examples in practice
A fake invoice email contains a button leading to a lookalike sign-in page.
The invoice email uses a real supplier's logo but sends the reader to a domain with an extra letter. A staff member calls the supplier using a saved phone number and confirms that no invoice was sent.
Why it matters
Verification through a known channel is safer than following an unexpected message.
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Sources and further reading
Published 2026-10-15 · Last updated 2026-10-15 · CyberGuard editorial content. Source links provide context; they do not imply endorsement.