Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses disguised email as a weapon. The goal is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something they want or need — a request from their bank, for instance, or a note from someone in their company — and to click a link or download an attachment. What sets phishing apart from other types of cyberattacks is its use of deception rather than technical exploits. This means that anyone, regardless of their technical know-how, can be a target and a victim.
Phishing is the most common form of cyber crime, with an estimated 3.4 billion spam emails sent every day (APWG)
Phishing attacks can come in several forms, each designed to extract personal, financial, or confidential information from the unsuspecting user. Understanding the different types of phishing and how to protect against them is crucial for every organization.
Email Phishing: The most common form, it involves sending fraudulent emails that appear to come from reputable sources. These emails often use threatening language or create a sense of urgency to prompt the recipient to act.
Spear Phishing: Unlike the scattergun approach of typical phishing, spear phishing targets specific individuals or organizations. Attackers might personalize the emails based on the victim's job position, interests, or online activities to make the scam more convincing.
Whaling: This type of phishing targets high-profile employees, such as CEOs or CFOs. Whaling messages will often mimic the tone and style of communication used by the target to trick them into revealing sensitive information.
Smishing and Vishing: Smishing uses SMS texts, while vishing uses phone calls. Both rely on social engineering techniques to coax personal information out of victims.
As AI and deepfakes (both audio and visual) become more advanced, social engineering schemes will be harder to spot. Users must pay extra attention to the emails, calls, or advertisements they receive.
Be Skeptical: Always verify the sender's email address for any communication that requests personal information or financial transactions.
Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): 2FA adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for attackers to gain access to your accounts even if they have your password.
Update Regularly: Keep your operating system, browser, and security software updated to protect against known vulnerabilities.
Educate Your Humans: Familiarize yourself with the latest phishing techniques. Cybersecurity education can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack.
Use Security Software: Install and maintain reputable antivirus and anti-malware software. These can often detect and block phishing attempts.
Phishing is a serious threat that relies on deception more than technical flaws. By staying informed and cautious, you can significantly reduce your risk of becoming a victim. Remember, the most effective defense in cybersecurity is awareness.
CorpInfoTech is a managed service provider (MSP) that offers security and IT solutions to SMBs. We are able to protect our clients from phishing and social engineering through security awareness training, email authentication services, and more. We understand that combatting phishing revolves primarily around your human employees. Providing education and awareness training is the most effective way to turn your employees into security assets that know how to protect your organizations sensitive data. We also provide email authentication services to prevent your domain from being spoofed and used in other social engineering schemes. Our email filtering solutions also help reduce the amount of phishing emails received and allow for easy reporting and quarantine of suspicious messages. We also provide comprehensive security assessments that root out any vulnerabilities present within your business.
CorpInfoTech (Corporate Information Technologies) provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services, including security assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, managed services (MSP), firewall management, and vulnerability management. CorpInfoTech can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.