With more businesses functioning online, exposure to computers and the Internet has increased manifold. Thus, you have cybercriminals growing in number as well. Hackers are becoming more intelligent than before. However, phishing is still the top threat among all breaches analyzed over the past one year. Therefore, it has become imperative for business organizations to know about phishing and phishing protection methods to apply to prevent them.
We shall now talk about some of the common types of phishing and see how organizations can defend themselves against them.
Phishing protection software is essential for safeguarding your personal and organizational data against sophisticated email threats that exploit human trust through deceptive tactics. With increasing risks of financial loss and identity theft from phishing attacks, utilizing robust security tools helps ensure real-time protection, blocking malicious links, and enhancing overall cybersecurity measures.
These days, there’s so much talk about the classic technique of deception— phishing. Almost every day, you hear stories, read headlines, and even experience how cyber crooks deceive unassuming users into giving sensitive information, downloading a malicious file, or clicking on a fake link. These attackers usually make their way into your systems through fake emails pretending to be from your bank, text messages warning about “suspicious activity,” or phone calls from scammers claiming to be customer service representatives.
But would you believe us when we say that these cyberattackers were not always this savvy or proactive in their deception techniques? Or were they ahead of their time to pull off such devious tricks even in the early days of the internet?
Whatever might be the case, one thing is clear: phishing attacks have come a long way since they were first launched in the mid-1990s. What began as basic, mass-email fraud replete with misspellings and generic language has now evolved into sophisticated attacks that leverage advanced technology and social engineering to manipulate even the most vigilant users.
Let us take a look at how we have come so far (not for the good, though)!
The word “phishing” is derived from the sport “fishing”. Just as a fisherman uses bait to hook fish, attackers exploit fake emails, websites, or messages to trick individuals into providing sensitive information. The moment the victim falls for the bait by clicking on an infected link, entering their login details, or downloading an infected file, the attacker can retrieve financial accounts, hijack identities, or download malware on their computer.
The “ph” in phishing comes from “phreaking,” an early kind of hacking that focused on breaking into telephone systems. John Draper and other hackers popularized the term after they discovered means of exploiting telecommunication networks. Cybercriminals later borrowed similar fake tactics for the internet, giving birth to today’s phishing attacks.
Since then, phishing has evolved into one of the most frequent and perilous cybersecurity attacks. So, it is very important that individuals and companies constantly have their guards up and are extremely vigilant when on the internet.
Phishing has been around for many years, but its origins date back to the 1990s when AOL (America Online) was among the largest online platforms. The hackers saw it as an opportunity, capitalized on it, and began to deceive AOL users by impersonating screen names to obtain their login credentials, passwords, and credit card data.
As the internet became more popular and accessible and emails became more prevalent, spammers changed their tactics. They no longer just employed false screen names, but they sent fake emails mimicking reputable companies. They would dupe individuals into clicking on forged links and giving personal details, similar to the phishing attacks we know today.
Phishing has evolved over the years to be more sophisticated and targeted. Today, we have various types, such as:
Nowadays, the phishing attacks you are familiar with are far more advanced than they used to be. In the past, they were simpler to identify and avoid, but now, regardless of how proactive or alert you are, you can still become a victim of a well-designed phishing attack.
Let us see how the phishing attacks turned into the cybersecurity threat we see today:
On May 4, 2000, people around the world received an email that said “ILOVEYOU” in the subject line. The message inside was simple: “Kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me.” It seemed personal and harmless, so many people opened the attachment without thinking twice. But what they didn’t know was that this so-called “LOVELETTER” was actually a dangerous computer virus. As soon as someone opened the attachment, the virus started overwriting important files on their computer and spreading itself by emailing a copy to everyone in their Outlook contact list.
This virus, later called the “LoveBug”, was a game-changer in cybercrime. It showed how hackers could exploit both human curiosity and security weaknesses to spread malware quickly. The attack led to widespread chaos across the globe, infecting millions of machines. It was proof that phishing was not just a matter of password theft—it could also be used to seriously compromise entire systems.
The first attack of 2000 was an email-based scam, but today, these attacks have spread far beyond emails. They have made their way into text messages, phone calls, social media, etc.
Attackers now impersonate legitimate businesses, government agencies, or even friends, with forged accounts and compelling texts to trick people into revealing personal information. These scams are no longer just simple emails with poor grammar—many phishing attempts nowadays are so sophisticated that even tech-savvy users fall prey to them.
That’s not all; they have also refined their ways to make their attacks more convincing and highly targeted. Instead of sending the same run-off-the-mill message to their targets, they now customize their attacks based on the victim’s personal information. This makes you believe that the message was meant for you and persuades you to engage with it.
Now you know that phishing attacks are everywhere, and the attackers try to stay one step ahead by constantly polishing their techniques. But that doesn’t mean you should fall behind! Up your cybersecurity game by deploying security protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for your outgoing emails. These protocols not only authenticate your emails but also prevent cyberattackers from misusing your domain to carry out malicious phishing attacks.
Need help implementing DMARC for your domain? DuoCircle has you covered! Get in touch with us to book your demo today!
Threat actors are becoming more sophisticated, and the safety of the digital space is taking a toll because of it. Over the past few months, cybersecurity experts have noticed a new phishing scam tactic in which bad actors send fake meeting invitations that redirect the invitees to phishing websites. These invites look exactly like the original Google invites, and even the phishing website is cloned so well that it’s difficult to catch its fakeness. Since the counterfeit platforms are flawless, the success rate of these attacks is extremely high; users are entering sensitive details and downloading malicious links without batting their eyes.
Here’s a reality check— your email ecosystem is not secure enough!
Scammers are everywhere, prying on your outgoing emails, trying to intercept them, and convincing your clients that those emails are genuinely from you—a classic tactic that threat actors use to carry out their malicious scams. Lately, these techniques have become more sophisticated and common.
The entire world came crashing down for a Gujarat-based, 90-year-old man when a group of scammers got in touch with him under the pretext of digital arrest. They wiped away 1.15 crores worth of life savings while posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, Mumbai police, and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers. However, due to the awareness of the relatives and the agility and expertise of authorities, five threat actors got arrested red-handed as they withdrew a part of the scammed money.
Threat actors use psychological tactics to manipulate victims into believing they are communicating with benevolent people. They know how to exploit older adults’s poor ability to spot the red flags of scams. In fact, in a recent study, 182 participants aged between 18 and 90 with normal cognitive function were given two separate tests to predict susceptibility to phishing. The results clearly revealed that it was easier for younger participants to distinguish between phishing and safe emails than older people. So, basically, the older you are, the higher the risk of falling into the trap of cybercriminals.
In a recent turn of events, threat actors have been trying to target a US-Taiwanese defense conference. The meeting is going to be held in Philadelphia’s Logan Square neighborhood. Press entry will not be allowed in the meeting. Eminent speakers from different sectors, such as commerce, defense, academia, and government, will be attending the 23rd defense conference. The agenda of the meeting is to discuss the ‘future of US defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.’
With the passing of time, cybersecurity threats are getting more sophisticated. That’s exactly why businesses and individuals must understand the nuances of cybercrimes closely. The two most common forms of cyberattacks are phishing and spoofing. In layman’s terms, people often overlap the two. However, each has a set of distinct characteristics and methods of operation.
Phishing attacks are gradually becoming commonplace. This is evident from the fact that around 94% of firms experienced phishing attacks in 2023. With time, threat actors have been able to make these attacks more sophisticated and credible. FBI’s Internet Crime Center gets the highest number of complaints of phishing attacks every year.
Brand owners buy domains and park them for several reasons, including future use or development and brand protection. Sometimes, they also buy them because they want to hold onto a name they like or identify with, even if they don’t have the purpose of developing it anytime soon.
Cyberattacks have become a grim reality of our digital world, with each attack increasingly sophisticated, targeted, and damaging than the last! Every click, every download, and every seemingly harmless online interaction has the potential to let in uninvited guests [read: cybercriminals] who can wreak havoc on your digital infrastructure in ways you cannot imagine.
Phishing is an umbrella term for several kinds of tricks and scams attempted online. For example, there’s ‘credential phishing,’ which is when threat actors steal your passwords or login information. Then, there’s ‘spear phishing,’ which is more targeted and personalized. They might use information about you to make their scams seem more believable. Another type is ‘vishing,’ which involves phone calls instead of emails, where they try to get personal information from you over the phone.
Clop Ransomware was first discovered by Michael Gillespie in 2019. It’s a developing family of ransomware that encrypts all data in a company’s digital ecosystem, and hackers demand money to decrypt and give back access. The malware is packed covertly and smartly to hide its inner workings.
To say 2023 saw a surge in cybersecurity attacks would be an understatement. From grave phishing attacks to sophisticated ransomware campaigns, the digital landscape of 2023 was plagued by complex security challenges.
What is your first instinct when you receive an email with a link embedded in it? To click on it, right? Well, what if we told you that clicking on unsolicited links might do you more harm than good? As tempting as it is to click on the “Get flat 80% off” link, doing so is like opening a can of worms.
What if one fine day, you wake up to an email where the sender claims to be a part of the Nigerian royal family and requests you to help them out of their financial distress? Well, you may be surprised to know that Americans have lost around $7,00,000 in this Nigerian Prince scam.
As they continue to grow in number, phishing emails have become a significant concern in the cybersecurity landscape. In October 2022, there were a staggering 101,104 unique email subjects associated with these fraudulent emails.
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Amidst the widespread digital transformation, the retail industry stands at the crossroads of innovation and vulnerability. Therefore, retailers need to draw their line of defense with a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity, including robust email security safeguards.
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‘Boxes of money’ email scams are among the most notorious and widespread social engineering scams. Here is how you can spot them before they get you. Equipping yourself with effective cybersecurity measures is essential in order to ward off such threats.
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The University of Waterloo computer scientists have discovered a unique cyberattack methodology that can break voice authentication security systems with an exceptional success rate of 99% within six attempts. It points to the fact that such systems are not entirely secure in front of malicious actors’ sophistication.