A-Z of data protection - S is for ...

A-Z of data protection: terms you need to know

S

search engine phishing
• a type of phishing wherein fake websites appear in your search results. These websites pose as shopping sites offering cheap products, enticing users to create an account, thus obtaining the user’s personal information.

session cookies
• temporary cookies that exist while a user is browsing the website, but are automatically deleted when the browser is closed.

smishing
• a type of phishing done through SMS and other text messaging. Upon clicking on the link sent through text, malware is installed on your device.

social engineering
• a manipulation technique that exploits emotions such as fear, excitement, curiosity, or a sense of urgency to trick people into exposing their personal information or giving access to networks or systems.
• some examples of social engineering attacks are phishing and baiting.

social media phishing / angler phishing
• a type of phishing done through social media. Notifications, direct messages, or friend requests lead to malicious sites when clicked.

spear phishing
• a type of email phishing that is more personalised and targeted. Personalised emails that use familiar language are sent to potential victims to trick them into performing certain actions that will benefit the attacker.

SQL injection (SQLi)
• a type of cyberattack wherein hackers gain access to a database by inserting malicious SQL code. It is commonly used against websites, although the attack can affect any website or application that has an SQL database.