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Pharming
Don't
get caught in a Pharm
Pharming is
a
controversial internet term born of the
combination of "farming" and "phishing", and is used to
describe the act of hackers to redirect internet browsers to bogus
sites. The
fake sites enable phishers to obtain users passwords and information
which is
usually a first step in identity theft. Hence someone who farmed users
to
phish, would be pharming.
Identity theft is one of the world's fastest growing crimes making
pharming a
serious threat, especially with the rise of online banking.
Sophisticated
measures are being developed to counteract the threat of pharming to
internet
users, because contrary to belief antivirus programs and spyware
removal
systems cannot prevent pharming. Most anti-pharming initiatives are
being preformed
on the server end of the deal, with sites such as mentioned online
banks using
more security measures.
You personally, can avoid being "pharmed" by always typing in your
addresses to sites you visit, and not clicking any links, most notably
in emails
no matter how legitimate they appear. Choose secure passwords that
would not be
easily hacked by generator programs. You can also use spam blockers, as
well as
credit monitors to be sure you have not already become a victim of
identity
theft.
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