In 2021, the number of emails sent and received each day worldwide averaged to about 319.6 billion. Obviously, emails are still one of the leading forms of communication.

LINKS:
____________________________________________

[ Ссылка ]
____________________________________________

This is especially true when it comes to advertisements.. and what easier way for cyber criminals to personally contact their victims?

The number of data breaches in the past few years has only gone up, and this can be directly linked to the rise of remote workplace offices.

Phishing is a fun word, but that’s about the extent of its positive connotation. In reality, phishing is a type of malware that aims to steal your information.

Phishing emails look like they are from a reputable company, but upon closer inspection you’ll see there are signs that scream “scam”.

These emails will usually have one of the following goals: 1. Causing a user to click a link to a malicious site, which installs malware to their device. 2. Causing the user to download an infected attachment which deploys malware. 3. Causing the user to click a link to a fake website and reveal personal information. 4. Causing the user to reply to the email and provide their personal information.

According to the annual Internet Crime Report conducted by the FBI, the number of companies that filed complaints of phishing attacks jumped 182% between 2019 and 2021.

But how do we know which of the dozens of emails we receive a day are phishing attacks?

According to the Expel Quarterly Threat Report of 2022, 67% of scammers leave the subject line empty in malicious emails. This is one of the largest redflags when it comes to phishing.

Many cybercriminals do this to make sure an email account is legitimate before sending a phishing email. So long as the scammer doesn’t receive an automated bounce response, they will proceed to pursue their live target with more intricate attacks.

Using a sense of urgency is another red flag to look out for.

Hackers will often take advantage of emotions like fear or excitement to motivate quick responses from users. These criminals know that the idea of negative consequences or missing out on something too good to be true are good ways to get someone to act quickly and with less thought.

Errors in messages sent in the emails of unknown senders is another reason for scrutiny. Especially since many companies use a spell check feature for their outbound emails. Hackers will also use errors in their emails on purpose to target less observant people, who would then likely make easier victims.

Be wary of emails that are asking you to do non-standard actions.For example, if an email from an unknown IT company asks you to download a software update but that is typically handled within your company.

Another example is one of the first and most infamous of phishing emails. The “Nigerian Prince” scam. You know, the one where a scammer poses as someone of wealth or importance and needs your urgent assistance.

Usually they will say something along the lines of needing to transfer a large amount of money out of their country and in return you will receive a part of their wealth. All they need is your bank account number and boom… your account is drained.

Remember, if it’s too good to be true… it most likely is. Last, be wary of emails from public domains such as gmail. Most companies have their own domain names. If you need to double check, a quick google search will likely bring you to a company’s actual email address.

► Reach out to Etactics @ [ Ссылка ]
►Subscribe: [ Ссылка ] to learn more tips and tricks in healthcare, health IT, and cybersecurity.
►Find us on LinkedIn: [ Ссылка ]
►Find us on Facebook: [ Ссылка ]

#Phishing #PhishingAttempt

свернуть