In today’s Internet age where information travels around the world in
seconds, cyber threats are imminent and organizations are constantly
struggling to keep their information safe and secure from these threats.
The volume and sophistication of such attacks has rendered existing
security protocols and measures only partially effective leaving the
victims totally vulnerable and these attacks are only increasing.
However, these so-called threats are not new; in fact, in the last
couple of years the number and sophistication of these attacks have
increased dramatically. The most common threats include phishing and
spamming, each of which presents serious threats to the integrity of IT
operations. Spam is the electronic equivalent of junk mail that arrives
in your email inbox from non-trusted sources in bulk which is very
annoying. Phishing is the most common cyber attack frequently done
through emails that direct users to fraudulent websites which seem
legitimate in order to collect their sensitive credentials.
What is a Spam Mail?
A spam email (or email spam) is an electronic equivalent of junk email
which refers to ‘unsolicited bulk email’. This means emails with
irrelevant content or some advertising material are sent in bulk as part
of a larger collection of messages to millions of users with the sole
purpose of playing with their emotions. Junk emails are sent without
explicit consent from the recipient for commercial purposes in mass
quantities by spammers and cyber criminals with the intention of making
money from the recipients who actually respond to the mails whether
willingly or accidentally. Spammers can make a lot of money if only a
fraction of people respond to the mails and buy the advertised product
or subscribe to any service. Spam emails are sometimes sent to a mailing
list to spread malware and compromise their content. So it is always
advised to be aware of fraudulent emails or spam emails.
What is a Phishing Mail?
Phishing is an act of fraudulently retrieve users’ sensitive or
confidential credentials by mimicking electronic communications claiming
to be from a trustworthy source or some reputed organization in an
automated fashion. It is a cyber attack where the cybercriminals send an
email that appears legitimate asking for users’ credentials or seeking
“Urgent action required”. It is a form of social engineering attack to
obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, social
security numbers, and credit card numbers. The goal is to trick the
users into believing that the message is legitimate and comes from a
legitimate source in an attempt to obtain sensitive information for
nefarious purposes or to ask for some sort of donation to questionable
causes. Spear phishing is targeted at specific individuals like a baited
hook to obtain confidential information.
Difference between Spam and Phishing Mail
Meaning
Spam emails are an electronic equivalent of unsolicited emails (or junk
emails) which are sent in bulk as part of a larger collection of
messages to millions of users with the intention of making money from
the recipients who actually respond to the mails. Spam emails are sent
without explicit consent from the recipient for commercial purposes in
mass quantities. Phishing emails, on the other hand, are fraudulent
emails designed to steal users’ private information such as passwords,
bank accounts, and credit card numbers which appear legitimate or seem
to have come from a trusted source or reputed organization.
Goal
Spam emails are a form of commercial advertising designed to flood the
email inbox of users with the sole objective of selling some product to
as many recipients as possible. Spammers can make a lot of money if only
a fraction of people respond to the mails and buy the advertised
product or subscribe to any service. Phishing is a form of social
engineering attack often carried out via emails with the intention of
obtaining sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, bank
account numbers, social security numbers, credit card numbers and more.
Characteristics
Spam emails are unsolicited or junk emails with irrelevant content or
commercial content or bulk newsgroup postings sent over the internet to a
mailing list, for the purpose of advertising or spreading malware into
recipients’ computers. Commercial content may include dicey legal
services, unrealistic quick-money schemes, illegal offers, or
counterfeit commercial products, mostly pharmaceutical products.
Phishing emails, on the other hand, are malicious emails seeking some
action utilizing strong social engineering techniques such as
intimidation, “urgent action required” message, trust, and so on with
the sole objective of obtaining personal information for illicit uses.
Summary
Spam emails are unsolicited or junk emails with irrelevant content or
commercial content sent over the internet into recipients’ computers to
make them to buy the advertised product or subscribe to their services
but for nefarious purposes. Spammers can actually make a lot of money if
only a fraction of people respond to the mails. Phishing emails, on the
other hand, are fraudulent emails designed to steal users’ private
information such as passwords, bank accounts, and credit card numbers
which appear legitimate or seem to have come from a trustworthy source
or private organization.