In simple terms, phishing means making people fool and steal their username, password, credit card numbers etc..
A phishing technique was described in detail in 1987, and (according to its creator) the first recorded use of the term "phishing" was made in 1995.(Source : Wikipedia)
List of phishing techniques:
- Spear Phishing
- Clone Phishing
This technique could be used to pivot (indirectly) from a previously infected machine and gain a foothold on another machine, by exploiting the social trust associated with the inferred connection due to both parties receiving the original email.
Here is the infographic about How Phishing Attack Works.
Now a days most of the attackers are targeting social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. And most basic and important tips that will save you from these phishing attacks are:
- Never share your passwords and bank details with anyone.
- Don't log into pages directly linked via emails.