Pharming
Alert
First,
phishing attacks alarmed Internet consumers with e-mails from legitimate-looking
but phony financial institutions soliciting personal account information.
Now, "pharming" is quickly becoming phishing's scary younger
brother.
A next-generation
method of identity theft, pharming exploits vulnerabilities in domain name
system (DNS) servers, redirecting your Web request to fake Web sites that appear
legitimate, even when the correct domain name is input into the Internet
browser. These dummy Web sites can fool people into handing over personal
information, such as passwords or credit-card numbers, to identity thieves.
Because
the dummy sites appear almost identical to the legitimate sites, pharming can be
especially tricky to spot. If something seems suspicious to you, end the session
immediately or don't log on.
Many major
financial institutions and retailers utilize security protocol to prevent other
sites from impersonating them. Some pharming-conscious sites offer a dialog box
that you can use to verify the site's authenticity. Clicking this padlock
security icon will allow you to view the site's certificate; if it doesn't match
the site you thought you were logging on to, close the page. Pharming is still
so new that many institutions have yet to add protective measures.
Although phishing
and pharming present a danger, they are no reason to avoid the Web. Meanwhile,
you should remain vigilant and exercise caution while surfing the net.
