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What is the Difference Between Pharming & Phishing
John Burnett, BOL Guru
Guru Bios
Question: What is the difference between Pharming and Phishing?
Answer: Pharming is the hijacking of an official website's address, usually by hacking a Domain Name System server and altering the legitimate website's IP address so that users who enter the correct Web address (for example, www.bankersonline.com) are directed instead to a 'knock of' of the correct page, where user names, passwords and perhaps additional personal information is collected for later illegal use.
Phishing omits the step of hacking into a DNS server, and instead sends illicit email messages that appear to come from a legitimate source. The emails attempt to lure the reader into clicking a link that appears to go to a legitimate web address, but the actual link is to a fraudulent, look-alike site, again designed to trick the user into providing personal information. Phishing and pharming are two slightly different strategies to the same illicit end.
First published on BankersOnline.com 9/18/06
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