Smishing attacks are a type of attacks where users receive phishing messages through messaging platforms such as SMS, WhatsApp, etc. The attacker's aim is to trick the user, through social engineering techniques, into performing a specific set of actions. Attackers are usually financially motivated. They sometimes would like to leak user data (such as passwords). In more sophisticated cases, an ambitious attacker may aim for having a permanent foot in the user's device to have a closer eye into the user's data and actions.
In this project, we investigate the effectiveness of smishing attacks on users across the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries, which share a great deal of social similarities. If you'd like to participate in our study, send me an email and let's get in touch.
During the course of our studies, we conduct interviews with individuals who would like to share their experiences with smishing attacks. Our interviews are approved by the College of Science Internal Review Board (IRB). We take the privacy our participants seriously. During the interviews, the participant's responses will be recorded and transcribed using software tools. These recordings will then be discarded and will not be shared in any way.