Baiting definition
Baiting is a social engineering attack where the victim is tricked into installing malicious software on their device. It used to be typically physical objects — infected CDs or USB sticks — that people would insert into their computers, resulting in automatic malware installation. Now, baiting comes in many digital forms. It could be an authentic-looking work email attachment or an ad so clickbaity that people don’t think twice before clicking on it. It all results in malicious software installing itself in the background.
How to prevent baiting
- Don’t click on ads, links, or attachments if they look suspicious or you’re not 100% sure where they came from
- Use NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro feature to scan your downloaded files for malware and block your access to malicious websites.
