Technology brings innumerable good things for the human being, but unfortunately it also brings bad things. There are more and more scam attempts that can be seen on the Internet using the Phishingor a derivative thereof known as smashing. Sometimes it is very difficult to differentiate when we are faced with one of these attempts, but thanks to a new Google system we will now have it much easier. We tell you more.
Over the past few months, we have seen an increase in attempts to smashing in our country. These are waves of fraudulent text messages that impersonate recognized entities such as Santander Bank or Correos. These, as a rule, usually include dangerous links that can end up with a malware on our mobile able to steal information of all kinds. Thanks to this new system, it will be much more difficult for us to fall into these “traps”.
This is Google’s new verification system
As reported by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, 91% of cyberattacks over the past year use the technique of Phishing, which consists of sending fraudulent e-mails with links that lead to pages where personal data is requested, or to others where there are files to download. These pages are indeed very dangerous, and it is better to avoid them at all costs. The smashing is essentially the same only that it uses an SMS instead of an e-mail.
As you have already read above, the responsible for this new security system is Google. This system, which is already available in our country, ensures a series of guarantees when an SMS comes from a verified entity, which of course will help us, the users, to be more secure each time we receive an SMS. To be able to take advantage of this verification system, we will not have to do anything at all, since it is implemented automatically. Of course, for this we will have to use the Google Messages application.
This is how Google verification appears (Source: IPMark)
This new system will be essential to be able to identify the SMS that we receive and that can be dangerous for our safety or that of our mobile device. When we receive a message from a company that registers with Google, Google converts the message into an unreadable authenticity code and compare this code with others that the same company has sent. If they match, Google will verify that the message is from a secure source.
We will see on the screen a series of indicators that will confirm this information. To begin with, at the top of the screen will appear the name of the company and not a telephone number. A verified shield icon will appear next to this name so we can be sure this sender is verified. The company’s corporate image will appear in the message, along with a preview of the link if it has one.
For Google verification to take place we must be connected to the Internet with our mobile device. Sometimes the message “The sender could not be verified” appears, and this can be due to three different scenarios: that the company will not request verification from Google, that there has been a technical error or that it is an attempt at fraud. Google recommends that you do not respond to any messages requesting sensitive information and do not open links that you do not trust until the sender has been verified.