Phishing vs. Spam: What’s the Difference? | IT Security

In the deluge of emails that flood our inboxes daily, discerning between phishing and spam emails can be crucial in safeguarding our personal and professional information. While both may seem like unwelcome intruders, understanding the differences empowers us to respond effectively.

Phishing emails, often disguised as legitimate correspondence from trusted sources, aim to deceive recipients into divulging sensitive information such as passwords, financial details, or personal data. They typically use urgent language, alarming requests, or fraudulent links to prompt recipients into action.

On the other hand, spam inundates our inboxes with unsolicited advertisements, promotions, or irrelevant content. While annoying, they rarely pose a direct threat to security but can clutter our email accounts and hinder productivity.

When you suspect or spot a phishing email in your Seneca inbox, just click the red ‘Report Phish’ button in Outlook. This helps to protect both yourself and others from similar scams. In contrast, dealing with spam is often as simple as unsubscribing from mailing lists or marking emails as junk in Outlook. Here’s how:

MySeneca Webmail

1. Right click on the message you want to report as junk and select Report, then Report Junk
2. Click ‘OK’ on the confirmation pop-ups

Outlook Desktop App

1. Right click on the message you want to block and select Junk, then Block Sender

By remaining vigilant and proactive, we can effectively combat phishing attempts and manage spam, ensuring a safer and more streamlined email experience.

Stay safe and secure online!