What should you do if you think the email you received is a phishing attempt except?
Phishing is a type of social engineering attack often used to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message. The recipient is then tricked into clicking a malicious link, which can lead to the installation of malware, the freezing of the system as part of a ransomware attack or the revealing of sensitive information. Show
An attack can have devastating results. For individuals, this includes unauthorized purchases, the stealing of funds, or identify theft. Moreover, phishing is often used to gain a foothold in corporate or governmental networks as a part of a larger attack, such as an advanced persistent threat (APT) event. In this latter scenario, employees are compromised in order to bypass security perimeters, distribute malware inside a closed environment, or gain privileged access to secured data. An organization succumbing to such an attack typically sustains severe financial losses in addition to declining market share, reputation, and consumer trust. Depending on scope, a phishing attempt might escalate into a security incident from which a business will have a difficult time recovering. Phishing attack examplesThe following illustrates a common phishing scam attempt:
Several things can occur by clicking the link. For example:
Phishing techniquesEmail phishing scamsEmail phishing is a numbers game. An attacker sending out thousands of fraudulent messages can net significant information and sums of money, even if only a small percentage of recipients fall for the scam. As seen above, there are some techniques attackers use to increase their success rates. For one, they will go to great lengths in designing phishing messages to mimic actual emails from a spoofed organization. Using the same phrasing, typefaces, logos, and signatures makes the messages appear legitimate. In addition, attackers will usually try to push users into action by creating a sense of urgency. For example, as previously shown, an email could threaten account expiration and place the recipient on a timer. Applying such pressure causes the user to be less diligent and more prone to error. Lastly, links inside messages resemble their legitimate counterparts, but typically have a misspelled domain name or extra subdomains. In the above example, the myuniversity.edu/renewal URL was changed to myuniversity.edurenewal.com. Similarities between the two addresses offer the impression of a secure link, making the recipient less aware that an attack is taking place. Spear phishingSpear phishing targets a specific person or enterprise, as opposed to random application users. It’s a more in-depth version of phishing that requires special knowledge about an organization, including its power structure. An attack might play out as follows:
By providing an attacker with valid login credentials, spear phishing is an effective method for executing the first stage of an APT. How to prevent phishingPhishing attack protection requires steps be taken by both users and enterprises. For users, vigilance is key. A spoofed message often contains subtle mistakes that expose its true identity. These can include spelling mistakes or changes to domain names, as seen in the earlier URL example. Users should also stop and think about why they’re even receiving such an email. For enterprises, a number of steps can be taken to mitigate both phishing and spear phishing attacks:
Phishing protection from ImpervaImperva offers a combination of access management and web application security solutions to counter phishing attempts:
What should I check if I suspect a phishing email?WATCH FOR MISSPELLINGS AND INCORRECT GRAMMAR
Hackers and scammers tend to use online translation machines that don't return perfect grammar or spelling, making misspellings and incorrect grammar common characteristics of phishing emails. Take a quick look through every email you receive for these kinds of identifiers.
What are the 4 ways to avoid phishing?Small Business Guide: Cyber Security.. Step 1 - Backing up your data.. Step 2 - Protecting your organisation from malware.. Step 3 - Keeping your smartphones (and tablets) safe.. Step 4 - Using passwords to protect your data.. Step 5 - Avoiding phishing attacks.. Actions to take.. Resources.. What are 4 things to look for in phishing messages?7 Ways to Spot Phishing Email. Emails with Bad Grammar and Spelling Mistakes.. Emails with an Unfamiliar Greeting or Salutation.. Inconsistencies in Email Addresses, Links & Domain Names.. Suspicious Attachments.. Emails Requesting Login Credentials, Payment Information or Sensitive Data.. Too Good to Be True Emails.. What are the 3 steps of a phishing attack?A spear phishing attack begins with the cyber criminal finding information about the target, then using that target to build a connection, and thirdly using that connection to make the target perform an action.
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