Anti-Phishers Pose as Phishers to Make Point

Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "This article notices a new trend in efforts to fight phishing: Anti-fraudsters are posing as phishers to 'to train users to be more careful about sharing sensitive information online.' Or, as the Wall Street Journal puts it, 'To fight computer crime, the good guys are masquerading as bad guys pretending to be good guys.' West Point cadets were among those who got fake phishing emails -- in their case, from Aaron Ferguson, a teacher at the academy. 'The gullible cadets received a "gotcha" email, alerting them they could easily have downloaded spyware, "Trojans" or other malicious programs and suggesting they be more careful in the future. ... Nonetheless, he says the exercise upset some cadets, who felt it exploited their inclination to follow an order from a colonel, no questions asked. He says the new edict is, "Ask questions first, then execute." '"

Comments

Until...

[suso]

Its all fun and games until the bad guys start posing as the good guys posing as the bad guys.

You'd like to think that, wouldn't you!

[plover]

It's so simple. All I have to do is divine it from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would phish his own employees or his enemies? Now, a clever man would phish in his own company because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool so I can clearly not click on the spam in front of you ... But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not click on the spam in front of me.

You've made your decision then?

Not remotely! Because spam comes from Russia. As everyone knows, Russia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So, I can clearly not click the spam in front of you.

Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

Wait 'til I get going!! ... Where was I?

Russia.

Yes! Russia! And you must have suspected I would have known the spam's origin, so I can clearly not click on the spam in front of me.

You're just stalling now.

You'd like to think that, wouldn't you! You've beaten my trojans, which means you're exceptionally well protected against viruses ... so you could have put the spam in your own email trusting on Norton AV to save you, so I can clearly not choose the spam in front of you. But, you've also bested my spyware, which means you must have studied ... and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal so you would have put the spam as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the spam in front of me!

You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.

It has worked! You've given everything away! I know which email the phishing attack is!

Then make your choice.

I will, and I choose ... what in the world can that be?

What? Where? I don't see anything.

Oh, well, I ... I could have sworn I saw something. No matter. [laughing]

What's so funny?

I ... I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's click, me on my email and you on yours.

You guessed wrong.

You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched emails when your back was turned! Ha ha! YOU FOOL! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is: Never get involved in a land war in Asia!, and only slightly less well known is this: Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!