Table 1 Definitions of phishing from four dictionaries and the APWG
From: Achieving a consensual definition of phishing based on a systematic review of the literature
| Source | Definition |
|---|---|
| Oxford University | The fraudulent practice of sending emails |
| Press ([2014]), UK | purporting to be from reputable companies |
| in order to induce individuals to reveal | |
| personal information, such as passwords and | |
| credit card numbers, online. | |
| Collins English | The practice of using fraudulent e-mails and |
| Dictionary ([2013]), UK | copies of legitimate websites to extract |
| financial data from computer users for | |
| purposes of identity theft. | |
| Merriam-Webster ([2013]), | A scam by which an e-mail user is duped into |
| USA | revealing personal or confidential information |
| which the scammer can use illicitly. | |
| American Heritage | To request confidential information over the |
| Dictionary ([2013]), USA | Internet or by telephone under false |
| pretenses in order to fraudulently obtain | |
| credit card numbers, passwords, or other | |
| personal data. | |
| Anti-Phishing Working | Phishing is a criminal mechanism employing |
| Group ([2013]) | both social engineering and technical |
| subterfuge to steal consumers’ personal | |
| identity data and financial account | |
| credentials. Social engineering schemes use | |
| spoofed e-mails purporting to be from | |
| legitimate businesses and agencies, designed | |
| to lead consumers to counterfeit websites | |
| that trick recipients into divulging financial | |
| data such as usernames and passwords. | |
| Technical subterfuge schemes plant | |
| crimeware onto PCs to steal credentials | |
| directly, often using systems to intercept | |
| consumers online account user names and | |
| passwords – and to corrupt local navigational | |
| infrastructures to misdirect consumers to | |
| counterfeit websites (or authentic websites | |
| through phisher-controlled proxies used to | |
| monitor and intercept consumers’ keystrokes). |