Commonly confused

Vishing vs Smishing

Vishing is voice phishing. Smishing is SMS phishing. Both social-engineer people outside the email inbox.

Vishing

Vishing, or voice phishing, is a type of social engineering attack where criminals use phone calls to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. Attackers often impersonate legitimate organizations or individuals,.

Vishing, or voice phishing, is a social engineering attack using phone calls to trick people into revealing sensitive information or compromising security.

Full PathTerms™ definition

Smishing

Smishing, a portmanteau of SMS and phishing, is a type of social engineering attack that uses text messages to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or downloading malicious software. Attackers send deceptive SMS messages that appear to be from legitimate.

Smishing uses deceptive text messages to trick people into revealing sensitive information or downloading malware, posing a significant cybersecurity risk.

Full PathTerms™ definition

Why it matters

People mix up Vishing and Smishing in exam questions and job posts. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right control, process, or architecture choice.

How to remember the difference

Vishing is voice phishing. Smishing is SMS phishing. Both social-engineer people outside the email inbox.

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