A phishing attack is not something new; it has been there across the globe for quite a few decades. Cybercriminals use a phishing attack to get an inlet into your system and hack the same. Phishing attacks started in the mid-1990s and helped hackers to steal credit card data and passwords. Cybercriminals use more tactics these days to get an inlet into your system and create havoc on the computer network. At the core of phishing attacks is a methodology that employs social engineering tactics to make an individual take immediate action, which is against their interest. You must comprehensively understand the different categories of phishing attacks and the best ways of identifying the information. Remember that it will help you identify the underlying problem and protect the system from malicious practices.
- Email phishing
Email phishing can lead to multiple problems. It is one of the common attacks used by hackers across the globe. Malicious hackers send emails to users impersonating known brand names by leveraging social engineering tactics to establish a sense of urgency, which leads the individual to click on links and download assets. The moment you click on this link, your information will get hacked. The link conventionally goes to a malicious website that either steals your credentials or installs malicious codes. These are known as malware. The download, usually PDF, has malicious content, which installs malware the moment you open the file.
- How will you identify email phishing?
Most individuals spot some primary indicators of a phishing email. However, to get a quick refresher and conventional things that you must look for to mitigate the risk, including the following:
● Legitimate information is central to these issues. You must look for contact or other honest data about the agency. Look for things like the sender’s email address or misspellings. Remember that identifying these things is vital because that is your first step towards protecting your system.
● Malicious codes are something you must know in detail. These include codes trick EOP or exchange Online Protection like links or malicious downloads.
● Avoid shortened links on the grounds of suspicion. These can fool you.
● Fake brand names and logos must get examined with caution. These contain malicious and fake HTML attributes.
Tiny text is something you need to ignore as early as possible. These hide malicious codes.
- HTTPS phishing
HTTPS or hypertext transfer protocol secure is considered a safe link; you may click it since it uses encryption for increased security. Most legitimate agencies use HTTP apps, not HTTP since it was established legitimately. However, hackers and cybercriminals leverage HTTPS in the link, which they put in the phishing email. The best way of identifying HTTPS phishing is by looking at shortened links and hypertext. You must use software solutions from repair outlook to rectify this problem from its roots. Ensure that the link is original and has a long tail address because that will show you every part of the URL. On the other hand, you must look for clickable links, which are hypertext embedded in the text and do not hide the actual URL.
- Spear phishing
Spear phishing employs email and has a targeted approach. Cybercriminals initiate it using OSINT or open source intelligence with data from publicly available or published sources like a company website or social media. Following this, they target specific people within the agency using real names, work telephone numbers, job functions, etc. They sent emails to individuals inside the agency. Ultimately, since the recipient believes it is from a reliable source, the individual takes immediate action, as mentioned in the email.
A password-protected document that requires a user login with a password can be an attempt to steal credentials. To identify this tactic, you must look for abnormal requests. Look for an internal request from individuals in other departments, and it seems like a regular job function. Along with this, the shared drive link is another thing that will help you identify the risk.
CEO fraud
Another category of corporate phishing is CEO fraud. It is also known as wailing fraud. Malicious actors rely upon social media and corporate websites to find the names of the agency’s CEO or senior leadership members. Following this, they impersonate that individual using similar email addresses. The email may ask for a money transfer or review a document. To identify this, you must look for abnormal requests and receive emails.
In all these aspects, you need the help of software solutions to solve the problem. These software solutions can cater to your requirements and protect your system from these cruel practices. Remember that software solutions are available in distinct combinations, and professionals can help you install this software and update it from time to time. Talk to experts to avoid becoming a soft target to hackers.
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