Difference Between Phishing and Spam (With Table)

Phishing is a deception-based method of obtaining personal information. A cyber attack is a scheme concocted by the attacker in which you are enticed or trapped by their evoking conversation. Personal information, such as passwords and other sensitive data, is being collected. You must keep a close eye on things. Emails and phone calls are the most common forms of phishing.

Spam, on the other hand, does not always contain a malicious act of deception. Rather, it’s a type of marketing that’s done for a profit. Emails are a low-cost method of communicating with a large number of people. They’re unwanted email attachments that aren’t useful in any way. Certain spam, on the other hand, can be a malicious act designed to trick you into disclosing your personal information.

Comparison Table Between Phishing and Spam

What is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of special engineering attack in which the main goal is either sabotage or theft. Either the attacker wants to corrupt your data and harm you, or they want to steal your money or property in an unethical manner. Understanding how you act and respond is crucial to phishing. They are only attempting to guide you through topics that may cause you to reveal personal information.

There are different forms of phishing like SMS phishing, email phishing, voice phishing, angler phishing, search engine phishing, URL phishing, in-session phishing. This implies you can experience phishing through texting, emailing, phone calls, also there are instances where the attackers disguise themselves as a reliable trusty and hijack your information. Also, be aware of links that might trap you into phishing. The links are commonly shared through emails or texting. Fake login, be aware of that, suppose you have visited a site and that site is being interrupted by any random sites, asking for your password and email, this is phishing.

Misspellings, grammatical errors, and the sense and tone of the message can all be used to identify or recognize phishing. Antivirus software, firewalls, networking, and desktop firewalls can all help to prevent phishing. Filters for email.

What is Spam?

Spam, on the other hand, isn’t always meant to deceive you. It’s a profit-driven marketing strategy, rather. Email is a cost-effective way to communicate with a large group of people. They’re essentially ineffective email attachments that you don’t need. Further Spam, on the other hand, is a deceptive practice that entices you to reveal personal information. Spam is a completely pointless message that is sent to a large number of people for commercial reasons.

Spam can also be defined as “stupid, pointless, and annoying malware.” Email is the most common platform on which spam is used. Be prepared to experience an email if you have one. A spam message intended for commercial purposes, as well as adultery notifications, poses no threat. It could also be any vouchers or random items with which you have no connection. The attackers send you long unwanted messages that you must read and respond to. It is not always necessary for spam to be completely risk-free. Spam can occasionally pose a threat, and users must exercise extreme caution when dealing with it. As a result, it is best to avoid unknown links or URLs, and most importantly, do not click on them. Phishing is a particular kind of spam, whereas spam is a domain.

Main Differences Between Phishing and Spam

1. Phishing is a type of spam whereas Spam is a broad term that encompasses more than just phishing.
2. Misspelled words, a fake email address, an attempt to obtain personal information, strong evoking language, and a sense of urgency are all characteristics of phishing, whereas spam is defined as unwanted messages used for commercial purposes or product promotion.
3. Phishing’s goal or motto is to collect your personal information in an unethical and untruthful way, whereas spam contains general product information to market their product, as well as certain unwanted and harmless information.
4. SMS phishing, voice phishing, and email phishing are examples of phishing, while spam includes email marketing, vouchers, offensive content, fundraiser information, and so on.
5. When it comes to phishing, the goal is always to cause you inconvenience or harm, whereas this is not the case with spam.

Conclusion 

Phishing is a type of special engineering attack that focuses on sabotage or theft. Either the attacker wants to corrupt your data and cause you harm, or they want to steal your money or property dishonestly. They’re only attempting to lead you through topics that could lead to you divulging personal information.

Spam is a meaningless message sent to a large number of people for commercial purposes. “Stupid, pointless, and annoying malware” is another term for spam. Spam is widely distributed via email. A commercial spam message, as well as adultery notifications, pose no threat. Spam can be dangerous at times, and users should use extreme caution when dealing with it.

The most significant distinction between phishing and spam is that while phishing can be classified as spam, spam is not phishing. Phishing is a type of cyberattack that encourages the disclosure of sensitive information, whereas spam is an unidentified email that is typically sent for commercial purposes.

References 

• https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5706696/
• https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3190645.3190719