As technology continues to play a larger role in our daily lives, it’s important to stay informed about common cyber threats. Two terms you might encounter are email spoofing and hacking. While both can involve unauthorized access to your personal information, they are quite different in how they operate.
Email spoofing occurs when a malicious person sends an email that appears to come from someone you know or a trusted organization. The goal of spoofing is usually to deceive you into opening the email, clicking on a link or providing personal information. The email address may look legitimate, but it is forged. For example, you might receive an email that looks like it’s from your bank asking you to verify your account. I f you follow the instructions, you could be giving your details to a scammer.
Senior Village at SaddleBrooke learned more about spoofing the hard way. Recently, a leader in the organization had her name used in emails that appeared to be coming from her, but they were NOT from her. Spoofing emails might ask you to purchase gift cards or make monetary donations to meet an urgent need. Please remember, Senior Village does not solicit funds in this manner.
Spoofing relies on trickery and deception. The hacker doesn’t need to gain access to your email account but simply mimics the sender’s address. The best defense against spoofing is to always be cautious when opening unexpected emails, especially those that ask for personal information or contain urgent requests.
On the other hand, hacking is when a person or program gains unauthorized access to your email account or computer. This can be done through various methods, such as guessing passwords, exploiting software vulnerabilities or phishing scams. Once a hacker has access to your account, they can steal sensitive information, read private messages or even send emails pretending to be you. Hacking is typically more damaging because it provides direct control over your personal accounts.
While email spoofing is often about manipulation and trust, hacking involves breaking into your systems. It’s important to use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication and stay vigilant to protect yourself from both. When in doubt, simply delete the email.
The Home Technology team of Senior Village helps members with issues involving computers, smart devices, televisions, cell phones and other technological devices in your home. Members may request this assistance by calling Senior Village at (520) 314-1042.
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