# Phish Protection > Advanced phishing protection and email security for businesses. > Real-time threat defense, time-of-click protection, and seamless Office 365 integration. --- ## Guides & Pages #### 10 Essential Capabilities Your Phishing Prevention Stack Needs in 2026 URL: https://phishprotection.com/10-tools-for-phishing-prevention/ Description: Evaluate your phishing prevention stack against these 10 must-have capabilities. Practical checklist covering multi-engine detection, TOCP, BEC defense, and more. Most "top 10 phishing tools" lists are outdated the moment they're published. Vendors rebrand, get acquired, or quietly sunset features. A list of product names doesn't help you evaluate whether your organization is actually protected. What does help is knowing what capabilities matter -- and checking whether your current stack delivers them. The 2024 Verizon DBIR found that phishing remains the top initial access vector, and the FBI IC3 2024 Report logged over $2.9 billion in BEC losses alone. The attacks have evolved. Your prevention stack should have evolved with them. Use this as a scoring checklist. Rate your current solution against each capability. Any gap is exploitable risk. --- The 10 Capabilities That Actually Matter 1. Real-Time Pre-Delivery Scanning The question: Does your solution scan emails before they reach the inbox, or after? Post-delivery scanning means your users see threats before protection kicks in. That window -- even if it's only seconds -- is when clicks happen. Pre-delivery inline scanning intercepts malicious emails at the gateway before they ever touch a mailbox. What to look for: - Inline scanning at the mail transport layer - Sub-second processing with no noticeable delivery delay - Headers, body, URLs, and attachments analyzed... --- #### How Can You Detect A Phishing Scam And Be Safe Online By Using Emails In Secure Way URL: https://phishprotection.com/10-ways-to-avoid-phishing-scams/ Description: How Can You Detect A Phishing Scam And Be Safe Online By Using Emails In Secure Way: How Can You Detect A Phishing Scam And 10 ways to avoid phishing scams A. How Can You Detect A Phishing Scam And 10 ways to avoid phishing scams A phishing attack is a type of social engineering attack in which cyber-criminals try to trick individuals by crafting and sending maliciously crafted emails. Phishing emails look like legitimate messages coming from an authentic sender or source. The primary aim of phishing attacks is to get confidential or sensitive information and account credentials of their targets so that they could use the stolen data for nefarious purposes and unlawful gains. As a result, these phishing emails might ask you to reveal your account data, credit card details, or other information like user credentials. Most of the time, by creating a sense of urgency, the attackers try to entice the target users into opening an attachment or clicking a URL in the email, which, once clicked, can infect their systems with malware or virus. Phishing poses a significant threat to businesses everywhere, and you are in as much risk as any other individual or organization. Thus, you should know how to spot the phishing emails to avoid falling into the traps. Sender’s Name And Other Details Phishers usually impersonate a well-known brand or person. Since they cannot... --- #### 7 Most Common Phishing Attacks and Learning To Protect Against Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/7-most-common-phishing-attacks-and-learning-to-protect-against-them/ Description: 7 Most Common Phishing Attacks and Learning To Protect Against... 7 Most Common Phishing Attacks and Learning To Protect Against Them Understand the most common phishing attacks and ways to prevent them Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing attacks account for significant security threats to today’s enterprise information infrastructure. Organizations are relying on technology to conduct most of their businesses online. The digital space is seen as an opportunity by the cybercriminals to tap into the loopholes of the security periphery of these enterprises. On emailing platforms, too, they have started finding sophisticated means to carry out phishing attacks. Email is one of the most commonly used methods used by attackers to exploit the vulnerabilities of employees, i.e., the ‘people’ part of both small and big enterprises. It is the most popular attack vector for delivery of malicious packages to targets. Thus, emails play a crucial role in executing phishing attacks for cyber adversaries. Attackers transfer a malicious link or a string of viruses like a Trojan horse to the victim through an email. Uninformed tappers of these links are hard hit when they lose sensitive and confidential information about themselves, or their enterprise and sometimes, a considerable amount of money. Apart from emails, phishing... --- #### About URL: https://phishprotection.com/about/ Description: Enterpriseclass Email Protection Without Enterprise Prices No sales calls. No contracts. Transparent Pricing. Up and running in 10 minutes. Enterprise-class Email Protection Without Enterprise Prices No sales calls. No contracts. Transparent Pricing. Up and running in 10 minutes. You're a small business and one of your employees unwittingly just unleashed the newest zero-day ransomware attack on your company's servers. They clicked on a link in an email to what appeared to be a trustworthy website. Now, every last bit of your corporate data is encrypted and unavailable or they have just shared their credentials to your corporate network. Fixing it the breach is going to cost you money. If your files are encrypted I'll bet you didn't know that even if you pay the ransom, there's a chance you won't get your data back. And even if you do, it could take weeks. Is your company prepared for that? Email Attacks Have Evolved In the early days, attackers would try and exploit your company with malicious email attachments. They would do this by attaching executable files or other files with embedded scripts or macros. But strong antivirus tools soon rendered this technique ineffective. That's when email attacks evolved to take advantage of the weakest link in your security defense: people. Brand Forgery, Business Email Compromise, Domain Name Spoofing, Spear... --- #### Account Takeover, Things To Do If You Are The Victim URL: https://phishprotection.com/account-takeover-victim/ Description: Account Takeover, Things To Do If You Are The Victim: As per a research report published in 2017, there were around 16.7 million internet crime victims in. Account Takeover, Things To Do If You Are The Victim Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING As per a research report published in 2017, there were around 16.7 million internet crime victims in the U.S. alone. Cyber-fraudsters have started engaging in identity theft schemes and account takeovers in the last few years. The latest annual data confirms that an average of 263$ is lost per individual in case of Account takeover fraud. What Is Account Takeover? Account takeover fraud is related to identity theft where fraudsters gain access to a user’s online credentials, credit card details etc. The commonplaces of such malicious practices include bank accounts, credit cards, and email accounts We live in a world which is digitally connected, where both the consumers and merchants have benefited from streamlined access. Technologically we have advanced, but this record keeping and communication serve as multiple entry points for the cyber adversaries. Every year the percentage of this type of cyber-crime is increasing at an alarming rate. Major companies like PayPal deals with thousands of such account fraud takeovers every year. How Does An Account Takeover Take Place? The online fraudsters pose as the real owners of the... --- #### Advanced Threat Defense Systems Are What You Need URL: https://phishprotection.com/advanced-threat-defense/ Description: Advanced Threat Defense Systems Are What You Need: Understand How Advanced Threat Defense Can Protect Your Organization. Estimates reveal that almost 15-20%. Advanced Threat Defense Systems Are What You Need Understand How Advanced Threat Defense Can Protect Your Organization. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Estimates reveal that almost 15-20% of enterprises across the world have experienced advanced threats and targeted attacks in one form or the other. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) are a significant grumble for enterprises lately. While cybercriminals come up with new and improved tactics every day, some enterprises are still dependent on old and outdated security systems. Advanced Threat Protection Is The Need Of The Hour Advanced and targeted attacks can stay undetected for several weeks or months, while all sensitive information gets deleted from your network. Unlike phishing attacks and malware attacks, advanced persistent attacks are meticulously created and continuously monitored by perpetrators. It is not just about installing malware and downloading information quickly. These cybercriminals play a waiting game as they aim for the bigger target. Hence, enterprises must look for advanced threat defense systems that are intelligence-driven (AI). Today, the commonly used security software and technology won’t be able to protect your corporate perimeter. Enterprises need a multi-layered, multi-faceted, and adaptable security approach that is highly-driven through the intelligence gathered and... --- #### Learn How Advanced Threat Protection Can Prevent Your Enterprise Network From Compromising On Vital Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/advanced-threat-protection/ Description: Learn How Advanced Threat Protection Can Prevent Your Enterprise Network From Compromising On Vital Data: Learn How Advanced Threat Protection Can Prevent. Learn How Advanced Threat Protection Can Prevent Your Enterprise Network From Compromising On Vital Data Computer network systems are perennially at threat from hackers. Cybercriminals are an intelligent lot who try to be one step ahead of the IT security teams. Hence, it becomes imperative for organizations to adopt advanced threat protection measures before hackers start targeting sensitive data. What Is Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)? Advanced threat protection constitutes a category of security solutions that protect against sophisticated malware that can target computer networks and steal confidential data. It is available either as a managed service or a software solution. They can have varying approaches and different components, but they work towards a common goal of protecting enterprise networks from cyber attacks. How Does ATP Work? ATPs have three primary goals. - Early Detection, Detect threats before they get a chance to access your network. - Protection, Deal with detected threats and defend your computer systems. - Response, Eliminate risks and respond to security incidents. Each of these objectives requires the ATP to be capable of several specialized features. Let us discuss some of them. - Real-time Visibility, Threats loom everywhere on the internet. One needs continuous monitoring to be... --- #### Top Anti-Phishing Apps & How These Apps Protect Computer Users From Phishers URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-app/ Description: Top Anti-Phishing Apps & How These Apps Protect Computer Users From Phishers: Top Anti-Phishing Apps & How These Apps Protect Computer Users From Phishers. Top Anti-Phishing Apps & How These Apps Protect Computer Users From Phishers Anti-phishing apps are Cybersecurity products designed to detect phishing content in email messages. These can filter emails coming from any malicious source by verifying their origin with the databases of phishing websites or through a collection of the addresses of services that hackers usually spoof. Main Features Of Anti-Phishing Apps Anti-phishing apps & anti-phishing vendors are making their importance known to CISOs. Such personnel is often very busy, and the services help reduce the percentage of time spent by them on using and focusing on anti-phishing techniques. - Malicious content in email is efficiently detected by Anti-Phishing apps. - They check to prevent spoofs of sender’s addresses. - Reliable protection against embedded Trojans or malware in phishing emails. - They alert the receiver by confirming a phishing attack as a fake email even if it looks to be sent from an official source. - Anti-phishing apps block malware and phishing sites. - They use a database of millions of phishing websites to detect threats. - Information is also conveyed to the users with regards to blocked threats. Types Of Anti-Phishing Apps We will briefly discuss Android as well... --- #### Don’t Be A Phishing Victim : Know Your Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-chrome-extension/ Description: Don't Be A Phishing Victim : Know Your Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension: Don't Be A Phishing Victim : Know Your Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension When browsing. Don’t Be A Phishing Victim : Know Your Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension When browsing through websites or checking the emails, people often click the malicious or fraudulent links or URL and accidentally submit their sensitive or personal information on malicious websites. This is the reason you need to start using various safety measures right from your internet browser by installing an anti-phishing extension that will identify the threats and act as an alert system for phishing attacks. Extensions like Netcraft, Phishdetector, and kryptonite are some of the popular anti-phishing services available which help protect your privacy from online phishing attacks and provide you with maximum information security from adversaries. Anti-Phishing Chrome Extension, Features Let’s take a quick look at some of the unique features available in these anti-phishing solutions that help in safeguarding you from phishing attacks. Netcraft - Provides you with a detailed report about the information on all the sites you visit or have visited in the past, along with risk ratings. - Offers an incentive scheme for users who provide information on fraudulent sites. - PFS indicator allows users to check if a website uses SSL for encryption. - Protection against cross-site scripting. Phishdetector - A rule-based system... --- #### What Is Anti-Phishing Office 365 & How It Can Help Prevent Phishing? URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-office/ Description: What Is Anti-Phishing Office 365 & How It Can Help Prevent Phishing?: What Is Anti-Phishing Office 365 & How It Can Help Prevent Phishing? According to a. What Is Anti-Phishing Office 365 & How It Can Help Prevent Phishing? According to a recent report, phishing is the most prominent threat facing organizations and phishing attacks on corporations are rampant nowadays with increased internet adoption and sophisticated technology and tools available to cybercriminals. Attackers prey on the victim’s sense of fear or urgency and make them think that they need to click on the link or URL in the malicious email (that attackers have crafted) to stay secure or provide some financial information or credentials to be safe from tax authorities or police. It implies that their security will become obsolete if they do not click on the link sent to them in an email or do not provide any sensitive and confidential information to attackers. You as an individual or as an employee of an organization must know that security updates are never sent via email and you should be aware and also educate yourself and others about such phishing attacks. What Is “Anti-Phishing Office 365”? Office 365 is one of the most popular office suite packages that is being used by more than 60 million commercial users presently. According to a BitGlass report, commercial usage of... --- #### The Relevance Of Anti-Phishing Security Solutions In Today’s Rising Threat Landscape URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-security/ Description: The Relevance Of Anti-Phishing Security Solutions In Today's Rising Threat Landscape: The Relevance Of Anti-Phishing Security Solutions In Today's Rising. The Relevance Of Anti-Phishing Security Solutions In Today’s Rising Threat Landscape What is phishing?, according to phishing attack definition, it is a social engineering attack where hackers trick novice users into sharing sensitive information. It includes using spoofed e-mails, spams and Trojan hosts to gain unauthorized access to usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, etc. Anti-phishing software and hardware help organizations and individuals to prevent phishing attacks. They are intelligently crafted to detect fraudulent websites and e-mails even when the users fail to do so. They restrict access to malicious links and attachments to protect the users’ systems. Thus, organizations and individuals must deploy these technologies to reduce their vulnerabilities. Why Is There A Growing Need For Phishing Protection? In today’s digital era, most businesses are moving towards digital communication methods. Banks, stocks, and e-commerce websites offer the facility of conducting online transactions through web-based applications. Consequently, phishing attacks are also on the rise in web-based systems. Phishing attack prevention is essential because hackers threaten the websites and users with identity theft, which leads to compromising the user account. Adversaries then carry out illegal transactions on behalf of the user. For enterprises, phishing poses a grave security risk. Hackers gain access... --- #### Choosing an Anti-Phishing Service Provider: 6 Non-Negotiables URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-service-providers/ Description: Six non-negotiable criteria for selecting an anti-phishing service provider in 2026. Procurement checklist covering detection, compatibility, pricing, and support. Selecting an anti-phishing service provider is a procurement decision that directly affects your organization's security posture. Choose wrong, and you're paying for protection that doesn't protect against the attacks that actually matter in 2026. The anti-phishing market is crowded. Legacy antivirus vendors have bolted on email security features. Cloud platforms bundle basic protection. Startups promise AI-driven detection. Cutting through the noise requires knowing what's non-negotiable -- the capabilities a provider must deliver to be worth evaluating at all. These six criteria separate providers that stop modern phishing attacks from those selling yesterday's solution at today's prices. --- Non-Negotiable #1: Multi-Engine Detection Architecture Why this is non-negotiable: Attackers test their payloads against specific vendor databases before launching campaigns. A provider using a single detection engine is a provider whose defenses can be pre-tested and evaded. Multi-engine detection means every email is evaluated by multiple independent threat intelligence sources simultaneously. An email that slips past one engine gets caught by another. This isn't redundancy for its own sake -- it's the architectural response to how attackers actually work. What to verify: - How many independent detection engines are used? - Do they run simultaneously or sequentially? - Is there proprietary logic that... --- #### Anti-Phishing Services in 2026: What's Changed and What to Look For URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-services/ Description: How anti-phishing services have evolved for 2026. What's changed in detection, deployment, and threat landscape -- and what your organization should look for now. Anti-phishing services in 2026 look nothing like they did even three years ago. The threat landscape has shifted, the attack techniques have evolved, and the services that were adequate in 2023 leave dangerous gaps today. This isn't a vendor list. It's an assessment of what's changed in the anti-phishing services market, why it changed, and what those changes mean for how you evaluate and select protection for your organization. --- What's Changed Since 2023 Delayed Weaponization Became the Default Attack The single biggest shift in phishing technique is delayed weaponization. Attackers now routinely send emails with clean URLs that pass every delivery-time filter, then redirect those URLs to phishing pages hours or days later. According to Cofense research, this technique now accounts for a significant percentage of credential phishing campaigns. What this means for services: Any anti-phishing service that only scans URLs at delivery time is blind to the most common URL-based attack technique. Time-of-click URL protection -- where every link is rewritten and re-scanned at the moment a user clicks -- is no longer a premium feature. It's a baseline requirement. "Time-of-click protection is the single most important advancement in email security in the last five years." -- Brad... --- #### How Anti-Phishing Software Blocks Attacks: The Technical Reality URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-software-block-harmful-attacks/ Description: How anti-phishing software actually blocks phishing attacks. Technical breakdown of signature detection, behavioral AI, multi-engine scanning, and URL rewriting. Anti-phishing software stops malicious emails before they reach your users. That's the one-line description. But the technical reality of how detection works -- and why some approaches catch more than others -- is what separates effective protection from expensive false confidence. This article breaks down the five primary detection methods used by modern anti-phishing software, how they work together, where each one falls short on its own, and what the combination looks like in practice. --- Detection Method #1: Signature-Based Scanning How it works Signature-based detection compares email content (URLs, attachment hashes, sender addresses, header patterns) against databases of known threats. If an email contains a URL, attachment hash, or header pattern that matches a catalogued threat, it's blocked. This is the oldest and most battle-tested detection method. Every anti-phishing product uses it as a foundation. What it catches - Known phishing URLs from established threat intelligence feeds - Malware attachments with matching file hashes - Known-bad sender domains and IP addresses - Previously identified phishing email templates Where it fails Signature-based detection is, by definition, reactive. It catches threats that have already been identified and catalogued. It cannot catch: - Zero-day URLs that haven't been reported yet - Polymorphic... --- #### Anti-Phishing Software Buyer's Guide: 7 Features That Matter URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-software/ Description: Evaluate anti-phishing software on 7 features that separate real protection from marketing claims. Multi-engine detection, BEC defense, M365 gaps, and more. Anti-phishing software is one of those categories where every vendor claims to do everything. The feature pages all look similar. The buzzwords are identical. And most buyer's guides are written by the vendors themselves. This guide takes a different approach. These are the 7 features that actually separate effective anti-phishing software from products that look good in a demo but fail in production - based on the 2026 threat landscape, where phishing accounts for 36% of all data breaches (2024 Verizon DBIR) and the average breach costs $4.88 million (IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach). Use this as a scoring sheet when evaluating vendors. Any feature your solution does not cover is a gap attackers will find. --- The 7 Features That Matter 1. Multi-Engine Detection (Not Just "AI-Powered") Why it matters: Every vendor in 2026 claims AI-powered detection. That phrase has become meaningless. What matters is how many independent detection engines analyze each email - because no single engine, AI or otherwise, catches everything. What good looks like: - Three or more detection engines running in parallel on every email - Mix of signature-based, heuristic, behavioral, and machine learning approaches - Each engine drawing from different threat intelligence... --- #### Anti-Phishing Solutions: Build vs Buy vs Layer URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-solution/ Description: Decision framework for anti-phishing solutions: build your own stack, buy an all-in-one platform, or layer protection on top of Microsoft 365. Pros, cons, and costs. Every organization running email needs anti-phishing protection. The decision isn't whether to invest -- it's how. There are three approaches: build your own stack from components, buy an all-in-one platform, or layer a dedicated solution on top of your existing email platform's native protection. Each approach has legitimate use cases, clear trade-offs, and failure modes. This framework helps you choose based on your actual situation -- team size, technical capacity, email platform, and risk tolerance. --- Option 1: Build Your Own Stack Who this is for: Organizations with a dedicated security team (5+ people), in-house email infrastructure expertise, and specific compliance requirements that demand custom control. Building your own anti-phishing stack means assembling individual components: a mail gateway, threat intelligence feeds, URL scanning infrastructure, BEC detection logic, authentication enforcement, quarantine management, and reporting dashboards. What you gain: - Complete control over every detection rule and policy - Custom integrations with internal systems - No vendor dependency for critical security infrastructure - Ability to tune aggressively for your specific threat profile What you spend: - Time: 6-12 months to reach production-grade coverage - People: Minimum 2-3 FTEs maintaining the stack (mail flow, threat intel updates, false positive management) - Threat intelligence:... --- #### Anti-Phishing Solutions Compared: Gateway vs API vs Native URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-solutions/ Description: Compare the three anti-phishing deployment models - secure email gateway, API-based, and native M365/Google - to find what fits your business and risk profile. When you evaluate anti-phishing solutions, the first decision is not which vendor - it is which deployment model. The three main approaches (secure email gateway, API-based, and native platform protection) have fundamentally different architectures, and that architecture determines what threats they can and cannot stop. This guide compares all three models on what matters: detection timing, threat coverage, deployment complexity, Microsoft 365 gap coverage, and total cost of ownership. Phishing remains the top initial access vector for breaches at 36% (2024 Verizon DBIR), so this is not an academic exercise - it is a risk decision. --- The Three Deployment Models Model 1: Secure Email Gateway (SEG) How it works: A secure email gateway sits inline between the internet and your mail server. Every inbound email passes through the gateway before reaching any mailbox. The gateway scans, filters, and either delivers or blocks each message in real time. Architecture: MX records point to the gateway, or mail flow rules route email through the gateway before delivery. Email is scanned pre-delivery - threats never reach the inbox. Strengths: - Pre-delivery scanning - threats are blocked before users see them - Full visibility into every email entering your organization - Can enforce... --- #### 7 Key Anti-Phishing Techniques To Keep Yourself Safe From Hackers URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-techniques/ Description: 7 Key Anti-Phishing Techniques To Keep Yourself Safe From Hackers: 7 Key Anti-Phishing Techniques To Keep Yourself Safe From Hackers Phishing is a very. 7 Key Anti-Phishing Techniques To Keep Yourself Safe From Hackers Phishing is a very common and dangerous form of cybercrime activity and has caused losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars to several organisations. It has, therefore, become imperative for organisations to arm themselves with updated Anti-Phishing techniques so that they can improve their security posture and face the threats posed by cyber-criminals and other adversaries. To combat phishing effectively, it is essential to know its various types and how to counter them specifically. Some Dangerous types of Phishing attacks and ways to counter them are listed below- Deceptive Phishing This is a common form of a phishing scam where adversaries impersonate a legitimate individual to steal their personal information and credentials. This type of phishing uses email threats to create a sense of urgency and lures users to the scam. To combat it, users should look at URLs carefully if redirected to unknown websites or if they receive an email in their inbox with a malicious link in it. Spear Phishing This type of phishing is highly targeted and often attacks specific high net-worth individuals or organisations. It is often well-researched and planned. The main objective of these scams... --- #### Browser-Based Phishing Protection: Why Toolbars Aren't Enough URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-toolbar/ Description: Anti-phishing toolbars and browser extensions offer limited protection. Learn why email gateway scanning catches threats that browser-based tools consistently miss. Anti-phishing toolbars were one of the earliest consumer-facing defenses against phishing. Browser extensions like Netcraft, Google Safe Browsing, and Microsoft SmartScreen check URLs against databases of known phishing sites and warn users before they visit flagged pages. They work. For what they do. But what they do is a narrow slice of what phishing protection actually requires in 2026 -- and the gap between browser-based protection and email gateway protection is where most successful attacks happen. --- How Anti-Phishing Toolbars Work An anti-phishing toolbar (or browser extension) sits in the browser and evaluates every URL the user visits. When a user navigates to a page, the toolbar checks the URL against one or more blocklists of known phishing sites. If there's a match, it displays a warning or blocks the page entirely. Some toolbars go further: - Reputation scoring based on domain age, registration data, and community reports - SSL certificate validation checking for valid certificates from trusted authorities - Visual indicators (green/yellow/red icons) showing trust level for each site - Community reporting where users flag suspicious sites for inclusion in blocklists Modern browsers have absorbed much of this functionality. Chrome uses Google Safe Browsing, Edge uses Microsoft SmartScreen, and... --- #### Free Anti-Phishing Tools: What They Catch (and What They Miss) URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-tools-free-download/ Description: Honest assessment of free anti-phishing tools. What browser extensions, free antivirus, and platform-native protection actually catch -- and the gaps attackers exploit. Free anti-phishing tools are everywhere. Browser extensions, free antivirus suites, open-source blocklists, and platform-native protection all offer some degree of phishing defense at no cost. For personal use, they're often sufficient. For business use, they leave specific, exploitable gaps that modern attackers target by design. This article assesses the major categories of free anti-phishing tools honestly: what they catch, what they miss, and where the gap becomes a business risk. --- Category 1: Browser-Built-In Protection Every major browser ships with phishing protection enabled by default: - Chrome uses Google Safe Browsing to check URLs against a continuously updated blocklist - Edge uses Microsoft SmartScreen for URL and download reputation checking - Firefox uses a combination of Google Safe Browsing and Mozilla's own blocklists - Safari uses a blocklist approach with some on-device machine learning What it catches: - Known phishing URLs that have been reported and catalogued - Flagged download links for known malware - Typosquatting domains that appear in community-maintained blocklists What it misses: - Zero-day phishing URLs not yet in any blocklist (new domains, compromised legitimate sites) - Email-based phishing entirely -- browser protection only activates when you visit a URL, not when you receive a phishing email... --- #### Anti-Phishing Tools: What Actually Works in 2026 URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-tools/ Description: Cut through the noise on anti-phishing tools. Compare gateway filters, URL scanners, BEC detection, and DMARC authentication to find what your business needs. The anti-phishing market is crowded. Vendors sell everything from browser extensions to AI-powered behavioral analytics, and most buyers cannot tell which tools address which threats. That ambiguity benefits vendors - not you. This guide breaks anti-phishing tools into four functional categories, explains what each one actually does, where it fits in your defense stack, and what to prioritize based on the 2026 threat landscape. Phishing accounts for 36% of all data breaches (2024 Verizon DBIR) and the average breach costs $4.88 million (IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach). The tools you choose matter. --- The Four Categories of Anti-Phishing Tools Category 1: Email Gateway Filters (Secure Email Gateways) What they do: Sit between the internet and your mail server. Every inbound email passes through the gateway, where it is scanned for malicious content, spam, spoofing, and policy violations before being delivered - or blocked. What they catch: - Known malware signatures and malicious attachments - Spam and bulk phishing campaigns - Spoofed sender addresses - Policy violations (e.g., executable attachments) What they miss without additional layers: - Zero-day URLs that are clean at scan time but weaponized later - BEC attacks with no malicious payload (just social engineering) -... --- #### How to Evaluate Anti-Phishing Vendors: Questions to Ask Before You Buy URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing-vendors/ Description: A procurement checklist for evaluating anti-phishing vendors. 10 questions covering SLAs, compliance, detection architecture, pricing, and support quality. Evaluating anti-phishing vendors is frustrating. Every vendor says they stop 99.9% of threats. Every demo looks impressive. Every sales deck includes the same buzzwords: AI-powered, zero-day detection, advanced threat protection. But once you are under contract, you discover the gaps - in detection, in support, in pricing transparency, or in the fine print. This checklist gives you 10 questions to ask any anti-phishing vendor before you sign. These are the questions that separate vendors who can actually protect your business from vendors who are just good at demos. Based on the 2026 threat landscape, where phishing accounts for 36% of breaches (2024 Verizon DBIR) and the average breach costs $4.88 million (IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach). --- The 10-Question Vendor Evaluation Checklist 1. How Many Detection Engines Do You Run, and Which Ones? Why to ask: "AI-powered" is not an answer. You need to know the specific engines, the specific threat intelligence feeds, and whether they run in parallel or sequentially. A vendor who cannot name their engines is reselling a single provider's technology with a markup. Good answer: Named engines (e.g., Vade Secure, Sophos, Webroot), running simultaneously, with different detection methodologies (signature, heuristic, behavioral, ML). Red flag:... --- #### How Can You Prevent Phishing With Anti-Phishing Solutions? URL: https://phishprotection.com/anti-phishing/ Description: How Can You Prevent Phishing With Anti-Phishing Solutions?: Many spammers out there are being successful every day to lure millions of victims into a bait. How Can You Prevent Phishing With Anti-Phishing Solutions? Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Many spammers out there are being successful every day to lure millions of victims into a bait like a ‘fishing bait’. This is the term from where phishing originates and is spreading so widely that you cannot ignore the aspect of anti-phishing. A most common form of phishing is via email that we are going to talk about in this article. But there are lots of phishing attacks through telephone called ‘Vishing’ and through text or SMS called ‘SMiShing’, although these are the rare ones users of computers and laptops should be aware of it. Attackers carry out Phishing in many forms, be it spear phishing (targeting a specific group), CEO fraud (involving C-suite executives and employees of an organization), pharming (intended to redirect a website's traffic to another, fraudulent website), dropbox phishing (emails are sent from spoofed email addresses that mimic the usual Dropbox address) etc. Kaspersky Lab reported that its filters caught 137 million phishing emails in the third quarter of 2018. It shows the effectiveness of phishing scams. To curb all these attacks, we need to think more logically... --- #### Arakÿta, Case Study URL: https://phishprotection.com/arakyta-case-study/ Description: Arakÿta is a multimillion-dollar IT management firm that leverages the latest technology to provide full-service managed IT services for a wide array of businesses. Arakÿta MSP Case Study Arakÿta is a multimillion-dollar IT management firm that leverages the latest technology to provide full-service managed IT services for a wide array of businesses. “Our customers needed something that just worked. DuoCircle is easy to work with and willing to make it happen. Their solution is solid.” DENNIS SCHRODER, President and CEO, Arakÿta PDF DOWNLOAD Challenges Solution Results --- #### Free vs Paid Anti-Phishing Software: What You Actually Get URL: https://phishprotection.com/best-anti-phishing-software-free/ Description: Honest comparison of free and paid anti-phishing software. What free tools cover, where they fall short, and when paid protection becomes the practical choice. Free anti-phishing software exists. Some of it is genuinely useful. But there's a significant gap between what free tools deliver and what a business protecting sensitive data, financial transactions, and customer information actually needs. This isn't a scare piece designed to push you toward paid software. It's an honest comparison: what free tools cover, where they fall short, and at what point the gap becomes a business risk you shouldn't accept. --- What Free Anti-Phishing Tools Actually Do Browser-Based Protection Every major browser -- Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari -- includes built-in phishing protection powered by blocklists like Google Safe Browsing and Microsoft SmartScreen. These services maintain databases of known phishing URLs and warn users before they visit flagged sites. What this catches: - Known phishing URLs that have been reported and catalogued - Previously identified malicious download links - Sites flagged by community reporting What this misses: - Zero-day phishing URLs that haven't been reported yet - Delayed weaponization (clean URLs that become malicious after delivery) - Phishing emails themselves -- browser protection only activates when a user clicks a link - BEC attacks that contain no malicious links Free Antivirus with Email Scanning Products like Avast Free, AVG Free,... --- #### The Best Anti-Phishing Solution Checklist: What Your Organization Actually Needs in 2026 URL: https://phishprotection.com/best-anti-phishing-solution/ Description: Not all phishing protection is equal. Use this 12-point checklist to evaluate what your organization needs from an anti-phishing solution - and what most vendors leave out. Phishing is the most common initial attack vector for data breaches, according to the IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report. The average breach costs $4.88 million. And 90% of ransomware attacks start with a single phishing email. The right anti-phishing solution stops these attacks before they reach your users. But "the right solution" means different things for a 25-person company versus a 5,000-person enterprise. This checklist helps you evaluate what you actually need - based on 2026 threat landscape expectations, not marketing claims. Use this as a scoring guide. Check off what your current solution covers. Any gaps are risk. --- The 11-Point Anti-Phishing Protection Checklist 1. Multi-Engine Threat Detection Why it matters: No single threat intelligence database catches everything. Attackers routinely evade one vendor's signatures while being caught by another. What to look for: - Multiple detection engines running simultaneously (not sequentially) - Cross-references URLs and attachments against different threat intelligence feeds - Combines signature-based detection with behavioral/AI analysis - Catches zero-day threats that no single database has seen yet "No single threat intelligence database catches everything. That's why Phish Protection cross-references every email against Vade Secure, Sophos, Halon Classify, Webroot BCTI, and proprietary weighting algorithms simultaneously."... --- #### How to Choose the Best Phishing Protection for Your Business URL: https://phishprotection.com/best-phishing-protection/ Description: Evaluate phishing protection with 8 criteria that matter for SMBs. Compare detection engines, deployment models, M365 coverage, and pricing to find the right fit. Phishing remains the number-one initial access vector for data breaches, responsible for 36% of breach incidents according to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. For small and mid-sized businesses, the stakes are even higher: fewer resources, smaller IT teams, and attackers who know it. Choosing phishing protection is not about picking the vendor with the longest feature list. It is about matching capabilities to your actual risk profile, email platform, and budget. This guide gives you 8 evaluation criteria built for SMBs - practical questions to ask, what good answers look like, and where most vendors fall short. --- 8 Criteria for Evaluating Phishing Protection 1. Does It Use Multiple Detection Engines? Why it matters: Single-engine solutions have blind spots. Attackers routinely test their payloads against individual vendor databases before launching campaigns. If your protection relies on one engine, you are running on the same signatures the attackers already validated against. What to look for: - Two or more detection engines running in parallel, not sequentially - Mix of signature-based, heuristic, and behavioral/AI detection - Cross-referencing across different threat intelligence feeds - Zero-day coverage beyond what any single vendor provides "No single threat intelligence database catches everything. That's why... --- #### Brand Forgery URL: https://phishprotection.com/brand-forgery/ Description: Phish Protection Technology Protects Against Brand Forgery... Brand Forgery Email Protection Phish Protection Technology Protects Against Brand Forgery Emails Brand forgery is easy to do and hard to detect Brand forgery, also known as brand impersonation, is a category of phishing emails that uses well-known company names and logos to exploit victims. The trick with brand forgery is to make the email so convincing that the recipient doesn't give it a second thought. One brand forgery technique used by attackers is to take a legitimate email from a recognized brand and simply replace an embedded link with a malicious one. That can make brand forgery emails extremely difficult for humans to detect, creating the need to have a good anti phishing software. Brand forgery targets businesses with business emails Another reason brand forgery emails are hard for humans to detect is because they are typically emails that make sense in a business context. They are from recognizable B2B companies with messages that make sense in a day-to-day business setting. Emails have been uncovered forging brands from finance companies like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and PayPal. They have also be detected for companies like Dropbox, Microsoft, Gmail, Google Docs, LinkedIn and AT&T. Any of which... --- #### Business Email Compromise (BEC): The Complete Guide for IT Security Teams URL: https://phishprotection.com/business-email-compromise-guide/ Description: Comprehensive guide to business email compromise (BEC) attacks covering CEO fraud, whaling, vendor impersonation, wire fraud schemes, real-world examples, and defense strategies for IT administrators. Business email compromise is not a technical exploit. There is no malware. There are no malicious attachments. There are no weaponized links. BEC is a social engineering attack delivered through email - and it is the single most expensive category of cybercrime tracked by the FBI. The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported $2.9 billion in adjusted losses from BEC in 2023 alone. That figure only counts reported incidents. The actual number is almost certainly higher, because many organizations never report BEC losses due to reputational concerns. This guide covers what BEC is, how it works, the major variants you need to defend against, real-world examples, and the technical and procedural controls that actually prevent these attacks. If you are responsible for email security at your organization, this is the reference document your team needs. For a shorter overview of BEC fundamentals, see our Business Email Compromise page. --- What Is Business Email Compromise? Business email compromise is a form of targeted email fraud where an attacker impersonates a trusted party - typically a senior executive, a vendor, or a business partner - to manipulate an employee into taking a specific action. That action is usually a wire transfer,... --- #### Business Email Compromise URL: https://phishprotection.com/business-email-compromise/ Description: Business Email Compromise: BEC, also known as CEO impersonation, is defined as \"a form of phishing attack where a cybercriminal impersonates an executive and. Business Email Compromise (BEC) Protection Phish Protection Technology Protects Against BEC What is business email compromise (BEC)? BEC, also known as CEO impersonation, is defined as "a form of phishing attack where a cybercriminal impersonates an executive and attempts to get an employee, customer, or vendor to transfer funds or sensitive information to the phisher." BEC attacks usually begin with a cybercriminal successfully phishing an executive to gain access to their email inbox. Often times malware or ransomware intrusions immediately precede a BEC incident. Those intrusions are usually facilitated through a phishing scam in which a victim receives an e-mail from a seemingly legitimate source that contains a malicious link. There are actually five forms of BEC According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), there are five main scenarios by which BEC is perpetrated. Bogus Invoice Scheme When a business, which has a long standing relationship with a supplier, is requested to wire funds for invoice payment to an alternate, fraudulent account. CEO fraud When the compromised email account of a high level executive is used to request a wire transfer to a fraudulent account. Account compromise When an employee of a company has their email account compromised... --- #### CEO Fraud Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/ceo-fraud-protection/ Description: PhishProtection Technology Protects Against CEO... CEO Fraud Protection PhishProtection Technology Protects Against CEO Fraud CEO fraud exploits a particular human weakness CEO fraud is a scam in which the attackers spoof the email account of a CEO or other high level executive to deceive employees into providing information or making money transfers. These types of attacks are surprisingly difficult to prevent without solid email phishing prevention because, receiving an email from a CEO has a powerful effect on employees who want to comply. This phenomenon is called “authority bias” and it results in people giving greater importance to the requests by authority figures without regard to content. Consequently, the bias has a disarming effect on employees' judgment and critical thinking. CEO fraud has a high degree of success The results of a CEO fraud test conducted on numerous companies found that 90% of the attempts succeeded, compared to only 30% for phishing attacks. Additionally, the FBI said that about 25% of U.S. victims respond to CEO Fraud by wiring money to fraudsters. What makes CEO fraud even worse is that it's rarely reported because of the damage such news can do to an organization. It's estimated that the FBI is only aware of 20% of... --- #### Cloud Email Security for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace: What Built-In Protection Misses URL: https://phishprotection.com/cloud-email-security-office-365-google/ Description: Why Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace built-in email security is not enough. Covers protection gaps, supplemental security layers, and deployment architecture for cloud email environments. Microsoft 365 has over 400 million paid seats. Google Workspace serves more than 9 million paying organizations. Together, they host the majority of business email worldwide. Both platforms include built-in email security - Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Google's threat protection suite - and both have invested heavily in improving those capabilities. Here is the problem: attackers know this. Every phishing campaign, BEC attack, and malware payload is tested against Microsoft and Google defenses before it is launched. When you rely solely on built-in platform security, you are depending on the same detection logic that protects hundreds of millions of other accounts - and that every attacker in the world is actively working to bypass. This guide examines the specific gaps in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace email security, explains why supplemental protection is necessary, and covers how to architect a cloud email security stack that actually defends against the 2026 threat landscape. --- The State of Built-In Cloud Email Security What Microsoft 365 Includes Microsoft's email security stack has several tiers: Exchange Online Protection (EOP) - included with all Microsoft 365 plans: - Anti-spam filtering - Basic anti-malware scanning - Connection filtering - Outbound spam filtering - SPF,... --- #### What Are The Most Common Intelligent Tactics Used By The Scammers To Carry Out Common Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/common-phishing-scams/ Description: What Are The Most Common Intelligent Tactics Used By The Scammers To Carry Out Common Phishing Scams: What Are The Most Common Intelligent Tactics Used By. What Are The Most Common Intelligent Tactics Used By The Scammers To Carry Out Common Phishing Scams Phishing is one way through which fraudsters, identity thieves, and scammers steal information. Social engineering or deception are the tools used by these scammers to trick the users into divulging confidential and personal information. According to the targets, we can classify these phishing attacks into various groups. Avoid Being A Victim Of Phishing Scams Before we proceed, it is crucial to take a look at the dangers of phishing and why it is vital to take appropriate security measures. People who fall victim to common phishing scams often find it extremely difficult to recover. The main reason why victims can face serious consequences is that hackers gain access to all their personal, banking, and social information. With this kind of personal information at their disposal, hackers can do anything they wish. They can post obscene content in their social media accounts and create a bad name for the victims. They can even use victim’s accounts to post messages against the government or use them to carry out other nefarious agenda. The only way to avoid being a victim of phishing frauds is to... --- #### Customers URL: https://phishprotection.com/customers/ Description: “We have been very happy with the service. We have about 90 e-mail accounts being protected and it has stopped multiple bad links from being opened. Phish Protection Customers. “We have been very happy with the service. We have about 90 e-mail accounts being protected and it has stopped multiple bad links from being opened. It works great.” Joacob Winder, VTM GROUP “We have been very happy with the service. We have about 90 e-mail accounts being protected and it has stopped multiple bad links from being opened. It works great.” Joacob Winder VTM GROUP “There is no one single solution to eradicate phishing. The tiered approach of Advanced Threat Defense comes close for our users. We are very happy with the ease of management and it’s accuracy.” Geoff Shulman GM Properties “Our users rely on emails when they in the field. The link click protection feature protects all of our devices from phishing and malicious URL’s. I get device agnostic protection, even on mobile.” John Godwin North Star Medical Services Join 5000+ Organizations that use Phish Protection --- Protect your organization from phishing attacks in less than 10 minutes. 60-Day Free Trial --- #### 10 Hot Cyber Security Certifications for IT Professionals to Pursue in 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/cyber-security-certifications-it-network/ Description: 10 Hot Cyber Security Certifications for IT Professionals to Pursue in 2020: 10 Hot Cyber Security Certifications for IT Professionals to Pursue in 2020. 10 Hot Cyber Security Certifications for IT Professionals to Pursue in 2020 These certifications are going to be the most sought-after in the IT world. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Ransomware. Election Interference. Hardware-embedded spyware. The list of cyber security threats in 2020 is only growing larger. Most enterprises have already established a C-level security position to handle cyber crime threats. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is the top executive responsible for implementing cyber security policies, setting up phishing protection services, responding to real-time attacks, phishing awareness training and directing proactive measures during day-to-day business operations. But the volume of cyber criminal attacks is rising faster than the defensive capabilities of even the best-prepared enterprises. The industry-wide cyber security skills gap is widening at a fantastic pace. This puts pressure on organizations to place a high priority on cyber security talent in their IT departments. Some positions are only open to candidates with cyber security certifications. For others, job candidates with up-to-date cyber security certifications can earn between 5 and 10 percent higher compensation than their peers. Which Certificates Are Employers Looking For? There are dozens of cyber security companies out there, and many... --- #### Cybersecurity, In a Nutshell URL: https://phishprotection.com/cybersecurity-in-a-nutshell/ Description: Cybersecurity, In a Nutshell: Digital transformation is changing the way enterprises use digital & information technologies for creating new and scalable. Cybersecurity in a Nutshell Learn What is Cybersecurity and Understand it in Details. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Cybersecurity Comes Into Play To Combat Cyber Threat Cyber Threats- Introduction Digital transformation is changing the way enterprises use digital & information technologies for creating new and scalable business solutions, processes, and user experience to cater to evolving and ever-changing market needs or business requirements. At the same time, the news of cyber threats and cyber-attacks are hitting the headlines every day. It is, therefore, a challenge for companies around the globe to keep pace with fast-paced technological advances, thereby exposing themselves to vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit to bring down the organizational critical information infrastructure or they may trick the employees into revealing sensitive and confidential information using some phishing emails. Interestingly, the volume of most common types of cyberattacks (i.e., phishing) is increasing with time, and various organizations are being targeted by the adversaries using different types of phishing techniques (such as phishing emails, SMiShing, etc.) to infiltrate the organizational networks posing various cyber threats. What Is Cyber Threat? In simple words, Cybersecurity Threat can be understood as a malicious act that is initiated by... --- #### The Difference Between Phishing and Spear Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/difference-between-phishing-and-spear-phishing/ Description: The Difference Between Phishing and Spear Phishing: Currently, there are 12 types of cybercrimes in the world. One major one that you've probably run into is. The Difference Between Phishing and Spear Phishing Currently, there are 12 types of cybercrimes in the world. One major one that you’ve probably run into is phishing. Ever receive a suspicious email asking you to confirm an account or risk deactivation? That’s most likely a phishing attack. Another type of phishing you may encounter is spear phishing. Here, you’ll learn about the spear phishing vs phishing so you can tell when you’re under spear phishing attack and how to prevent spear phishing. What is phishing? So What is Phishing? phishing is a scam cybercriminals run to get people to reveal their sensitive information unwittingly. They accomplish this by creating fake emails and websites, which is called spoofing. Victims believe these spoofed emails and sites are legitimate so they log in. As a result, the cybercriminals receive the login details, which they use to try and access other accounts across different websites. Other types of information they obtain include credit card and bank account numbers. MORE : How to Identify a Phishing Email? What is spear phishing? Spear phishing is a type of phishing, but more targeted. Scammers typically go after either an individual or business. As with regular phishing, cybercriminals... --- #### Domain Name Spoofing URL: https://phishprotection.com/domain-name-spoofing/ Description: Domain Name Spoofing: Most people in IT think phishing is a one-way problem. Stop threatening emails from reaching your employees and you've solved your. Domain Name Spoofing Prevention Phish Protection Protects Your Users and Your Reputation Phishing is a two-way problem Most people in IT think phishing is a one-way problem. Stop threatening emails from reaching your employees and you've solved your phishing problem. But that just isn't true. There's another vulnerability to phishing and it's one that can cost you your business reputation. If you're not using authenticated emails, your domain could be used against you. It's called domain name spoofing and attackers could use your domain to phish your customers. And whether intentional or not, the blame would land on you. Domain name spoofing is more common than you think According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 96% of companies operating are vulnerable to domain spoofing attacks in one form or another. According to other research, 91% of phishing attacks are display name spoofs. The bottom line is that domain name spoofing is probably threatening your company. You might think with such a common problem that most organization would have addressed it, but you'd be wrong. Although there are technologies to combat domain name spoofing, because of their complexity, only between 21% and 53% of companies elect to deploy them, depending on... --- #### Don’t Let Your Guard Down! Avoid Phishing Scams With These Simple Steps URL: https://phishprotection.com/dont-guard-down-avoid-phishing-scams-simple-steps/ Description: Don’t Let Your Guard Down! Don’t Let Your Guard Down! Avoid Phishing Scams With These Simple Steps How to avoid falling victim to phishing scams. Free Trial SECURITY RESOURCES PLANS AND PRICING PHISHING PROTECTION According to a Forbes magazine report, phishing scams have been costing half a billion dollars to US businesses every year since 2013. Phishing scams have often been touted as one of the most organized crimes in the world. Cybercriminals often target large organizations with a large number of employees, where the chances of someone clicking on the links in their emails is quite high. However, the attacks are not limited to these corporate enterprises alone, SMEs around the world have also seen attempts made on their systems, which have been increasing in volume and frequency over the past few years. The language used in such emails calls for urgent action, and when people make hasty decisions, they inadvertently end up increasing the number of successful attacks for phishers. It is quite astonishing how much information these cybercriminals can gather on the public domain since everything is put online nowadays. How Can You Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Phishing Scams? Phishing isn’t an alien term for anyone these days, and most of... --- #### On Dropbox Phishing Scam & How Phishing Protection Is Possible From Similar Cyber-Threats URL: https://phishprotection.com/dropbox-phishing-scam/ Description: On Dropbox Phishing Scam & How Phishing Protection Is Possible From Similar... On Dropbox Phishing Scam & How Phishing Protection Is Possible From Similar Cyber-Threats Learn what countermeasures can be employed to ensure phishing protection from Dropbox scams. Free Trial SECURITY RESOURCES PLANS AND PRICING PHISHING PROTECTION Dropbox phishing scam has been a significant issue in recent years. To avoid such scams and ensure phishing protection, various enterprises have employed several safeguards. However, there has been an increase in phishing attacks in the recent past. Dropbox phishing scam also has a prominent place among them. Reliable phishing protection is thus required for preventing such types of scams. Also, the hackers have developed several threats after the Dropbox phishing scam too, and, therefore, every organization needs to ensure a better level of cybersecurity. What Was The Dropbox Phishing Scam? As you all know, Dropbox has been one of the most reputed cloud storage services with many useful features. The hackers took advantage of it and sent fake Dropbox emails to the users. The attackers made a genuine replica of the login page of the official site of Dropbox. When users logged in to it, their email ID and password were directly sent to the attackers. There were also the logos of Google and... --- #### Email Fraud Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/email-fraud-protection/ Description: Email Fraud Protection: Email fraud attacks are highly-targeted, low volume attacks to impersonate people in authority. They prey on human nature - fear and. Email Fraud Protection Email fraud is a big and growing problem Email fraud attacks are highly-targeted, low volume attacks to impersonate people in authority. They prey on human nature - fear and the desire to please with the goal of stealing money or valuable information. This makes email fraud attacks difficult to detect and stop with a traditional security tools or a regular email protection service. New research suggests the number of email fraud attacks is on the rise, and three-quarters of organizations believe they've been targeted at least once. It can happen to any company When it comes to email fraud, no company is immune. Even some of the most tech savvy firms, the ones you'd think are most prepared, have been victims to email fraud. In just one example, a Lithuanian man is accused of stealing more than $100 million in separate attacks on Google and Facebook in July 2017. The man allegedly spoofed a vendor in the companies’ supply chains. This case should serve as a wake-up call to all companies, even the most sophisticated, that they too can be victims of phishing attacks by cyber criminals if they don't have a reliable phishing prevention solution setup.... --- #### Email Impersonation Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/email-impersonation-protection/ Description: PhishProtection Technology Protects Against Email... Email Impersonation Protection PhishProtection Technology Protects Against Email Impersonation The email impersonation challenge Whether they're called impersonation attacks, business email compromise, CEO fraud or whaling attacks, email impersonation attacks are typically designed to trick recipients into making fraudulent financial transactions by pretending to be from someone they're not. What makes these attacks so challenging is that many don't use malicious URLs or malware attachments. Asking employees to defend against them is asking a lot. Realistically, email impersonation attacks can only be stopped with email anti-impersonation solutions and anti-phishing solutions. Email impersonation attacks are prevalent and on the rise According to KnowBe4, one in six users receives an email-based impersonation attack. According to ESRA, there has been an 80% increase in impersonation attacks over the last quarter (Q2, 2018). Email impersonation has become the preferred method for phishing attacks. You may think you're immune if you use a hosted solution like Office 365, but you'd be wrong. Using a hosted solution makes you more of a target not less. Of the impersonation attacks that were detected, 61% were against Office 365 users, making third party office 365 phishing protection solutions an essential requirement. The two sources of email impersonation Email impersonation... --- #### Email Security in 2026: The Complete Guide to Protecting Your Organization URL: https://phishprotection.com/email-security-complete-guide/ Description: Comprehensive email security guide covering phishing, spoofing, BEC, ransomware, and authentication. Built for IT admins and security teams defending small and midsize businesses. Email remains the primary attack vector for cybercrime. The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that phishing accounts for 36% of all data breaches, and the IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report puts the average breach cost at $4.88 million. These numbers have been climbing steadily for a decade, and the 2026 threat landscape - shaped by AI-generated phishing, sophisticated impersonation, and cloud email platform adoption - has only accelerated the trend. This guide is written for IT administrators and security teams at small and midsize businesses. It covers every major email threat category, the technical controls that address each one, and how to build a layered defense that actually works in production. No vendor-neutral hand-waving - this is what protecting your email infrastructure looks like in practice. --- The Email Threat Landscape in 2026 Phishing Phishing is the broadest category of email-based attack. An attacker sends an email designed to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link, downloading an infected attachment, or providing credentials on a fake login page. Phishing attacks range from low-effort spam campaigns to highly targeted spear phishing that references specific projects, colleagues, or business activities. The common thread is deception -... --- #### Conducting Regular Employee Phishing Training Will Help Improve The Awareness Levels Of Your Employees URL: https://phishprotection.com/employee-phishing-training/ Description: Conducting Regular Employee Phishing Training Will Help Improve The Awareness Levels Of Your Employees: Conducting Regular Employee Phishing Training Will. Conducting Regular Employee Phishing Training Will Help Improve The Awareness Levels Of Your Employees Educating the front-desk employees is imperative because they are the ones handling the emails of the business organization Get Training - Sign Up PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Security awareness begins at home. Taking the necessary precautions to avert a tragedy is always better than reacting to its consequences. Business organizations have tremendous exposure to the Internet because of their constant online presence. It exposes them to considerable risk from hackers and other cybercriminals. Amongst the various cyber crimes, phishing remains one of the most preferred ones for hackers, as it provides them access to the computer system networks of businesses. Educating your employees about phishing is one way of empowering them to tackle the menace. Employee Phishing Training, The Necessity Of The Hour By now, you must be aware that all phishing attempts start with a seemingly innocuous phishing email. This email message remains harmless as long as you do not open it and download the malicious attachments or click on the spurious links in the message. Doing so releases the malware into your computer systems, whereby they go on to infect... --- #### Evolution Of Phishing Attacks In The Pandemic Era URL: https://phishprotection.com/evolution-of-phishing-attacks-in-pandemic-era/ Description: Evolution Of Phishing Attacks In The Pandemic Era: The Covid crisis has provided the perfect cover for malicious actors to continue with their nefarious. Evolution Of Phishing Attacks In The Pandemic Era Learn how to mitigate phishing attacks during pandemic. Free Trial SECURITY RESOURCES PLANS AND PRICING PHISHING PROTECTION The Covid crisis has provided the perfect cover for malicious actors to continue with their nefarious activities. Phishing attempts have become more sophisticated today as threat actors have started employing more complicated and advanced methods to target victims. The advancements include Machine Learning techniques to lure victims into disclosing their PII (Personally Identifiable Information) or crucial financial details. Phishing Attack Types During Covid-19 The general graphs of cyberthreats or phishing attacks today have an exclusive component for Covid-19-related attacks. The below statistics show the number of incidents triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Image Source: Microsoft Below is an examination of some of the ways malicious actors have been adopting to accomplish their phishing objectives. Fake Donation Drives Numerous donation websites have come up in the recent past. These sites ask for a donation to help the downtrodden or the recently unemployed. They may also advertise for money to help the ones struck by the pandemic. Malicious actors divert the funds received to their accounts. It is also quite challenging to track such transactions. By the... --- #### Microsoft Exchange Online Advanced Threat Protection Takes Protection Against Cybercrimes to the Next Level URL: https://phishprotection.com/exchange-online-advanced-threat-protection/ Description: Microsoft Exchange Online Advanced Threat Protection Takes Protection Against Cybercrimes to the Next Level: Microsoft Exchange Online Advanced Threat. Microsoft Exchange Online Advanced Threat Protection Takes Protection Against Cybercrimes to the Next Level Microsoft Office 365 Phishing Protection is an in-built default feature that works against data-encroaching phishing attacks. However, phishing is such a huge problem that these features are often not enough. To counter phishing definitively, Microsoft ATP is required. This service acts as a supportive block for fortifying all Microsoft users against cybercrimes. Office 365 ATP anti-phishing protects your information from phishing attempts sent using emails, links, and other vectors. Advanced Threat Protection primarily comprises of: - Various policies against threat protection - An all-time view report system to monitor the performance of the system - Automated threat investigation along with response capabilities Exchange Online Advanced Threat Protection or ATP is thus necessary to guarantee escape from the ever-increasing, and data-threatening cybercrime called phishing. Microsoft is regularly developing new systems of threat protection. Almost all enterprises can easily afford the nominal fees that are being charged to activate the Advanced Threat Protection features. The state-of-the-art technology found in Office 365 Phishing Protection combined with ATP detects, analyzes, investigates, and responds to all kinds of threats. This protection has been extended to all data-storing and analyzing devices, including... --- #### Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download URL: https://phishprotection.com/extortion-ploys-return-jigsaw-ransomware-download/ Description: Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download: Learn more about the latest Jigsaw ransomware scam and how to protect yourself. Ransomware is one of. Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download Learn more about the latest Jigsaw ransomware scam and how to protect yourself. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Ransomware is one of the methods used by hackers and adversaries to threaten people to pay money or lose files stored in their systems. They use AES, an asymmetric encryption algorithm to encrypt the data and demand a ransom. This ransomware-type malware gets distributed through - Fake software updates - Malicious e-mail attachments - Peer to peer (P2P) networks (for example, Torrent) - Trojans The latest in the series of ransomware scams to hit thousands of systems across the world is the jigsaw ransomware download scam. How Jigsaw Scam Works? The Jigsaw scam came into the spotlight in 2016. Named after the iconic character appearing in the ransom note, it installs ransomware into the user's computer and takes control of the data stored in the system. It not only encrypts the victim's files but also deletes them if they fail to pay the ransom. It deletes files every 60 minutes when the program restarts. Cofense researchers analyzed the ransomware from a phishing jigsaw e-mail. Unsuspecting users receive an e-mail stating... --- #### History of Phishing: How Phishing Attacks Evolved From Poorly Constructed Attempts To Highly Sophisticated Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/history-of-phishing/ Description: History of Phishing: How Phishing Attacks Evolved From Poorly Constructed Attempts To Highly Sophisticated Attacks: History of Phishing: How Phishing Attacks. History of Phishing: How Phishing Attacks Evolved From Poorly Constructed Attempts To Highly Sophisticated Attacks Phishing can be defined as an attempt by hackers or cyber criminals in which they try to lure computer or internet users into divulging their personal or sensitive financial information through a maliciously crafted message or an e-mail. This sensitive or confidential information may include birthdates, passwords, credit card details, and social security numbers. The hackers disguise themselves as an official entity such as authorities from the tax department or employees of a bank to gain the victim's trust. The term phishing and its concept can be traced back to the 90s through America Online (AOL). A group of hackers called themselves as warez community and impersonated as AOL employees. This group is also known as the first "phishers." They collected login credentials and personal information from AOL users. Today phishing is evolving into a profitable business for hackers. According to estimates, around 156 million phishing e-mails get delivered every day, resulting in more than 80,000 clicks! The Story Behind The Name “Phishing” Some say the term phishing got influences from the word fishing. Analogous to fishing, phishing is also a technique to “fish” for... --- #### How Are Zero-Days Attacks Discovered Before Adversaries Can Take Advantage Of Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-are-zero-day-attacks-discovered/ Description: How Are Zero-Days Attacks Discovered Before Adversaries Can Take Advantage Of Them: How Are Zero-Days Attacks Discovered Before Adversaries Can Take. How Are Zero-Days Attacks Discovered Before Adversaries Can Take Advantage Of Them No piece of any software program is without bugs and vulnerabilities. When the adversaries discover these vulnerabilities before the software developers, then they can exploit these as there are no defenses to counter the threat yet. And, you can find numerous zero day attack examples where hackers were able to bypassed controls put in place by organizations for zero day attack prevention. Reasons Most of The Recent Zero-day Attacks Were Detected Here are some controls around zero-day protection and also the methods that can help organizations understand how these attacks are discovered in advance: - By using premium security software to detect any known and unknown threats or vulnerabilities. - Continuously scanning security configuration & security settings of the internet browser, operating system, and other software & application so that zero-day vulnerabilities cannot be exploited. - By having a security monitoring program in place organizations can train and educate their employees to identify any zero-day attack even before it takes place It is necessary to understand how zero-day attacks are discovered to make sure such attacks don’t make things worse for your enterprise. Besides following the above-discussed points,... --- #### How Can You Identify a Phishing Email? URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-can-you-identify-a-phishing-email/ Description: How Can You Identify a Phishing Email?: Around the world, 281 billion emails are sent per day . You can bet that a high percentage include attempts at. How Can You Identify a Phishing Email? Around the world, 281 billion emails are sent per day. You can bet that a high percentage include attempts at phishing. Because it can put your entire organization’s digital security at risk, phishing is a very serious threat. But how can you identify a phishing email and keep your company’s information safe and secure? Here are some questions you can ask yourself to determine whether or not an email is a phishing attack. Does it have spelling and grammar errors? First you have to understand what is phishing and how it works, this will help you fight against it. Phishing emails are usually full of mistakes that big companies wouldn’t make, as it would hurt their image. Cybercriminals intentionally fill their emails with errors to weed out those who are aware enough to detect phishing. Sometimes, the spelling and grammar can be correct but the syntax can seem awkward or disjointed. This should be a red flag that the email isn’t a genuine one. MORE : See Examples of Spear Phishing Emails Is it asking for me to take immediate action? Scammers count on your anxiety and panic to succeed in spear phishing... --- #### Simple Tips On How To Avoid Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-avoid-phishing/ Description: Simple Tips On How To Avoid Phishing Attacks: Phishing emails have become both a nuisance as well as a serious threat today. One can see all kinds of. Simple Tips On How To Avoid Phishing Attacks Phishing emails have become both a nuisance as well as a serious threat today. One can see all kinds of annoying spam emails flooding the inbox. These emails have one thing in common, their primary goal to siphon sensitive information unethically, by fooling or threatening the victim. As a result, phishing prevention has become a crucial subject. Some scams are easy to detect, like the evergreen Nigerian scams where fraudsters are allegedly looking to stash away their fortune with your help! But not all scammers or their tactics are naïve. Some emails are so meticulously crafted that they are challenging to tell apart from legitimate emails and even more challenging to detect their scams. And the worse news is that email is only one channel through which the phishers deliver their attacks. There is a wide variety of techniques and delivery methods used by these adversaries. Many cybersecurity service providers offer reliable phishing protection to their clients. As useful as these services and the anti phishing solutions are, the success of phishing prevention measures always comes down to end-users, and their knowledge of how to avoid phishing, in the end. How To... --- #### How to Deal with Ransomware Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-deal-with-ransomware-attacks/ Description: How to Deal with Ransomware Attacks: It was just recently that a global ransomware attack called WannaCry exploited vulnerabilities in old Windows operating. How to Deal with Ransomware Attacks Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING It was just recently that a global ransomware attack called WannaCry exploited vulnerabilities in old Windows operating systems and led to losses of several hundred million dollars from computers worldwide. The attack was believed to have been originated from North Korea. In 2018, a new form of the same ransomware attacked advanced chip-manufacturing factories in Taiwan causing them to shut down production. With such large scale attacks taking place in the cyber arena, it has become imperative to learn about ransomware and how you can deal with it effectively. Let Us Clarify Some Common Misconceptions About Ransomware Ransomware is not just your typical another Malware and is quite different. It is also often misinterpreted as a virus, which is not valid. Worms, Viruses, Trojans, and Ransomware all come under the category of Malware. Worms and Viruses are both malware programs which can replicate themselves. Worms do not cause harm to the computers they infect while viruses damage the files on the systems they attack. Trojans neither destroy nor delete computer files present on a system. Their sole objective is to open a backdoor for... --- #### Keep Your Networks Safe From IP Spoofers: How to Detect IP Spoofing? URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-detect-ip-spoofing/ Description: Keep Your Networks Safe From IP Spoofers: How to Detect IP Spoofing?: Keep Your Networks Safe From IP Spoofers: How to Detect IP Spoofing? To begin with, a. Keep Your Networks Safe From IP Spoofers: How to Detect IP Spoofing? To begin with, a bit of background on the web is in order. The information transmitted over the network breaks into different packets that are transferred freely and reassembled at the end. Each package has an IP (internet protocol) header that contains data about the box, including the source IP address and the IP address. In IP spoofing, a programmer uses devices to alter the source address within the packet header to make the receiving network framework assume the packet is from a trusted source, such as another computer on a whole network, and accept it. Since this happens at the network level, there are no other signs of tampering. About IP Spoofing To engage in IP spoofing, a programmer must begin with a variety of assortment of strategies. For instance, discovering an IP address of a trusted host, then adjust the packet headers so that it shows the packet is coming from the host. This sort of attack is known as a share in Denial-of-Service (DoS) assaults, which can overpower computer systems with activity. In a DoS, programmers utilize spoofed IP addresses to overpower computer servers with... --- #### How to Detect Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-detect-ransomware/ Description: How to Detect Ransomware: Malware is rampant nowadays, and with the average cost of an attack being $2.4 million, you have good reason to be concerned. All. How to Detect Ransomware Malware is rampant nowadays, and with the average cost of an attack being $2.4 million, you have good reason to be concerned. All it takes is one misclick and your organization can be paying out $2.4 million. To help combat malware, it helps to learn about it. In this article, we’ll tell you how to detect ransomware, the steps you can take to get rid of it, and what you can do to prevent future attacks. What is ransomware? Have you ever wondered what is ransomware? Ransomware is a type of malware. When it’s on your computer, it’ll prevent you from opening any files. The scammer has done this by encrypting everything on your device. You’ll receive a message from the cybercriminal asking for a ransom; if you pay it, they’ll unlock your files with their unique decryption key. The asked-for ransoms are usually hundreds of dollars, so it may set your organization back if you pay it. Usually, ransomware gets onto your computer through a method called phishing. What is phishing? Phishing is a type of social engineering that infiltrates your network. Instead of using traditional methods of hacking, cybercriminals trick you into letting them... --- #### How To Phish Employees, Train Them The Hard Way URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-phish-employees/ Description: How To Phish Employees, Train Them The Hard Way: Any IT security professional will admit that the end-users or the employees of business organizations are. How To Phish Employees, Train Them The Hard Way Any IT security professional will admit that the end-users or the employees of business organizations are the weakest links in the chain when it comes to cybersecurity. Managing this problem is a formidable challenge. Hackers entice employees with social engineering methods to part with confidential information. Unfortunately, many people do fall for the trap. Free Trial Educate The Staff How do you solve this problem? The ideal solution is to educate the staff to ensure that they do not fall prey to these cybercriminals. The corporate entities that get the respective approval from their management benefit the most. There can be budgetary issues, but they can be overcome. The bigger problem is to overcome the resistance from legal and HR departments. These departments opine that it is not right on the part of the IT Security team to phish employees to teach them how to prevent phishing. However, one has to rise above such office politics to educate the ultimate end users. Securing your IT assets is essential to the business. If it entails phishing employees to teach them the hard way, so be it. One cannot expect the employees to... --- #### Learn How Malware Spreads Across Your Systems & How to Prevent Malware Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-prevent-malware-attacks/ Description: Learn How Malware Spreads Across Your Systems & How to Prevent Malware Attacks: Learn How Malware Spreads Across Your Systems & How to Prevent Malware. Learn How Malware Spreads Across Your Systems & How to Prevent Malware Attacks What is malware What is Malware? Any software program or application developed for malicious purposes can be called malware. Malware is a program that can cause serious adverse effects such as phishing attacks, theft of personal user data, slowing down/crashing the computer, losing user data, and providing device remote access to hackers. How Malware Infection Spreads Any internet user is highly susceptible to malware infections. Adversaries are always trying to infect users with these threats. It is necessary to know the different malware sources for malware protection. Following are some of the ways by which cyber criminals spread malware infection: Downloaded files Executable downloaded files are one of the most common malware infection sources. It is indeed essential to verify the authenticity of any file prior to downloading them. Compressed folders might also be containing some malicious files. Pirated or unofficial software Pirated/cracked software might include embedded malicious script running in the background. It is always recommended to use licensed products. Email attachments Malware can easily spread via emails. Any unknown email may have an attached malicious hyperlink or documents which can lead to malicious threats and... --- #### Tips On How To Prevent Malware Infection URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-prevent-malware/ Description: Tips On How To Prevent Malware Infection: What is Malware? As the name suggests, malware or malicious software is the software created with destructive. Tips On How To Prevent Malware Infection What is Malware? As the name suggests, malware or malicious software is the software created with destructive motives. A malware usually does more harm than good and cripples a user’s system until either a ransom is paid or a system goes down. Malware is created and spread over other devices by the attackers who are on the lookout to steal personal information, card details, passwords, and other private whereabouts of people or organizations. Malware and Trojan often eliminate specific elemental components from an operating system, which hinders its processing and efficiency. In cases of malware incompatibility with the device, there are chances of server failure or sudden and unprecedented increase in spam traffic, which again adds on to the problems of making a system less efficient. Malware is solely created to steal data and attack the privacy of a user. If successful, such an attack proves disastrous irrespective of the victim being an organization or an individual. Data theft and data loss are detestable and irreversible issues and hence are the biggest threat from malware attacks. Types Of Malware To ensure protection against malware, it is imperative to first know about its subject... --- #### How to Prevent Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-prevent-phishing-emails/ Description: How to Prevent Phishing Emails: You've probably heard about phishing and may have even received a few of those emails yourself. Not only are they annoying to. How to Prevent Phishing Emails You’ve probably heard about phishing and may have even received a few of those emails yourself. Not only are they annoying to deal with, but they’re risky too. One misclick and your computer can download a Trojan virus. The best way to avoid this situation is to prevent phishing emails from reaching you in the first place. Here’s how to prevent various types of phishing emails from clogging up your inbox. Install a good antivirus program It goes without saying that if your computer connects to the internet, installing antivirus software is a must to stop phishing emails reaching your inbox. Getting online not only opens the door to outgoing traffic but incoming as well. A solid antivirus program will safeguard you from any cybercriminal attacks. It’s not enough to just install antivirus software. If there are updates, install them immediately. It may be tempting to postpone them since you’re busy, but it’s well worth taking a few minutes to install updates. Patches find and fix any vulnerabilities your program may have. Malicious attacks take advantage of these vulnerabilities, so by keeping up-to-date with your updates, you plug up any holes scammers may make use... --- #### How to Prevent Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-prevent-phishing/ Description: How to Prevent Phishing: Spear phishing emails are on the rise. With your trade secrets being a hot commodity, it's no surprise that cybercriminals are. How to Prevent Phishing Spear phishing emails are on the rise. With your trade secrets being a hot commodity, it’s no surprise that cybercriminals are coming up with new ways to try and trick your employees. But with them changing up their methods so often, how can you keep blocking their attempts so they aren’t successful in breaching your defenses? We’ve put together a few tips on how to prevent phishing, so your workplace has a fighting chance against ingenious attacks. Be skeptical of links and attachments The majority of successful phishing attempts happen because an employee has clicked on either a malicious link or attachment. This opens the door to malware being installed, which is another can of worms. To prevent this from happening in the first place, try to have discipline when you encounter links and attachments. Instead of having a trigger finger, check out the link first by hovering your cursor over it. Does it have a strange URL? Then don’t click it. If the attachment is from someone you’re not familiar with, trash it straightaway. Don’t consider opening it. Even if it’s from someone you know, and you’re expecting a file from them, it’s good practice... --- #### How to Protect Against Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-protect-against-phishing/ Description: How to Protect Against Phishing: If you've heard about what is phishing, you may be concerned about the scams cybercriminals may try on you. But with a few. How to Protect Against Phishing If you’ve heard about what is phishing, you may be concerned about the scams cybercriminals may try on you. But with a few tips on how to protect against phishing, you’ll have a fighting chance against them. Here are some things you should practice when you’re online. Free Trial Double check your emails There are several phishing prevention best practices you need to check when it comes to your emails. They include: - Display name: Is it really from the person it claims to be? Look at the characters carefully and also expand the “from” field to double check the email address. - Content: Is it full of spelling and grammar mistakes? Does it look suspicious? Is it asking you for personal details, like your bank account number? If so, chances are it’s a phishing email. - Attachments: Any unexpected .exe files are almost guaranteed to be phishing viruses. If you’re expecting an executable file from a client or coworker, confirm with them that they’ve sent it before you open it. MORE : Examples of Spear Phishing Emails Make sure the sites you visit are secure Modern-day browsers have made it very easy for us... --- #### Learn How To Protect Your Computer From Malware URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-protect-your-computer-from-malware/ Description: Learn How To Protect Your Computer From Malware: Malware, we hear this word quite often but may not take it seriously. So what is malware? It is malicious. Learn How To Protect Your Computer From Malware Malware, we hear this word quite often but may not take it seriously. So what is malware? It is malicious software that is a designed computer code used to disrupt, disable, or take control over your computer. Hackers use this technique for different purposes. Generally, malware is used to steal your professional or personal information. The primary reason for the development of malware was to take one's sensitive and confidential information for making money illegally. What is Malware Malware is a malicious program that is created illegally to steal, control or damage your data. Sometimes you see your computer behaving strangely, such as it starts running slowly, displays unexpected errors, popups; these are the common signs of a malware attack. It functions by taking advantage of any vulnerability or technical flaw of your hardware OS and software. Cybercriminals activate malware by tricking people through a seemingly useful file or by clicking potentially alluring but unsafe links. Once this malware is activated, they put the computer and network at risk. To stop malware attacks, people need to be aware of the techniques of protection against malware. Tips To Stay Protected From Malware The... --- #### Learn How To Report Phishing And Help Tackle The Menace URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-report-phishing/ Description: Learn How To Report Phishing And Help Tackle The Menace: An average person receives around 35 to 40 emails in a day. More than 75% of these emails could be. Learn How To Report Phishing And Help Tackle The Menace An average person receives around 35 to 40 emails in a day. More than 75% of these emails could be marketing emails, some of which might prove to be phishing attempts. Judging from this statistic, every person in the world must have received at least one such phishing email. As you are now aware of how to distinguish a genuine email from a phishing email, you have identified an email as suspicious. You noticed that the email message had terrible grammar, or there were spelling errors. The email might also have had an unknown sender whose details are nowhere available on the internet. One thing is clear; the email has suspicious elements, and you are not going to open it. Now, the question that arises is: Is that enough? What else can you do when you receive such an email? The right thing to do is reporting the occurrence to the security team in your IT department if your organization has one. Does your responsibility end with reporting the phishing attempt? For an average individual, it should. But if you are not part of any organization or you are in... --- #### Tired Of Cleaning Your Mailbox? Here’s How To Stop Getting Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-stop-getting-phishing-emails/ Description: Tired Of Cleaning Your Mailbox? Here's How To Stop Getting Phishing Emails: Tired Of Cleaning Your Mailbox? Here's How To Stop Getting Phishing Emails Have. Tired Of Cleaning Your Mailbox? Here’s How To Stop Getting Phishing Emails Have you ever received an email informing you have won a lottery you never participated for, or a generous bank offering you a loan at minimal interest rates and no tedious procedure involved? The chances are that all these emails are phishing attempts made by scammers to steal your sensitive information. Yes, chances are that all those emails are phishing attacks. Mostly, cyberattackers are using these same old emails to trick victims into their scams and get them to open a link or an attachment. The best phishing protection is to simply stop phishing emails from entering your inbox and stealing your personal information. Here’s how to stop phishing emails and protect your mailbox from such phishing attacks. Stop Phishing Emails With DMARC One way to protect yourself phishing emails is to stop such emails before they enter your inbox. There’s a way through which domain owners can stop phishing emails from getting to their users. Domain owners can use DMARC, Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance, which is an email authentication protocol that verifies every email using DKIM and SPF standards. Domain owners can establish DMARC policies... --- #### Learn Some Basic Techniques On How To Stop Phishing Emails In Outlook URL: https://phishprotection.com/how-to-stop-phishing-emails-in-outlook/ Description: Learn Some Basic Techniques On How To Stop Phishing Emails In Outlook: Learn Some Basic Techniques On How To Stop Phishing Emails In Outlook Cyber attackers. Learn Some Basic Techniques On How To Stop Phishing Emails In Outlook Cyber attackers use techniques such as spamming and manipulating users by creating fake websites that appear identical to the real one for luring out the user’s sensitive personal information. Its outcome could be severe as this information can be used for various illegitimate purposes, such as identity theft. For the smooth functioning of your business, stopping even the not-so-risky cyber-attacks should be on your security department’s priority list. In this article, we will discuss how to stop phishing emails, Outlook and how to stop phishing emails, Office 365. Stop Phishing Emails: Basics You Should Implement As the figure of loss a phishing email can incur is huge, stopping it right away is necessary. They pose out to be so legitimate that even a tech-savvy can fail to identify that. Following preliminary measures should be adopted to stop phishing emails: Guiding And Training It is paramount to provide your employees with proper training to stop and think before acting on an email. Enterprises must send test phishing emails to employees from time to time. Scamming tactics gain momentum from time to time, and users must be updated regarding them.... --- #### Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download URL: https://phishprotection.com/jigsaw-ransomware/ Description: Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download: Ransomware is one of the methods used by hackers and adversaries to threaten people to pay money or. Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download Ransomware is one of the methods used by hackers and adversaries to threaten people to pay money or lose files stored in their systems. They use AES, an asymmetric encryption algorithm to encrypt the data and demand a ransom. This ransomware-type malware gets distributed through: - Fake software updates - Malicious e-mail attachments - Peer to peer (P2P) networks (for example, Torrent) - Trojans The latest in the series of ransomware scams to hit thousands of systems across the world is the jigsaw ransomware download scam. Table of Contents - How Jigsaw Scam Works? - The Ransom Note Of Jigsaw Ransomware Scam - Received A Jigsaw E-mail? Follow These Steps To Protect Your System - How To Decrypt Files Encrypted By Jigsaw Actors? - How To Prevent Jigsaw Ransomware Download? - Conclusion How Jigsaw Scam Works? The Jigsaw scam came into the spotlight in 2016. Named after the iconic character appearing in the ransom note, it installs ransomware into the user's computer and takes control of the data stored in the system. It not only encrypts the victim's files but also deletes them if they fail to pay the ransom. It deletes files... --- #### Life & Times of Kevin Mitnick, The World's Most Wanted Hacker URL: https://phishprotection.com/kevin-mitnick/ Description: Life & Times of Kevin Mitnick, The World's Most Wanted Hacker: Life & Times of Kevin Mitnick, The World's Most Wanted Hacker Kevin Mitnick, \"The World's. Life & Times of Kevin Mitnick, The World’s Most Wanted Hacker Get Free Access to Phishing Protection Best Practices Life Snapshot Kevin Mitnick, "The World's Most Famous Hacker," was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1963. In the late 80s and early 90s, Mitnick used social engineering to hack the computer systems of various companies. According to his Wikipedia page, in 1999, Mitnick pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, two counts of computer fraud and one count of illegally intercepting a wire communication. He would go on to serve five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release during which time he was forbidden to use a computer. Today Mitnick runs Mitnick Security Consulting LLC, a computer security consultancy and is part owner of KnowBe4, a provider of security awareness training, that also provides anti phishing software like PhishProtection.com. He does computer security consulting and penetration testing for Fortune 500 companies as well as the FBI. "At the end of the day, my goal was to be the best hacker.", Kevin Mitnick Did you know, Kevin Mitnick is the radio station voice in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Kevin's Books --- The... --- #### Learn What Phishing Is, Its Types & How To Avoid Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/learn-what-is-phishing/ Description: Learn What Phishing Is, Its Types & How To Avoid Phishing Attacks: Learn What Phishing Is, Its Types & How To Avoid Phishing Attacks How could phishing be. Learn What Phishing Is, Its Types & How To Avoid Phishing Attacks Know what is phishing and its threat in the digital world. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING How could phishing be defined? It is a deceitful attack by malicious sources to get your confidential information through various mediums such as emails. It is essential to know what phishing is about as it is a severe threat in the fast-paced digital world of today. Attackers generally do phishing by impersonating the organizations or individuals you know well, and they would usually ask for details like password, credit card number, and other personal information. While using emails, you should be careful about such threats. Professional hackers prepare spam emails to extract information from other people. We’ve discussed below in detail about what is phishing is and different ways to avoid it. What Should You Learn About Phishing? If you are careless with a phishing attempt, it will result in a significant loss for you. When people try to phish your emails, most of the time, they will take you to a site by making you click a link where your personal details are needed. There are... --- #### Malware and Ransomware Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/malware-and-ransomware-protection/ Description: Malware and Ransomware Protection: PhishProtection's Technology Protects Against Malware and Ransomware Whether it's called viruses, worms, Trojan horses. Malware and Ransomware Protection PhishProtection's Technology Protects Against Malware and Ransomware Beware malware and ransomware Whether it's called viruses, worms, Trojan horses, spyware, adware or ransomware, malware is software designed with harmful intent. And it's almost always delivered via your inbox, through phishing attacks. Ransomware, a type of malware, encrypts the victim's files, making them inaccessible, and demands a ransom payment to decrypt them. While most ransomware requires the victim to open an attached file, the WannaCry worm traveled automatically between computers without user interaction, making it hard to detect for ordinary anti phishing software. Ransomware is a big and growing threat Ransomware is a rapidly growing threat to businesses. There were 181.5 million ransomware attacks in the first six months of 2018. That marks a 229% increase over the same time frame in 2017. And mobile ransomware rose by over 250% in 2017. All your devices are at risk for ransomware, if you don't have reliable email phishing prevention. Being forced to pay a ransom may not resolve your problem. According to Kaspersky, while 36% of affected companies paid the ransom, 17% who paid never recovered their data even after paying. Kaspersky further reported that 34% of businesses hit... --- #### Malware Protection, The Defensive Wall Against Malicious Programs URL: https://phishprotection.com/malware-protection/ Description: Malware Protection, The Defensive Wall Against Malicious Programs: Malware Protection, The Defensive Wall Against Malicious Programs Before learning about. Malware Protection, The Defensive Wall Against Malicious Programs What Is Malware? Before learning about how to prevent malware from breaking into your device, we should first understand what malware is? As the name suggests, malware is malicious software which is created for the purpose to damage or impair the computer system without letting the user be acquainted about the same. There are different types of malware that can be categorized more by the intention of the adversary and less by the features of the mischievous software. On a broader side, malware can be classified into spyware, worms, viruses, Trojans, etc. Viruses are the most common ones about which we are all aware. These are named so because they infect the computer system by replicating themselves. Worms are almost similar to viruses. Spywares do the work of spying and steal sensitive data, like bank account details, credit or debit card numbers, social security numbers, etc., of the user and transmit it to the adversaries for their profit. Free Trial Protection Against Malicious Software Now, as we have learned about malware, it’s time for us to discuss malware protection. You might have observed that your computer system starts working unusually or slows... --- #### A Quick Guide To Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) For Office 365 URL: https://phishprotection.com/microsoft-advanced-threat-protection/ Description: A Quick Guide To Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) For Office 365: A Quick Guide To Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection ATP For Office 365. A Quick Guide To Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) For Office 365 Cybersecurity Ventures, a computer and network security organization in California has predicted that by the end of 2022, the number of internet users would be around 6 billion. It roughly translates to about 75 percent of the total world population. Everyone is moving towards the digital era and welcoming the latest technology with both hands. But still, some organizations are yet to upgrade their security posture to defend against the latest security threats. On the other hand, cybercriminals are also welcoming the growing trend of digitalization. More users mean more targets for them, and they take advantage of the development in mainstream IT to hone their craft. As a result, cybercrimes like phishing have evolved into a significant issue for everyone, including small, midsized, and even huge corporate firms, too. Although organizations are deploying sophisticated measures to protect themselves from these threats, success depends on the human resource, the employees who are the end-users in every enterprise. It is estimated that 90 percent of the security breaches that happen in enterprises across the globe is because of a human error. Employees expose their credentials or other sensitive information... --- #### A Detailed Guide To Microsoft ATP Ransomware Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/microsoft-atp-ransomware/ Description: A Detailed Guide To Microsoft ATP Ransomware Protection: Microsoft has officially announced in a blog post on TechNet site about the launch of Windows. A Detailed Guide To Microsoft ATP Ransomware Protection Microsoft has officially announced in a blog post on TechNet site about the launch of Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection). This Microsoft ATP ransomware is capable of rooting out ransomware attacks explicitly programmed to take over courses of days or months at corporate sites. The ATP mainly investigates and identifies initial minor cases of ransomware and then use gathered data to secure the extensive network proactively. However, it is an elating and much beneficial step by Microsoft everyone is looking forward to. What is Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection? The Defender Advanced Threat Protection by Microsoft is a unique platform designed to assist enterprise networks in detecting, preventing, investigating, and responding to advanced threats to your information systems such as ransomware. Microsoft uses the following technology combination incorporated into Windows 10 and Microsoft’s Cloud Service for the purpose. Analysis Of Cloud Security Behavioral signals and other online indications are translated into detections, insights, and recommended responses to advanced threats by leveraging Machine Learning, Big Data, distinct Microsoft Optics across Windows Ecosystem, and cloud products for enterprises such as Office 365. Behavioral Sensors Being a built-in service of Windows 10, behavioral sensors... --- #### Phishing Alert Button: One-Click Solution To Counter Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phish-alert-button/ Description: Phishing Alert Button: One-Click Solution To Counter Phishing Attacks: Phishing Alert Button: One-Click Solution To Counter Phishing Attacks We all talk. Phishing Alert Button: One-Click Solution To Counter Phishing Attacks We all talk about taking precautions whenever we receive a suspicious e-mail. But, what must be the user's first reaction whenever he/she gets any suspicious e-mail? Is it okay if the user directly forwards it to the IT department? Or will it be okay if he/she sends the information to the help desk? Or simply ignoring the e-mail and not reporting it is the best solution? The perfect solution to this problem is the KnowBe4’s Phishing Alert Button. It is a safe way to tackle any suspicious e-mail as this feature sends the phishing e-mail to the security department for an in-depth analysis of the threat. Not only this, the dubious e-mail gets automatically deleted from the inbox of the user to prevent any vulnerability in the future. Free Trial How Does It Work? - Whenever the user presses the Phishing Alert Button, it alerts the Incident Response Team. Consequently, the team performs a thorough examination of the e-mail to find whether the e-mail is a legit one, spam or a severe phish attack. - Although the e-mail gets deleted from the user's inbox for future protection against phishing, the response... --- #### How E-mail And Web Spoofing Are Used To Carry Out Phishing Attacks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-and-spoofing/ Description: How E-mail And Web Spoofing Are Used To Carry Out Phishing Attacks! How E-mail And Web Spoofing Are Used To Carry Out Phishing Attacks! In general, phishing is enticing the individual to part with his/her confidential details intending to cause considerable damage to the system and the victim’s privacy. Naturally, the next question that crops up is, “How does phishing take place?", "What are the protection from phishing available?" Cybercriminals use methods like e-mail spoofing and web spoofing to glean information from unsuspecting victims. People use e-mail spoofing and web spoofing interchangeably, but they are different terms. Hackers use spoofed e-mail to lead the victim to a spoofed website. The primary objective of e-mail spoofing is to lure recipients into the opening, and possibly responding to a solicitation. A spoofed website, on the other hand, is the one that resembles the original/official website of the organization but is fake. It typically mimics the original website's fonts, colors, and layout, including the images and logos to give itself an authentic look. The hacker uses the data entered into such spoofed websites for causing harm to the victim. Although both are interlinked through a complex web of exchanges among the adversaries, there are contrasting differences between e-mail and web spoofing. Here’s a detailed look... --- #### Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attack-definition/ Description: Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams: Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams In. Understanding Phishing Attack Definition To Help You Prevent Phishing Scams In simple terms, a phishing attack is like picking your pocket. When a pickpocket steals your purse, he/she not only steals your money but also the debit and credit cards that you had in your wallet. You even lose your identity cards or documents such as your driving license. All phishing attacks are thus similar to pickpocketing in many ways. The only difference is that you hand over the wallet to the criminal voluntarily. In a phishing attack, hackers entice you into parting with your confidential information without realizing that you are exposing yourself and your organization to a great deal of risk. How Do Phishing Attacks Happen? Cybercriminals use various ways to hack into your enterprise networks. - An embedded link in an unsolicited email can be a dangerous thing. It can redirect employees to unsecure websites that could be seeking sensitive information. - An attachment received by you through an email can contain a Trojan virus. On downloading such an attachment, the virus can attach to various files and wreak havoc with your data. - Hackers send spoof emails that appear as genuine. Many employees fall into the... --- #### 8 Simple Measures For Phishing Attack Prevention URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attack-prevention/ Description: 8 Simple Measures For Phishing Attack Prevention: The statistics are painting a gloomy picture of the rising number of phishing attacks. Here are some quick. 8 Simple Measures For Phishing Attack Prevention The statistics are painting a gloomy picture of the rising number of phishing attacks. Here are some quick numbers: - As per the 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon, phishing was present in one-third of all data breaches in 2018. - Avanan states in one of its report that one in 25 branded emails is a phishing email. - Wombat Security’s State of the Phish 2018 reports that in 2017, 76 percent of organizations were targets of phishing attacks. Thus, we can see the inroads that phishing made in the digital world in recent years. The alarming trend prompts business owners and stakeholders to invest in robust phishing prevention measures. Phishing Attack Definition Phishing attack defination refers to the fraudulent use of electronic communications to deceive and take advantage of unsuspecting internet users. They are cleverly designed to gain sensitive, confidential data such as credit card information, network credentials, usernames, passwords, and more. Adversaries use social engineering techniques to trick users into performing specific actions. These include clicking a malicious link or attachment or divulging confidential information willfully due to ignorance. MORE: How to Protect against Phishing How to Avoid Phishing Scams... --- #### Phishing Attacks and Content Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attacks-and-content-protection/ Description: The most dangerous threat to the internet users is phishing attacks. This article will outline how an attacker gets into your system and what steps you can take to prevent against them. Phishing Attacks and Content Protection The most dangerous threat to the internet users is phishing attacks. This article will outline how an attacker gets into your system and what steps you can take to prevent against them. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing is a peculiar type of cyber-crime where the criminal impersonates legitimate identities to deceive users by exploiting their trust. The criminals lure employees or individuals, into providing sensitive data such as personal information, financial information, credit/debit card details, user IDs, and passwords. The info accumulated is then used to access their accounts and results in monetary loss and identity theft. The information security will become obsolete if the users of the internet or employees in an organization do not click on the link or URL provided in a malicious email. Hence, the employees and general users must know securely using, sending, and replying to an email and know the anti-phishing techniques. Origin of Phishing Phishing first started in the mid-90s when America Online (AOL) was America's preferred method of accessing the net. The cybercriminals used random credit card generators and then actual messaging phishing tactics to gain access to sensitive information by... --- #### What Are Some Major Phishing Attacks Examples? URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attacks-examples/ Description: As the growing dependence on the internet by general people has increased, a malicious practice adopted by cyber adversaries called phishing has become more widespread than ever. As the growing dependence on the internet by general people has increased, a malicious practice adopted by cyber adversaries called phishing has become more widespread than ever. Research states that phishing accounts for 91 percent of all data breaches occurring currently. An average successful spear phishing attack can earn up to $1.6 million for the attackers. Yes, platforms might vary due to various types of phishing attacks; but, the attack method tends to remain identical in all situations. The attackers trick the victim into tapping a link and downloading malware or giving credential information via a duplicitous login page. The Menace of Phishing Emails are the most common vector in phishing attacks. The attacker may send the target emails designed to look like they come from well-known and trusted sources. The messages may try to influence him or her into taking specific actions and divulging sensitive information about themselves or their businesses. As the good guys identify newly evolved phishing techniques used by adversaries, develop their security countermeasures, and spread the awareness to the general public, attackers are also becoming more sophisticated with their methods and techniques. Account-Takeover Attacks Barracuda, a security vendor, had found in a recent analysis of... --- #### Phishing Attacks: Common Ones to Watch Out For URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-attacks/ Description: Phishing Attacks: Common Ones to Watch Out For: In 2017, phishing attacks rose by 59%. As cybercriminals keep using more ingenious methods, it can be. Phishing Attacks: Common Ones to Watch Out For In 2017, phishing attacks rose by 59%. As cybercriminals keep using more ingenious methods, it can be difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not. With the number of attacks rising every day, you need to take precautions and use phishing prevention methods to better safeguard your credentials. To help you out, here are some common phishing attacks to look out for whenever you’re on the internet. Nigerian prince scams This is one of the original phishing scams and goes back decades. Although there are several variations on this scam, the main point is to trick people into paying advanced fees. The sender will claim to have a significant amount of cash tied up that only you can help with. If you help them out, they’ll split part of the money with you after they get access to it. As you can guess, you’ll never see the money, and they’ll walk away with your bank account information. MORE : Example of Spear Phishing Deactivation scams Cybercriminals will scare you into taking action with deactivation scams. Usually, the emails say your account will be deactivated if you don’t log in within a certain... --- #### Phishing Awareness Campaign To Make Employees The Strongest Defense Against Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-campaign/ Description: Phishing Awareness Campaign To Make Employees The Strongest Defense Against Phishing Attacks: Phishing Awareness Campaign To Make Employees The Strongest. Phishing Awareness Campaign To Make Employees The Strongest Defense Against Phishing Attacks Luring the employees of an organization and obtaining sensitive information like usernames and passwords through dubious means is known as a phishing scam. The attackers design an e-mail scam and disguise themselves as an authorized, legitimate, or trustworthy entity or organization to bait the user. The attacks are designed intelligently and trick the user into clicking on a malicious attachment or link, which looks like a legitimate link to a trusted website. Falling into their trap, the employees part with sensitive business credentials. As a result, these compromised credentials inflict heavy losses to a business. Get Training - Sign Up Analyzing The Vulnerability Of The Network Organizations who seek to develop better security standards for the workforce need to assess how many employees are susceptible to phishing attacks. Following are the steps to carry out a phishing security test within a workplace: - A group of employees is selected, and security teams forward a simulated e-mail to them. It asks them to visit a particular site and perform a specific task like entering sensitive information such as username, password, credit or debit card details, information about the bank... --- #### Some Phishing Awareness Email Templates That Everyone Should Know About For Preventing Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-email-template/ Description: Some Phishing Awareness Email Templates That Everyone Should Know About For Preventing Phishing Attacks: Some Phishing Awareness Email Templates That. Some Phishing Awareness Email Templates That Everyone Should Know About For Preventing Phishing Attacks In today’s digital world, email is an indispensable means of communication. It is one of the most vulnerable too. Hackers take advantage of this fact and keep sending phishing emails. It does not cost a dime to send a phishing email, but if you do open it and click on the malicious links, it can cost you a fortune. Therefore, phishing awareness training should be foremost on the cybersecurity agenda of every business organization in the world. Get Training - Sign Up Phishing Awareness And Phishing Email Templates The phishing emails we receive look genuine at first glance. However, employees should be aware of the indications that help them distinguish between a legitimate email and a phishing attempt. The security awareness training department of your organization can teach the employees this skill by using practical tools such as phishing awareness quizlet, mock phishing, phishing awareness email templates, etc. These help them understand what a typical phishing email looks like. Organizations should conduct such phishing awareness campaigns regularly, including circulation of regular phishing awareness tips through a security awareness email to employees or downloadable phishing training pdf... --- #### Phishing Awareness Presentations As A Part Of Employee Phishing Training Programs URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-presentations/ Description: Phishing Awareness Presentations As A Part Of Employee Phishing Training Programs: Phishing Awareness Presentations As A Part Of Employee Phishing Training. Phishing Awareness Presentations As A Part Of Employee Phishing Training Programs With more organizations functioning online, emails have become the primary mode of communication. Emails are convenient but at the same time, can be a vulnerable mode of communication as well. Hackers and cybercriminals use this medium of communication to infiltrate into organizational network systems to create havoc. Hence, it becomes imperative to educate their front-desk employees about the dangers of phishing. Phishing awareness presentations should help in this matter. Get Training - Sign Up How Can Employee Phishing Training Help? The front-desk employees are the first people who access emails sent to the company’s inbox. Hackers use emails to send their malicious content. Yes, the company’s security systems may have spam email identifiers installed that can handle spam emails. Nevertheless, some of the phishing emails can sneak through the defenses and lodge into the email inbox. A heedless employee could unwittingly open the email message and click on the spurious links or download the malicious attachment. It could set up a chain reaction, thereby affecting all the computers attached to the central server. The business thus ends up compromising on its confidential data. Therefore, educating the front-desk employee is... --- #### Phishing Awareness Quizlet: An Effective Way To Train Your Staff On Anti-Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-quizlet/ Description: Phishing Awareness Quizlet: An Effective Way To Train Your Staff On Anti-Phishing: Phishing Awareness Quizlet: An Effective Way To Train Your Staff On. Phishing Awareness Quizlet: An Effective Way To Train Your Staff On Anti-Phishing In this digital age of computers and the internet, emails are the predominant mode of communication. It is convenient, but also provides opportunities to cybercriminals to hack into your enterprise networks and cause harm to your reputation and finances. Hence, every employee handling emails should have a high level of phishing awareness to scuttle such attempts in the bud. Get Training - Sign Up Phishing Modus Operandi A phishing attack usually starts with an email. The hacker sends an email that appears to be originating from a genuine, trustworthy source. It lures the employee into opening the email. Clicking on the malicious links or downloading attachments it contains allows the hacker to break into your information systems. They then proceed to glean information by directing you to a familiar-looking website. Once the user parts with confidential data like user IDs and passwords, it does not take long for the cybercriminals to do a clean-up job. How Quizlet Helps To Prevent Phishing A phishing awareness campaign in your organization can make use of various methods to train the staff. Some common tools are: - Circulating regular phishing awareness tips... --- #### Hand-Picked Phishing Awareness Templates: A Safe And Practical Attempt To Educate Employees About New Threats URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-template/ Description: Hand-Picked Phishing Awareness Templates: A Safe And Practical Attempt To Educate Employees About New Threats: Hand-Picked Phishing Awareness Templates: A. Hand-Picked Phishing Awareness Templates: A Safe And Practical Attempt To Educate Employees About New Threats Phishing attacks target businesses for a variety of purposes: - To gain control of enterprise computers and local network resources. - To gain unauthorized access to the Enterprise Computing Account and resources. - To target the cash and payment card data. Thus, it is vital to train the employees about these modern phishing schemes through engaging and innovative communication. Security awareness training becomes significant as technical cybersecurity solutions don’t offer full-proof security against such social engineering attacks. Get Training - Sign Up Using Anti-Phishing Templates To Educate The Employees Best way to educate employees about the Phishing attacks is to carry out security awareness training through mock attacks. In simulated phishing attacks, security teams deploy various methods to demonstrate how they can become a victim of such scams. In other words, the virtual simulation of a Phishing attempt is the primary goal of these phishing templates. The idea behind such campaigns is to improve workforce resilience and make employees understand the risks. Organizations can also gain useful insights through these simulated attacks. It will help them upgrade their phishing awareness strategies according to the vulnerability... --- #### 3-Point Strategy: Phishing Awareness Tips For A Safer Business Network URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-tips/ Description: 3-Point Strategy: Phishing Awareness Tips For A Safer Business Network: 3-Point Strategy: Phishing Awareness Tips For A Safer Business Network In earlier. 3-Point Strategy: Phishing Awareness Tips For A Safer Business Network In earlier days, the consumer market was the primary target of phishing attacks. The malware was the primary threat vector for enterprises. However, the trend is changing now. With the increase in technological know-how, phishing remains the top social attack on enterprises. Phishing accounts for more than 90% of the security breaches in enterprise networks. Everyone in the organizational hierarchy is a potential target today. As this is the case, merely investing in software and systems to deter the threat is not enough. No cybersecurity solution, however advanced, can block 100 percent of the hyper-targeted attacks. Hence, employees need the training to analyze the latest trends in phishing as well as proper know-how of how to put the anti-phishing techniques to use for best results. It calls for the management devising an appropriate phishing awareness campaign. Let’s examine the 3-step phishing awareness strategy for businesses. Get Training - Sign Up Understanding The Phishing Methodology For combating phishing, it is necessary to understand what is phishing. It is a form of cyberattack wherein adversaries send fake emails or messages to users pretending to be from sources they trust. They mislead them... --- #### Expert Analysis On Phishing Awareness And Tips To Design A Phishing Awareness Training Powerpoint URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-training-powerpoint/ Description: Expert Analysis On Phishing Awareness And Tips To Design A Phishing Awareness Training Powerpoint: Expert Analysis On Phishing Awareness And Tips To Design A. Expert Analysis On Phishing Awareness And Tips To Design A Phishing Awareness Training Powerpoint The simplicity of their manufacturing makes phishing attacks more prevalent today. These affect businesses every day. Thus, phishing awareness training is undoubtedly essential. But, it needs to move beyond the cybersecurity packages and compliance-based phishing training currently on offer. Experts suggest some innovative ways to engage the employees for a safer enterprise network. Get Training - Sign Up Expert Analysis On The Rising Need Of Phishing Awareness Campaigns The administration needs to make sure that employees understand the risks when clicking on links or opening e-mail attachments from unfamiliar sources. These can lead to a virus or malware infection. It gets best covered in an effective phishing awareness campaign. Here is experts' take on the need for adequate training for employees: No.1 Mistake By Companies According To Frank Bradshaw Frank Bradshaw, a security professional and President of Ho’ike Technologies said that a business is making a big mistake by not following the two approaches. These are security awareness training and effective security policies. According to him, education is the best tool to reduce phishing attacks. An employee should know how a bad and good e-mail looks.... --- #### Invest in Phishing Awareness Training for Your Employees URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness-training/ Description: Invest in Phishing Awareness Training for Your Employees Teach your employees how to identify and catch phishing attacks. Invest in Phishing Awareness Training for Your Employees --- Teach your employees how to identify and catch phishing attacks. Often, it’s about tricking human beings into divulging the secrets that security systems are trying to protect. The social engineering aspect of cyber security is as important as the technological one. Phishing is one of the most common methods social engineers use to defraud their targets. There is no way to secure your business without training your employees to identify phishing attack attempts. Get Training Our easy-to-understand cyber security awareness training program includes the following features  Phishing 101 An Introduction to Phishing, How It Works, and How to Prevent It.  Social Engineering 101 How to Recognize and Mitigate Social Engineering Attacks  Infosec 101 IT Security Made Easy: Security Basics for Non-Technical Users Keep Up With Employee Progress with Our Dedicated Training Portal Our mobile-friendly training portal allows users to complete their studies on any device. Every employee has access to a unique portal and dashboard. Users can take these 100% online security education courses at any time they wish. Our training platform is designed to minimize disruption to employee productivity. Get Up-to-the-Minute Reports on Every User Use our... --- #### The Need For Phishing Awareness To Keep Your Information Systems Secure URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-awareness/ Description: The Need For Phishing Awareness To Keep Your Information Systems Secure: The Need For Phishing Awareness To Keep Your Information Systems Secure How Phishing. The Need For Phishing Awareness To Keep Your Information Systems Secure How Phishing Awareness Training Can Help Your First Line Of Defense Against Phishing. Get Training - Sign Up PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing is a kind of fraud where perpetrators endeavor to extract individual data or personal information by impersonating an authentic brand or person and directing clients to a malignant site. A case of this is the Office 365 phishing assault. A hacker sends an email that seems to originate from Microsoft requesting that the client sign in to their Office 365 account. At the point when the client taps on the link in the email, it takes them to a fake Office 365 login page, where the hackers harvest their credentials. With Microsoft marking and logos both in the email and on the phishing page, an untrained client wouldn’t perceive the email as a phishing attempt. Why You Need Phishing Awareness Cybercrime as assistance, cybercrime through a pack, and cybercrime through a turn-key activity are developing too. Phishing units are accessible and available to be purchased that contain phishing effort layouts and access to an undermined server, among different apparatuses. A few kits... --- #### How to Tell if It’s a Phishing Blog URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-blog/ Description: How to Tell if It's a Phishing Blog: We all have our guilty pleasures, especially when we get a few minutes to take a break from work. Yours might be reading. How to Tell if It’s a Phishing Blog We all have our guilty pleasures, especially when we get a few minutes to take a break from work. Yours might be reading a cooking or travel blog. Blogs may seem harmless, but can still be filled with malware. If you want to stay safe and not fall victim to phishing, here are a few ways to tell if you’re on a phishing blog or not. There are suspicious links Many bloggers have affiliate links in their blog posts, since that’s how they make extra cash doing what they love. Those should be safe to click since they’re genuine URLs promoting products. But before you click on what appears to be an affiliate link, hover your mouse over the anchor text first. Take a look at what the target URL is. If it’s something that looks suspicious or unfamiliar, give it a pass. If you really want to check out what the blogger’s talking about, just open a tab and Google the product yourself. It asks you to log in This one’s actually for if you run a blog yourself. Have you received an email asking you to log into your account... --- #### Phishing: A Blot on the Infinite Possibilities of Digital Space URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-blot/ Description: Phishing: A Blot on the Infinite Possibilities of Digital Space: Phishing: A Blot on the Infinite Possibilities of Digital Space Why it is important to. Phishing: A Blot on the Infinite Possibilities of Digital Space Why it is important to strengthen the phishing protection and other security measures. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Security has become a significant concern these days, be it securing our precious assets or our digital information over the internet. It is essential to safeguard ourselves from online threats as the number of cybercriminals is increasing day by day. Their primary aim is unauthorized data access through phishing campaigns. The organizations need stringent phishing protection and other security measure failing which, the adversaries inject malicious code through their servers and access the organizational data illegally. There are various types of attacks that the adversaries undertake to acquire unauthorized data access, like Phishing, Denial of Service (DoS), Bait and Switch, Virus/Trojan, Eavesdropping, etc. We are shedding light on the most widely used method out of these, phishing. What is Phishing? Phishing is a deceptive attempt made to extract sensitive and confidential information of the victim, such as username, passwords, and credit card details, by misrepresenting oneself as an authoritative entity in the digital conversation. These conversations can take many forms, such as e-mails, phone calls, texts, and... --- #### Phishing E-Mail Training For Employees, Ensure Safety Against The Key Threats That Organizations Are Facing Today URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-e-mail-training-for-employees/ Description: Phishing E-Mail Training For Employees, Ensure Safety Against The Key Threats That Organizations Are Facing Today: Phishing E-Mail Training For Employees -. Phishing E-Mail Training For Employees, Ensure Safety Against The Key Threats That Organizations Are Facing Today Phishing is a form of cyber-attack disguised in the form of e-mail threats. Phishing tricks the e-mail recipient into believing that the e-mail is of reasonably high significance to the user. The most striking thing about Phishing is that the hacker exhibits himself as a trusted entity or a well-established brand or organization to do business with the user. Thus, it becomes difficult for everyday users to distinguish between a possible threat and a genuine link to a website. Get Training - Sign Up How Can Organizations Avoid Phishing of their Data? It is not just employees who need to be careful of Phishing attacks. Instead, the organizations or companies should also take certain preventive measures to keep their data secure from attacks. The first step that organizations may take is to provide employee phishing training sessions. - It can be done by educating the employees and giving phishing simulation training in the form of mock phishing scenarios. The users will be sent genuine, and threat look-alike e-mails to help them identify threats and guide them to take necessary action. - Another significant step... --- #### Boost Your Workplace Security Phishing Education URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-education/ Description: Boost Your Workplace Security Phishing Education: Company secrets are an important commodity for cybercriminals, which they can sell for high prices once. Boost Your Workplace Security With Phishing Education Company secrets are an important commodity for cybercriminals, which they can sell for high prices once obtained. Because they’ll never stop trying to get your organization’s sensitive data, proper precautions must be taken, especially since 97% of consumers can’t correctly identify spear phishing emails. In this article, we’ll show you how to up your digital security with spear phishing prevention service and by providing phishing education for your employees. Have regular security training Make sure your business has a security officer. This person will be well-informed on possible spear phishing attacks and can educate your employees about what they need to be aware of. By having a security officer on staff, your workers have someone they can refer to whenever they feel like something is malicious. The officer can also hold weekly or monthly meetings to inform the entire workplace of current scams they need to watch out for. Test your employees from time to time Your security officer can also help with spear phishing attack tests and train staff on how to prevent phishing. Coordinate with your IT team to send out mock phishing emails periodically to keep people on their toes.... --- #### Deep Diving Into Some Phishing Examples To Understand How Phishing Works! URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-examples/ Description: Deep Diving Into Some Phishing Examples To Understand How Phishing Works! Deep Diving Into Some Phishing Examples To Understand How Phishing Works! Phishing is a continually evolving activity. Hackers are busy changing their tactics all the time. However, the ultimate intention is the same, and that is to obtain confidential and sensitive financial information, user credentials, etc. from the users that can be put to malicious use. Phishing usually starts with a maliciously crafted email informing the recipient about some abnormal activity in his/her account. It goes on to add that the account has been suspended temporarily. The user has to provide specific details for resurrecting the account. However, there are particular giveaways that users should be aware of when dealing with these types of emails. Let us look at some of them. Here are some classic phishing examples. Technical Support Scams One needs securing their banking accounts to prevent unauthorized access. Banks and financial institutions have security measures in place to safeguard confidential information from unauthorized access. Hackers take advantage of vulnerabilities present in such control measures to procure information from unsuspecting clients. On the face of it, these messages look genuine, but a close look can reveal specific errors that you do not expect professional organizations such as banks... --- #### Phishing FAQs: What Are Some Of The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Phishing? URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-faqs/ Description: Phishing FAQs: What Are Some Of The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Phishing?: Phishing FAQs: What Are Some Of The Most Frequently Asked Questions. Phishing FAQs: What Are Some Of The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Phishing? Some of the most frequently asked questions about phishing. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing is a type of cybercrime where attackers use emails to trick targeted users into sharing their personal or sensitive financial information. They generally do this by luring them into clicking malicious links or opening attachments into an email. Most of the times, these phishing emails are cleverly disguised and seem to be coming from a trusted source such as Income Tax department or a Bank or a well-known company such as Amazon, eBay etc. Hence, if users are not alert, they fail to notice that these emails contain malicious links and harmful attachments. Let's look at some of the most frequently asked questions about phishing. ✔️ What Is A Phishing Attack, And How It Starts? A phishing attack is one of the most prevalent and widely used methods by hackers that functions via e-mails, instant messages, or even phone calls. It uses social engineering technique to lure vulnerable users. These attacks are attempts by the adversaries to gain unauthorized access into the private details, or belongings of... --- #### Scammers Are Getting Smarter By The Day, Avoid Being A Victim Of Phishing And Identity Theft! URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-identity-theft/ Description: Scammers Are Getting Smarter By The Day, Avoid Being A Victim Of Phishing And Identity Theft!: Scammers Are Getting Smarter By The Day, Avoid Being A Victim. Scammers Are Getting Smarter By The Day, Avoid Being A Victim Of Phishing And Identity Theft! Phishing is a fraudulent practice that involves sending spoof e-mails impersonating reputed organizations and attempts to trick users into revealing their personal information. One of the worst consequences of phishing is identity theft. Hackers who are engaged in phishing steal identities of their victims. They do it to gain unauthorized access to their names and resources. Since phishing attacks were first discovered back in the '90s, they have evolved from being crudely implemented attempts, to more sophisticated attacks today. Nowadays, these attacks are so intelligently designed and refined, that they can trick even the best computer experts. Adversaries use various tools to create duplicate websites and e-mails that resemble the original ones entirely. At first sight, average users cannot differentiate between the real and the fake ones. Free Trial How Does Phishing Lead To Identity Theft? During a phishing attack, hackers aim to trick victims into opening a fake website. For starters, the adversary disguises as a major bank or a retailer and sends out mass e-mails. Through these e-mails, they try to deceive the recipients by mentioning that there has been some crisis.... --- #### Phishing Incident Response Guide: What to Do After an Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-incident-response-guide/ Description: Step-by-step phishing incident response guide for IT teams. Covers immediate containment, investigation, recovery, reporting obligations, and prevention measures after a phishing attack. Your email security failed. An employee clicked. Credentials were entered on a fake login page. Or a BEC email convinced someone in accounting to wire $87,000 to a new account. It happens to well-defended organizations, and it happens to organizations that thought they were well-defended. What matters now is how fast and how effectively your team responds. The IBM 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report found that organizations that contained a breach in under 200 days saved an average of $1.02 million compared to those that took longer. In phishing incidents, the critical window is often measured in minutes, not days. This guide provides a structured incident response framework for phishing attacks. It is designed for IT administrators and security teams at small and midsize businesses - organizations that may not have a dedicated security operations center but still need a professional-grade response capability. --- Before the Incident: Preparation The time to build your incident response capability is before you need it. If you are reading this after an attack has already occurred, skip to the next section - but come back here once the immediate crisis is resolved. Build Your Response Team Define who is involved in phishing... --- #### Know Phishing Prevention Best Practices URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-prevention-best-practices/ Description: Know Phishing Prevention Best Practices: With phishing becoming so rampant, your main priority should be looking after your organization's digital security. Phishing Prevention Best Practices With phishing becoming so rampant, your main priority should be looking after your organization’s digital security. Why? Because just one successful phishing attack may be all it takes to topple your operations. To help you fend off cybercriminals, here are some phishing prevention best practices your business can follow. Don’t click on links in emails One of the main ways scammers try to phish is via email. You should be on the lookout for spelling and grammar errors, logos that don’t look quite right, and unprompted login requests. It may seem excessive, but it’s a good habit to never click on links provided in emails, even if they seem to be from a trusted institution. Instead, always log into your accounts by going to the websites directly. You can familiarize with spear phishing examples to improve your defenses. When you type in the domain name yourself, there’s zero chance of clicking on a malicious link. Whether or not the email request is genuine, you’ll have to check your account anyway to see if you need to take action. By adding one small step to your routine, you’ll significantly lower your chances of falling for a phishing... --- #### Phishing Prevention Tips | How To Protect Yourself from Email Scams, Threats and Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-prevention/ Description: Phishing Prevention Tips | How To Protect Yourself from Email Scams, Threats and Attacks: 17 Phishing Prevention Tips, Prevent Phishing Attacks, Scams and. 17 Phishing Prevention Tips, Prevent Phishing Attacks, Scams and Email Threats How To Protect Your Organization from Email Scams, Threats and Attacks Online Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing prevention refers to a comprehensive set of tools and techniques that can help identify and neutralize phishing attacks in advance. This includes extensive user education that is designed to spread phishing awareness, installing specialized anti phishing solutions, tools and programs and introducing a number of other phishing security measures that are aimed at proactive phishing protection while providing mitigation techniques for attacks that do manage to breach security. Email phishing protection is much more of an art than science. Sure, all sorts of fancy technologies could be thrown in with the hope of blocking out phishing attempts. The most effective approach, however, would be to create a customized strategy based on specific business context. For example, large enterprises may benefit from enterprise-grade email security software in addition to formal email security training programs that combine user education and best-practices into formal, on-going training. Small companies, on the other hand, may find it far more cost-effective to simply focus on employee education and best-practices while keeping their... --- #### Phishing Protection Best Practices Guide : Thank You URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-protection-best-practices-guide-thank-you/ Description: Phishing Protection Best Practices Guide : Thank You: Learn why hosted solutions like Office 365 are vulnerable to phishing. Discover why you must protect. You're All Set! » Please Click Here To Download ​Here's What To Expect From The Ebook  Learn why hosted solutions like Office 365 are vulnerable to phishing.  Discover why you must protect both your employees AND your customers.  Understand what real-time website scanning should look for. U Read why checking reputation databases once a day is a waste of time.  Get strategies for saving time and money on email protection.  Receive a summary list of phishing protection best practices. --- #### Phishing Protection, Best Practices Guide : Download URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-protection-best-practices-guide/ Description: Best Practices for Protecting Your Small or Medium Size Business from... Best Practices for Protecting Your Small or Medium Size Business from Phishing PDF DOWNLOAD ​Here's What To Expect From The Ebook l Learn why hosted solutions like Office 365 are vulnerable to phishing.  Discover why you must protect both your employees AND your customers.  Understand what real-time website scanning should look for.  Read why checking reputation databases once a day is a waste of time.  Get strategies for saving time and money on email protection.  Receive a summary list or view web version of Phishing Protection Best Practices Guide. --- #### Multi-Layered Approach For Robust Phishing Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-protection/ Description: Multi-Layered Approach For Robust Phishing Protection: Phishing scams are the most widespread and pernicious attacks which are becoming sophisticated by the. Multi-Layered Approach For Robust Phishing Protection Phishing scams are the most widespread and pernicious attacks which are becoming sophisticated by the day. Today, cybercriminals are targeting employees, as well as the high-value individuals in the organizations which have privileged access to sensitive information. As adversaries enhance the scope and sophistication of these attacks, it is prudent for businesses to deploy the best cybersecurity practices. Phishing Attack Definition In simple words, a phishing attack is an attempt to steal sensitive and personal information through ambiguous and malicious e-mails or websites. Hackers carry out these attacks to steal the victim’s personal data or credit card information for financial gain. Additionally, adversaries use phishing e-mails to install the malware on the victim's machine. For targeting a specific company, hackers obtain employee login information and other details to carry out an advanced attack. Therefore, it is necessary for individual users and organizations to identify phishing attacks and to learn phishing prevention techniques. MORE: How to Protect against Phishing Phishing Protection Techniques Just one click on a wrong link can compromise all your sensitive data. There is no single cybersecurity technology which can effectively prevent phishing attacks. Thus, as a phishing protection measure, organizations and... --- #### Know Your Enemy: Phishing Resources For The Best Defense URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-resources/ Description: Know Your Enemy: Phishing Resources For The Best Defense: The internet is a stockpot of information, a place where you can gain valuable knowledge. You can. Know Your Enemy: Phishing Resources For The Best Defense The internet is a stockpot of information, a place where you can gain valuable knowledge. You can find tons of cybersecurity and phishing resources that you can use to build your awareness for effective defense against cyber threats. Let’s take a look at these resources, which we’ve divided into different categories like tools, webinars, and whitepapers. The lists are not exhaustive but given as an example of what resources are available. Free Trial Free Tools To Counter Cyber Attack Phishing Security Test Phishing Security Test is a free tool from KnowBe4, the security awareness training firm. It offers the ability to carry out simulated phishing attacks in your organization. So, it is a tool to test the vulnerability and strength of your last line of cyber defense, your employees. It helps you to strengthen your enterprise’s security posture by keeping the staff at high alert for any signs of phishing attempts. It also helps to identify the weak link in your organization and take necessary actions about it. The features of Phishing Security Test include: - You can select the number of users you need (up to 100). - You can... --- #### The Phishing Security Test: Pointing Out The Weak Links In Your Last Line Of Phishing Defense URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-security-test/ Description: The Phishing Security Test: Pointing Out The Weak Links In Your Last Line Of Phishing... The Phishing Security Test: Pointing Out The Weak Links In Your Last Line Of Phishing Defense Phishing is a threat felt by every organization today. As a result, many businesses are spending a lot of time and resources to protect themselves from phishing. These safeguards generally include awareness training and software and services from cybersecurity solutions providers. These measures are all good and have succeeded in preventing millions of dollars going into the phishers’ accounts somewhere. However, how do you know that the solutions you deploy are reliable enough, or how competent are your employees to deal with real attacks? It is vital to know the answers to these questions because the attackers may be able to bypass your security systems. If you only find out your answer when that happens, it may already be too late to do anything about it. So, how will you come to know that your organization is prepared to face any attack? Well, there’s a ready-to-use solution for that, Phishing Security Test, a free online security tool from KnowBe4. With this tool, you can find out how good your security is, what vulnerabilities you have, and what you can do about them. Another great... --- #### Assessing Phishing Vulnerability With Phishing Simulation Training URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-simulation-training/ Description: Assessing Phishing Vulnerability With Phishing Simulation Training: Assessing Phishing Vulnerability With Phishing Simulation Training Today, most. Assessing Phishing Vulnerability With Phishing Simulation Training Today, most enterprises, small or big, are moving their businesses online. While this provides uncountable advantages to the said organizations, there are also a few threats to the contrary. Phishing is one of the major internet-related threats to any organization. A phishing attack is an act where cyber criminals attempt to steal confidential information or essential data from the victim for their ill intentions. These cybercriminals not only target the central or distributed databases but also target any exchange of information by an organization's employees. Learning about the types of phishing attacks forms an integral part of phishing simulation training. Get Training - Sign Up Types Of Phishing Attacks Here are the types of phishing attacks that one should be aware of Spear phishing Spear phishing is a personalized phishing attack targeted to a specific group or an individual employee. These sophisticated attacks are highly dangerous to any individual or organization. Email phishing In this type of cyber attack, an attacker sends phishing emails in bulk. If any employee is not aware of email phishing, then they are susceptible to this attack. Email attachments and link manipulation can easily lead employees to phishing... --- #### Use Phishing Simulation to Test and Train Your Employees Against Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-simulation/ Description: Use Phishing Simulation to Test and Train Your Employees Against Phishing... Use Phishing Simulation to Test and Train Your Employees Against Phishing Attacks --- Find out how your employees will respond to real-life phishing attacks. Email phishing is, by far, the most common method cyber criminals use to defraud their victims. Nearly every kind of cyber crime, from ransomware to data breaches and even state-sponsored hacking, starts with a phishing exploit. Get Training Email Fraud Is the Cyber Criminals’ First Step According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report, 94% of malware is delivered by email. 32% of data breaches involve phishing, and 29% of those breaches involved the use of stolen credentials. Every day, more than 150 million phishing emails are sent. Sixteen million of them get past security filters and land into user inboxes. Half of those are opened. Users click on 800,000 malicious links, and 80,000 of them fall for phishing scams. This happens every single day. Your Email Inbox Is a Minefield The sheer volume of malicious emails that most people receive is staggering. Your employees receive thousands of bad links, malware-infected attachments, and fraudulent messages every month. The average cost of a single data breach is between $1.25 and $8.19 million. Protecting your employees against 99%... --- #### Efficient Phishing Solutions To Tackle The Rising Number Of Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-solutions/ Description: Efficient Phishing Solutions To Tackle The Rising Number Of Phishing Attacks: Efficient Phishing Solutions To Tackle The Rising Number Of Phishing Attacks. Efficient Phishing Solutions To Tackle The Rising Number Of Phishing Attacks With the rapidly unfolding threat landscape of phishing attacks, organizations not only face a threat from malicious e-mails but weaponized attachments also. Thus, it is imperative for business leaders, IT admins, and solution providers to understand the need for protecting their organization. While most organizations prefer to engage the end-users in regular and comprehensive cybersecurity training with phishing prevention best practices, it is not enough to counter the hyper-targeted phishing campaigns. Multi-pronged phishing solutions are the only surefire way for protection against phishing threats. Phishing Solutions To Prevent Phishing Attempts Organizations need to deploy a series of anti-phishing security firewalls to prevent phishing from cybercriminals gaining unauthorized access to their systems and compromising the information. Here are some of the techniques that help in phishing protection: Using Anti-Phishing Tools There are many anti-phishing techniques which enterprises can employ. The most effective solution is employee awareness training. But, it is not sufficient in itself; hence, organizations need to take steps to upgrade their digital security. With the right tools, they can prevent the cyber-attackers from crossing the organization’s line of defense. - Antivirus Software: Antivirus software can be part of... --- #### The Ultimate Guide To Phishing Techniques: Things You Need To Know About Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-techniques/ Description: The Ultimate Guide To Phishing Techniques: Things You Need To Know About Phishing: The Ultimate Guide To Phishing Techniques: Things You Need To Know About. The Ultimate Guide To Phishing Techniques: Things You Need To Know About Phishing Let’s talk about the different types of phishing attacks used by cybercriminals. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Phishing attacks come in various forms, and in this article, we are going to discuss the different techniques used by phishers to trick people. As technology gets more advanced, the phishing techniques have also been growing more sophisticated. To avoid falling in to the hands of hackers and phishers, users need to educate themselves about phishing and the techniques used by phishing scams to target victims. Spear Phishing In the early days of phishing, hackers adopted a “spray and pray” strategy, in which they send emails to as many users as possible and wait for the victims to commit mistakes. Unlike those, spear-phishing is a phishing technique that targets a specific individual or an organization. Spear-phishers take their time to do in-depth research on the target to create a more personalized attack. As the attackers know the habits and weaknesses of their targets very well, spear-phishing attacks have more success rates than regular phishing attacks. Most of the times, the targeted victim falls into their... --- #### Train Your Employees Against Online Threats: Best Phishing Tips For Employees URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-tips-for-employees/ Description: Train Your Employees Against Online Threats: Best Phishing Tips For Employees: Train Your Employees Against Online Threats: Best Phishing Tips For Employees. Train Your Employees Against Online Threats: Best Phishing Tips For Employees A few years before, the malware was the biggest threat to businesses, while phishing was only considered to be a threat to the masses. But the tide has changed now, and phishing has become a significant headache for enterprises. Get Training - Sign Up Employee Phishing Training Security breaches occur not because of the lack of security backup in the organization, but mainly due to a lack of knowledge among the employees about phishing. Even a single malicious attachment download can corrupt the whole network in a few minutes. Hence, enterprises must take phishing email training for employees seriously and should ensure that everyone in the organization is aware of the consequences of phishing and how to overcome it through training and phishing awareness presentations. Treating Every Email As A Phishing Email Employees need to be trained using employee phishing training to keep their eyes open for phishing emails. They need to be taught to treat every email as a phishing email. Employees need to be alert when clicking URLs on emails and downloading attachments. The major problem with phishing emails is that it is tough to identify them... --- #### Use A Phishing Training PDF For Imparting Awareness About Phishing Attacks In Your Employees URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-training-pdf/ Description: Use A Phishing Training PDF For Imparting Awareness About Phishing Attacks In Your Employees: Use A Phishing Training PDF For Imparting Awareness About. Use A Phishing Training PDF For Imparting Awareness About Phishing Attacks In Your Employees The primary target of hackers, to get into the system of an organization, is the employees. Therefore, using phishing training PDF is a necessity to be part of the employee phishing training so that the human resources of the organization can learn about phishing attacks; how to spot them, and how to deal with them. Get Training - Sign Up Learning About Phishing Before discussing employee phishing training, we should first understand what phishing is all about. In simple words, we can understand phishing as a fraud attempted by the hackers, with the prime objective to steal personal and sensitive data, by portraying themselves as a legitimate and authorized entity and directing the user to a malicious website. The phishing attack works through an email. The adversaries send an email that seems to come from a legitimate source. When the user clicks an email, the link directs the user to a malicious website that looks similar to the authorized one. Then, the user is asked to put in some sensitive data, and hackers gather it, and that’s how the user becomes the victim of a phishing... --- #### Phishing Whitepapers, A Valuable Resource To Counter Cyber Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/phishing-whitepapers/ Description: Phishing Whitepapers, A Valuable Resource To Counter Cyber Attacks: Phishing Whitepapers, A Valuable Resource To Counter Cyber Attacks Whitepapers are. Phishing Whitepapers, A Valuable Resource To Counter Cyber Attacks Whitepapers are documents containing authoritative and concise information on specific issues and their resolutions. Here, we take a look at some papers on phishing scams and attacks, called phishing whitepapers here, released by KnowBe4. Each of these papers presents valuable discussions on how enterprises can adopt practical measures to fight phishing attacks, and research-based findings and facts back the presentations. Free Trial The Phishing Breakthrough Point Phishing, while we often see it as an outside threat from some anonymous attacker, can also find success due to unintended insider threats. Organizations can decrease these threats by employing security awareness training along with various simulated phishing security tests. The security tests can uncover the loopholes in an organization’s security posture and hence, are one of the most effective tools in combating such malicious attacks. - This phishing whitepaper discusses the following points in detail: - The level of phishing awareness in an organization and its breakthrough point. - The strong metrics that businesses can put in place to cover all potential loopholes or blind spots regarding social engineering. - The effectiveness and efficiency of phishing awareness training in protecting the organization’s network. Best... --- #### Practices For E-mail Security: Learning, Implementing, Protecting URL: https://phishprotection.com/practices-for-email-security-learning-implementing-protecting/ Description: Practices For E-mail Security: Learning, Implementing, Protecting: Practices For E-mail Security: Learning, Implementing, Protecting E-mails have become an. Practices For E-mail Security: Learning, Implementing, Protecting Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING E-mails have become an increasingly rich application which is capable of carrying messages with hidden links to malicious attachments, web sites, and codes. Undoubtedly, the table stakes for e-mail security are high in today’s digital age. In this article, we discuss the best enterprise e-mail security practices, both at the management as well as employee level. An e-mail system comprises two primary components: mail clients and mail servers. Mail clients help users in reading, composing, and sending their e-mails. The mail server is the computer that helps in delivering, forwarding, and storing the e-mail messages. In today's world, e-mails are the primary source of exchanging information in a personal and professional environment. However, there are specific security threats with e-mail media, and caution is necessary while clicking links or downloading attachments in an e-mail. Thus, there is a need to protect all the components of e-mails, mail clients, servers, and the infrastructure that connects them. The Security Risks Associated With E-mails Usually, enterprises send e-mails over external networks which are outside their security net. The lack of security safeguards makes them vulnerable to... --- #### Excellent Phishing Solutions That Can Help Prevent Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/prevent-phishing/ Description: Excellent Phishing Solutions That Can Help Prevent Phishing Attacks: Excellent Phishing Solutions That Can Help Prevent Phishing Attacks Phishing is a type. Excellent Phishing Solutions That Can Help Prevent Phishing Attacks Phishing is a type of scam that is used by cybercriminals to trick users into divulging their sensitive information. Such compromising information might include bank account details, credit card details, usernames, passwords, etc. Phishing attacks are conducted via emails or other media that mimic a legitimate or authentic person or institution. Such kinds of attacks use social engineering methods to trick a user into clicking a valid seeming malicious link that is sent to the user. When this link is clicked, the user is taken to a replica of the original website. They might then be asked to enter their personal details, and this is how sensitive data ends up being compromised. How To Prevent Phishing? With the increasing number of phishing attacks, there is a growing need for effective phishing attack prevention techniques and phishing protection. If you want to know how to avoid phishing, here are some of the ways for achieving anti-phishing security: Protection Through Antivirus Software With the advancement in phishing techniques, there has also been an advancement in the latest antivirus software. Today, antivirus software comes with extra defensive layers that protect the user from all... --- #### How To Become Cyber Savvy And Protect Yourself from Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/protect-yourself-from-phishing/ Description: How To Become Cyber Savvy And Protect Yourself from... How To Become Cyber Savvy And Protect Yourself from Phishing Find out how to protect yourself from phishing. We explore what is phishing, the different types of phishing attacks, and how to avoid them. Free Trial SECURITY RESOURCES PLANS AND PRICING PHISHING PROTECTION Phishing is undoubtedly a significant threat to the digital world. And since phishing techniques are becoming more sophisticated by the day, more and more people are falling into these traps. Phishing is a social engineering attack by hackers where they try to trick unsuspecting and ill-informed targets into giving up their sensitive information. It is one of the most commonly used methods that hackers use to gain information like bank account details, credit/debit card information, social security number, usernames, passwords, etc. Phishing attacks can take place anytime and to anyone because most scammers send their attacks in bulk and without specific targets. So, it’s the responsibility of every internet user, irrespective of professional and personal, to become familiar with the primary protection against phishing scams. Failing to recognize between genuine and fake messages can lead to some dangerous consequences. Types Of Phishing Scams And Protection Against Them When we talk about phishing, it is essential to know... --- #### Protection Against Malware Is Necessary To Safeguard Your Confidential Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/protection-against-malware/ Description: Protection Against Malware Is Necessary To Safeguard Your Confidential Data: Protection Against Malware Is Necessary To Safeguard Your Confidential Data. Protection Against Malware Is Necessary To Safeguard Your Confidential Data Every computer system should have protection against malware to thwart such hacking attempts like phishing. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING In layman’s terms, malware is a short form of malicious software that hackers write to steal data, damage information systems, and wreak havoc on the computer network. Malware could include conventional viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, and, more recently, ransomware. Why Do You Need Malware Protection? People no longer only use personal computers or laptops to access the internet. Today, other devices like smartphones, tablets, and so on can do the job better. With the Internet of Things (IoT) taking precedence over our lives, malware protection is of utmost importance. It only takes a few moments of indiscretion to clean up your bank accounts, and compromise your identity, as well. In today’s digital era, malware is the most dangerous enemy to contend with in life. Different Types Of Malware Malware can attack in various forms. Here are the different types of malware that you could encounter in your daily lives. » Virus Similar to their biological namesakes, viruses attach to your computer files and infect them.... --- #### How to Get Protection Against Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/protection-against-ransomware/ Description: How to Get Protection Against Ransomware: How to get protection against ransomware to prevent devastating effects. As the internet grows more and more. How to Get Protection Against Ransomware How to get protection against ransomware to prevent devastating effects. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING As the internet grows more and more advanced, it has enabled globalization for many businesses. While legitimate companies have made leaps and bounds, unfortunately, so have cybercriminals. Back in its infancy, the internet only had simple types of malware to worry about, such as Trojan viruses. Nowadays, there are more complicated threats, such as zero-day attacks and ransomware. In fact, ransomware is so catastrophic that it has shut down 20% of the small businesses it has hit. With these statistics, you can’t afford to leave yourself at risk of serious malware like ransomware. In this article, we explain exactly what ransomware is and what you can do to detect and block it. What is ransomware? As the name implies, ransomware is a type of malware that locks up your computer and doesn’t allow you access until you pay a “ransom.” Once you download the malware, it prevents you from opening your own data through a process called encryption. Once this happens, you’ll get instructions to open a file from the ransomware you’ve downloaded. This... --- #### Protection Against Social Engineering, Phishing, And Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/protection-against-social-engineering-phishing-and-ransomware/ Description: With a majority of enterprises today conducting their business online at least to some extent, terms like ‘social engineering,’ ‘phishing,’ and ‘ransomware’ have become common. With a majority of enterprises today conducting their business online at least to some extent, terms like ‘social engineering,’ ‘phishing,’ and ‘ransomware’ have become common. This article will show you what exactly these terms mean, and why and how you should take all possible countermeasures against them and use anti-phishing solutions and techniques. The Present Scenario The war against cybercrime is becoming more challenging as adversaries employ new, better, and more advanced technologies to break into the systems of individuals and organizations with the sole motives of stealing their personal, intellectual, and financial data. Reports about these cyber crimes show an alarming trend. Research by Wombat Security reveals the escalating threat from ransomware and phishing attacks; the report says that about 83% of companies experienced phishing attacks in 2019. They further added that 96% of organizations received ransomware related email attacks in the second half of 2019. The threat posed by these cyber attackers also finds a reflection in the findings of the renowned threat management company, Trend Micro, which states that approximately 77% of companies were hit by ransomware attacks in 2019, and Emsisoft estimates ransomware attack estimated cost is exceeded $7.5 billion at an average. What Are These... --- #### Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today’s Information Age URL: https://phishprotection.com/protection-from-phishing/ Description: Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today's Information Age: Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today's Information Age Understand why. Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today’s Information Age Understand why phishing protection is necessary change in an enterprise’s digital architecture. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING The rapid transformation of cyberspace and digital technologies in recent times have necessitated changes in an enterprise’s digital architecture. Adversaries these days make use of highly sophisticated techniques and advanced digital platforms to attack enterprises and individuals. One of these techniques employed by cybercriminals is ‘Phishing'. Phishing is a type of online fraud, which makes use of deceptive e-mails, website, or pop-up ads. It involves a technique known as social engineering which consists of throwing a bait towards the intended victim (usual employees of an organization) and luring them to reveal his private information or user credentials. This information can further be used to compromise the financial assets and data of the organization. Historical Examples of Successful Phishing Attacks Cybercriminals, who use phishing to pose as real people with legitimate concerns, play their cards very carefully. This allows them to bypass sophisticated cybersecurity controls already present at the organizational level by exploiting the vulnerabilities that untrained and unaware employees may present. Phishing is one of the oldest, yet... --- #### Ransomware Attack: Why Do Organizations Need To Pay A Ransom? URL: https://phishprotection.com/ransomware-attack-why-organizations-pay-ransom/ Description: Ransomware Attack: Why Do Organizations Need To Pay A Ransom?: Ransomware Attack: Why Do Organizations Need To Pay A Ransom? How ransomware causing. Ransomware Attack: Why Do Organizations Need To Pay A Ransom? How ransomware causing considerable emotional and financial losses to its victims. Free Trial SECURITY RESOURCES WHAT IS PHISHING? PHISHING PROTECTION New Jersey Health Network tried protecting its information assets but failed to do so and had to pay a hefty ransom to the cybercriminals. Let’s see how it happened and the compelling scenario that made the health network lose its funds in the ransomware attack. By following the incident, we can learn an essential lesson and make it a point to implement the same in this digital transformation age. To be protected from such malicious phishing attacks and implement anti-phishing solutions, the Federal government expects the organizations to identify PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and PHI (Protected Health Information) and handle them securely. Unauthorized exposure of these confidential and sensitive data by an individual could result in severe consequences for the individual as well as the governing body safeguarding the information. Any loss of critical information can hamper its integrity and confidentiality and make the data get into the wrong hands. Thus, first, it is imperative to know about what PII and PHI are, their importance, and how neglecting these can... --- #### Ransomware Examples: The Most Harmful Ransomware Attacks Ever Happened URL: https://phishprotection.com/ransomware-example/ Description: Ransomware Examples: The Most Harmful Ransomware Attacks Ever Happened: Ransomware Examples: The Most Harmful Ransomware Attacks Ever Happened Before taking. Ransomware Examples: The Most Harmful Ransomware Attacks Ever Happened Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Understanding Ransomware Before taking a look at the examples of ransomware attacks, we should first understand what is ransomware is. Ransomware is a kind of malicious software which is used by the adversaries to get access to the sensitive data of the targeted user and encrypting the data to demand a ransom. A ransomware attack is one in which an individual's or organization's computer systems are targeted with ransomware. It enters into the system network of the user employing fake ransomware email attachments, links attached to phishing emails, downloads made from malicious websites, clicking on suspicious pop-up windows, using infected USB sticks, etc. Once the user falls victim to the attack, the malware blocks or encrypts the access to the user’s data and demands ransom to unblock and allow access to the computer system. So let’s have a look at the history of ransomware attacks to understand how ransomware operates and who is behind ransomware attacks. Here is the list of ransomware examples that took place in recent times. Most Popular Ransomware Examples Locky The first one on our list of... --- #### What You Need to Know About Ransomware Protection Software URL: https://phishprotection.com/ransomware-protection-software/ Description: What You Need to Know About Ransomware Protection Software: In 1991, the first ransomware attack was carried out through the use of floppy disks mailed to. What You Need to Know About Ransomware Protection Software In 1991, the first ransomware attack was carried out through the use of floppy disks mailed to some AIDS researchers. PC Cyborg was the first of its kind, and it’s certainly not the last. In over two decades, ransomware attacks have become increasingly more sophisticated. Nowadays, we have malware that can lock up entire systems and even put some small companies out of business. To avoid such a fate for your organization, you need to consider getting ransomware protection software. But before we explain what it can do for you, here’s a basic explanation of the types of ransomware you might encounter. The types of ransomware When it comes to ransomware, cybercriminals typically specialize in two types: encryption and leakware (doxware). However, they rarely dabble in leakware and doxware, since encryption ransomware is much more rewarding when comparing the effort required and the monetary profit. MORE: What is ransomware? Encryption ransomware When you download malware that leads to encryption ransomware, it causes all your files to lock up. You won’t be able to open any of them, as the cybercriminal has encrypted them. In order to regain access, you need a... --- #### Recent Zero-Day Attacks: Top Examples and How To Prevent It URL: https://phishprotection.com/recent-zero-day-attacks/ Description: Recent Zero-Day Attacks: Top Examples and How To Prevent It: 'Zero-Day' or 'Day Zero' is an attack that exploits serious software security vulnerability that. Recent Zero-Day Attacks: Top Examples and How To Prevent It. ‘Zero-Day’ or ‘Day Zero’ is an attack that exploits serious software security vulnerability that the developer of the vendor might not be aware of. As soon as one discovers it, the software developer needs to rush to resolve the vulnerability to limit its threat to software users. A software patch is a solution to this. The likes of recent zero-day attacks could be used for attacking the internet of things, too. Recent Zero-Day attacks Attack On Microsoft Windows, June 2019 The attack on Microsoft Windows that has targeted Eastern Europe was identified by a group of researchers from ESET in June 2019. The attack was regarding the local escalation privileges that were a vulnerable part of Microsoft Windows. Since releasing a patch is the only option in such scenarios, once the threat was identified, the security center from Microsoft took the responsibility of rectifying it. It can also be assumed similar to a phishing attack where the hackers attack people that are vulnerable to fall for scam emails as well as messages. Microsoft inadvertently left one point in favor of the attackers, and the attackers took advantage of the same.... --- #### Some Easy And Effective Ways To Tackle & Report Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/report-phishing-emails/ Description: Some Easy And Effective Ways To Tackle & Report Phishing Emails: Some Easy And Effective Ways To Tackle & Report Phishing Emails At the onset, let's get a. Some Easy And Effective Ways To Tackle & Report Phishing Emails What Is Phishing? At the onset, let's get a clear understanding of the term ‘Phishing’. Phishing is when a scammer adopts various fraudulent methods to obtain sensitive pieces of information of an individual such as usernames, passwords, credit card information, etc. by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity. In addition to that, there are other means by which a person can resort to phishing, such as duping an individual into opening their emails, or text messages to initiate the process of phishing. Phishing results in hampering one's privacy and security, both personally and financially. Moreover, one can lose both identity and money by becoming a victim to it. Below are the types of phishing emails, certain measures one can adopt to stop phishing emails from getting into their system, and ways to report phishing emails you get, in case they have already become a victim to it Free Trial Types Of Phishing Emails Phishing emails have several variations, each using different techniques to scam unsuspecting victims. Below are various kinds of Phishing Emails that a particular scammer can resort to for stealing your data: Spear Phishing These emails are... --- #### Resources URL: https://phishprotection.com/resources/ Description: - 10 Best Tools For Phishing Prevention To Avert Threat Actors From Getting Access To Your Enterprise’s Information... - 10 Best Tools For Phishing Prevention To Avert Threat Actors From Getting Access To Your Enterprise’s Information Assets read more... - Evolution Of Phishing Attacks In The Pandemic Era read more... - How To Become Cyber Savvy And Protect Yourself from Phishing read more... - Exploring Office 365 Phishing Protection Updates read more... - Phishing Attacks and Content Protection read more... - Let’s See What Microsoft Office 365’s New Phishing Protection Add-ons Are read more... - On Dropbox Phishing Scam & How Phishing Protection Is Possible From Similar Cyber-Threats read more... - Ransomware Attack: Why Do Organizations Need To Pay A Ransom? read more... - Phishing: A Blot on the Infinite Possibilities of Digital Space read more... - Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today’s Information Age read more... - Top 10 Phishing Prevention Best Practices For Safe Corporate Communication read more... - What Are Some Major Phishing Attacks Examples? read more... - How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization read more... - Don’t Let Your Guard Down! Avoid Phishing Scams With These Simple Steps read more... - Extortion Ploys Return With Jigsaw Ransomware Download read more... - Top All-Time Ransomware Demands By Hackers read more...... --- #### Security Awareness Email To Employees: Bolstering The First Line Of Defense Against Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/security-awareness-email-to-employees/ Description: Security Awareness Email To Employees: Bolstering The First Line Of Defense Against Phishing Attacks: Security Awareness Email To Employees: Bolstering The. Security Awareness Email To Employees: Bolstering The First Line Of Defense Against Phishing Attacks While there are many technological means to detect and prevent phishing attacks, it is impossible to avoid phishing through only technical means. Hence, this is where phishing awareness campaigns pitch in. A simple phishing awareness e-mail can help employees spot and report suspected attempts. Additionally, enclosing a phishing training pdf in the e-mail can help an organization avoid the loss of money and its credibility. Phishing awareness training begins with educating the employees. Depending on the type of organization, the administration can deliver this training through awareness e-mails, phishing awareness quizlet, etc. They are beneficial in providing useful insights such as the adverse consequences a phishing attack can lead to. The dedicated campaigns empower the employees to detect and report phishing attempts. Get Training - Sign Up The Components Of The Security Awareness Training E-mail A security awareness training e-mail template should be well prepared by the organization and should consist of the following things: Phishing Awareness About Different Type Of Attacks Most employees have no idea about phishing until they fall into such a trap. Basic outlining of what phishing is and how hackers execute... --- #### Security Awareness Training Can Help Protect Your Enterprise From Cyber-threats Effectively URL: https://phishprotection.com/security-awareness-training/ Description: Security Awareness Training Can Help Protect Your Enterprise From Cyber-threats Effectively: Security Awareness Training Can Help Protect Your Enterprise. Security Awareness Training Can Help Protect Your Enterprise From Cyber-threats Effectively In this digital era, security awareness is inevitable to any organization as it is essential to secure valuable data from being hacked. It is accomplished through a process of educating the employees about cybersecurity. A security awareness program is considered to be adequate only if it provides sufficient education to the employees regarding policies and procedures to work safely with information technology. Every enterprise should keep cybersecurity on the list of their prime agendas as a slight mishappening happened to even the junior-most employee can make your firm lose fortunes. Get Training - Sign Up Importance Of Security Awareness An organization's technological status alone is not sufficient to control undesirable cyber threats as long as its employees are not adequately aware of its pros and cons and lack the knowhow to deter the threats. Such employees might disclose valuable digital information to cybercriminals which can lead to security incidents. Hence, it is essential to have a security awareness program in such a place which would make sure that the employees are aware of the implications of mishandling sensitive information. While primarily the enterprise may incur a loss of data... --- #### SOC URL: https://phishprotection.com/soc/ Description: SOC: The System and Organization Controls SOC Reports are independent third-party examination reports that demonstrate how we achieve key compliance controls. SOC The System and Organization Controls (SOC) Reports are independent third-party examination reports that demonstrate how we achieve key compliance controls and objectives. The purpose of these reports is to help you and your auditors understand the controls established to support operations and compliance. - The SOC 2 Security, Availability & Confidentiality Report, available to customers. What information do the SOC Reports provide? SOC 2: Security, Availability & Confidentiality What is the report? A description of the controls environment and external audit of controls that meet the AICPA Trust Services Security, Availability, and Processing Integrity Principles and Criteria Under what Standard is the Audit Report Performed? Examination Engagements AICPA Guide, Reporting on Controls at a Service Organization Relevant to Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, or Privacy(SOC 2®) TSP section 100A, 2017 Trust Services Criteria for Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality (AICPA, 2017 Trust Services Criteria) What's the Primary Report Purpose? To provide customers and users with a business need with an independent assessment of the control environment relevant to system security, availability, and confidentiality Who is the Primary Report Audience? Users with business need What Period does the Report Cover? 3 Months: 1/1-3/31 Who performs the independent third-party audit for... --- #### How to Tell if You’re Under a Spear Phishing Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/spear-phishing-attack/ Description: How to Tell if You're Under a Spear Phishing Attack: Cybercriminals are always chasing after your sensitive information, as well as that of your. How to Tell if You’re Under a Spear Phishing Attack Cybercriminals are always chasing after your sensitive information, as well as that of your organization, so you must do everything you can to prevent it from leaking. But how can you tell if your efforts are working? What if they’re not? In this article, you’ll learn how to tell if you’re under a spear phishing attack and know how does phishing works, and what you should do if you are under attack. Signs you’re getting spear phished Here are some things to look out for when determining whether or not someone’s trying to spear phish you: - Suspicious emails from people you know: You’ve received emails from people you know, but the tone may seem strange. Are they asking you for something out of the ordinary? Are they using syntax they don’t normally use? If so, you’re probably getting spear phished. Know the difference between spear phishing vs phishing. - Emails from trusted brands that seem off: It may seem like you’re getting an email from a vendor you work with, but maybe the logo looks slightly wrong. Also, when you hover your cursor over the link in the email,... --- #### Spear Phishing Examples URL: https://phishprotection.com/spear-phishing-examples/ Description: Spear Phishing Examples: You can read about something, but it may not really click until you see real-world examples. You might know that it is a targeted. Spear Phishing Examples You can read about something, but it may not really click until you see real-world examples. This can be especially true when it comes to spear phishing. You might know that it is a targeted phishing attack on either an individual or an organization, but could you recognize one if you saw it? In this article, we show you some spear phishing examples so you can familiarize yourself with the concept and know how to identify a phishing email. In these examples, you’ll see that even big names can fall victim to cybercriminals’ efforts. Alcoa In what seems like an international spy movie scenario, the Chinese military carried out phishing attacks on Alcoa, an American aluminum supplier. The cybercriminals masqueraded as a board member and sent out emails to several employees. When they opened the emails, malware was automatically installed onto their computers, which resulted in leaked trade secrets. MORE : What is a Phishing Email? Amazon Amazon is so popular on a worldwide level that most cybercriminals don’t have to go to much effort to trick their users; the majority of phishing attempts are generic. But instances of spear phishing do happen on this platform. In... --- #### Spear Phishing Prevention: How to Protect Your Business URL: https://phishprotection.com/spear-phishing-prevention/ Description: Spear Phishing Prevention: How to Protect Your Business: You probably know what phishing is, but have you heard of spear phishing? Spear phishing works in. Spear Phishing Prevention: How to Protect Your Business You probably know what phishing is, but have you heard of spear phishing? Spear phishing works in almost the opposite way to regular phishing. Instead of casting a large “net” to maximize their chances of success, cybercriminals narrow their focus onto just one target, which can be either an individual or organization. With such phishing attacks happening, how do you practice spear phishing prevention? Below are some helpful tips on fending off spear phishing attacks and how to protect against phishing. Don’t fall behind on updates Just as pests do, cybercriminals are always trying to worm their way into your “house.” Because they’re constantly looking for ways to exploit software vulnerabilities, it’s vital that you install updates and patches whenever you can. This doesn’t just apply to your operating system and antivirus program; your browser has updates as well, so don’t neglect those. The more on top of all three you are, the smaller the chance of cybercriminals breaking through your defences. MORE : What is Phishing Get confirmation on potentially suspicious emails Did you get an email from your coworker but something seems a bit off? It may feel like a... --- #### Spear Phishing Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/spear-phishing-protection/ Description: Spear Phishing Protection: How To Protect Yourself from Spear Phishing Threats and Attacks Online A spear phishing attack is a kind of cybercrime that. Spear Phishing Protection How To Protect Yourself from Spear Phishing Threats and Attacks Online Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING A spear phishing attack is a kind of cybercrime that targets specific individuals for fraudulently obtaining sensitive information such as financial details, personal information, business or military secrets. It is more common in corporate and public sector environments given the higher stakes that can justify the amount of time and effort it takes to create successful spear phishing attacks. Spear phishing vs. phishing Phishing is a broader attempt by scammers to trick victims into sharing sensitive information. It is not personalized, and the intention is to reach as many targets with as possible in the hope that many of them will fall victim. Phishing attacks are carried out through general purpose emails that can often carry generic information (e.g. name) and information about events that the user may or may not have been part of (e.g. winning a lottery, authorizing a payment). Spear phishing, on the other hand, is a specialized form of phishing that is hyper-targeted. The focus here is on creating conviction in emails through heavy prior research which is then followed by very... --- #### Spear Phishing vs Phishing: Different Attacks Need Different Defenses URL: https://phishprotection.com/spear-phishing-vs-phishing/ Description: Understand the real difference between spear phishing and bulk phishing - and why each attack type requires different detection technology to stop it. Phishing and spear phishing are not the same attack. They share a name, but they differ in targeting, sophistication, cost to attackers, and - critically - what it takes to stop them. A solution that catches bulk phishing may completely miss spear phishing, and vice versa. This matters because phishing accounts for 36% of all data breaches (2024 Verizon DBIR), and BEC-style spear phishing costs an average of $125,000 per incident (FBI IC3 2024). Understanding the difference between these attacks is the first step toward choosing protection that actually covers both. --- What Is Bulk Phishing? Bulk phishing (often just called "phishing") is a volume game. Attackers send the same message to thousands or millions of recipients, hoping a small percentage will click. The emails are generic - "Your account has been suspended," "Verify your identity," "You have a new invoice" - and they cast the widest possible net. Characteristics of bulk phishing: - Targeting: None. Same email goes to everyone on the list. - Personalization: Zero. Generic subject lines and bodies. - Payload: Usually a malicious link to a credential-harvesting page, or a malware attachment. - Attacker effort per email: Minimal. One template, millions of sends. - Cost per... --- #### Tips for Spoofing Prevention: Learn Ways You Can Protect Yourself From Being A Victim URL: https://phishprotection.com/spoofing-prevention/ Description: Tips for Spoofing Prevention: Learn Ways You Can Protect Yourself From Being A Victim: Tips for Spoofing Prevention: Learn Ways You Can Protect Yourself From. Tips for Spoofing Prevention: Learn Ways You Can Protect Yourself From Being A Victim Let’s have a look at spoofing techniques and spoofing prevention methods. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING What Is Spoofing? In the literal term, spoofing is a creative act of disguising your communication from an unknown source as being sent from a trusted one. The objective of spoofing is to make the recipient believe that he/she is receiving notification from a legitimate source. Spoofing occurs through emails, SMSs, phone calls, or even through websites. Some of the technical examples of spoofing can include a computer spoofing, Domain Name System (DNS), IP address, or Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). What Is the Objective Of Spoofing? Spoofing is used to access the target's data or spread malware through malicious attachments or affected links. However, the prime objective is to entice or threaten someone into providing information on their own without arousing any doubt that the data would be misused. The question would, therefore, arise as to what is spoofing and what is phishing? Difference Between Spoofing And Phishing Many people confuse between spoofing and phishing and think of it to be the same. In simple... --- #### Spoofing Techniques Scammers Use To Access Your Essential Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/spoofing-techniques/ Description: Spoofing Techniques Scammers Use To Access Your Essential Data: Spoofing Techniques Scammers Use To Access Your Essential Data Anyone can spoof things such. Spoofing Techniques Scammers Use To Access Your Essential Data Anyone can spoof things such as email addresses and phone numbers and make it look like a real one. Scammers use many spoofing techniques to achieve what they target. However, there are many ways you can adopt to protect yourself from such intrusions. Researching and finding out new facts about such techniques can keep you alert. Spoofing prevention methods also can help you to deter spoofing troubles. About Spoofing Techniques Many do not know the answer to the question, ‘what is Spoofing?’ yet. Learning about its techniques can help one understand what it is. In the subject of network security, spoofing is an attack where a person or a program disguises as another to gain illegitimate access to confidential data. For this, the real identity of the attacker is altered to make others think he is a different person. There are several spoofing techniques used by an attacker to trick other servers and programs. Spoofing TechniquesUsed By Hackers Here’s a list of different techniques/types of spoofing attacks: Caller ID spoofing Many attackers use caller ID spoofing to disguise their identity. The primary victim of caller ID spoofing is the recipient of... --- #### How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization URL: https://phishprotection.com/stop-phishing-before-it-infiltrates-organization/ Description: How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization: How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization and keep the organizational. How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization How to Stop Phishing Before It Infiltrates Your Organization and keep the organizational information assets safe? Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING According to a recent report published by Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), phishing attacks have become frequently now and are continuously on rising as organizations are being targeted more often than before. Spear Phishing, Whaling, BEC(Business Email Compromise) or CEO Fraud are some of the most common forms of phishing attacks facing organizations. By using various attack methods, cybercriminals try to trick employees and lure them into clicking on a link that will give the attackers a hole to barge into your organization’s security periphery. Hence it is imperative to know what phishing prevention best practices should organizations follow to prevent any potential phishing attack. Phishing Prevention Best Practices On How To Stop Phishing Employee training, education and awareness Executive management support for Phishing Awareness Trainings and learning is by far the best preventive measure that can be adopted. Employees will be aware of best practices to stop phishing while dealing with emails as it will send a clear message that security is taken seriously by... --- #### Steps You Can Take to Stop Phishing Emails from Infiltrating Your Network URL: https://phishprotection.com/stop-phishing-emails/ Description: Steps You Can Take to Stop Phishing Emails from Infiltrating Your Network: Steps You Can Take to Stop Phishing Emails from Infiltrating Your Network How. Steps You Can Take to Stop Phishing Emails from Infiltrating Your Network How organizations should invest time and resources to stop phishing emails from infiltrating into their network. Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING With more companies jumping into the internet bandwagon, phishing has become a common threat today. Sharing information today is much faster than it ever was in the past. It is convenient but extremely risky, as well. You might not know the credentials of the person to whom you are revealing the critical information. The adversaries forge their identity to fool the victims of a cyber-attack. One wrong move on your part can bring a huge loss to the entire organization. Why Hackers Do Phishing? Cybercriminals use a variety of ways to glean information from you. One of the most popular methods is phishing. Hackers can phish in many ways, amongst which, phishing through emails is the most common way. The primary objective of phishing is to collect sensitive information by enticing or even threatening employees into revealing the data. Therefore, one mistake that enterprises make is not securing their data and leaving their employees unaware and vulnerable. The cybercriminals win the trust... --- #### Testimonials URL: https://phishprotection.com/testimonials/ Description: Testimonials: Phish Protection is used by System Administrators, IT Professionals and IT Executives in thousands of companies worldwide. Start your free. Our Customers Love Us Raving Reviews on G2 Crowd From Our Customers Phish Protection by DuoCircle reviews sourced by G2 7500+ Organizations Trust Us Phish Protection is used by System Administrators, IT Professionals and IT Executives in thousands of companies worldwide. Start your free 60-day trial and find out why PhishProtection is one of the most respected names in email security. --- #### Top All-Time Ransomware Demands By Hackers URL: https://phishprotection.com/top-all-time-ransomware-demands-by-hackers/ Description: Top All-Time Ransomware Demands By Hackers: Here are some of the most prevalent ransomware attacks that have disrupted many enterprises Ransomware attacks. Top All-Time Ransomware Demands By Hackers Here are some of the most prevalent ransomware attacks that have disrupted many enterprises Free Trial PHISHING PREVENTION WHAT IS PHISHING? PROTECTION FROM PHISHING Ransomware attacks are on the rise for the past few years and have become a significant threat to many small and medium businesses, hosting companies, enterprises and even individuals. Ransomware attacks are mainly targeted at individuals originally, but now the threat level has been intensified, and hackers have started targeting enterprises and businesses and making enormous demands. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most common ransomware attacks along with the various ransomware demands made by hackers, this will help us understand how to protection against ransomware. What Is Ransomware? Ransomware is a malware (malicious software) that is specially developed to gain access to your computer and lock all your files using some encryption methodology and only will be unlocked by the hacker when you agree to a pay a ransom. Once you settle the payment, the hacker will provide you with a key that will decrypt the files and gives you access to your system. The ransomware demands can be either paid in cash, cryptocurrency, account transfer... --- #### Learn Everything You Wanted to Know About The Types of Malware URL: https://phishprotection.com/types-of-malware/ Description: Learn Everything You Wanted to Know About The Types of Malware: Learn Everything You Wanted to Know About The Types of Malware What is Malware? It is a. Learn Everything You Wanted to Know About The Types of Malware What is Malware? It is a shortened form for “Malicious Software”. Malware is a piece of software created by hackers and cybercriminals with the intent of getting unauthorized access to your system. And once the malware enters your system, it can inflict several substantial damages such as data theft by adversaries, data deletion, modifying and deleting confidential files, and so on. Hence, it is vital to understand the different types of malware, how they might affect your system, and how to prevent malware attacks. Different Types of Malware 1. Worms Worms have existed since even before viruses, as you can trace them back to the days of mainframe servers. When the technology for email came into existence, worms came into notice, and even today, they have been ravaging computer systems around the world. Worms are hazardous because even if a single system in a network is infected, it corrupts the whole network altogether. Worms can spread through software vulnerabilities and phishing attacks. Read : How to protect your computer from malware Some of the prevalent worm attacks include the SQL Slammer; I Love You Worm, MS Blaster, etc. Once... --- #### The Five Types of Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/types-of-phishing/ Description: The Five Types of Phishing: Phishing: you may have heard of it. In the early days, it was Nigerian prince scams and Trojan viruses. Nowadays, they've added. The Five Types of Phishing Phishing: you may have heard of it. In the early days, it was Nigerian prince scams and Trojan viruses. Nowadays, they’ve added ransomware and spoofing to the mix. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics, so you should be aware of what’s out there. By learning about phishing, you can fight against it better along with the help of phishing protection services. Here are the five main types of phishing cybercriminals use, so you know how to prevent phishing emails in first place. Smishing In a smishing attack, you’ll receive a compelling t text message on your phone. The main purpose is to get you to click on either a spoofed or malicious link. With phishing prevention tips you can avoid this completely. If it’s a spoofed link, it’ll look like whatever company the scammer claims to be. Because of your familiarity with the real site, you’ll put in your username and password. Once they have your information, cybercriminals will then try this combination on various websites to try and gain access to your accounts. If it’s a malicious link, it’ll start downloading malware onto your phone. It can look like a legitimate program, so you’ll... --- #### Awareness Of Different Types Of Spoofing Attacks Can Keep Your Information Systems Intact URL: https://phishprotection.com/types-of-spoofing-attacks/ Description: Awareness Of Different Types Of Spoofing Attacks Can Keep Your Information Systems Intact: Awareness Of Different Types Of Spoofing Attacks Can Keep Your. Awareness Of Different Types Of Spoofing Attacks Can Keep Your Information Systems Intact First understand what is spoofing. In the IT & Networking parlance, spoofing is the act of disguising of a communication from an unknown source as being from a known and trusted source. It is one of the modes of cyber-attacks employed by cybercriminals to meet certain malicious ends. Spoofing techniques include caller ID spoofing, Email spoofing, SMS spoofing, Website spoofing, IP spoofing, and DLL spoofing. Cybercriminals use spoofing to gain access to the data targeted, as well as spread network malware. Many organizations fear the act of spoofing since it can lead to data breaches, the threat of infection of an information system network, and loss of revenue. Therefore, every organization uses spoofing prevention methods to avoid such problems. A spoofing attack is a cyberattack carried out by a malicious party by imitating another user or device in a network. The hackers can steal data and spread malware. The cyber-attackers can use any spoofing attack. Most of the spoofing attacks fall under one of the different types, including ARP spoofing attacks, IP address spoofing attacks, and DNS server spoofing attacks. Types Of Spoofing Attacks Although it seems... --- #### Phishing Watchdog, Stay Safe with Instant Alerts URL: https://phishprotection.com/watchdog/ Description: PhishProtection.com "Phishing Watchdog" Is A Timeline of All Major Phishing Attacks Reported As They... Phishing Watchdog --- PhishProtection.com "Phishing Watchdog" Is A Timeline of All Major Phishing Attacks Reported As They Breakout Get Free Access to Phishing Protection Best Practices An Updated Feed of All Significant Phishing Attacks This is a comprehensive and frequently updated resource page that lists all the significant Phishing Attacks as they are discovered and happen online. Each attack is summarized here with links to further information about each attack. The list below is updated instantly with threat details as soon as the attack is verified to be authentic. US clothing supplier Pro Wrestling Tees hit by data breach 23rd December 2021 | Target: Pro Wrestling Tees | Reported Here Pro Wrestling Tees, which sells t-shirts designed by professional wrestlers, has discovered that some customers’ credit card numbers have been compromised in a data breach, according to a notification seen by The Daily Swig. A letter apparently sent to potentially impacted customers from the Chicago-based company indicates that a malware-related compromise of customer names and payment card data came to light on November 1. above via [Bleeping Computer post] Update 1 Global IT services provider Inetum hit by ransomware attack 24th December 2021 | Target: Inetum | Reported Here Less... --- #### Whaling Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/whaling-attacks/ Description: Whaling Attacks: Whaling attacks use email to target executives or other senior people at companies who have access to sensitive information. The goal is to. Whaling Attack Prevention Phish Protection protects big people at small companies Are you at risk of a whaling attack? Whaling attacks use email to target executives or other senior people at companies who have access to sensitive information. The goal is to trick them into divulging personal or company data. Since January 2015, the FBI has seen a 270% increase in identified victims and exposed loss due to whaling attacks. Victim companies have come from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 80 countries. Whaling attacks are really hard to spot Unlike typical phishing emails which are mass emailed, whaling attacks use highly personalized emails to make them look legitimate. Attackers use spoofed email addresses and actual corporate logos to get you to let your guard down. If you do fall victim to a whaling attack by entering sensitive information into a spoofed website, it's unlikely you'll discover it until it's too late. The bottom line is whaling attacks are really hard for people to detect. Preventing whaling attacks requires technology Because whaling attacks are so difficult for targets to spot, preventing them requires advanced email protection technology and anti phishing software. Until recently, that kind of sophisticated defense wasn't available... --- #### What is Malware: Definition & Types Of Malware Netizens Should Know About URL: https://phishprotection.com/what-is-malware/ Description: What is Malware: Definition & Types Of Malware Netizens Should Know... What is Malware: Definition & Types Of Malware Netizens Should Know About What makes malware a dangerous threat to safety is the fact that they can quickly spread and infect any device through a pen drive, a file transfer, or any downloaded file. It is necessary to know different types of malware so that one can prevent them or protect the system against any damage caused by them. Different Types Of Malware Cyber attackers release different types of malware to cause various kinds of harm. These types of malware include: Virus As used in medical terminology, a virus is a type of program which can execute on its own and further spread by infecting other files and programs. Trojan Horse Trojan horse is a program that appears sophisticated to infect a system. Once infected in an order, Trojan Horse starts its malicious activities. Worms Worms can be explained as a type of malware that can spread without any human interaction operation. Worms, unlike viruses, do not need any host program to function. Ransomware A ransomware steals or encrypts user's data for ransom. Once infected, ransomware will extract the information for which cybercriminal would later demand a ransom payment in return... --- #### What Is Ransomware? URL: https://phishprotection.com/what-is-ransomware/ Description: What Is Ransomware?: We all know that viruses can cause huge setbacks in our work, especially if we don't have proper backups set up. For that reason, we. What Is Ransomware? We all know that viruses can cause huge setbacks in our work, especially if we don’t have proper backups set up. For that reason, we have antivirus software; this stops annoying viruses from interrupting our work and compromising our networks, But there are bigger things to worry about now. Cybercriminals have evolved to send out more sophisticated types of malware, such as ransomware. Don’t know what that is? In this article, we’ll explain what is ransomware and how to avoid it infecting your organization’s computers. Ransomware: explained Ransomware is a type of advanced malware that takes over whatever device it’s on. As you can tell by the name, it involves you paying a “ransom” in order to regain control of your computer. You’ll notice ransomware on your device straight away because you won’t be able to open anything. You’ll also get a “ransom” message, demanding you pay a certain amount in Bitcoins or risk never getting your files back again. These cybercriminals don’t ask for small amounts either; their demands usually involve hundreds of dollars. However, since the information that’s locked up is valuable, most victims are willing to pay the amount to get their files back.... --- #### Learn What Is Spoofing In Computer Systems & How To Keep Your Systems Safe Against Spoofing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/what-is-spoofing-in-computer/ Description: Learn What Is Spoofing In Computer Systems & How To Keep Your Systems Safe Against Spoofing Attacks: Learn What Is Spoofing In Computer Systems & How To Keep. Learn What Is Spoofing In Computer Systems & How To Keep Your Systems Safe Against Spoofing Attacks In the spheres of Information Technology and Networking, spoofing is described as an act of a device or user identifying as some other device or user. What Is Spoofing In Computer? First understand what is spoofing. A spoofing attack is a malicious act wherein a cybercriminal impersonates a known user in communication or on a network. Spoofing attacks are frequent these days, primarily because users are easily susceptible to them. Adversaries can target an individual or a network very easily through communication mediums such as emails, phone calls, websites, and a network channel. Spoofing attacks are usually executed for the following ill intentions: - Stealing important confidential information from the victim. - Spreading malware infections to the targeted systems, thereby to steal, manipulate, or harm user data. - Bypassing network security measures and avoiding access control mechanisms. - Affecting the available network bandwidth by generating unwarranted traffic. - Harming the organization's public reputation by causing a data breach which may even result in a revenue loss. Types Of Spoofing Attacks That Can Affect Your Computers There are different types of spoofing attacks deployed... --- #### What Is Spoofing?, A Comprehensive Guide To Spoofing Attacks & How You Can Prevent It URL: https://phishprotection.com/what-is-spoofing/ Description: What Is Spoofing?, A Comprehensive Guide To Spoofing Attacks & How You Can Prevent It: What Is Spoofing?, A Comprehensive Guide To Spoofing Attacks & How. What Is Spoofing?, A Comprehensive Guide To Spoofing Attacks & How You Can Prevent It. What Is Spoofing? Spoofing is one of those tricks by which an attacker can get access to the whole computer system or server of an organization and steal all the essential data, which can result in demolishing the reputation of the organization. So let’s understand what is spoofing in computer? In Spoofing, the cyber attacker feigns himself to be a legitimate person: - To gain access to the system of the user. - To compromise sensitive information. - To spread malicious software in the system by way of malicious links as well as attachments. - To detour the network access controls of the organization. - To mislead or increase the traffic on the network, which results in denial-of-services. Free Trial Types Of Spoofing Attacks A Spoofing attack can occur in many ways, and it is necessary to understand various spoofing techniques to take measures for spoofing prevention when required. Here are some types of spoofing attacks that you should be aware of: Email Spoofing Email Spoofing is when the hacker uses the email to trick the user into thinking that the email came from an... --- #### Update Your OS Regularly To Mitigate The Risks Of Windows Zero-Day Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/windows-zero-day/ Description: Update Your OS Regularly To Mitigate The Risks Of Windows Zero-Day Attacks: Update Your OS Regularly To Mitigate The Risks Of Windows Zero-Day Attacks A. Update Your OS Regularly To Mitigate The Risks Of Windows Zero-Day Attacks A majority of enterprise users today have Windows as their primary OS installed on their computers. It is, therefore, imperative that enterprises become aware of Windows Zero-day attacks and take necessary precautions to protect their systems. What Is A Windows Zero-Day Attack? A “zero-day vulnerability” gets its name because the software vendor has zero days to develop a patch or a fix before it is discovered by hackers. An attack that takes place because of exploiting a Windows zero-day vulnerability, is a Windows zero-day attack. Recent Zero-Day Attacks In 2019 One of the most recent zero-day attacks in 2019, which is also one of the most famous zero day attack examples was the CVE-2019-1132 attack that took advantage of a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows OS. Once discovered, it was reported to the Microsoft Security Response Center, which took steps to fix the vulnerability and released a patch immediately. Zero-Day Attack Prevention, How Can Organizations Prevent A Zero Day Attack? So how are zero day attacks discovered? Security researchers, analysts, penetration testers, etc. use methods like penetration testing, secure code reviews, etc. to find out the... --- #### Understanding Zero-Day Attacks With The Help Of Famous Zero-Day Attack Examples Can Create Effective Awareness URL: https://phishprotection.com/zero-day-attack-example/ Description: Understanding Zero-Day Attacks With The Help Of Famous Zero-Day Attack Examples Can Create Effective Awareness: Understanding Zero-Day Attacks With The Help. Understanding Zero-Day Attacks With The Help Of Famous Zero-Day Attack Examples Can Create Effective Awareness A Zero-Day attack is a cyber-attack that is specifically targeted towards a vulnerability for which no patch or update has been provided yet, as no one is aware of the vulnerability that exists other than the hacker. Moreover, these exploits could have been there lying unnoticed for years until they catch the eyes of a hacker. The term ’Zero-Day’ refers to the fact that there is not even a single day left to wait before a patch could be provided since the software has already been released and is in extensive use. In many cases, the vulnerability comes to be noticed only when an attack from hackers has taken place. Such an attack is called a ‘Zero-Day Attack’. How Are Zero-Day Attacks Discovered? While today’s zero-day attacks are tough to detect, experts have come up with specific strategies on how are zero day attacks discovered including: - Behavior-Based Detection - Signature Based Detection - Statistics Based Detection - Hybrid Detection Behavior-Based Detection It is the detection of zero-day attacks based on the behavior patterns of the malware, spyware, or the virus when it interacts with... --- #### Learn How Damaging Zero-Day Exploits Can Be For You & Your Organization With These Zero-Day Attack Examples URL: https://phishprotection.com/zero-day-attack-examples/ Description: Learn How Damaging Zero-Day Exploits Can Be For You & Your Organization With These Zero-Day Attack... Learn How Damaging Zero-Day Exploits Can Be For You & Your Organization With These Zero-Day Attack Examples Zero-day attacks are the most prominent threat among cyberattacks in current times. They are very peculiar as they leverage the ‘zero-day’ vulnerabilities of the target. They have higher chances to cause damage as they exploit the loopholes of the targets machine or network even before it is known to the target organizations. Zero-day attack prevention is hard for any organization as there is a lack of knowledge about zero-day vulnerabilities and how zero-day attacks are discovered. Recent zero-day attacks 2019-20 prove the burning need for zero-day protection. Zero-day attack prevention calls for some unconventional methods. Some Famous Zero-day Attack Examples You Can Learn From Learning about the prevention methods can do the trick. Here are some of the zero-day attack examples that can demonstrate how the threats exploited the zero-day vulnerabilities and can be researched more by organizations to learn more about these attacks: Stuxnet is a Windows zero-day attack that caused some significant damage to nuclear facilities in Iran. Stuxnet caused the dysfunction of the programmable logic controller and failed an automation system. CVE-2019-12922 zero-day deletes the server from phpMyAdmin set up... --- #### Zero-Day Attack Prevention: Fix The Vulnerabilities In Your System Before It Gets Too Late! URL: https://phishprotection.com/zero-day-attack-prevention/ Description: Zero-Day Attack Prevention: Fix The Vulnerabilities In Your System Before It Gets Too Late! Zero-Day Attack Prevention: Fix The Vulnerabilities In Your System Before It Gets Too Late! What Is Zero-Day Attacks? A Zero-day attack is a cyber-attack whose main objective is to target a “zero-day” software vulnerability that is unknown to the user or the developer. These vulnerabilities are termed as “zero-day” (also maintained by ‘CVE’ list) because developers have zero days to fix it or to come up with a patch. Cyber adversaries exploit such vulnerabilities easily because no security measures, firewalls, or defenses exist at the moment of discovery to counter the new threats and protect the system. A few famous zero-day attack examples are Stuxnet, Windows zero-day attacks, Sony zero-day attacks, and Operation Aurora. One of the most recent zero-day attacks in 2019 was CVE-2019-1132. These attacks call for the urgent need for improved zero-day attack prevention methods and solutions. Effective Zero-Day Attack Prevention Techniques Zero-day exploits are initially unknown, and so there are usually no security measures or patches available to counter them. Organizations can take some protective control measures against these unknown vulnerabilities, such as: Penetration Testing Discovering an attack is crucial. So how are zero day attacks discovered? Software vendors provide vulnerability scanning solutions in which simulated... --- #### Zero Day Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/zero-day-attacks/ Description: Zero Day Attacks: Phish Protection Technology Protects Against Zero Day Attacks You might think that major corporations hosting their email on solutions like. Zero Day Attack Prevention Phish Protection Technology Protects Against Zero Day Attacks Everyone's at risk for a zero day phishing attack You might think that major corporations hosting their email on solutions like Office 365 would be immune to zero day phishing attacks. You'd be wrong. In fact, large corporations hosting on managed services are typically more vulnerable because the standard protection offered by their email hosting solution is not tuned to detect well-crafted attacks. Case in point, one of the latest and most damaging malware variants is an Office 365-based zero-day exploit called baseStriker. Cybercriminals took advantage of a flaw in the way Office 365 servers qualify incoming emails to send malicious code through a rarely-used HTML tag that Office 365 doesn’t support or recognize. Phish Protection solution supports works with cloud hosted email and you get advanced office 365 phishing protection. Zero day phishing attacks are really hard to defend Do you know that most phishing sites are live and active for only a few hours? After that, hackers typically move to an entirely new hosting server. This allows them to evade detection and maintain an ongoing campaign without being detected and blocked. In that regard, most phishing... --- #### What Is Zero-Day Protection? And Why It Is Necessary To Protect Your Information Assets From ‘Zero-Day’ Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/zero-day-protection/ Description: What Is Zero-Day Protection? And Why It Is Necessary To Protect Your Information Assets From ‘Zero-Day’... What Is Zero-Day Protection? And Why It Is Necessary To Protect Your Information Assets From ‘Zero-Day’ Attacks Any software system, however secure it might be, is vulnerable to threats from hackers and other cybercriminals. Hence, software developers and users alike should always be on their guard to overcome such risks. A vulnerability remains hidden in the code, unless it is found out, fixed and tested by the software vendor or the organization who owns the code. In information security jargon, the day on which the software or device vendor/target organization learns about the vulnerability is known as ‘Zero-day’. It requires immediate addressing from the vendor/target organization’s side to prevent it from becoming a threatening issue. Adopting a proactive threat hunting program or developing a patch management program can help plug the hole in the network or software security and provide zero-day protection. Such protection from unknown vulnerabilities is generally referred to as zero-day protection. Why Is It Known As Zero-Day Protection? Until the day of its identification, the vulnerability is unknown to the software vendor or the users. On learning about such a threat, the vendor creates a patch or advises workarounds to mitigate it. Since the developer was unaware... --- ## Blog ### Foundational #### CEO Impersonation: How Attackers Trick Employees Into Taking Action URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ceo-impersonation-how-attackers-trick-employees-into-taking-action/ Description: Learn how CEO impersonation attacks exploit trust to trick employees into sending money, sharing sensitive data, or taking risky actions. CEO impersonation is a targeted form of cybercrime in which attackers pretend to be a CEO, CFO, or another high-level executive to pressure an employee into taking action. It is a major form of Business Email Compromise, commonly abbreviated as BEC, and is closely related to CEO fraud, executive impersonation, Whale phishing, and whaling. Unlike broad email scams sent to thousands of recipients, CEO impersonation usually relies on spear-phishing. The phishing email is crafted for a specific recipient, often someone in the Accounts Payable Department, Human Resources Department, finance team, or mid-level staff role with access to payments, payroll information, tax information, credentials, or sensitive data. Why Employees Fall for CEO Fraud CEO fraud works because it exploits normal workplace behavior. Employees are conditioned to respond quickly to C-level executives, especially when a message appears to come from the CEO or CFO. A realistic phishing email may include an urgent request, a secrecy request, and language about confidentiality, making the recipient feel they must act before verifying. This is why Business Email Compromise remains one of the most damaging forms of financial fraud. The FBI has repeatedly warned that BEC and CEO fraud cause billions in losses globally, often through... --- #### Phishing Link Scanner: How To Detect And Block Malicious URLs URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-link-scanner-how-to-detect-and-block-malicious-urls/ Description: A phishing link scanner detects and blocks malicious URLs, helping identify phishing sites, scams, malware, and other online threats before they cause harm. A phishing link scanner is a security tool that inspects URLs to determine whether they lead to malicious websites, credential-harvesting pages, malware downloads, or other unsafe destinations. It works like a phishing link checker, URL safety checker, and scam website checker combined: users submit a link, and the tool returns a risk verdict based on reputation data, technical signals, and behavioral analysis. Phishing remains one of the most common entry points for identity theft prevention failures, ransomware, account takeover, and business email compromise. Attackers often use malicious links in emails, text messages, social media posts, QR codes, and collaboration tools to redirect users to a fake login page or payment portal. A modern phishing link scanner helps identify these suspicious URLs before users click. For organizations, this is also a major email security concern. Even with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured, attackers may still use lookalike domains, compromised accounts, or spam filter avoidance techniques. That is why real-time scanning, threat intelligence, domain monitoring, and typosquatting protection are essential layers in a broader security program and phishing protection strategy. How It Supports Personal and Business Security For individuals, a phishing link checker can provide an instant scan before entering credentials or... --- #### How Malicious Ads Redirect Users to Fake Websites URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-malicious-ads-redirect-users-to-fake-websites/ Description: Learn how malicious ads redirect users to fake websites, create phishing risks, and how layered phishing protection and cybersecurity can reduce exposure. Phishing does not always begin with an email. Sometimes, it starts with an advertisement. A malicious ad can appear on a legitimate website, in a search result, inside a mobile app, or through a social media feed. It may promote a fake security update, a fraudulent investment opportunity, a giveaway, or a familiar software brand. After a user clicks, the ad can redirect them through several intermediate pages before opening a convincing phishing site. This technique is known as malvertising. It combines online advertising with malicious code, deceptive landing pages, or redirect chains designed to steal credentials, distribute malware, or trick users into making unauthorized payments. What Is Malvertising? Malvertising is the abuse of digital advertising to deliver harmful content or direct users to unsafe websites. Unlike ordinary phishing messages, malicious ads can reach people while they are browsing websites they normally trust. Attackers may purchase advertising space, compromise an advertising network, inject scripts into a vulnerable website, or create fake ads that imitate well-known brands. In some cases, the advertisement looks harmless until the user clicks it. In others, a script silently checks the visitor’s device, location, browser, or referral source before deciding whether to show a redirect. This... --- #### Phishing Link Detection: How To Identify Malicious Links Before They Cause Harm URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-link-detection-identify-malicious-links-before-they-cause-harm/ Description: Learn how to detect phishing links, spot suspicious URLs, verify website safety, and protect your credentials and devices from malicious attacks. Phishing links often appear surprisingly authentic, yet a single click could compromise your personal information, financial details, or credentials. It's crucial to develop skills for identifying dubious URLs prior to engaging with them to ensure your safety. This guide outlines how to recognize potential threats in links, safe methods for examining URLs, as well as tools and strategies to identify phishing risks in real time. What Phishing Links Are and Why They’re Dangerous Phishing links are deceptive URLs designed to trick users into visiting fraudulent websites, entering credentials, downloading malware, or approving unauthorized transactions. These malicious links often appear in emails, text messages, collaboration tools, social media posts, QR codes, and even search results. Attackers use phishing scams to imitate trusted brands, financial institutions, cloud platforms, delivery companies, and internal corporate systems. Effective phishing link detection is critical because modern phishing attempts are increasingly convincing. A phishing URL may lead to a fake Microsoft Outlook login page, a counterfeit banking portal, or a cloned SaaS dashboard. Some phishing scams use a redirected URL to hide the final destination, while others rely on URL shorteners, compromised websites, or newly registered domains that have not yet appeared in a phishing URL database.... --- #### What Is OAuth Consent Phishing? Signs, Risks, And Prevention Tips URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-oauth-consent-phishing-signs-risks-and-prevention-tips/ Description: Learn what OAuth consent phishing is, how to spot warning signs, understand the risks, and protect your accounts with effective prevention tips. OAuth phishing is a fast-growing identity threat because it abuses trust rather than passwords. Instead of stealing credentials through a fake login page, a threat actor tricks a user into authorizing a malicious application that requests access through a legitimate identity provider such as Microsoft Entra ID, Azure AD, Google Workspace, or Google. The user may land on a real Microsoft sign-in page or Google sign-in page, complete multi-factor authentication, and still give the attacker token-based access to email, files, and APIs. This makes consent phishing especially dangerous. Traditional phishing protection defenses often focus on credential theft, malware delivery, malicious domain blocking, or endpoint signals. OAuth abuse can bypass phishing defenses because the user is interacting with a valid authentication process and an OAuth consent screen controlled by the identity provider. Once the malicious application receives an access token—and sometimes a refresh token—it can make API calls without needing the user’s password again. Security teams have seen OAuth phishing and device code phishing used in phishing campaigns against enterprises, public-sector organizations, and government organizations. Microsoft Security Blog reporting and other security blog research have highlighted how attackers exploit OAuth, OAuth 2.0, Microsoft Device Auth, and the OAuth 2.0 Device Authorization... --- #### Invoice Phishing Scams Explained: How Fake Payment Requests Trick Businesses URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/invoice-phishing-scams-explained-how-fake-payment-requests-trick-businesses/ Description: Learn how invoice phishing scams use fake payment requests to steal money and data, plus practical tips to identify and prevent invoice fraud. Invoice phishing scams are targeted email attacks that use fake invoices, payment reminders, or vendor billing messages to trick employees into sending money, sharing credentials, or exposing sensitive business data. Unlike generic phishing, invoice fraud often looks operationally legitimate because it mimics normal finance workflows: purchase orders, overdue notices, ACH changes, renewal reminders, and vendor payment requests. Businesses are attractive targets because accounts payable teams process many invoices under time pressure. Attackers exploit the human element through social engineering, making a message appear routine, urgent, or executive-approved. In many cases, invoice fraud overlaps with business email compromise because criminals impersonate executives, suppliers, or internal finance staff. A successful BEC attack may not contain malware at all; it may simply persuade an employee to approve a wire transfer. How Invoice Phishing Differs from General Phishing Traditional phishing often focuses on stealing passwords through fake login pages, malicious links, or malicious attachments. Invoice phishing scams are more transaction-focused. The goal is usually payment diversion, credential theft, or unauthorized access to finance systems. However, the two are closely connected. An attacker may begin with phishing to steal Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace credentials, move into account takeover, and then use that compromised mailbox... --- #### Visual Phishing Indicators: Logos, Branding, And Design Red Flags URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/visual-phishing-indicators-logos-branding-and-design-red-flags/ Description: Learn how to spot visual phishing indicators, including fake logos, branding inconsistencies, and design red flags used in phishing scams. Visual quality is often one of the fastest ways to separate legitimate communication from a phishing email, fake login page, suspicious message, or scam landing page. Cybercriminals rely on spoofing to make their communication look familiar: a bank notice, a Microsoft 365 alert, an Apple ID warning, an Android security prompt, or a delivery notification. The goal of the phishing attack is usually to steal personal information, passwords, account credentials, bank information, credit card numbers, or other identity information that can lead to fraud or identity theft. Phishing Indicators Are Often Visible Before You Read the Message Many phishing indicators appear before a user even evaluates the wording. A distorted logo, mismatched email domain, poor spacing, generic greetings, or an odd-looking button can expose a phishing attack quickly. Cybercriminals often copy brand assets from public websites, compress images badly, or use outdated templates. These visual phishing indicators become especially important when the message includes malicious links, suspicious attachments, or an urgent call to action. In Outlook, Microsoft 365, Teams messages, SMS phishing, and social media direct messages, attackers use psychological tricks to create trust and pressure. They may claim there has been an authentication failure, a payment issue, or an... --- #### Behavioral Biometrics In Phishing Prevention: How User Behavior Can Detect Account Takeovers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/behavioral-biometrics-in-phishing-prevention-how-user-behavior-can-detect-account-takeovers/ Description: Phishing threats have evolved; they don’t cease when a user unknowingly clicks a questionable link or inputs their login information on a counterfeit site. Phishing threats have evolved; they don’t cease when a user unknowingly clicks a questionable link or inputs their login information on a counterfeit site. Often, these actions mark the start of a more profound security breach. Incorporating behavioral biometrics introduces an effective safeguard against phishing by constantly monitoring user interactions with systems. This method enables organizations to identify account hijackings, even when compromised credentials manage to evade standard security measures like passwords and multi-factor authentication. By analyzing real-time behavior, including typing patterns, browsing tendencies, and session activities, this strategy can swiftly differentiate between genuine users and cybercriminals exploiting stolen identities. What Behavioral Biometrics Is and Why It Matters in Phishing Prevention Behavioral biometrics analyzes how a user interacts with systems rather than relying only on what the user knows, such as a password, or what the user has, such as a device. In phishing prevention, this approach helps detect account takeovers after a phishing email, phishing message, or fake website has already tricked a user into sharing credentials. The Behavioral Layer of Account Security Behavioral biometrics monitors patterns such as typing rhythm, mouse movement, touchscreen pressure, navigation habits, device handling, session timing, and transaction behavior. If cybercriminals steal credentials through... --- #### Predictive Threat Prevention: Can We Stop Cyberattacks Before They Begin? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/predictive-threat-prevention-can-we-stop-cyberattacks-before-they-begin/ Description: Historically, cybersecurity has operated in a reactive manner. Historically, cybersecurity has operated in a reactive manner. Organizations spent considerable time identifying breaches post-incident and reacting swiftly to limit the fallout. However, with the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, merely responding is insufficient. Hackers now utilize automation, artificial intelligence, and advanced strategies to exploit vulnerabilities at unprecedented speeds. This evolution has led to the emergence of a new strategy: proactive threat prevention. Proactive threat prevention focuses on identifying potential cyberattacks before they occur, enabling organizations to mitigate risks in advance rather than reacting to incidents after they happen. However, how feasible is this approach? Can we genuinely prevent cyberattacks ahead of time, or is predictive security merely an optimistic goal? This article delves into the mechanics of predictive threat prevention, as well as its advantages, obstacles, and significance in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. What Is Predictive Threat Prevention? Predictive threat prevention is a cybersecurity approach that leverages data analytics, machine learning, and threat intelligence to detect potential dangers before they escalate into real attacks. Rather than depending solely on established threat signatures or past attack trends, these predictive systems examine behaviors, irregularities, and patterns to anticipate future threats. How It Differs from Traditional Security Conventional cybersecurity strategies primarily... --- #### Email Phishing Prevention Checklist: Spotting Red Flags In Your Inbox URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/email-phishing-prevention-checklist-spotting-red-flags-in-your-inbox/ Description: Phishing schemes are constantly advancing, with attackers using ever-more persuasive methods to extract confidential information and jeopardize accounts. Phishing schemes are constantly advancing, with attackers using ever-more persuasive methods to extract confidential information and jeopardize accounts. These tactics range from forged login screens to harmful attachments and urgent requests for payments, all designed to catch users unaware. This guide outlines the typical indicators of phishing and offers straightforward steps to help you recognize dubious emails, safeguard your personal data, and enhance your email security measures. Quick checklist for instant phishing prevention - Pause on any phishing email or phishing message that creates a false sense of urgency. - Inspect sender details and domains for mismatches and domain name spoofing. - Hover over link previews and avoid suspicious links to any fake website. - Never enter personal information from an email; navigate directly to the site. - Treat unexpected attachments as a security risk and verify offline. - Report phishing and delete suspicious email to protect account protection and others’ email security. Why phishing works: common attack types and how they trick you Credential harvesting via fake website Cybercriminals often send a phishing message that impersonates a brand and routes you to a fake website designed to steal personal information. The page looks real, but every click advances a... --- #### Cloud-Based Strategies For The Prevention Of Phishing Across Your Organization URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cloud-based-strategies-for-the-prevention-of-phishing-across-your-organization/ Description: Cloud-Based Strategies For The Prevention Of Phishing Across Your Organization: Modern phishing scams exploit cloud identity, email, and SaaS expansion at. Modern phishing scams exploit cloud identity, email, and SaaS expansion at scale. Effective phishing attack prevention must combine technical controls, user-centric defenses, and rigorous governance aligned to regulatory expectations, with strong phishing protection embedded across every layer. For any financial institution, this is not only about cybersecurity; it is also about consumer protection, fraud prevention, and compliance with statutes such as the Bank Secrecy Act. By unifying telemetry and response across cloud services, you improve risk management, accelerate incident reporting, and help bank customers avoid phishing that could lead to identity theft or account takeover. The following strategy stack shows how to identify phishing scams in real time, harden trust, and orchestrate enforcement actions when needed. Assess cloud phishing risk and attack surface Map email, identity, and SaaS exposure Start with an inventory of email routes, identity providers, and SaaS reliance . Quantify volumes of phishing emails, email scams, and fraudulent communications reaching users and shared mailboxes. Catalog identities with elevated privileges and third-party OAuth grants. This baseline enables targeted phishing attack prevention and better scam detection across bank operations. Prioritize VIP targets and third-party integrations Executives, payment operations, and customer-facing teams face disproportionate security threats. Review vendor integrations ,... --- #### How To Enable Anti-Phishing On Android: Settings, Tips, And Built-In Protections URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-enable-anti-phishing-on-android-settings-tips-and-built-in-protections/ Description: Phishing attacks targeting Android devices have evolved, using tactics that reach users via text messages, email, web browsers. Phishing attacks targeting Android devices have evolved, using tactics that reach users via text messages, email, web browsers, and even legitimate-looking apps. As smartphones increasingly store sensitive information, such as banking details and personal credentials, cybercriminals are increasingly using strategies to manipulate feelings of trust and urgency. A single click on a dangerous link or a hasty reply to a fraudulent alert can result in account breaches, financial setbacks, or data theft. Fortunately, Android and Google offer robust built-in defenses that aim to identify and prevent phishing threats before they inflict damage. When paired with appropriate settings, savvy browsing practices, and proactive security steps, these features greatly lessen your vulnerability to online dangers. In this guide, you will learn the mechanics of phishing on Android, how to activate and check critical anti-phishing security settings, and ways to fortify your device with effective security advice. Whether you use your phone casually or handle sensitive data , knowing how to enable and utilize these protections is essential for navigating today’s constantly changing threat environment. Understanding Android phishing: common attack channels and red flags On Android, phishing attacks try to trick you into revealing passwords, 2FA codes , or payment details by imitating... --- #### Phishing Prevention Best Practices: 2026 Guide To Identify And Avoid Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-prevention-best-practices-2026-guide-to-identify-and-avoid-scams/ Description: Phishing prevention in 2026 demands renewed security awareness because adversaries blend social engineering with generative AI to industrialize online fraud. Phishing prevention in 2026 demands renewed security awareness because adversaries blend social engineering with generative AI to industrialize online fraud. Attackers automate phishing campaigns , personalize messages at scale, and mirror brand voice, turning ordinary phishing emails into highly convincing, deceptive emails. Effective phishing attack prevention now hinges on layered security measures , robust phishing detection, and user education that helps people identify phishing attempts quickly. Adaptive social engineering and generative AI - \ AI models craft fluent, localized phishing scams with correct grammar and context, making traditional red flags harder to spot . Real-time chatbots on spoofed sites coach victims to surrender login credentials, undermining scam prevention and consumer protection efforts. Deepfake voice and video enhance vishing, pressuring targets to act on “urgent” instructions tied to payroll, invoices, or bank security alerts. Deepfake voice/video and real-time chatbots Voice clones impersonate executives, support agents, or a financial institution to accelerate account security compromises. Attackers stage live chats to “verify sender” identity, creating plausible secure communication while harvesting personal information protection data. Supply chain and API impersonation Phishing threats now target APIs and vendor portals. Website spoofing includes cloud, HR, and ticketing logins to steal OAuth tokens, not just passwords. This... --- #### No-Cost Anti-Phishing Tools And Services: How To Secure Your Organization For Free URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/no-cost-anti-phishing-tools-and-services-how-to-secure-your-organization-for-free/ Description: No-Cost Anti-Phishing Tools And Services: How To Secure Your Organization For Free: Phishing attacks persist because social engineering reliably exploits. Phishing attacks persist because social engineering reliably exploits human trust, brand familiarity, and urgency. Threat actors evolve lures faster than signature-based defenses, leveraging brand impersonation (often Amazon and other consumer brands), email spoofing, website spoofing, and malicious links to drive credential theft, account takeover, and business email compromise (BEC). Even with strong email security, a single malicious email can trigger ransomware or data loss, creating outsized financial loss . “No-cost” anti-phishing tools and anti-phishing services fall into three categories: - Built-in capabilities you already own in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace - Open-source stacks for email filters and message analysis - Free tiers, community editions, and trials that provide phishing protection, phishing detection, and limited reporting capabilities Free does not mean zero effort. Governance, policy enforcement, and user education remain essential. You will still invest in configuration, threat monitoring, phishing response workflows, and incident response readiness. Think in terms of a layered control set: email authentication to block email spoofing , email filters for malicious attachments, phishing prevention via user education, and phishing mitigation processes when something gets through. While enterprise platforms like Avanan, Barracuda Email Protection, IRONSCALES, Mimecast Threat Protection, Cofense PDR, and Microsoft Defender for Office 365 represent... --- #### Best AI Anti‑phishing Email Security Solutions For 2026 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/best-ai-anti-phishing-email-security-solutions-for-2026/ Description: The phishing ecosystem has shifted from opportunistic spam to targeted, multi‑channel email attacks driven by generative AI and criminal marketplaces. The phishing ecosystem has shifted from opportunistic spam to targeted, multi‑channel email attacks driven by generative AI and criminal marketplaces. Threat actors now pair convincing social engineering with compromised infrastructure to deliver machine-speed attacks that outpace legacy controls. As organizations accelerate adoption of cloud platforms and distributed work, the attack surface grows, and the likelihood of account takeover rises across executives, finance, IT, and third‑party vendors. In this climate, AI email security is no longer optional . Behavioral AI and anomaly detection are required to understand the unique communication patterns of every user and supplier, flag subtle deviations, and block anti-phishing evasions that bypass static rules. Cloud email security solutions must detect and respond to advanced email threats like business email compromise, payroll diversion, vendor fraud, and OAuth‑based consent phishing - often without payloads - while maintaining phishing protection at scale. Analysts such as Gartner continue to highlight the need for post‑delivery, API‑driven controls that augment native suites to contain spear phishing and machine speed attacks with real-time defense. Enterprises including Valvoline, Ingersoll Rand, Avery Dennison, and Domino’s exemplify how large brands now prioritize comprehensive protection against social engineering and account takeover, with measurable risk reduction as a board‑level KPI.... --- #### Spear Phishing Vs. Pretexting: How Targeted Emails Exploit Trust - And How To Stop Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/spear-phishing-vs-pretexting-how-targeted-emails-exploit-trust-and-how-to-stop-them/ Description: Spear Phishing Vs. Pretexting: How Targeted Emails Exploit Trust - And How To Stop Them: Targeted attack campaigns increasingly arrive as well-crafted emails. Targeted attack campaigns increasingly arrive as well-crafted emails that look routine but are engineered to mislead. In modern cybersecurity programs, email remains the most common doorway to a phishing attack that leads to a data breach, ransomware deployment, or silent information theft. Analyses from IBM’s X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, Barracuda researchers , and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Report all highlight how email-borne social engineering has outpaced many other intrusion vectors. Cybercriminals pair spear phishing with pretexting to manipulate people into opening a phishing email, clicking links, or surrendering login credentials and sensitive information. These fraudulent messages frequently masquerade as a trusted source - such as a C-level Executive, a Vendor, or an internal HR Manager. The result can be business email compromise, email account compromise , and account takeover that accelerates a broader targeted attack. Why this matters: - A single phishing attack can distribute malware or ransomware across endpoints. - One successful request for confidential information or personal data can trigger compliance violations and a costly data breach . - Fraudulent scenarios like fake invoice approvals drain funds directly and inflate the security breach cost. Defenses must combine email security controls, advanced threat detection, Security... --- #### 12 Real-World Spear Phishing Examples And The Red Flags You Missed URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/12-real-world-spear-phishing-examples-and-the-red-flags-you-missed/ Description: 12 Real-World Spear Phishing Examples And The Red Flags You Missed: Spear phishing succeeds because it blends social engineering with business realism. Spear phishing succeeds because it blends social engineering with business realism. Cybercriminals mine LinkedIn org charts, press releases, and leaked credentials from a prior data breach to craft personalized emails that look routine: a vendor remittance, a benefits portal update, or a CFO approval. These spear phishing emails arrive through trusted email channels at precisely the right moment, creating a timed attack that plays on pressure tactics and authority cues. In today’s hybrid workplace, approvals often happen over mobile devices and Zoom, letting a spear phishing attack slip past hurried reviewers. Modern campaigns increasingly mimic internal workflows - DocuSign routings, SharePoint shares, or a wire approval chain - so the phishing email aligns with how your company actually works. Proofpoint’s research shows this “contextual cloning” of business processes dramatically raises click-throughs. The infamous Lithuanian scam artist who tricked Google and Facebook via business email compromise proved how convincing impersonation can be at scale. Threat actors also co-opt big-brand identities (from J.P. Morgan alerts to a “Quantas Computer Inc” shipment notice) to camouflage a phishing attack as a standard notification. The result: a cyber attack that looks like routine administration, triggers online fraud, and culminates in financial fraud. How to read... --- #### What Is Phishing Email Analysis? Definition, Methods, And Best Practices URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-phishing-email-analysis-definition-methods-and-best-practices/ Description: Phishing email analysis is the systematic examination of suspicious messages to identify, validate, and contain phishing attacks before they lead to compromise. Phishing email analysis is the systematic examination of suspicious messages to identify, validate, and contain phishing attacks before they lead to compromise. It combines email header analysis, email content examination, and artifact inspection to strengthen email security and improve threat detection against evolving cybersecurity threats. In practice, a security analyst or SOC analyst reviews email sender details, hunts for suspicious links and malicious attachments, and traces the attack vector to support rapid incident response. By dissecting every component of a fraudulent email , teams transform raw indicators into actionable intelligence that hardens defenses at scale. What Is Phishing Email Analysis? Scope, Objectives, and Why It Matters Scope and Fundamental Concepts At its core, phishing email analysis covers the full message: the envelope (email header), the body, and all embedded artifacts . Analysts perform email header analysis to validate routing, authentication, and origin using technical markers and email metadata. They perform email content examination to surface deception indicators, such as spoofed email addresses, urgency language, and threatening language. They also investigate attachments and URLs to understand the attack vector and downstream payloads. This is a systematic examination grounded in fundamental concepts: information gathering, verification of security protocols, and correlation of clues... --- #### Stop Phishing Emails Fast: DMARC, SPF, And DKIM Made Simple URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/stop-phishing-emails-fast-dmarc-spf-and-dkim-made-simple/ Description: Phishing emails are still the most common entry point for a phishing attack, because a convincing phishing message can fool even vigilant users. Phishing emails are still the most common entry point for a phishing attack, because a convincing phishing message can fool even vigilant users. Cybercriminals craft urgent email lures with a fake “urgent call to action,” embed suspicious links to fake websites, and attach unexpected attachments that deliver malware or ask for personal information. In busy workdays, your Outlook inbox is a prime target: a single click on fraudulent links can lead to identity theft, data loss, and costly cybercrime. While awareness helps you delete suspicious emails, email authentication specifically addresses email domain spoofing - the technical trick that lets attackers make a phishing scam appear to come from a trusted source. Email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) does not stop every form of social engineering, but it dramatically improves email security by enabling sender verification and blocking messages sent from mismatched email domains. It helps stop phishing emails before they ever reach the Outlook inbox, complements advanced threat protection and ATP Anti-phishing engines, and reduces the volume of malicious mail users must review. When users do see a phishing message, they should hover over links, look for bad grammar, generic greetings, Spelling errors, and an external sender warning or verification... --- #### My Website Keeps Crashing: The Secret to Reliable Web Hosting URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/website-keeps-crashing-secret-to-reliable-web-hosting/ Description: My Website Keeps Crashing: The Secret to Reliable Web Hosting: A website that frequently goes offline disrupts both visitors and business goals. Reliable web. A website that frequently goes offline disrupts both visitors and business goals. Reliable web hosting forms the foundation for an online presence that users and owners can trust. Many site owners search for answers when their pages suddenly stop working. Knowing why problems arise and how to solve them prevents repeat trouble and missed opportunities. This article tackles why sites crash. Additionally, it demonstrates how strong hosting keeps them running smoothly without a hitch. Common Causes of Website Failures Several factors contribute to website outages. A sudden surge of visitors can overload servers, slowing everything down or shutting them off completely. Poor server maintenance or outdated software may also trigger failures. Occasionally, security threats such as cyberattacks disrupt normal operations. Hardware issues or power interruptions on the hosting provider’s end can also cause downtime. Each of these problems results in frustrated users and potential revenue loss, making reliable web hosting essential. Why Reliable Hosting Matters A trustworthy hosting service ensures websites remain online even during peak periods. Providers with strong infrastructure handle heavy visitor loads without difficulty. You'll find their tech constantly updated, stopping any problems that come with older systems. Regular checks catch issues early, preventing them from escalating.... --- #### Zero-Day Attack Prevention For Businesses: Proactive Measures That Work URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/zero-day-attack-prevention-for-businesses-proactive-measures-that-work/ Description: Zero-Day Attack Prevention For Businesses: Proactive Measures That Work: A zero-day attack occurs when threat actors exploit a previously unknown. A zero-day attack occurs when threat actors exploit a previously unknown vulnerability in software, hardware, or firmware - one for which no patch or fix has been made available by manufacturers or vendors. These attacks are especially dangerous because organizations lack prior knowledge and defensive measures against them, allowing adversaries to bypass traditional network security systems and controls. The stealthy nature of a zero-day attack increases risk, as these vulnerabilities are frequently used as initial access vectors for more devastating threats such as ransomware, data exfiltration, or business disruption. For businesses, the consequences of a successful zero-day attack can be severe. Intellectual property theft, reputational damage, regulatory noncompliance, and operational downtime are all plausible outcomes. The complex digital infrastructure that modern enterprises rely on - including cloud services, APIs, and connected devices - expands the attack surface and increases the urgency for effective zero-day attack prevention strategies. The Evolving Threat Landscape for Businesses The frequency and sophistication of zero-day attacks are rising precipitously. As organizations accelerate cloud adoption, enable remote workforces, and integrate third-party applications, their exposure to advanced threats grows. Modern adversaries leverage automation, generative AI security, and collaborative ecosystems on the dark web to identify and weaponize vulnerabilities... --- #### Phishing Protection Services: Assessments, Strategies & Top Providers Explained URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-protection-services-assessments-strategies-top-providers-explained/ Description: Phishing Protection Services: Assessments, Strategies & Top Providers Explained: Phishing attacks have evolved into one of the gravest cyber threats. Phishing attacks have evolved into one of the gravest cyber threats affecting businesses and individuals. As enterprises increasingly rely on cloud-based communication platforms like Office 365 and G Suite, the vectors for phishing attacks become more sophisticated and technically advanced. Cybercriminals exploit these channels, targeting business-critical data and leveraging techniques such as email impersonation, business email compromise (BEC) , and CEO fraud. Statistics from leading threat information platforms, including PhishTank and Sophos, report annual increases in phishing attempt incidents, many of which lead to credential theft, malware delivery, and ransomware infiltration. Attackers are no longer resorting to crude scams; instead, they're deploying advanced threat defense bypasses , harnessing email provider vulnerabilities, and manipulating both on-premise email servers and cloud-based protection systems. Phishing protection has thus emerged as a critical component of modern email security, ensuring robust safeguards against a broad range of email fraud tactics . Enterprises and small businesses alike need to prioritize email protection, focusing not only on legacy virus protection but also on multi-layer protection that stops spear phishing, ransomware, and malware before they cause harm. What Are Phishing Protection Services? Phishing protection services are comprehensive solutions designed to defend organizations from email-based cyberattacks. By incorporating advanced... --- #### Stop Spear Phishing Before It Starts: Key Warning Signs & Solutions URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/stop-spear-phishing-before-it-starts-key-warning-signs-solutions/ Description: Spear phishing remains one of the most sophisticated and damaging forms of cyber threats facing organizations and individuals today. Spear phishing remains one of the most sophisticated and damaging forms of cyber threats facing organizations and individuals today. As cyber criminals continue to refine their tactics, it becomes critical for companies and employees alike to stay ahead of these targeted attacks. This article explores the unique nature of spear phishing , details how these attacks unfold, identifies who is at highest risk, highlights key warning signs, and examines notable real-world incidents to reinforce the importance of prevention and threat detection. Understanding Spear Phishing: What Makes It Different While the term “ phishing attack ” is often used broadly, spear phishing represents a highly targeted, refined version of this threat. Traditional phishing emails typically involve mass-distributed messages designed to ensnare as many victims as possible, often through generic greetings and nonspecific content. In contrast, spear phishing is a targeted attack that leverages extensive research and social engineering techniques to manipulate specific individuals or organizations into disclosing sensitive information or compromising security systems. Spear phishing emails are engineered to appear credible to their recipients. Cyber criminals may reference internal projects , use spoofed emails mimicking executives or trusted entities, and even impersonate contacts from financial institutions or government agencies. By personalizing... --- #### Email Phishing Protection: Essential Strategies To Safeguard Your Inbox URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/email-phishing-protection-essential-strategies-to-safeguard-your-inbox/ Description: Phishing emails remain the most prevalent vehicle used by cybercriminals to compromise both consumer and enterprise accounts. Phishing emails remain the most prevalent vehicle used by cybercriminals to compromise both consumer and enterprise accounts. Using highly deceptive methods, attackers craft messages designed to steal your personal information, bank information, and credentials such as passwords or membership card details . Their objective is often identity theft or financial gain, and the techniques they employ grow more sophisticated each year. Social Engineering and Deceptive Messaging At the heart of every phishing scam is social engineering . Cybercriminals manipulate emotions through urgent calls to action, hoping to coerce recipients into clicking suspicious links or downloading malicious attachments. You may receive an unsolicited email alerting you to a fake order scam or a bill statement that requires immediate action, using fear or curiosity to prompt rash decisions. Common approaches include: - Impersonation of Trusted Brands : Attackers often mimic legitimate websites and email domains belonging to Microsoft 365, Outlook, Office, or even organizations like banks or online retailers. These fake messages may include branding and logos taken from official sources, making differentiation challenging. - Filter Evasion Tactics : A phishing email may originate from a new sender or infrequent sender, using slightly altered addresses (mismatched domains) to bypass email security checks.... --- #### Urban VPN Proxy extension collects user data! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/urban-vpn-proxy-extension-collects-user-data/ Description: The Urban VPN Proxy browser extension harvests user browsing data, a reminder that free VPN tools often monetize the very privacy they promise. Urban VPN Proxy extension collects user data! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/12/Urban-VPN-Proxy-extension-collects-user-data.mp3 If you have been using the Urban VPN Proxy for privacy, you must see this! This browser extension actually harvests user data to facilitate the easy sale of the same. Urban VPN Proxy is used as an Edge and Chrome extension and has received an impeccable rating of 4.7 on the Google Web Store . It also has a “featured” badge from Google. This means that Urban VPN Proxy has easily passed manual review and also caters to the standards set by Google. However, a group of researchers at Koi Security has discovered that this extension has been harvesting user data from 8 commonly used AI chatbots - Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Claude, Meta AI, Grok, and DeepSeek. Idan Dardikman, the Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder at Koi Security, has stated that the extension continues to collect data in the background, whether it is currently connected or not. What’s worse is that this extension lacks a user-facing toggle so that users can disable it. As of now, the only way to prevent the extension from collecting your data is to uninstall it right away. Dardikman believes this data-collection... --- #### Protect Yourself From Phishing: What Everyone Needs To Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/protect-yourself-from-phishing-what-everyone-needs-to-know/ Description: At its core, a phishing attack is a form of cybercrime where scammers masquerade as trustworthy entities to manipulate individuals into revealing sensitive. At its core, a phishing attack is a form of cybercrime where scammers masquerade as trustworthy entities to manipulate individuals into revealing sensitive data such as personal information, account numbers, and bank information. The ultimate goals of a phishing scam are to commit identity theft, gain unauthorized access to accounts, or steal financial information for fraudulent purposes. Phishing attacks often employ psychological tactics - like an urgent call to action or exploiting the appearance of authority - to pressure victims into acting quickly and without adequate scrutiny. Cybercriminals use a variety of digital communication channels, but email remains the most common vector . A typical phishing email will attempt to trick recipients into clicking an unexpected link, downloading suspicious attachments, or providing sensitive details on a fake website that mimics an official site - such as a bank, credit card company, or popular online payment website. These fraudulent messages are often delivered en masse , with the hope of ensnaring as many unsuspecting users as possible. Phishing isn’t limited to just stealing login credentials. Criminals may use harvested information for ongoing identity theft, committing financial fraud, or selling data on the dark web. As attackers leverage increasingly sophisticated technology ,... --- #### How Anti-Phishing Services Defend Against Email Threats And Impersonation URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-anti-phishing-services-defend-against-email-threats-and-impersonation/ Description: Phishing attacks continue to top the list of email threat types, exploiting human error, social engineering, and technical vulnerabilities. Phishing attacks continue to top the list of email threat types, exploiting human error, social engineering, and technical vulnerabilities. While email remains an indispensable business tool, it is also a vehicle for a wide spectrum of cyberattacks - ranging from generic spam and malware distribution to targeted impersonation attacks, business email compromise (BEC) , and credential theft. Modern phishing campaigns employ convincing impersonation tactics, leveraging real brand logos, lookalike email addresses , and domain spoofing. Attackers may conduct account takeover, using stolen or brute-forced credentials to hijack email accounts, launch internal phishing, poison ongoing conversations, or access sensitive data. Impersonation protection has become critical because these advanced attackers convincingly mimic trusted contacts, executives, or third-party vendors . Exploiting email’s inherent trust, hackers bypass traditional security controls by leveraging cloud-based platforms such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and collaboration apps. This has increased the demand for enterprise-grade anti-phishing services and multi-layered email protection strategies to counter evolving social engineering threats. The Evolution of Anti-Phishing Services: From Basic Filters to Advanced Protection Early phishing protection solutions primarily relied on basic spam filters and signature-based malware detection. These methods provided elementary spam protection but could not cope with rapidly evolving spear phishing attacks... --- #### A massive 620% spike in phishing attacks: Courtesy Black Friday sales URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/620-spike-in-phishing-attacks-courtesy-black-friday-sales/ Description: A massive 620% spike in phishing attacks: Courtesy Black Friday sales: A massive 620% spike in phishing attacks: Courtesy Black Friday sales. A massive 620% spike in phishing attacks: Courtesy Black Friday sales by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/12/A-massive-620-spike-in-phishing-attacks-Courtesy-Black-Friday-sales.mp3 Shopping seasons have always been a vulnerable point of time when cybercrooks love to attack businesses and individuals left, right, and center. 28th November marked the beginning of the much-awaited Black Friday sales around the globe across big and small brands. Shopaholics wait throughout the year for this sale to grab the best possible discounts . However, it seems this time the threat actors have come fully prepared. A significant spike of 620% has been noticed in phishing attempts , all thanks to Black Friday sales. The shopping season always serves as a golden opportunity for the cybercriminals who make the most out of the branded shopping campaigns, flooded inboxes, and the sense of urgency among shoppers. What’s more concerning is the fact that brands also use the same urgency as a potent marketing tool to lure buyers. It is these limited-time offers and heavily discounted deals that make it extremely difficult for a buyer to differentiate between a legit brand campaign and a malicious cybercrime campaign. A whopping 18,000 fake websites created to trick buyers! A report states that threat actors managed to register... --- #### Office 365 Security: Best Practices To Prevent Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-security-best-practices-to-prevent-phishing-emails/ Description: Phishing continues to be the leading attack vector against today’s cloud organizations, exploiting the trust of users to achieve credential theft. Phishing continues to be the leading attack vector against today’s cloud organizations, exploiting the trust of users to achieve credential theft, business compromise, and data breach. Within Office 365 environments, phishing attacks are particularly menacing due to the platform’s integration with critical tools like Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive. Cybercriminals increasingly tailor attack campaigns to bypass traditional email security , using tactics such as domain impersonation, advanced spoofing, and manipulation of cloud mailboxes. Given the sophistication of modern threats, implementing robust Office 365 security becomes a core imperative. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 (formerly Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection) provides layered phishing protection by leveraging AI security, dynamic threat detection, and the collective intelligence of the Microsoft security ecosystem. The integration of Microsoft Defender XDR, Defender for Endpoint , Defender for Identity, and Defender for Cloud Apps further amplifies the ability to identify, classify, and neutralize phishing attacks across both email and collaboration channels. A comprehensive anti-phishing protection strategy in Office 365 includes the deployment of multiple threat policies, the use of anti-spoofing protection, tuning of anti-phishing policies, and ongoing review using tools like the configuration analyzer. Organizations managing cloud mailboxes must recognize the need for proactive security policy... --- #### Anti-Phishing Protection Is Non-Functional: Common Causes & Solutions URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/anti-phishing-protection-is-non-functional-common-causes-solutions/ Description: Anti-phishing protection is a critical feature integrated into modern security suites, email platforms, and dedicated gateway solutions. Anti-phishing protection is a critical cybersecurity feature integrated into modern security suites, email platforms, and dedicated gateway solutions. The core objective is to detect, block, and neutralize phishing attacks - deceptive attempts by attackers to steal sensitive information, compromise credentials, or deliver malware. Effective anti-phishing modules leverage advanced threat protection mechanisms, such as machine learning detection, real-time analysis, and constantly updated threat intelligence. Solutions like Microsoft Defender for Office 365, ESET Endpoint Antivirus, and ESET PROTECT embed anti-phishing program modules within their security architecture, providing layered protection for cloud mailboxes, Exchange Online, and end-user devices. These program modules scan incoming emails, analyze links and attachments , check sender authenticity, and enforce critical policy settings tailored to organizational risk appetites. Key features include impersonation protection, spoofing protection, recipient filters, and intelligent detection engines - all designed to provide maximum protection against evolving phishing threats. The importance of reliable anti-phishing protection cannot be overstated. With phishing attacks growing in sophistication, even minor lapses in protection status may expose organizations to breaches, data loss, compliance violations , and reputational harm. For this reason, understanding the operational status and ensuring the enablement of every relevant module - such as antispam, web control, device control,... --- #### Phishing Attacks Demystified: Comprehensive Guide To Spear Phishing Defense URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-demystified-comprehensive-guide-to-spear-phishing-defense/ Description: Spear phishing represents one of the most sophisticated and targeted forms of phishing attacks in the cybersecurity landscape. Spear phishing represents one of the most sophisticated and targeted forms of phishing attacks in the cybersecurity landscape. Unlike broad phishing campaigns, spear phishing is a highly focused tactic where threat actors tailor the attack to a specific individual or organization. This personalized approach increases the likelihood of success, making spear phishing a significant concern in security risk management and email security. At its core, spear phishing involves fraudsters crafting deceptive messages - typically emails - that appear legitimate and relevant to their targets. These communications often impersonate trusted contacts, such as colleagues, business partners, or known vendors. The goal is to manipulate recipients into divulging sensitive information , clicking on malicious links , or deploying malicious payloads such as malware or ransomware. Key characteristics that define spear phishing include: - Personalization : Utilizes data about the victim, such as job role, recent interactions, or company projects. - Targeted Content : Messages are contextually relevant to increase credibility. - Exploitation of Trust : Often mimics a known entity in the target’s network. - Sophisticated Delivery : Employs advanced techniques to bypass email filtering and evade detection systems. Organizations seeking effective spear phishing defense must understand these traits to tailor their... --- #### Real world cargo: The new obsession of cybercrooks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/real-world-cargo-new-obsession-of-cybercrooks/ Description: Cybercriminals are moving beyond data theft to hijacking real-world cargo, using phishing and remote access tools against trucking and logistics firms. Real world cargo: The new obsession of cybercrooks! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/11/Real-world-cargo-The-new-obsession-of-cybercrooks.mp3 In a shocking turn of events, cybercriminals have started to blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. Hackers are no longer restricted to just digital data . They are now abusing remote computer tools to steal actual physical cargo from freight companies and trucks. Researchers have unveiled a malicious campaign where cybercriminals creep into the not-so-well-protected systems of logistics and transportation companies . Next, they hijack legitimate freight operations and gain access to goods worth millions. This is one of the latest forms of cyber-enabled crime and is a staggering reminder that cybercooks are always one step ahead of us. This new trend involves online hacking that eventually turns to offline theft. Because of this new campaign, the entire global supply chain is facing an imminent threat of cyberattack. Till now, this sector has been coping with inflation, logistics bottlenecks , and geopolitical tensions. But now, cybercrooks are also giving it a hard time. The new cyber scheme behind cargo theft An online “load board” is all it takes to start this massive cyber scam . Basically load boards are the digital platforms where freight brokers... --- #### Anti-Phishing Security Explained: Tools And Techniques To Stay Safe URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/anti-phishing-security-explained-tools-and-techniques-to-stay-safe/ Description: Phishing remains one of the most pervasive cyber threats today, as cybercriminals continually refine their tactics to trick individuals and organizations into. Phishing remains one of the most pervasive cyber threats today, as cybercriminals continually refine their tactics to trick individuals and organizations into surrendering sensitive data such as personal information, credit card numbers, bank information, and passwords. Understanding phishing, its variations, and the robust anti-phishing strategies available is crucial in safeguarding digital environments. This article explores these focal areas along with the role of email filtering and detection tools. Understanding Phishing: What It Is and How It Works Phishing is a form of social engineering attack used by cybercriminals to deceive victims into divulging confidential information or installing malicious software. Typically delivered via phishing emails that mimic legitimate communication , these messages often contain suspicious links or attachments aimed at directing recipients to fake websites engineered to harvest sensitive data. The mechanics of phishing hinge on exploiting trust and urgency. Cybercriminals craft emails with a false sense of urgency or an urgent call to action, prompting recipients to act impulsively. These emails may feature generic greetings, mismatched email domains, or obvious spelling errors, which can be red flags for recipients trained in security awareness . Through techniques like email domain spoofing or brand impersonation , attackers masquerade as trusted advisors or... --- #### How To Recognize And Avoid Phishing Scams: A Complete Guide URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams-a-complete-guide/ Description: How To Recognize And Avoid Phishing Scams: A Complete Guide: Phishing attacks represent one of the most pervasive threats in modern cybersecurity, exploiting. Phishing attacks represent one of the most pervasive threats in modern cybersecurity, exploiting human psychology through social engineering to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information. Cybercriminals orchestrate email fraud and online scams that often mask themselves behind trusted brands or well-known institutions. These fraudulent emails or messages employ spoofing techniques , phishing URLs, and domain phishing tactics to lure victims into clicking malicious links or downloading malware. The primary objective of phishing is credential theft, which can lead to data breaches, identity theft, and financial loss. Attackers use a variety of sophisticated methods - from broad-based phishing schemes to highly targeted spear phishing and whaling attacks aimed at executives or high-profile targets. Understanding the mechanics behind these attacks is crucial for effective cyber attack mitigation and building robust security protocols. Organizations such as PhishLabs, Proofpoint, and Cofense specialize in leveraging cyber threat intelligence to monitor phishing trends and develop advanced phishing detection and prevention technologies. Their insights contribute significantly to the development of anti-phishing tools and security policies that enhance email security across enterprises worldwide . Common Types of Phishing Attacks to Watch Out For Phishing scams appear in various forms, each tailored to exploit vulnerabilities at different levels: -... --- #### Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How To Stay Safe Online In 2025! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-awareness-month-how-to-stay-safe-online-2025/ Description: Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2025: practical steps to stay safe online, from spotting phishing attempts to enabling MFA and keeping software updated. Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How To Stay Safe Online In 2025! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/10/Cybersecurity-awareness-month-How-to-stay-safe-online-in-2025.mp3 It is finally October, the time when the entire world comes together to discuss a topic that is quietly affecting our everyday lives - Cybersecurity Awareness. CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and NCSA (National Cyber Security Alliance) launched this initiative together. Cybersecurity awareness month is celebrated in October every year, as it reminds us of the staggering truth that staying safe online starts with us! We are living in a time where everything, from relationships to finance, is managed digitally . So this Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2025, let’s discuss something that can actually create a difference in the cybersecurity landscape- practising cyber hygiene . What is cyber hygiene? Cyber hygiene is just like brushing your teeth. You need to practice these habits daily, or otherwise, cybercrooks, just like germs in your teeth, will destroy your digital life. Cyber hygiene includes small but impactful, consistent, and actionable steps that help safeguard your devices , data, and identity. Key pillars of cyber safety in 2025! Here are the key pillars of cyber safety you must know about: Secure browsing practices Internet surfing can be extremely dangerous if... --- #### Phishing Defense Strategies: Choosing The Right Anti-Phishing Service Provider URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-defense-strategies-choosing-the-right-anti-phishing-service-provider/ Description: Phishing represents one of the most pervasive and damaging cyber attack vectors today, targeting individuals and organizations alike to steal sensitive data. Phishing represents one of the most pervasive and damaging cyber attack vectors today, targeting individuals and organizations alike to steal sensitive data, compromise digital identities, and facilitate fraud. These attacks manifest primarily as deceptive emails, fraudulent websites , or even text messages designed to lure victims into divulging credentials, clicking malicious links, or downloading malware. Spear phishing, a highly targeted form of phishing, leverages social engineering defense weaknesses by customizing messages to specific employees or executives, making detection more difficult. The impact of phishing attacks extends beyond immediate data breaches and credential theft . They frequently act as entry points for zero-day attacks, ransomware deployment, and subsequent network compromise. Organizations face financial losses due to fraud, reputation damage, regulatory fines, and operational disruption. Effective phishing detection , combined with comprehensive email security and endpoint security measures, is critical to protect against these threats. Importance of Anti-Phishing Services in Cybersecurity Given the evolving sophistication of phishing attacks, implementing robust anti-phishing software and cybersecurity services is no longer optional but essential. These services provide multi-layered defense mechanisms, including phishing URL detection, domain spoofing protection, and behavioral analytics to identify anomalous activities indicating phishing attempts. Security service providers offer real-time threat monitoring through... --- #### AI-backed voice cloning may lead to vishing attacks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ai-backed-voice-cloning-may-lead-to-vishing-attacks/ Description:   A group of researchers believes that AI-based voice impersonation can enhance social engineering tactics and make them sound more perfect and convincing. AI-backed voice cloning may lead to vishing attacks! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/10/AI-backed-voice-cloning-may-lead-to-vishing-attacks.mp3 A group of researchers believes that AI-based voice impersonation can enhance social engineering tactics and make them sound more perfect and convincing. AI voice cloning has the ability to minimize the difference between reality and artificiality. Threat actors can misuse this AI-backed voice cloning technology to target organizations, their employees, and the general public. The researchers have used an AI-generated voice cloning clip to prove their point . What is a vishing attack? A vishing attack is basically a type of cyberattack where the threat actor makes highly convincing and well-calculated voice calls to convince the victims into sharing sensitive details such as passwords, bank account numbers, social security numbers, and so on. A cybercrook may connect with you on a call and pretend to be one of your closest friends or family members. The next thing they will do is to create a sense of panic and urgency so that you part with personal data or money. Vishing attacks are already on the rise, with multiple incidents reported this year. Back in May, the notorious 3 AM ransomware gang blended vishing with email bombing to target the... --- #### Everything You Need To Know About Email Phishing Filters And Spam Protection URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-email-phishing-filters-and-spam-protection/ Description: Everything You Need To Know About Email Phishing Filters And Spam Protection: Email phishing remains one of the most prevalent threats in the cyber threat. Email phishing remains one of the most prevalent threats in the cyber threat landscape, targeting individuals and organizations alike through deceptive tactics aimed at email fraud and credential harvesting. At its core, phishing involves cybercriminals masquerading as legitimate entities via email messages, persuading recipients to divulge sensitive information or deploy malicious payloads such as ransomware. Common phishing techniques include domain spoofing, spear phishing, and social engineering , where attackers manipulate human psychology to bypass traditional security controls. Domain spoofing is particularly dangerous, as it involves forging the sender’s address to appear as if it originates from a trusted source, effectively bypassing email authentication protocols like Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). Spear phishing is more targeted, focusing on specific individuals with customized emails that are harder to detect due to their personalization. Social engineering techniques often accompany these phishing attempts, exploiting users’ trust and lack of awareness , which can lead to successful cyber attack mitigation challenges. Phishing kits are another common tool utilized by adversaries; these are pre-packaged software designed to facilitate rapid deployment of phishing campaigns and often include embedded malware filters to install ransomware or other advanced... --- #### Understanding Automated Anti-Phishing Techniques For Enhanced Security URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/understanding-automated-anti-phishing-techniques-for-enhanced-security/ Description: Phishing is a sophisticated form of cyberattack where malicious actors attempt to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information such as login. Phishing is a sophisticated form of cyberattack where malicious actors attempt to deceive individuals into divulging sensitive information such as login credentials, financial details, or personal data. These attacks commonly employ email as a vector, making phishing detection and email filtering critical components of modern cybersecurity protocols . The impact of phishing extends beyond mere inconvenience; it often results in identity theft, significant financial loss, and compromised network security. To combat phishing effectively, organizations deploy anti-phishing software and implement multi-layered defenses that include two-factor and multi-factor authentication . The seriousness of phishing threats necessitates not only technological solutions but also user education through security awareness training and phishing awareness campaigns to bolster social engineering defense . The Evolution of Phishing Attacks in the Digital Age Phishing attacks have evolved dramatically from simple bulk email scams to highly targeted spear phishing and whaling attacks . Attackers now employ sophisticated phishing kits and use web phishing tactics to craft convincing replicas of legitimate websites , thus enabling credential harvesting prevention to become a significant focus in the cybersecurity landscape. As phishing has grown more complex, so too have the detection techniques. Early responses relied primarily on simple email filtering tactics and blacklist... --- #### Social Media Scams and What Every User Should Know in 2026 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/social-media-scams-what-every-user-should-know-2025/ Description: Social Media Scams and What Every User Should Know in 2025: Social media has become intricately woven into our everyday lives. We use it to keep in touch. Social media has become intricately woven into our everyday lives. We use it to keep in touch with friends and family, make new connections, and stay updated on current trends and news. According to Statista, more than 5 billion people worldwide use social media, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, or a combination of several platforms. That’s over 63% of the global population. But with such a massive reach comes risks. Social media users, all 5 billion of us, are potentially exposed to scammers looking to take advantage of our curiosity and trust. From deepfake videos to impersonation and fake giveaways, fraudsters are using social media platforms to trick people into handing over their personal details. It’s time to fight back. Here’s a look at three common social media scams, and what you can do to protect yourself. Impersonation Scams This is a popular one. This scam involves scammers impersonating a celebrity or a real-life business and luring people into following, engaging, and sharing their posts. Oftentimes, they’ll claim that you’ve won a contest and send instructions on how to claim your gift. Of course, these instructions will involve revealing sensitive information such as your name, address, birthday,... --- #### KillSec Ransomware targets Brazilian health tech company! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/killsec-ransomware-targets-brazilian-health-tech-company/ Description: KillSec ransomware hit MedicSolution, a Brazilian health tech company, exposing sensitive medical data in the latest attack on the healthcare sector. KillSec Ransomware targets Brazilian health tech company! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/09/KillSec-Ransomware-targets-Brazilian-health-tech-company.mp3 MedicSolution, a health tech company in Brazil, was targeted by the notorious KillSec ransomware group in September. 8. The threat actors have managed to steal over 34 GB worth of data. They are now threatening the health tech brand to fulfill their ransomware demand, or otherwise they will leak all the data on the dark web. The stolen data consists of over 94,000 files, including unredacted patient images, X-rays, details, and patient records of minors , and so much more. After a thorough investigation, they realized that the insecure AWS S3 buckets enabled the cybercriminals to creep into the systems of MedicSolution. Experts also feel that the attack must have taken place way back in the months. Because of this cyberattack, several other Brazilian healthcare centers are also at high risk, such as Clinica Especo Vida , Labclinic, Vita Exame, Laboratorio Alvaro, and Centro Diagnostico Toledo, among others. This is so because MedicSolution is a software provider that offers cloud storage facilities to different healthcare institutions and clinics so that they can carry out everyday operations with utmost ease. The ransomware attack has directly affected those patients whose personal... --- #### Recognizing Fake Emails From CEOs: What You Need To Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/recognizing-fake-emails-from-ceos-what-you-need-to-know/ Description: Recognizing Fake Emails From CEOs: What You Need To Know: In today's digital communication landscape, leadership communication via email is central to. In today’s digital communication landscape, leadership communication via email is central to corporate operations. However, this vital channel has increasingly become a target for cybercriminals aiming to exploit trust and authority within organizations. Executive emails, especially messages that appear to emanate from a CEO or senior management, are frequently imitated in scams designed to deceive employees, partners, or stakeholders. These fraudulent emails compromise business email etiquette and can severely damage company culture, communication, and corporate correspondence integrity, highlighting the need for robust phishing protection measures. High-profile executives such as Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Mary Barra, Jeff Bezos, Sheryl Sandberg, and Warren Buffett are often targets or represented in fake CEO emails, reflecting their global leadership stature. As corporations like Tesla, Apple Inc., Amazon, Google, Salesforce, and Microsoft adopt sophisticated email platforms, including Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, Slack, and HubSpot for their internal memos, company newsletters, and board communication, recognizing and preventing CEO email fraud becomes imperative in email security and deliverability management. Common Types of CEO Email Scams CEO email fraud typically manifests in several forms, all strategically designed to manipulate recipients through urgent or confidential requests. Some prevalent types include: - Urgent Email Requests : Fraudsters... --- #### Qantas cyber incident: Executives punished by the board! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/qantas-cyber-incident-executives-punished-by-board/ Description: After the Qantas data breach, the airline's board docked executive pay, holding leadership financially accountable for the cyber incident. Qantas cyber incident: Executives punished by the board! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/09/Qantas-cyber-incident-Executives-punished-by-the-board.mp3 If you are a frequent flyer at Qantas, you cannot afford to miss this! Australia’s largest airline, Qantas, suffered a cyber mishap earlier in June this year. It seems like the airline company is still struggling with the repercussions of the cyberattack . The Qantas board has decided to punish the executives because of the financial loss incurred due to the attack. The cyber incident has affected customer data , and as a result, the board of directors has decided to bring down the compensation for the executive team and CEO Vanessa Hudson by 15%. This immediately leads to a reduction of a whopping $250,000 for Hudson. The Qantas team got to know about the cyberattack back on June 30. The threat actors had managed to breach into a third-party platform that Qantas was using as a customer service contact support. Before Qantas could do anything, the cybercrooks had already gained access to the personal data of a staggering 5.7 million passengers . Interestingly enough, the cyber incident took place just a few days after a warning issued by the FBI. They had warned people against a cybercriminal... --- #### Spear Phishing Solutions: Protecting Your Business From Targeted Email Threats URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/spear-phishing-solutions-protecting-your-business-from-targeted-email-threats/ Description: Spear phishing represents a highly targeted subset of phishing attacks designed to deceive specific individuals or organizations by masquerading as trustworthy. Spear phishing represents a highly targeted subset of phishing attacks designed to deceive specific individuals or organizations by masquerading as trustworthy sources. Unlike broad phishing campaigns that cast wide nets, spear phishing leverages deep reconnaissance and social engineering tactics to craft personalized email messages. These emails often bypass traditional email security measures and exploit human vulnerabilities with compelling pretexts, leading to business email compromise (BEC), credential theft, or malware deployment. Key characteristics include the use of authentic-looking sender addresses often countered by spoofing prevention measures, carefully tailored content referencing business operations, and an aim to bypass detection through email filtering and sandboxing technologies. Attackers increasingly utilize advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques, integrating machine learning and artificial intelligence security to evade threat detection systems embedded in secure email gateway solutions. Common Targets and Attack Vectors in Spear Phishing Spear phishing commonly targets executives, finance personnel, human resources, and IT administrators due to their access to sensitive data and high-level authentication privileges. Attack vectors predominantly involve deceptive emails containing malicious attachments or embedded phishing URLs designed to harvest credentials or install ransomware . These emails can evade TLS security and email encryption protocols by exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities or manipulating endpoint protection tools.... --- #### Beware of Phantom Hacker Scams: Warns FBI URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/beware-of-phantom-hacker-scams-warns-fbi/ Description: The FBI warns of the three-phase Phantom Hacker scam, where fraudsters pose as tech support, bank officials, and government agents to drain victims' accounts. Beware of Phantom Hacker Scams: Warns FBI by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/09/Beware-of-Phantom-Hacker-Scams-Warns-FBI.mp3 The FBI has warned Americans about a three-phase cyber scam known as the Phantom Hacker Scam. Threat actors are employing a three-phase hacking strategy to gain unauthorized access to the financial accounts of their victims. The primary targets of the Phantom Hacker scam are mainly elderly individuals nearing retirement age. The three-phase strategy is used by cybercrooks to earn the trust of the victims so that later they can wipe out their bank accounts conveniently. It is because of this element of zero susceptibility that victims often lose their life savings or retirement funds to the Phantom hacking attacks. Phantom hacker scam This three-pronged cyberattack has so far resulted in a loss of over $1 billion in America since 2024. Most of the victims of Phantom hackers are over 60 years old, who have one or the other personal interests and love to flaunt them on social media platforms . For example, some of the victims were vintage car fans, while others were antique watch enthusiasts. Phantom hackers do not merely rely on phishing emails or phone calls to break into your financial accounts . Rather, based on research,... --- #### How Medical Misinformation Fuels Email Scams and Puts Lives at Risk URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-medical-misinformation-fuels-email-scams-and-puts-lives-at-risk/ Description: How Medical Misinformation Fuels Email Scams and Puts Lives at Risk: In our hyper-connected world, the rapid spread of information has become a double-edged. In our hyper-connected world, the rapid spread of information has become a double-edged sword. While it has democratized knowledge, it has also created a fertile ground for malicious actors. According to Statista, over 989,000 unique phishing attacks were detected worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2024. Moreover, the surge in phishing sites has been especially dramatic over recent years. For instance, between the second and third quarters of 2020, the number of unique phishing sites jumped from nearly 147,000 to 572,000. A particularly dangerous and growing subset of these digital threats is medical misinformation, which is increasingly weaponized in sophisticated email scams. These deceptive emails exploit human vulnerability to manipulate individuals into sharing personal information, financial data, or making unsafe medical decisions. This article discusses how medical misinformation fuels email scams, the dangers it creates, and strategies to recognize and protect against these tactics. The Rise of Health-Related Email Scams Health-related email scams have surged alongside global health crises and growing online reliance. Common schemes include fake vaccine alerts, promotion of miracle cures, and offers of counterfeit or unapproved medications. Scammers exploit fear and urgency during health emergencies, pressuring recipients to act quickly. These emails often mimic trusted health authorities... --- #### Water System Attacks: The New Strategy Leveraged By Threat Actors! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/water-system-attacks-strategy-leveraged-by-threat-actors/ Description: Water System Attacks: The New Strategy Leveraged By Threat Actors!: Water System Attacks: The New Strategy Leveraged By Threat Actors! https://media.mailhop.o. Water System Attacks: The New Strategy Leveraged By Threat Actors! https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/08/Water-system-attacks-The-new-strategy-leveraged-by-threat-actors.mp3 There has been a steep rise in the instances of cyberattacks on water systems. Different nations, such as the US, Norway, and Poland, are facing the brunt of the increased interest of cybercrooks in water systems or blue gold. Cybersecurity experts believe that nation-state threat actors are behind these attacks on crucial infrastructures such as water systems across countries. Apart from state-sponsored hackers , ransomware groups are also taking a keen interest in water utility sectors around the world. In April, threat actors managed to tamper with the management of a Norwegian flood gate. They hacked the systems to open the floodgate forcefully and kept pouring out a massive 500 litres of water every second. This continued for the next four hours, leading to a severe water crisis . Such attacks are becoming increasingly frequent, serving as a staggering reminder that water systems are severely vulnerable to threat attacks. Cybercrooks use these attacks to make the most out of the already existing geopolitical tensions around the world. Head of counter-intelligence in Norway, as well as cybersecurity experts, believe that Russian threat actors are responsible for such attacks on water... --- #### Top 10 Best Anti-Phishing Solutions To Protect Your Business In 2025 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/top-10-best-anti-phishing-solutions-to-protect-your-business-in-2025/ Description: As cyber threats evolve, phishing attacks continue to be one of the most pervasive and damaging types of cybercrime targeting businesses worldwide. As cyber threats evolve, phishing attacks continue to be one of the most pervasive and damaging types of cybercrime targeting businesses worldwide. Phishing detection and phishing prevention have become critical components of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy in 2025. With the increasing sophistication of spear phishing and email fraud, organizations require advanced, integrated cybersecurity solutions that offer robust email security, social engineering protection, and real-time threat detection. Anti-phishing tools are now indispensable, not only to flag and filter out spam and phishing emails but also to provide phishing email analysis, credential theft protection, and incident response capabilities . Coupled with machine learning in cybersecurity, these solutions employ behavioral analysis and threat intelligence to identify zero-day attack vectors and malicious link detection before they can compromise networks or sensitive data. Leading cybersecurity providers such as Proofpoint, Microsoft Defender for Office 365, and Cofense (formerly PhishMe) have pioneered technologies that combine secure email gateways with anti-malware software , anti-spam software, reverse email lookup software, and phishing simulation to build organizational resilience through phishing awareness programs and security awareness training. In this article, we examine key features to look for in effective anti-phishing solutions and highlight the first four top-tier solutions businesses should consider... --- #### Pandora targeted by cybercrooks: Here’s what you should know! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/pandora-targeted-by-cybercrooks-what-you-should-know/ Description: Pandora targeted by cybercrooks: Here’s what you should know!: Pandora targeted by cybercrooks: Here& 039;s what you should know! https://media.mailhop. Pandora targeted by cybercrooks: Here s what you should know! https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/08/Pandora-targeted-by-cybercrooks-Heres-what-you-should-know.mp3 If you are a jewelry enthusiast, then you must see this! Pandora, the largest jewelry brand in the world, has been targeted by cybercrooks . On 5th August, this fashion jewelry brand notified the stakeholders about a potential customer data breach . They have mentioned that “only very common types of data were copied by the attacker.” The compromised data may consist of details like email address, dates of birth, and names. Pandora believes that the cyberattackers could not access any sensitive data, such as credit card details and user passwords . The premium jewelry brand has been sending emails to its customers, informing them about the unfortunate cyber incident. So far, there has been no further clarity around the type of cyberattack. Experts believe that it may be a ransomware-based cyberattack similar to the pattern seen in recent months. Pandora believes that so far, there is no “evidence that this data has been shared or published.” As per the luxury jewelry brand , adequate measures have been taken to limit the extent of damage. They have urged the customers to “pay extra attention” to unusual emails and online... --- #### A notorious Mexican cartel hired a hacker to track and kill FBI witnesses! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/notorious-mexican-cartel-hired-a-hacker-to-track-and-kill-fbi-witnesses/ Description: A notorious Mexican cartel hired a hacker to track and kill FBI witnesses!: A notorious Mexican cartel hired a hacker to track and kill FBI witnesses. A notorious Mexican cartel hired a hacker to track and kill FBI witnesses! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/07/A-notorious-Mexican-cartel-hired-a-hacker-to-track-and-kill-FBI-witnesses.mp3 A recent Government report has disclosed spine-chilling facts around the sensational El Chapo case. As per the report, the Sinaloa Mexican drug cartel hired a hacker back in 2018 with the primary motive of tracking the activities of a senior FBI official. The hacker was collecting sensitive information from the Mexican CCTVs . These details helped the notorious drug cartel to murder potential FBI informants. The hacker was smart enough to pry into the “calls made and received” by the FBI person . He was also closely monitoring their geological data, which resulted in a massive data breach and hampered operational security while the FBI was trying to nab El Chapo/Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel . He is currently serving a life sentence and has been convicted of different criminal activities, such as smuggling cocaine in the US for over 75 years. What’s this report all about? The 47-page report was published by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (OIG) last Thursday. According to the report, one of the cartel associates got in touch with an FBI case... --- #### How to Secure Your Website and Protect Against Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-secure-your-website-and-protect-against-phishing-attacks/ Description: How to Secure Your Website and Protect Against Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks and web application threats are hitting more sites every year. With. Phishing attacks and web application threats are hitting more sites every year. With ninety-eight percent of web applications showing weaknesses, attackers have no shortage of targets. Here's what you need to know and the steps you can take to keep your website and users safe. Spotting the Weak Spots: Common Threats Almost every website has open doors if the basics are not covered. Phishing, ransomware, and botnet attacks are all common outcomes of these gaps. Last year, almost fifty-four people every second were hit by a cyber attack. In 2024 alone, there were over 1.5 million attacks that took aim at the domain name system. If your website's security is not kept current, it stands out to attackers. Password habits remain a weak defense. Forty-four percent of people still recycle passwords across accounts. This increases risk, as one leak can lead to more accounts being compromised. Many threats also start with phishing emails. Business email scams took in over fifty-five billion dollars in the last ten years. Company accounts can be broken into with a single successful fake message. Real-World Risks: Hosting Choices and Phish Attacks "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added... --- #### Anatomy of a Trust-Based Attack: Deconstructing the Nifty.com Phishing Campaign and the New Frontier of Corporate Defense URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/anatomy-of-a-trust-based-attack-deconstructing-the-nifty-com-phishing-campaign-and-the-new-frontier-of-corporate-defense/ Description: Anatomy of a Trust-Based Attack: Deconstructing the Nifty.com Phishing Campaign and the New Frontier of Corporate Defense: This is the most critical and. Brad's Bottom Line Up Front: 1. Fortify the "Human Firewall" (Highest Priority) This is the most critical and cost-effective area. Since these attacks manipulate people, your team is your best defense. - Champion "Out-of-Band" Verification: This is your number one rule. Train every employee that any unexpected or urgent request for money, credentials, or data must be verified through a separate channel. If an email from the "CEO" asks for a wire transfer, you don't reply to the email - you call the CEO on their known phone number or message them on your internal chat tool to confirm. - Conduct Practical Training: You don't need a complex system. Run short, regular training sessions using real-world examples. Explain that emails from trusted domains like Gmail or even Microsoft can be hijacked. The goal isn't just awareness, but building a culture of healthy skepticism. - Establish Simple, Blame-Free Reporting: Create a simple email address (like phishing@yourcompany.com) where employees can forward anything that looks suspicious. When they do, thank them. Making reporting easy and safe turns every employee into a sensor for your business. 2. Implement Foundational (and Often Free) Technical Controls You can dramatically improve security by enabling controls that are... --- #### Fake customer care service scam may cost you your fortune! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/fake-customer-care-service-scam-may-cost-you-your-fortune/ Description: Scammers are planting fake customer care numbers online to impersonate support teams and steal money and credentials. Here is how the scam works. Fake customer care service scam may cost you your fortune! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/06/Fake-customer-care-service-scam-may-cost-you-your-fortune.mp3 If you think that a poor customer support system is the biggest nuisance ever, then you need to see this! A bogus customer service scam is doing the rounds in the US where a cybercrook demands your credit card details, then and there, as you try to connect with the genuine customer support system. These scams are more common during queries where passengers attempt to contact the customer support team to inquire about flight delays, cancellations, lost luggage , and other issues. These cybercriminals are clever enough to capitalize on the sense of urgency the victim is experiencing. They easily plan false customer service numbers on search engine results . You will be surprised to know how they have managed to create fake customer support details for some of the major insurance companies, online retailers , airlines, and banks. Amazon customer care scam In March 2025, the popular e-commerce platform Amazon informed its global audience on X about a 33% rise in customer support impersonation scams. The scamsters have been targeting innocent and unaware Amazon customers since December 2024. Such warnings serve as a stark reminder... --- #### All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack, Major outage in the Ohio medical center URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/14-centers-of-kettering-health-were-affected-by-massive-ransomware-attack-in-ohio-medical-center/ Description: All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack, Major outage in the Ohio medical center: All 14 centers of Kettering Health. All 14 centers of Kettering Health were affected by a massive ransomware attack by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/05/All-14-centers-of-Kettering-Health-were-affected-by-a-massive-ransomware-attack-Major-outage-in-the-Ohio-medical-center.mp3 A massive ransomware attack has led to a “system-wide technology outage” across a network of Ohio medical centers under Kettering Health. Both inpatient and outpatient procedures have been called off for the time being . Their network was attacked by a ransomware group on Tuesday morning, resulting in all 14 medical centers being shut down temporarily. Although emergency rooms and medical clinics are open, the call centers are down, thereby affecting the overall communication system . As per the initial investigation results, the threat actors targeted the main computer network of Kettering Health. Meanwhile, the information technology team, as well as the health executives, are working hand in hand to limit the extent of the damage. Kettering Health has a network of over 1800 highly qualified doctors and 15,000 medical staff. They offer medical facilities to a huge part of the Ohio population. This nonprofit organization is also responsible for taking care of over 120 outpatient facilities in Western Ohio. A Kettering Health spokesperson stated that threat actors are trying to get in touch with their employees and patients while posing as Kettering... --- #### The automobile industry is the new favorite among cyberattackers! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-automobile-industry-is-the-new-favorite-among-cyberattackers/ Description: Upstream Security reports a sharp spike in cyberattacks on the automobile industry, from connected-car exploits to ransomware against manufacturers. The automobile industry is the new favorite among cyberattackers! by phishing protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/05/The-automobile-industry-is-the-new-favorite-among-cyberattackers.mp3 A recent report by Upstream Security reveals that threat attacks on the automobile industry have spiked by a whopping 50%. This sudden surge took place in Q1 2025, and now, neither vehicles nor their manufacturers are safe from cyberattacks . While 2024 witnessed a total of 409 incidents throughout the year, as many as 148 attacks have already occurred in Q1 2025. The Vice President of Cyber Services at Upstream said that, apart from these 148 incidents, there are many more attacks and activities that would never come to light. What’s more concerning is the fact that out of these 148 cyberattacks, a staggering 45% were carried out by ransomware gangs . These cybercrooks leverage infostealers to gain access to user credentials, and later sell this data to threat actors who can further weaponize it . These credentials can be misused to impersonate OEM employees as well as car dealers. Through impersonation, they can then gain access to other sensitive details, such as vehicle identification numbers, customer addresses, and vehicle locations . Such ransomware attacks can cause huge repercussions. For example, a ransomware gang attacked the systems... --- #### 300K vehicles and trip details exposed as NexOpt experienced a massive data breach! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/300k-vehicles-trip-details-exposed-as-nexopt-experienced-massive-data-breach/ Description: 300K vehicles and trip details exposed as NexOpt experienced a massive data breach!: 300K vehicles and trip details exposed as NexOpt experienced a massive. 300K vehicles and trip details exposed as NexOpt experienced a massive data breach! by phishing protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/04/300K-vehicles-and-trip-details-exposed-as-NexOpt-experienced-a-massive-data-breach.mp3 Tracking your vehicle is a must in terms of convenience as well as safety. But what if that tracking service provider itself is unsafe? All of a sudden, your personal data , like trip details, vehicle details, and other sensitive data, will be in the wrong hands. This is exactly what happened with 300K passengers across the world. NextOpt, a leading vehicle tracking service provider, which claims to be one of the best companies to “guarantee maximum data security,” has experienced a severe data breach . Based in Germany, NexOpt has been a victim of a cyberattack, as a result of which threat actors have gained access to highly sensitive travel details and passengers' real-time data . The data includes real-time vehicle and ship locations, VINs or Verification numbers, driver’s seat information, and other crucial details that are otherwise not meant for public viewing . How did the breach happen? The breach happened because of an unsecured, misconfigured NexOpt database. Threat actors wiped out one Terabyte worth of data. Cybersecurity experts believe that this data breach can serve as a threat to all... --- #### Is data theft the new normal in the ransomware ecosystem? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/is-data-theft-the-new-normal-in-the-ransomware-ecosystem/ Description: Is data theft the new normal in the ransomware ecosystem?: One of the most notorious ransomware gangs across the globe, Lockbit, has warned Kash Patel, the. One of the most notorious ransomware gangs across the globe, Lockbit, has warned Kash Patel, the Director of FBI , that it has enough data to completely destroy the FBI . This leads to a very critical question : If the FBI itself is at risk, then how safe is the common people’s data? Ever since 2020, data breaches have proven to be more dangerous than ever . The Australian Federation has reported 450 breaches every 6 months . The infamous ransomware gangs, namely BlackLock, LockBit, and other similar attackers, have advanced cyberattack methods that prove to be a significant threat to large companies even though they use reliable security measures. How long-tail is the data breach act? Post 2020, the ransomware gangs have been increasingly targeting the big fishes in the market, including Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Nissan, Dell, Ticketmaster , and many others. As per IBM, the average financial loss has been reported to be nearly USD $4.45 million. The worst part is that the ransomware software is more accessible than ever and easier to use. The dark web market now easily finds data buyers who purchase the stolen data . Even if you wipe down the top underground... --- #### Understanding Traffic Distribution System (TDS) and the associated cyber risks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/understanding-traffic-distribution-system-tds-and-the-associated-cyber-risks/ Description: Understanding Traffic Distribution System (TDS) and the associated cyber risks!: The Traffic Distribution System TDS has been around for many years now. It. The Traffic Distribution System (TDS) has been around for many years now. It enables digital advertisers to manage and direct website traffic with ultimate dexterity. But of late, TDS has been a type of cybersecurity threat . Cyber actors are capable of exploiting the Traffic Distribution System for malicious purposes . TDS, when used legitimately, can help in targeted marketing . Threat actors, on the other hand, leverage these platforms to redirect naive users to malicious websites . The malicious usage of TDS is emerging as a cybersecurity threat , making it extremely difficult for them to identify and prevent such cyberattacks. Basically, Traffic Distribution Systems are intricate tools that help you control exactly how and where the web traffic is being directed. They enable businesses to send specific users to pre-defined web pages . These web pages are designated on the basis of a couple of factors, such as device type, geographical location, operating system, and browsing behavior. Businesses such as the digital advertising industry are dependent on the TDS system in order to set up their ad campaigns in a way that reaches the target audience easily. However, threat actors have found loopholes whereby they can exploit the... --- #### Major cyber breach in Taylor Swift’s concert, hackers arrested! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/major-cyber-breach-in-taylor-swifts-concert-hackers-arrested/ Description: Major cyber breach in Taylor Swift's concert, hackers arrested!: If you're a die-hard Swiftie, then you should definitely see this! Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. If you’re a die-hard Swiftie, then you should definitely see this! Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, which created ripples across the world of pop music, has faced a massive data breach . The music tour, which ended back in December 2024, became the prime target of hackers . Allegations of tickets being sold online at massive prices or not delivering the tickets even after paying the money are quite common . It happens whenever such concerts are organized on a global scale . People try to exploit the emotions of fans and extract massive amounts of money from them by procuring and selling tickets illegitimately . This is exactly what happened in Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Two threat actors are facing charges of stealing as well as reselling over 900 Eras Tour tickets to interested buyers. The official ticket-selling platform StubHub got hacked by multiple hackers . The threat actors gained unauthorized access to the tickets and sold them at much higher prices to buyers from the same platform. It is said that tickets worth $635,000 have been sold by hackers. On February 27, the two accused threat actors , Tyron Rose and Shamara P. Simmons, were arrested. They have been... --- #### UK’s compromised encryption move causes a stir worldwide! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/uks-compromised-encryption-move-causes-a-stir-worldwide/ Description: Recently Apple decided to remove complete for the United Kingdom people, and it has not gone down so well with the users. Recently Apple decided to remove complete iCloud security for the United Kingdom people, and it has not gone down so well with the users. Besides, the situation is not restricted to just the UK. This action taken by Apple has now boosted the chances of security removal for USA users, too. THE FBI has been demanding ‘lawful access’ to the encrypted data of users for a long time. The UK incident can lead to similar regulations in the United States. The increasing conflict between law enforcement bodies and the security system This situation of conflict is not something new that people across the globe are witnessing. Government authorities and tech companies have been locking horns for years over the issue of encryption. Tech giants like Meta and Apple have been fighting hard to keep their user data private and far from the prying eyes of the government. However, law enforcement agencies demand complete access to the encrypted data, which they say would prove to be highly beneficial for investing in global crimes such as child exploitation and terrorism . Back in 2020, cybersecurity experts said that the companies that prefer end-to-end encryption were highly likely to lose this battle against... --- #### Australian woman lost $780,000 in search of love online! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/australian-woman-lost-780000-in-search-of-love-online/ Description:   An Australian woman lost a whopping $780,000 and is currently living a homeless life. All these happened just because she was searching for love online! An Australian woman lost a whopping $780,000 and is currently living a homeless life. All these happened just because she was searching for love online ! Annette Ford, a Perth-based woman in her late 50s, has lost all her life savings. At present, she is forced to couch-surf with complete strangers in Western Australia. She is struggling hard to secure accommodation in an affordable retirement village in Australia. Annette’s life came crashing down when her marriage of 33 years ended badly 7 years ago. She was extremely shocked and in extreme grief when she saw her ex-husband move on quickly . In order to avoid loneliness, she decided to try her luck in dating. Soon, she joined a dating platform called ‘Plenty of Fish’ and got in touch with a guy named William. They kept chatting for months and Annette was gradually falling for the person. Soon he asked for $5000 from Annette on the pretext of losing his wallet to a petty burglar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. William said that he urgently needed to clear a hospital bill and cater to other important expenses as well. She admitted that she was ‘gullible and foolish.’ Out of love, Annette transferred... --- #### US publication house targeted by threat actors! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/us-publication-house-targeted-by-threat-actors/ Description: US publication house targeted by threat actors!: One of the largest newspaper groups in the US- Lee Enterprises, faced the brunt of a cyberattack recently. One of the largest newspaper groups in the US- Lee Enterprises, faced the brunt of a cyberattack recently. The newspaper giant, which has readership across 72 markets in 25 states, reported the unfortunate incident of a cyberattack on February 7, 2025. The attack forced the media conglomerate to temporarily bring down its IT infrastructure offline. Some of the major newspapers in this public publishing house include Omaha World-Herald, The Buffalo News, and Richmond Times Dispatch. Apart from these, Lee Enterprises also runs special publications and online services. In the last quarter itself, this media giant reported a revenue of $145 million . The details of the attack! The investigation is going on. As of now, the details of the attackers and the type of cyberattack have not yet been determined. But the attack was severe, and that’s exactly why Lee Enterprises had to experience disruption in newspaper printing and distribution. The spokesperson of Lee Enterprise has been tightlipped and is in no mood to divulge any insider details. They have mentioned that such investigations require lots of time, energy, and patience. So, they have urged all the stakeholders to stay calm and wait until the investigation is over. Meanwhile, Erich... --- #### A staggering 1M patients affected after a critical data breach at the Community Health Center URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-staggering-1m-patients-affected-after-a-critical-data-breach-at-the-community-health-center/ Description: A staggering 1M patients affected after a critical data breach at the Community Health Center: A significant data breach has occurred at the Community Health. A significant data breach has occurred at the Community Health Center (CHC) , a US-based nonprofit organization providing patient-centered healthcare . This is the third case within a span of just 7 days. Prior to CHC, the New York Blood Center Enterprises and the Frederick Health Center were attacked by threat actors on January 29 and January 27, respectively. Experts have already been investigating the attacks. It is yet not clear whether or not all three attacks on healthcare centers are interconnected. CHC, a nonprofit healthcare provider, has started sending out letters to its patients, informing them about the massive data breach . The letter mentions the suspicious activity on the CHC computer back on January 2. Since then, the nonprofit healthcare center has been working closely with cybersecurity experts . Apart from this, CHC has also boosted its security systems. The investigation has made one thing crystal clear. Experts believe that the data breach has been carried out by a ‘skilled criminal hacker .’ They managed to enter into the systems of the Community Health Center and then accessed the personal and sensitive data of the patients. The breached data includes sensitive information such as phone numbers, dates of... --- #### GhostGPT- GenAI model that boosts cybercrime URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ghostgpt-genai-model-that-boosts-cybercrime/ Description: GhostGPT- GenAI model that boosts cybercrime: Artificial Intelligence is dangerous when manipulated and exploited by threat actors. One such recent example. Artificial Intelligence is dangerous when manipulated and exploited by threat actors. One such recent example of AI menace is GhostGPT. It’s yet another AI chatbot that was developed with the sole purpose of making it easy and convenient for cybercriminals . This unrestricted generative AI model has garnered immense popularity within days of its launch. The researchers at Abnormal Security found out about GhostGPT in a Telegram channel back in November 2024. As per their report , Cybercriminals have been actively using GhostGPT to create malware, write phishing messages , and so much more. This article aims to find out what makes GhostGPT an absolute favorite among cybercriminals and how much damage it can impart to businesses and individuals alike. Let’s get started! What is GhostGPT? This is a relatively new, handy AI tool for beginner-level and intermediate cybercriminals. It is the latest addition to the uncensored Gen AI ecosystem . An easy-to-access and convenient-to-use AI chatbot, GhostGPT doesn’t have the traditional restrictions that legitimate platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and CoPilot have. It operates seamlessly without any kind of guardrails, thereby enabling cybercriminals to misuse it for generating harmful outputs . Threat actors can ask anything under the sun... --- #### TikTok gets banned and then restored within a few hours in the US! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/tiktok-gets-banned-and-then-restored-within-a-few-hours-in-the-us/ Description: TikTok gets banned and then restored within a few hours in the US!: Every TikTok user right now is considering themselves as God's favorite child. The. Every TikTok user right now is considering themselves as God’s favorite child. The short-form video making app just survived a federal ban and resurrected just like that within a couple of hours. The app is up and running once again in the US, and users are going crazy over this ‘miraculous’ incident. As promised, Trump has put a brief pause on the federal ban . Regarding the brief pause - Trump said that he wants to give more time to China-based parent company - ByteDance so that they can find a suitable buyer for the app before the ultimate ban. Late Saturday, TikTok mentioned that it had shut down across the US because of the federal ban . As a result, Apple and Google removed the app from their respective digital stores. The abrupt shutdown and sudden resurrection of the app are considered to be a brilliant marketing gimmick for both TikTok and Donald Trump. The confusion around TikTok ban On Saturday night, TikTok users saw a pop-up message on their screen saying, ‘Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.’ Soon, the... --- #### Volkswagen data breach impacts a whopping 800K EV users! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/volkswagen-data-breach-impacts-a-whopping-800k-ev-users/ Description: Volkswagen data breach impacts a whopping 800K EV users!: The automotive industry is increasingly becoming a popular pick among threat actors. Because of its. The automotive industry is increasingly becoming a popular pick among threat actors. Because of its perceived vulnerabilities and dynamic trends, the automotive industry is no longer safe from the prying eyes of cybercriminals . The recent data breach at Volkswagen is no different. The cyber incident exposed the personal data of 800K EV customers ! The German car manufacturing giant experienced the unfortunate event of a data breach across multiple brands , including Audi, Seat, Skoda, and Volkswagen. What’s more concerning is the nature of the data that has been leaked. It consists of sensitive details, such as dates of birth, physical addresses, email addresses , names, etc., of 800,000 electronic vehicle owners. The data also includes specific details such as charging status, warning light indicator data, battery temperature, odometer readings, etc. The worst part is that the data consists of sensitive geolocation data such as shopping habits, workplace locations, school drop-offs, law enforcement personnel residence addresses, and so on. The security analyst at Chaos Computer Club- Flupke , shed light on significant lapses on Volkswagen’s part. There have been major blunders in data protection practices , such as violations of GDPR regulations and lapses in Volkswagen’s terms of service.... --- #### DDoS attacks spike as Africa embraces rapid digitization! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ddos-attacks-spike-as-africa-embraces-rapid-digitization/ Description: DDoS attacks spike as Africa embraces rapid digitization!: Africa's rapid digitization attempts have made it a prime target among threat actors. Jumping onto. Africa’s rapid digitization attempts have made it a prime target among threat actors. Jumping onto the digitization%20format.) bandwagon just to stay relevant without having the proper knowledge, resources, and infrastructure is affecting Africa badly. There has been a steep rise in the number of DDoS ( Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, especially in organizations spread across North Africa. The point of concern is that North Africa is experiencing the highest internet proliferation at present . A DDoS attack is one where the attacker tends to overwhelm a website or any kind of online service with enormous traffic , thereby making it inaccessible to actual users. DDoS attacks lead to financial losses, downtime, and tarnished reputation s. DDoS attacks have been increasing in frequency and intensity across Africa and Middle Eastern nations. As per a recent report, a steep increase of 30% in DDoS attacks was witnessed on the first of 2024. Morocco, a country in North Africa with greater internet usage, has reported a whopping 61,000 DDoS attack incidents . Similarly, Egypt, another North African country, has been the victim of DDoS attacks, with 45,108 reported incidents, which also occurred within the first half of 2024. Tunisia is also not... --- #### India witnesses a steep rise in the number of API attacks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/india-witnesses-a-steep-rise-in-the-number-of-api-attacks/ Description: India has been experiencing an alarming rise in API (Application Programming Interface) attacks, with banking and utilities sectors emerging as primary targets. India has been experiencing an alarming rise in API (Application Programming Interface) attacks, with banking and utilities sectors emerging as primary targets. APIs, the backbone of digital services and communications systems , are becoming vulnerable with each passing day. The reason behind this increasing vulnerability is the rapid digitization across organizations. By the third quarter of 2024, Indian organizations have already witnessed almost 1.2 billion attacks , making a whopping 92% jump! The threat actors have majorly designed DDoS attacks to target both companies and businesses . However, experts believe that their degree of sophistication is increasing with every passing day. What are API attacks? APIs help applications to communicate seamlessly. They are an integral part of the modern digital ecosystem . However, it is their all-pervasive nature that makes APIs a lucrative target for threat actors. Below mentioned are the four common types of API attacks: Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) This involves intercepting communication between APIs in order to gain access to sensitive data . Injection attacks This involves the exploitation of improper input validations with the purpose of inserting malicious codes . DDoS attacks DDoS attacks overload APIs with excessive requests to disrupt everyday operations. Broken authentication This involves exploiting... --- #### Threat actors target a popular donut company in the US! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-target-a-popular-donut-company-in-the-us/ Description: Donut lovers, this news may be a cause of concern for you all. The donut company Krispy Kreme faced a incident last month. Donut lovers, this news may be a cause of concern for you all. The US-based donut company Krispy Kreme faced a cybersecurity incident last month. The attack on one of the world’s largest donut companies is a staggering reminder that threat actors are always on the move and are getting sophisticated, one attack at a time. The cyberattack disrupted the Krispy Kreme's online ordering system. Ever since the cyber incident has been in the news, the company has also experienced a reduction of 2% in its share values. As per the Securities and Exchange Commission filing by Krispy Kreme, there has been an ‘unauthorized activity on a portion of its information technology systems.’ Since then, it has been in constant touch with cybersecurity experts and is trying to minimize the impact of the threat attack. The federal law enforcement team has already been informed. Experts are working hard to put the online ordering system up and running. Krispy Kreme expects a ‘ material impact ’ on daily business operations. Since online ordering has been stalled as of now, the donut company expects a loss in terms of reduced revenue through digital sales . The good news is that Krispy Kreme... --- #### Guidelines to follow to send emails to Gmail recipients URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/guidelines-to-follow-to-send-emails-to-gmail-recipients/ Description: Guidelines to follow to send emails to Gmail recipients: Google has always prioritized protecting its users and preventing phishing attempts . To achieve. Google has always prioritized protecting its users and preventing phishing attempts . To achieve this, it has established strict guidelines for sending emails to Gmail users . Violating these guidelines can result in your emails being marked as spam or bouncing back, instead of successfully reaching the inboxes of your intended recipients . These measures are part of Google's phishing protection efforts to ensure a secure and reliable email environment . Gmail also has a system for scoring your domain reputation . The lower your domain’s reputation score, the fewer chances your messages will be opened and engaged with . If your domain is used for sending too many marketing and PR emails , it gets all the more important for you to abide by these guidelines to get the desired outcome of your campaigns. Email authentication requirements Gmail requires all senders to have SPF and DKIM deployed for their domains. For bulk senders, DMARC is also required. These email authentication protocols help verify if an unauthorized entity sent an email on your behalf. If you use an email service provider , check and ensure they authenticate your domain’s email with SPF and DKIM . Infrastructure configuration requirements The public... --- #### 8 million Android users fell prey to SpyLoan malware on Google Play Store URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/8-million-android-users-fell-prey-to-spyloan-malware-on-google-play-store/ Description:   Android users, do you think apps that you download from the Google Play Store are completely secure and harmless? Android users, do you think apps that you download from the Google Play Store are completely secure and harmless? Well, around 8 million Android users have been duped by 15 loan apps on the Google Play Store . These malicious apps bait naive Android users across Thailand, Chile, Vietnam, Columbia, Mexico, Peru, and Tanzania under the pretext of easy, quick, and effortless loans. The worst part is that out of these 15 apps, 5 are still live on Google Play Store as they have agreed to comply with Google Play policies . The majority of these 15 apps have been advertised widely on different social media platforms such as Facebook. These potentially unwanted programs leverage different types of social engineering tactics to coax them into sharing sensitive and personal details . Once threat actors get access to such data, users can face serious risks such as financial loss, extortion, harassment, blackmailing, and so on. What is SpyLoan? SpyLoan is a malware that came into the scene back in 2020. Gradually, SpyLoan got all the attention because of a set of 18 different loan lending apps. These apps are used to offer loans at high interest and seek personal information from... --- #### Threat actors kill multiple birds with one stone! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-kill-multiple-birds-with-one-stone/ Description: Blue Yonder, an AI-oriented supply chain management platform, has been attacked by threat actors. The breach, identified as a , happened on November 21st, 2024. Blue Yonder, an AI-oriented supply chain management platform, has been attacked by threat actors. The breach, identified as a ransomware attack , happened on November 21st, 2024. The attack has resulted in a massive impact on the company’s major infrastructure, which it utilizes to offer premium services to its customer base . What exactly does Blue Yonder do? Formerly known as JDA Software, Blue Yonder is an Arizona-based supply chain management company that works with high-profile brands such as Renault , Albertson’s, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Procter and Gamble, Nestle, DHL, Sainsbury, 3M, Kroger, Ace Hardware, Ann Morrisons, Anheuser Busch , Bayer, and so on. A global leader in digital supply chain management backed by artificial intelligence , Blue Yonder handles everything- from demand forecasting and inventory optimization to transportation and delivery. The Panasonic subsidiary has a customer base of 3,000 companies and employs as many as 6,000 team members. A world leader in supply chain management solutions with an annual revenue of over a billion USD, Blue Yonder is bound to create ripples because of the ransomware attack. What actually happened? The private cloud environment of Blue Yonder was attacked by ransomware. The supply chain management giant has acknowledged the cyberattack.... --- #### ByteDance- the parent company to TikTok to wind up in Canada URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/bytedance-the-parent-company-to-tiktok-to-wind-up-in-canada/ Description: ByteDance- the parent company to TikTok to wind up in Canada: On November 7, Canada finally joined the bandwagon and banned ByteDance , the parent company of. On November 7, Canada finally joined the bandwagon and banned ByteDance , the parent company of TikTok. The company is to wind down its operations in Canada by the end of 2024. The Canadian government cited national security concerns as the major reason behind this significant move. Authorities will be reviewing the last one-year worth of Canadian operations by TikTok. What comes as a shock is that the TikTok app itself will continue to be accessible to Canadian users. The Canadian government wants to strike the right balance between tackling national security issues and avoiding abrupt disruption of user experience. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) believes that using a specific app should be completely a matter of ‘personal choice.’ Francois Philippe Champagne , the innovation minister, urges Canadians to embrace safe and healthy cybersecurity practices. He believes that Canadian users must be well-versed with the potential risks related to using certain apps and platforms. They must be aware of how their personal data is being used by these applications. He requests that Canadian citizens refer to cybersecurity guidance offered by the Canadian government. TikTok versus the global government Governments across multiple nations believe that TikTok is compelled to share... --- #### Indian Woman loses around $1035 after downloading lounge app at Bengaluru airport! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/indian-woman-loses-around-1035-after-downloading-lounge-app/ Description: Indian Woman loses around $1035 after downloading lounge app at Bengaluru airport!: Are you planning to enjoy the airport lounge facility while you wait for. Are you planning to enjoy the airport lounge facility while you wait for your next flight? Pause for a second! You might end up losing your hard-earned money just like this Indian woman did at Bengaluru airport. Recently, this lady, named Bhargav Mani, took to social media and shared a reel about her experience at Bengaluru airport , India. On 29th September, Mani reached the Bengaluru airport 5 hours ahead of the flight departure time . She was too exhausted and wanted to access the airport lounge to rest for a while. The authorities asked her to show her credit card, which she was not carrying at that time. So, Bhargav showed the picture of her credit card to the authorities. They instructed her to download an app and go ahead for a facial scan and screen sharing, which they claimed was meant for security purposes . The woman did not give much thought and went ahead and downloaded the so-called “lounge pass app.” However, Bhargav changed her mind, and instead of using the lounge, she went to Starbucks to relish coffee. Soon, she continued with her flight journey . The next 15 days were utterly tiring for her as... --- #### Apple enthusiasts must know about the two privacy issues in iPhones and iPads! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/apple-enthusiasts-must-know-about-the-two-privacy-issues-in-iphones-and-ipads/ Description: Apple enthusiasts must know about the two privacy issues in iPhones and iPads!: Just when the whole world is going gaga over the latest launch of iPhone 16. Just when the whole world is going gaga over the latest launch of iPhone 16 Pro , a piece of news stunned every Apple enthusiast. The voiceover feature of iPhone and iPad could read out passwords aloud, thereby raising serious privacy concerns. Although Apple has now patched the two bugs, Apple users are feeling a bit concerned about data safety . The main issue was Apple’s VoiceOver accessibility feature, which could have led to your iPhones and iPads reading out your sensitive passwords aloud in front of others. Also, there was another issue in the new iPhone models , where the user's audio was being recorded for the first couple of seconds without their knowledge. Apple was quick to come up with updated operating systems for both iPadOS and iOS . The ultimate goal of this update was to fix the bug as soon as possible, thereby ensuring the safety of iPhone and iPad users. They have been advised to update their devices to avoid any kind of cyberattacks or inconveniences. Experts, such as Michael Covington from Jamf, believe that these vulnerabilities are in no way a hint towards cyber threats . Rather, both issues are related to user data... --- #### FBI joint operation dismantles Chinese state-sponsored botnet URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/fbi-joint-operation-dismantles-chinese-state-sponsored-botnet/ Description: FBI joint operation dismantles Chinese state-sponsored botnet: The FBI recently managed to dismantle a massive Chinese state-sponsored cyberattack in a joint. The FBI recently managed to dismantle a massive Chinese state-sponsored cyberattack in a joint operation. The hacker group, known by the name of Flax Typhoon, used a botnet to attack thousands of devices and gain access to the US and overseas data . The ultimate goal of the attack was to create disruption and steal sensitive data . The botnet primarily targeted devices such as digital video recorders, IoT gadgets, and routers, thereby making it a highly sophisticated network dedicated to carrying out malicious cyberattacks . The work process of this threat group was slightly different than that of its counterpart- the Volt Typhoon. The latter used to target only routers. Flax Typhoon, on the other hand, targets a wide variety of IoT devices. This further makes it difficult for cybersecurity experts to detect and disrupt the botnet . The FBI worked closely with other international partners and launched a court-authorized operation where the goal was to operate with the primary goal of taking complete control of the botnet. The next obvious goal was to remove malware from all the affected devices. The hacker group, Flax Typhoon, used DDoS or a Distributed Denial of Service in order to stop the... --- #### Fortinet data breach compelling enterprises to rethink cloud security! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/fortinet-data-breach-compelling-enterprises-to-rethink-cloud-security/ Description: Fortinet, a security vendor based in California, has recently released an official confirmation regarding a data breach. The hacker, known by the name of... Fortinet, a security vendor based in California, has recently released an official confirmation regarding a data breach. The hacker, known by the name of FortiBitch, has leaked 440GB worth of data on BreachForums. Fortinet believes that the data breach is not that big of a deal and has impacted only a ‘ small number ’ of Fortinet users. Fortibitch managed to access the data from the Azure Sharepoint site and then demanded a ransom from Fortinet. However, as the latter refused to pay the ransom, the hacker went on and leaked the data online. This cyberattack hints at the staggering risk companies put their customers through by ignoring appropriate security measures while using third-party cloud repositories . As of now, Fortinet is unable to identify the exact source of a data breach . However, the security company released an advisory for its customers stating that some hacker had managed to gain ‘unauthorized access to a limited number of files stored on Fortinet’s instance of a third-party, cloud-based shared file drive .’ Fortinet believes that a mere 0.3% of its customer base, i.e., 2325 users, have been affected by the unforeseen instance of data breach. The company also said that so... --- #### Google Pixel phones are no longer safe because of this malicious APK! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/google-pixel-phones-are-no-longer-safe-because-of-this-malicious-apk/ Description: Google Pixel phones are no longer safe because of this malicious APK!: Do you own a sleek, stylish Google Pixel phone? Then you have to see this! Google. Do you own a sleek, stylish Google Pixel phone? Then you have to see this! Google Pixel phones have a defunct app that serves as a malicious backdoor. Yes, you read that right! Your Google Pixel phone has a pre-installed, unremovable app that can make it easy for threat actors to pry into your device. Pittsburgh-based Smith Micro had designed ‘Showcase.apk’ for all the Google Pixel phones meant to be on display at Verizon stores. However, the APK somehow got pre-installed on all the Google Pixel phones (especially the batches that have been shipped since 2017). These phones have been distributed across the globe. The app comes with certain features that can help threat actors gain illegitimate access to your personal data. The worst part is that users cannot uninstall the app. Only Google can eliminate the app from their Pixel phones. Palantir Technologies is a big data company that works closely with intelligence and government defense agencies. Soon, however, a security vulnerability was discovered on their Android devices. After detailed research, it was found that showcase.apk was the root cause of this security lapse. The data analytics giant Palantir has said that they are going to avoid Android devices... --- #### BlankBot Trojan targets Turkish Android users! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/blankbot-trojan-targets-turkish-android-users/ Description: Turkish Android users are being targeted by the BlankBot banking trojan, a new malware designed to steal sensitive financial data and personal information from mobile devices. Turkish language speakers are being targeted by a malicious Android program. This program is targeting them with the sole purpose of gaining access to users' sensitive data. The malicious program leverages Web Injections to manipulate users into providing sensitive details in the form of screen grabs and keystrokes. Cyber experts have named the Trojan as BlankBot and believe that it is still in the developing phase. BlankBot manages to go undetected through anti-malware scanners as well. Cybersecurity experts believe that the Trojan developers have enough experience in Android application development as well as in ATO or Account Take Over business. As per the experts, this group of Trojan developers mimic account pages by leveraging openly available libraries. Basically, these libraries make it easy for the threat actors to copy legitimate applications with greater accuracy. The fake phishing page resembles the original ones so closely that users don’t get suspicious at all. Experts don’t have any clarity yet as to why the group is targeting Turkish people. This is not the first time that Turkey is facing a cyberattack. Of late, China’s APT41 attacked Turkey’s automotive industry and technology infrastructure. India’s SideWinder , too, has been targeting Turkish individuals. The Trojan... --- #### Delhi electricity bill scam- Discoms issue warning against cyber fraud! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/delhi-electricity-bill-scam-discoms-issue-warning-against-cyber-fraud/ Description: Delhi electricity distribution companies have issued warnings about a surge in electricity bill scams, where cybercriminals send fake payment links to steal financial information. A sudden spike in the number of cyber scam incidents has led to panic among electricity consumers in Delhi, India. Power distribution companies or discoms have warned consumers to be highly vigilant while paying their bills online. Recently, a Delhi-based doctor has been scammed by a similar cyber fraud. He clicked on a malicious link to pay his electricity bill and lost a staggering INR 6 lakh. How is the electricity cyber fraud happening in the capital of India? Cybercriminals have started deploying different tactics to break into the bank accounts of consumers. They leverage the digitalization of bill payment facilities and send out fake emails and SMSes to consumers. The threat actors talk about overdue payments in these messages and create a sense of urgency by hinting toward imminent electricity disconnection. These fake messages contain malicious links. If you click on the link, it will lead you to fake websites that look exactly like the original discom sites. You will be asked to fill in your sensitive data such as CVV number, bank details, OTPs, and so on. How to steer clear of electricity bill scam- tips straight from the horse’s mouth! Here are a few tips and tricks... --- #### Australian hacker pulled off a fake Wi-Fi network scam in not 1 but 3 Australian domestic airports! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/australian-hacker-scams-three-domestic-airports-with-fake-wi-fi-networks/ Description: Australian hacker pulled off a fake Wi-Fi network scam in not 1 but 3 Australian domestic airports!: Threat actors never fail to surprise us with their. Threat actors never fail to surprise us with their out-of-the-box ideas and this time also, it’s no different! An Aussie got arrested as he was trying to gain access to passengers’ data by creating a fake Wi-Fi access point. The 42-year-old Australian man- Michael Clapsis, managed to create a free, hoax Wi-Fi point that looked quite similar to legitimate networks. The idea was to steal sensitive details of the passengers who connected unsuspectingly to the fake network. The Australian Federal Police or AFP was after the threat actor since April 2024. One of the in-flight employees informed the authorities about the suspicious Wi-Fi network. The AFP’s Western Command Cybercrime Operations Team has been investigating the matter since then. When Clapsis once again returned to Perth airport, the AFP searched through his belongings and seized a mobile phone, a laptop, and a portable wireless access device called Evil Twin. The 42-year-old threat actor managed to pull off this malicious act not only in Perth but also in Adelaide and Melbourne. Passengers had to log in to the fake Wi-Fi pages by entering their email IDs and social credentials. Clapsis thus got easy access to all the data and secretly stored all... --- #### LockBit claims to publish 33 terabytes worth of sensitive data of the US Federal Reserve Bank online URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/lockbit-claims-to-publish-33tb-of-us-federal-reserve-data-online/ Description: The LockBit ransomware gang, known for its , has just claimed to publish a huge cache file that it allegedly stole from the US Federal Reserve Central Banking. The LockBit ransomware gang, known for its Russian connection , has just claimed to publish a huge cache file that it allegedly stole from the US Federal Reserve Central Banking System. LockBit published 21 different links that contain important files. These files seem to belong to the torrents, archived files, and parent directories of Evolve Bank and Trust. Here’s the catch- Evolve Bank and Trust was recently restricted for unethical and unsafe banking practices . Last weekend, LockBit mentioned the Federal Reserve Bank in its dark victim blog. It claimed to have stolen “33 terabytes of juicy banking information containing Americans’ banking secrets.” LockBit expressed its displeasure with the current negotiator for the Federal Reserve Bank and demanded another negotiator. Also, it threatened to go ahead and publish the data in case the ransom demand was not catered to. Nothing worked out, and now Russia-based LockBit claims to have published vital banking details on the dark web. What’s the Federal Reserve’s take on LockBit’s claim? The Federal Reserve Bank spokesperson has not yet responded, and any confirmation is being awaited. Meanwhile, relevant authorities have already started investigating the matter, and a full-fledged investigation is underway. LockBit went ahead and attached... --- #### Beware of Vacation Cyber Frauds These Summer Holidays URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/beware-of-vacation-cyber-frauds-these-summer-holidays/ Description: Are you all set to enjoy your summer holidays? Can’t wait to go out and finally enjoy your time off along a dreamy beachside? Are you all set to enjoy your summer holidays? Can’t wait to go out and finally enjoy your time off along a dreamy beachside? If yes, then you definitely need to see this! Yes, you deserve this much-needed break from the sweltering heat and monotonous work schedule. But remember that threat actors are never on a break. They keep operating behind the scenes day in and day out. And what’s worse? Cyber attacks tend to rise during summer holidays! But why do cybercrimes spike around this time? Let’s find out! Reasons Why Threat Actors Love Summer Vacations As Much As You Do! No, it’s not them, it’s you! As soon as the summer holidays approach , you start dreaming of the azure blue seas, golden beaches, exotic food, and a rejuvenating holiday. To plan your vacation you start scrolling social media and browse the internet all the time. From booking the accommodations and flight tickets to shopping your vacation outfits, you surf internet while using that public wi-fi at a cafe or mall. And the moment you start with the prep-ups, you tend to share every single detail on social media. Amidst all the excitement, you forget to stay vigilant... --- #### Spike in Tax Phishing Scams: SMBs and Self-Employed Under Siege! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/tax-phishing-scams-surge-smbs-and-self-employed-targeted/ Description: Spike in Tax Phishing Scams: SMBs and Self-Employed Under Siege!: Social Security Numbers are of paramount significance and help establish identity in a more. Social Security Numbers are of paramount significance and help establish identity in a more proficient way. However, these Social Security Numbers are being exploited by threat actors to make quick money. The primary targets of this tax phishing and Social Security Numbers scam are self-employed filers and small business owners. These threat actors leverage the email lists of self-employed filers. These email lists are readily available on the dark web in exchange for a couple of cents. How Is The Fraud Happening? Phishing actors send out malicious emails that consist of fraudulent links. These links are meant to apply for an EIN or Employee Identification Number. The emails compel self-employed individuals or small businesses to click on these links in order to file income taxes as per the US Federal laws. By using generative AI, phishing actors make sure that the email content sounds flawless and convincing enough. Also, a sense of urgency is created by mentioning the last date for filing income taxes. If and when a victim falls for this scam and clicks on the malicious link carelessly, they are required to share some personal details . These details include Social Security Number as well. The moment a... --- #### Children Of Corporate Executives Facing The Brunt Of Ransomware Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/corporate-executives-children-targeted-in-ransomware-attacks/ Description: Children Of Corporate Executives Facing The Brunt Of Ransomware Attacks: Cybercrime has penetrated deep into the corporate world. Even though corporate. Cybercrime has penetrated deep into the corporate world. Even though corporate organizations and enterprises are doing their best to keep hackers at bay, the threat actors somehow manage to stay one step ahead. Leveraging tools like those available in Kali Linux for open source security can significantly enhance an organization's ability to detect and respond to phishing attempts, a critical defense measure considering over 90% of modern cyberattacks start with a phishing email. No amount of vigilance and expensive security measures are enough to steer clear of these phishing actors. This is because they always adapt to modern technology and are swift enough to learn about the existing loopholes in the system. To everyone’s dismay, threat actors are now attacking the children of corporate executives. The moment they realize that the cyber defense mechanism at the organization is too hard to bypass , they decide to shift the focus to the innocent kids who are completely unaware of these intricate cybercrimes. So, how are they targeting naive kids for their monetary gains? Let’s have a look! Innocent Kids On The Radar Of Threat Actors! Threat actors are getting more creative than ever. In order to bypass the strong cybersecurity systems,... --- #### Developing An Anti-Phishing Strategy For Businesses: A Thorough Guide URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/anti-phishing-strategy-for-businesses-a-thorough-guide/ Description: Developing An Anti-Phishing Strategy For Businesses: A Thorough Guide: Even though businesses are bracing up for cyberattacks by embracing advanced security. Even though businesses are bracing up for cyberattacks by embracing advanced security measures, threat actors somehow manage to stay ahead of the race by adopting smart, malicious tactics. Big and small businesses, especially those in the financial sector , followed by social media and SaaS, are the worst hit by phishing emails. Microsoft, the tech giant itself, blocks as many as 15 billion suspicious emails on a daily basis! That’s precisely why, the need of the hour is to stay well-versed with the latest technical advancements and security measures to secure sensitive business data. This article aims at walking you through the pre-requisites of safeguarding your business data from the prying eyes of threat actors. What Is Phishing Attacks Closely? A phishing attack is a type of cyber attack that threat actors leverage to break into your bank . They do so by impersonating big brands and sending out malicious emails, text messages or telephone calls. The ultimate goal is to steal sensitive business details by tricking naive users into clicking suspicious links. Extent of Damage Caused By Phishing Attacks! "The most common pattern we see in support is customers who come to us after a phishing incident bypassed their... --- #### That Unpaid Toll Text Message Can Render Your Bank Empty! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/that-unpaid-toll-text-message-can-render-your-bank-empty/ Description: That Unpaid Toll Text Message Can Render Your Bank Empty!: emailsecurity · That Unpaid Toll Text Message Can Render Your Bank Empty! Commuting from one place. emailsecurity · That Unpaid Toll Text Message Can Render Your Bank Empty! Commuting from one place to another isn’t just time-consuming but can also feel heavy on your pocket. No, this is not about the rising prices of gasoline. In a serious turn of events, a new and alarming type of smishing incident has been sweeping across all the states of the USA. Basically, the threat actors have been running an SMS phishing campaign all over the United States. The smishing campaign convinces commuters about unpaid tolls. The ultimate goal of the phishing actors is to access the credentials of naive people and make some quick money . The FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation has been looking into the matter and has warned people against such SMS frauds. Also, FBI is quite confident that this toll scam has affected other countries in different parts of the world. They have even mentioned this in detail in their public service announcement. When and How Did This Start In The US? The unpaid toll scam started back in March 2024 in the USA. So far, almost 2000 scams have been reported across the states. The threat actors send out an SMS saying,... --- #### Newbie CoralRaider Targets Asian Brands To Extract Social Media Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/newbie-coralraider-targets-asian-brands-to-extract-social-media-data/ Description: Newbie CoralRaider Targets Asian Brands To Extract Social Media Data: There's a new kid named CoralRaider in the block of Vietnamese cyber criminals. These. There’s a new kid named CoralRaider in the block of Vietnamese cyber criminals. These cyber attackers have targeted Asian organizations and brands with the aim of gaining access to social media account details and sensitive user data. The specialty of CoralRaider lies in seamless data extraction through legitimate services and social engineering tactics. Vietnam and Its Close Ties With Cybercrimes! 2023 has been a bad year for the Vietnamese people in terms of cybersecurity. In the first half of 2023 itself, 6000+ cyber attacks had been registered within the Asian country. Before 2023 ended, the total number of cyber-attacks reached a whopping 13,900 incidents . As per the Vietnam National Cyber Security Technology Company, the country witnessed a spike of about 9.5% in cyber attacks in the year 2023. A total of 554 websites were attacked by threat actors, out of which around 212 were compromised at Vietnamese government offices. The Vietnamese government has been highly concerned about the sudden surge in cyber crimes across the country and has declared them a direct threat to national security. More On CoralRaider CoralRaider made its first official entry in 2023. Considerably a newcomer, the cybercrime group has also been under the radar... --- #### Cyber Crimes Intensify In The Holy Month Of Ramadan: Know The Whys and Hows!  URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-crimes-intensify-holy-month-ramadan-know-whys-and-hows/ Description: Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a time frame when the Muslim community practices fasting, works towards spiritual development. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is a time frame when the Muslim community practices fasting, works towards spiritual development, and organizes communal gatherings. However, Ramadan brings along an uncanny threat of increased cyber crimes. With limited work hours and increased e-commerce activities around this period, Middle East-based companies have become direct targets for phishing actors. This happens because of a sudden spike in online and retail activities . The threat actors leverage this surge in e-commerce activities for monetary gains in the form of cyber scams and fraudulent activities. This year, Ramadan began on 10 March 2024 . Cyber attacks during Ramadan have created a ruckus worth $100 million so far. These scams involve phishing, wire fraud, e-commerce scams, and fake campaigns against residents, expatriates, and international visitors. Some of the worst-hit companies are Zajil Express, Aramex, and SMSA Express. Most of the victims had been contacted through WhatsApp, SMS, or iMessage.The common thing behind all these cyber crimes is the sense of urgency that compelled the victims to make immediate payments in order to get their parcels delivered. A Steep Rise In Cyber Crime Activities In the first quarter of 2023, a sharp spike of 22%... --- #### Seoul Witnesses a Coalition Against Increasing Phishing Actors! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/seoul-witnesses-a-coalition-against-increasing-phishing-actors/ Description: Seoul Witnesses a Coalition Against Increasing Phishing Actors!: emailsecurity · Seoul Witnesses a Coalition Against Increasing Phishing Actors! Phishing. emailsecurity · Seoul Witnesses a Coalition Against Increasing Phishing Actors! Phishing scams have become commonplace and have intruded into our everyday lives in ways beyond our imagination. Commoners, as well as A-listers across the globe, have fallen prey to phishing scams. The commotion against threat actors and scamsters has been increasing for some time now. From cybersecurity experts to laymen, more and more people are coming together to spread awareness against phishing activities . In one such instance, Korean celebrities have come together to urge Meta and YouTube to prevent these menacing scams. These Korean TV celebrities have formed a group named Group for Resolving Online Phishing Crimes. Seoul Waging a War Against Threat Actors! On 22nd March, Friday, this coalition of Korean A-listers held a press conference where they discussed the gravity of phishing crimes. The ultimate motive behind organizing the press conference was to request the government, as well as social media biggies like YouTube and Meta, to take things into their own hands. They shed light on how effortlessly threat actors have created a ruckus by impersonating popular Korean celebs recently. According to this group, the threat actors purposely target famous and influential Korean celebs and impersonate... --- #### Threat Actor Entices EU Diplomats With Fake Wine-Tasting Invitation! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actor-entices-eu-diplomats-with-fake-wine-tasting-invitation/ Description: Threat actors around the globe are in no mood to hold their horses back. They have been using all the tricks they have up their sleeves. Threat actors around the globe are in no mood to hold their horses back. They have been using all the tricks they have up their sleeves. From loopholes in modern technology to emotional persuasion, they try everything to break into someone’s bank account. Slightest negligence and BOOM- these fraudsters will gain access to your most sensitive details! In one such incident, the threat actors did not hesitate to leverage the wine-tasting culture of the European nations. The shrewd cybercriminals managed to tempt some European Union diplomats by sending them fake invitations for an imaginary wine-tasting event. The ongoing investigation suggests that the primary goal of the threat actors behind this sensational scam was to exploit the geopolitical relations between the European Nations and India . What is SPIKEDWINE? This staggering cybercrime involves an email scam, which made the most out of the wine-tasting culture of Europeans. The malicious emails were presented as irresistible e-invites to the European diplomats for a premium wine-tasting event at the residence of the Indian ambassador . The mastermind behind this ultra-smart phishing activity is dubbed “SPIKEDWINE.” The threat actor managed to send out these fraudulent emails and designed them as official invitations for the wine-tasting... --- #### Phishing v/s Smishing v/s Vishing- The 3 Notorious Cyber Attacks You Must Be Aware of! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-smishing-vishing-cyber-attacks-you-must-be-aware-of/ Description: Phishing v/s Smishing v/s Vishing- The 3 Notorious Cyber Attacks You Must Be Aware of!: Cybercrime instances have been increasing at an exponential rate in. Cybercrime instances have been increasing at an exponential rate in the past couple of decades. The expense of cybercrime is expected to go as high as $10.5 trillion by 2025 ! With digital advancements, the risk of digital scams has equally escalated. Threat actors have found ways to peep into so-called secure systems of organizations as well as individuals to access sensitive data and crucial information. And that’s exactly why it is necessary to stay digitally aware of the various fraudulent schemes and tactics that cybercriminals use to break into your system. Awareness and precaution are the two main factors that can lower the impact and put a full stop to the malicious intention of these scamsters. This blog post revolves around phishing, smishing, and vishing - the three main fraud tactics used by threat actors worldwide. Scroll down to protect your sanity and hard-earned money from scammers. More About Phishing, Smishing, and Vishing Threat actors are perpetually in love with the idea of identity theft. They mimic big brands that are well-known names and enjoy a vast user base. Further, they reach out to you using any of these three tactics: phishing, smishing, and vishing. The ultimate goal of... --- #### Okta Phishing Attack Facilitated By CryptoChameleon! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/okta-phishing-attack-facilitated-by-cryptochameleon/ Description: Hacking instances are rampant across the globe, and this time, the target is none other than the Federal Communications Commission or FCC. Hacking instances are rampant across the globe, and this time, the target is none other than the Federal Communications Commission or FCC. There’s a new kid on the block named CryptoChameleon, and this brand-new phishing kit is being used to attack the FCC employees. Basically, the threat actors are using CryptoChameleon to come up with SSO pages that resemble Okta to a great extent. The same phishing kit is also being actively used to attack the cryptocurrency platform employees and users, namely Coinbase, Gemini, Kraken, and so on. The phishing actors are using CryptoChameleon to impersonate biggies such as iCloud, Twitter, Gmail, AOL, etc. Although the investigation is hinting towards the notorious Scattered Spider hacking group, there’s not enough evidence to prove them to be the mastermind behind this malicious campaign. How Exactly Does The Attack Happen? Here’s how the threat actors design the malicious attack at multiple stages: - Initially, they register the domains which look close to the original entities. For example, they came up with a domain called “fcc-okta(.)com,” which has just one character difference when compared to the OG sign-on page. - Next, the threat actors design a complicated social engineering attack that consists of SMSes,... --- #### Microsoft 365 Being a Soft Target for Scammers- Email Do’s and Don’ts You Need to Keep In Mind! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-365-soft-target-for-scammers-email-dos-and-donts/ Description: Microsoft 365 Being a Soft Target for Scammers- Email Do's and Don'ts You Need to Keep In Mind!: Microsoft, the software giant, has time and again been. Microsoft, the software giant, has time and again been exposed to cybercrime activities . It’s one of the top picks among phishing actors . The immense popularity of Microsoft across professional and personal setups makes it an absolute favorite among threat actors. Over the past few years, Microsoft 365 has undergone multiple phishing attacks. Between 2019 and 2022, there has been a spike of 38% in Cybercrime-as-a-Service incidents, thereby targeting work emails . The Greatness Phishing Kit- The New Kid in the Block! A notorious threat actor called Fisherstell came up with the Greatness Phishing Kit back in 2022. However, it grabbed the attention of cybersecurity experts only around December 2023 . This phishing kit is being used extensively by threat actors to attack Microsoft 365 accounts. The kit is quite easy to use and does not involve a steep learning curve. There’s this dedicated Telegram account for Greatness Phishing Kit, which shares actionable details about the phishing kit. The ease of operation and readily available hacks and tricks make the phishing kit all the more lucrative among threat actors . The kit comes with truckloads of features such as customization, engagement metrics, QR codes, and so on . Besides,... --- #### NCA Shakeup: Officers Fired in Wake of WhatsApp and Email Blunders! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/nca-shakeup-officers-fired-in-wake-of-whatsapp-and-email-blunders/ Description: It came as a shocker when the former Director of Investigation at the esteemed National Crime Agency got sacked because of her “misconduct. It came as a shocker when the former Director of Investigation at the esteemed National Crime Agency got sacked because of her “misconduct.” Touted as a “serious information security breach,” Nikki Holland’s careless actions had grave consequences in terms of her career. She shared highly sensitive details over her WhatsApp group and personal email ID . And that’s what cost this former senior officer her prestigious job and years of reputation. Who is Nikki Holland? Nikki Holland is known for her extraordinary investigation skills, because of which she was involved in some of the most high-profile and difficult-to-crack criminal investigations across the UK. She became a part of the Merseyside Police in 1988. Later on, in 2015, she was promoted to the post of assistant chief constable of South Wales Police. Holland was also conferred the Queen’s Police Medal in 2018. Some of her notable operations include Operation Venetic Investigation and county-line crime investigations. Holland’s notable performance in Operation Ventic investigation brought her into the limelight. She led the investigation against organised criminals who leveraged the EncroChat encrypted phone network. Her efforts resulted in over 3100 arrests , recovery of around nine tonnes of class A drugs, 1200 offender convictions,... --- #### Nest Wallet Co-Founder Fell Victim to a Phishing Attack! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/nest-wallet-co-founder-fell-victim-to-a-phishing-attack/ Description: Phishing attacks have become quite rampant over the last few decades. And the latest victim is none other than the esteemed co-founder of Nest Wallet- Bill Lou. Phishing attacks have become quite rampant over the last few decades. And the latest victim is none other than the esteemed co-founder of Nest Wallet- Bill Lou. He fell prey to a phishing scam whereby he lost a whopping $125,000 . The CEO and co-founder of this reputed crypto wallet unsuspiciously clicked on one of the top-ranking search results on Google and got diverted to a fake website. The website looked quite similar to a legit LFG token airdrop, which tricked Lou into clicking on it and losing 52 stETH tokens%20is%20a,Lido%2C%20a%20decentralized%20finance%20protocol.). How Did the LFG Token Airdrop Scam Transpire? The LFG token airdrop event was meant to initiate rewards to Ethereum users. The criteria required the Ethereum users to spend over $4,269 in translation fees for the year 8 years. The key idea was to include these users in the Solana blockchain network). Phishing experts decided to make the most out of this crypto event and gain access to users’ precious funds. The fake high-ranking URL managed to deceive Bill Lou and compelled him to click on the malicious link. Thereby, he got redirected to a fake website that was impersonating the legit site called lessfeesandgas.org . Lou kept following... --- #### Screensharing Fraud: Latest Favorite Among Phishing Actors! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/screensharing-fraud-latest-favorite-among-phishing-actors/ Description: Screensharing Fraud: Latest Favorite Among Phishing Actors!: Threat actors have time and again proved their agility when it comes to devising new phishing. Threat actors have time and again proved their agility when it comes to devising new phishing tactics. They are always the first ones to hop onto the latest trends to exploit naive users. One such phishing activity that breaks into the bank accounts of innocent users is screensharing fraud. Basically, the threat actors pretend to be the customer care executives of big brands and request the users to download screen-sharing apps in order to facilitate seamless resolutions. The core idea is to gain access to your device, passwords, and accounts. The phishing actors get in touch with you when you are least expecting any such move. For instance, the fraudsters can try to connect with you through social media platforms. Or they can send SMSes to gain your trust. How Do Scamsters Make The Most Out Of Screensharing Apps? Remote access fraud or screen sharing scams have become a popular pick among fraudsters. Here’s how they exploit advanced technology to access sensitive data of users: - They pose as customer support team members, calling from banks, investment firms, and reputed brands. - They try to persuade the users to download a screen-sharing app or software so that the communication gets... --- #### How do Multi-Stage Phishing Attacks Exploit QRs, CAPTCHAs, and Steganography? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-multi-stage-phishing-attacks-exploit-qrs-captchas-steganography/ Description: Cybercriminals have always managed to stay ahead of the cyber security experts in terms of their ability to swiftly adapt to the everchanging technological. Cybercriminals have always managed to stay ahead of the cyber security experts in terms of their ability to swiftly adapt to the everchanging technological dynamics. Phishing attacks are getting more sophisticated with time- thanks to the advent of artificial intelligence and its easy accessibility. No matter how hard the cyber security experts try to curb cyber crimes, the threat actors still deceive the naive victims and compel them to reveal personal information and sensitive details. With every upgrade in technology, cybercriminals keep upskilling themselves and coming up with innovative phishing activities. Threat actors are no longer restricted to just fraudulent emails. Nowadays, phishing actors leverage CAPTCHAs, QR codes, and steganography to exploit victims. To safeguard one’s sensitive details and hard-earned money, it is important to understand how these phishing activities take place! Suspicious Captchas! CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing Tests to Tell Computers and Humans Apart) are used by websites to prevent bot activities such as the creation of fake accounts, spam messaging/commenting, and so on. At times, it does get boring for website visitors to keep solving the CAPTCHAs in order to gain access to the website. However, CAPTCHAs do successfully evade bot activities. They also safeguard websites by... --- #### Scam Alert- Decoding the Rise of WhatsApp Phishing Scams! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/scam-alert-decoding-the-rise-of-whatsapp-phishing-scams/ Description: Scam Alert- Decoding the Rise of WhatsApp Phishing Scams!: WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps, has once again become the target for phishing. WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps, has once again become the target for phishing experts. Scammers, of late, have been taking a keen interest in WhatsApp Web QR code. These threat actors mess with user accounts by forging false WhatsApp Web interfaces. The idea is to gain access to user accounts and carry out different scam activities. WhatsApp Web Scam Alert! WhatsApp Web allows its users to access their accounts on up to 4 different devices. It is this feature that the scammers have started to take an interest in. Phishing actors create fake website interfaces that look quite similar to the original WhatsApp Web interface. So when a user types “WhatsApp Web” on any search engine, a few links pop up in the search results. If the user clicks on a malicious link created by these fraudsters, they will be redirected to this fake website. It contains the original QR code of WhatsApp Web. When the naive user unknowingly scans this QR code on the forged website, the phishing actors get access to the former’s WhatsApp account. On the other hand, the user will notice just a harmless freeze or momentary pause , which won’t lead to... --- #### LinkedIn Smart Links are Getting Abused Again URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/linkedin-smart-links-are-getting-abused-again/ Description: LinkedIn, one of the biggest professional networking and personal branding platforms, has once again become the center of attraction. LinkedIn, one of the biggest professional networking and personal branding platforms, has once again become the center of attraction. And this time, the reason is phishing attacks! Hackers are strategically executing phishing attacks on LinkedIn Smart Links with the sole purpose of cracking through Microsoft account credentials. Cybersecurity experts discovered that this phishing campaign that lasted between July and August 2023 targeted construction, manufacturing, financial, healthcare and energy sectors. Surprisingly enough, this is not the first time that LinkedIn Smart Links have been targeted by hackers. A similar incident took place back in 2022 when Slovakian LinkedIn users were being targeted. The phishing actors at that time tried to pose as the Slovakian Postal Service and managed to convince the users to pay shipping charges . What are LinkedIn Slinks? Introduced back in 2016, Slinks or LinkedIn Smart Links are an integral part of the app’s Sales Navigator feature. These Smart Links supports lead generation and improves sales by facilitating a simplified marketing and tracking system. A business account user can easily share marketing content via emails and track those who engage with the emails. A typical Slink comprises of the LinkedIn domain followed by an 8-character code parameter. LinkedIn... --- #### A Mariott Hotel Guest Got Scammed In the Name of Discounted Rates! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-mariott-hotel-guest-got-scammed-in-the-name-of-discounted-rates/ Description: The dream to relax and rejuvenate in a Mexican boutique hotel soon turned into a nightmarish experience for a traveler when they got scammed in the name of. The dream to relax and rejuvenate in a Mexican boutique hotel soon turned into a nightmarish experience for a traveler when they got scammed in the name of discounts! The guest, who has a Reddit profile with the handle name “turtlerush” has explained their ordeal in detail. As per the Reddit post, the guest had received an email from the adult-only resort stating that they could prepay with PayPal to enjoy a discounted stay as well as a welcome drink. They made the prepayment 3 months back and got the biggest shock of their life when they called the hotel for confirmation at a later date. To their dismay, Hotel La Semilla informed that they were not aware of any such reservation. So, the guest forwarded the entire email thread to prove their point. Asking for a Discount Got Them Duped! All this started when the guest booked their accommodation at the prestigious property through their official website. However, because of the discrepancy in charges, the guest made a second reservation at Booking.com at a lower price. They informed the hotel about the same, hoping for a discount. This is when the guest received the email, which duped them into... --- #### How to Send Automatic Emails in Outlook? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-send-automatic-emails-in-outlook/ Description: How to Send Automatic Emails in Outlook?: In today's fast-paced business landscape, where time is a precious commodity, email automation emerges as a. In today's fast-paced business landscape, where time is a precious commodity, email automation emerges as a powerful tool: it streamlines operations by automating repetitive email tasks, allowing employees to focus on strategic efforts like boosting sales and enhancing customer service, thus improving overall efficiency. The significance of email automation is further underscored by the global email usage trends. With the internet's increasing accessibility, the number of daily emails sent and received worldwide has steadily risen since 2017, reaching an estimated 333 billion in 2022 and is projected to hit 392.5 billion by 2026 . Beyond time-saving, email automation excels in personalizing communication, enabling businesses to tailor messages to individual customers, fostering stronger relationships, and building loyalty in a world inundated with generic messages. In fact, personalized emails are considered an effective strategy by more than half of B2B marketers . Plus, it's not just a time-saving and personalization tool; email automation is a potent sales booster. Through targeted email campaigns, businesses can reach a broader audience, driving sales and revenue growth. This growth is reflected in the surge of global marketing automation spending, set to reach $25 billion by this year. As we delve into this blog, we'll explore how... --- #### Navigating the Unseen: Accessing Your iPhone’s Spam Text Messages Folder URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/navigating-the-unseen-accessing-your-iphones-spam-text-messages-folder/ Description: With the introduction of instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, TextNow, and Messenger, the use of text messages has gone down, but not as much. With the introduction of instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, TextNow, and Messenger, the use of text messages has gone down, but not as much. As per a study conducted by SMS comparison, 95% of text messages are read and responded to as early as within 3 minutes of being received. It’s also surprising to find out that the average open rate for an SMS is 98%, whereas that for an email is 20% (almost 5 times more probable). Doesn’t this sound like a perfect breeding place for phishers? That’s the very reason why Apple has been safeguarding its users by automatically blocking out spam text messages using tools and advanced algorithms that perform trend analysis and come up with dynamic lists of malicious sending sources. Messages identified as suspicious and potentially harmful are diverted to a junk folder. Let’s know more about the iPhone’s junk messages or spam text messages folder. How to Access Your iPhone’s Spam Text Folder? 292 million people in North America use text messaging and rely on it as one of the legitimate mediums for communication. With so many messages exchanged on a daily basis, one can imagine how many of them could be fraudulently... --- #### Why is Phishing Awareness Training Important For Employees? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-is-phishing-awareness-training-important-for-employees/ Description: Why is Phishing Awareness Training Important For Employees?: As cyber threats evolve, phishing remains a persistent and increasingly potent threat to. As cyber threats evolve, phishing remains a persistent and increasingly potent threat to organizations and individuals. Therefore, your organization's urgent need to cultivate an informed and vigilant workforce cannot be overstated. Do you know malicious actors targeting global organizations and individuals dispatch 3.4 billion fraudulent emails daily? With phishing attacks looking more menacing than ever, forward-thinking enterprises are rightly investing in phishing employee training. There's no denying that your organization is vulnerable to sophisticated phishing scams. Whether one of your employees unintentionally furnishes login details to a phishing link or downloads a malware attachment, the result can be disastrous. Even a single employee falling victim to a phishing scam can jeopardize your organization. Nurturing cyber resilience through comprehensive phishing awareness training is the need of the hour to draw the line of defense. Phishing Scam Statistics: Check Out the Damage in Numbers Before exploring the scope of phishing training for your employees, it will help to look at these statistics. - The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) receives over 651,800 phishing-related complaints yearly. - Affected organizations incur losses as high as $17,700 a minute , with the adjusted losses amounting to $2.4 billion . - A recent report reveals... --- #### How to Defend Against Voice Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-defend-against-voice-phishing/ Description:   Vishing, or voice phishing, can appear in various garbs, and strict adherence to cybersecurity best practices is required for its prevention. Vishing , or voice phishing , can appear in various garbs, and strict adherence to cybersecurity best practices is required for its prevention. If you think phone scams have become a thing of the past, think again. Malicious actors are carrying out Vishing (voice phishing) campaigns through phone calls, and they can cause as much damage as other social engineering attacks. Besides looking into what voicing phishing is and its examples, this article also shares tips for voice phishing protection . What Is a Vishing Attack? Vishing , or voice phishing , is a cybercrime in which threat actors use mobile phones to steal personal information. In a vishing attack, adversaries use social engineering tactics to persuade users to provide confidential and sensitive information, which they can use for financial fraud. The Persistent Threat of Vishing Attacks While some might believe that phone scams are a thing of the past, vishing (voice phishing) campaigns prove otherwise. These malicious activities conducted through phone calls have resurfaced with a vengeance, posing significant risks similar to other social engineering attacks. Vishing Attack Examples According to a report, over 14 million Americans are impacted by identity theft incidents annually, costing customers over $1.7 billion... --- #### What is a Zero Transfer Phishing Scam? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-a-zero-transfer-phishing-scam/ Description: Zero transfer phishing scams are among the latest attack vectors in the cyber threat landscape and have already started to stir the cryptocurrency realm. Zero transfer phishing scams are among the latest attack vectors in the cyber threat landscape and have already started to stir the cryptocurrency realm. Phishing scams remain a persistent challenge in the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. The emergence of the zero transfer phishing scam, among other attack modules, has sent ripples through the cryptocurrency community. Investors have already lost more than $40 million in 2023 alone to these sophisticated phishing campaigns. Considering the gravity of these cyberattacks, knowing how malicious players exploit unsuspecting victims is essential. The below passages explore how these phishing scams work and how you can draw your line of defense against this attack vector. What Is a Zero Transfer Phishing Scam? A Zero Transfer Phishing Scam is a strategic variation of traditional phishing attacks. Malicious actors specifically design these scams targeting cryptocurrency transactions. The attack module capitalizes on the tendencies of users to verify their recipient’s wallet addresses in haste. The users often rely on a cursory examination of the addresses' first and last few characters. The malicious players create spoofed addresses to exploit this behavior. Navigating the Waters of Zero Transfer Phishing Scams The ever-shifting tides of the cyber threat landscape have unveiled a new... --- #### Sorillus Remote Access Tool and Phishing Attacks Exploit Google Firebase Hosting Abilities URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/sorillus-remote-access-tool-and-phishing-attacks-exploit-google-firebase-hosting-abilities/ Description: Malicious actors have become more innovative by exploiting Google Firebase Hosting service to launch Sorillus RAT and phishing attacks on unsuspecting networks. Malicious actors have become more innovative by exploiting Google Firebase Hosting service to launch Sorillus RAT and phishing attacks on unsuspecting networks . Threat actors always keep improving their tactics and strategies through innovation. In one of the most recent incidents, they have taken advantage of Google Firebase Hosting service’s features by launching malicious phishing attacks and the Sorillus Remote Access Tool (RAT) to compromise unsuspecting target networks and cause data privacy violations. This hosting scam came to light during a routine check of eSentire’s SOC (Security Operations Center), revealing the running of suspicious code in a manufacturing customer's network. What Is Sorillus RAT? Sorillus is a widely used Java-based RAT (Remote Access Tool) compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Like other remote access tools, Sorillus can collect system information, execute commands, browse crucial files, and remotely control network servers and other target machines. Threat actors have been leveraging Sorillus as a helpful tool because of its capabilities to access and capture data remotely. The Anatomy of the Phishing and Sorillus RAT Combo Investigations by eSentire revealed the elaborate methods behind the attack's execution. Cyber adversaries skillfully combined phishing emails with malicious Java payloads, enticing unsuspecting users into... --- #### Stay Alert During Amazon Prime Day: Threat Actors Set Up Scams Targeting Shoppers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/stay-alert-during-amazon-prime-day-threat-actors-set-up-scams-targeting-shoppers/ Description: With the Amazon Prime Day shopping event driving shoppers crazy, malicious actors have already set shopping traps to exploit unsuspecting buyers. With the Amazon Prime Day shopping event driving shoppers crazy, malicious actors have already set shopping traps to exploit unsuspecting buyers. Therefore, it is vital to draw your line of defense against possible phishing attempts that might catch you unawares. The highly anticipated online shopping event, Amazon Prime Day, is already here. The event, designed by the e-commerce giant, kicked off on July 15. The chances of data breach look menacingly high, with several worrying statistics surfacing in the last few weeks. Leading cybersecurity organizations have identified some common scams that shoppers can fall victim to during this shopping event. Staying informed and following the recommended practices would prevent you from getting caught off-guard. Amazon Shopping Data Breach: Key Statistics - Compared to May 2023, there has been a 16-fold increase in shopping data breach es on Amazon Prime in June. - As many as 1,500 new domains related to the term Amazon' were detected during the mentioned period. - 1 in 68 of these related domains was associated with Amazon Prime. - A phenomenal rise in fake domains imitating Amazon has been detected, 92% of which are risky. - Related phishing news suggests that malicious actors have stepped up... --- #### Emerging Threats in the Cybersecurity Landscape: Phishing Campaigns, Email Security, and Information Stealing Malware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-emerging-threats-phishing-email-security-malware/ Description: Emerging Threats in the Cybersecurity Landscape: Phishing Campaigns, Email Security, and Information Stealing Malware: Threat actors deploy multiple vectors. Threat actors deploy multiple vectors to launch their cyberattack campaigns. Learn about recent attacks involving email phishing, server compromise, and credential-stealing malware. Cybersecurity experts have identified several malicious campaigns recently, including sophisticated email attacks that target cryptocurrency wallets. They discovered the campaign was designed for hot and cold wallets, the most popular cryptocurrency storage tools. Other recent cyberattack campaigns include SharePoint phishing and Bandit credential-stealing malware. With online attacks looking menacing, global organizations must seek adequate email phishing protection to prevent such threats. Sophisticated Email Attacks Target Cryptocurrency Wallets Globally, more than 400 million users use crypto wallets. Online malicious actors are targeting these wallets as they have consistent internet connectivity. They primarily deploy phishing emails that impersonate reputed crypto exchanges. It lures technically incompetent individuals into verifying transactions, who unknowingly become victims. Cold wallets are offline storage systems not easily accessible over the internet, but they have also come under attack. Researchers have discovered a targeted phishing campaign that tricks cold wallet owners with a deceptive blog post whose design resembles that of the Ripple website. It entices them by promising participation in an XRP token giveaway scheme. Threat actors lead them from the post to a fake Ripple... --- #### Strengthening Phishing Protection: An Exploration of a Multi-Layered Approach for Enhanced Security URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/enhanced-phishing-protection-exploration/ Description:   This text shares a multi-layered approach to email phishing protection and showcases what organizations need for robust phishing protection. This text shares a multi-layered approach to email phishing protection and showcases what organizations need for robust phishing protection. In today's digitally interconnected world, protecting against the ever-evolving threat of phishing attacks has become paramount for organizations across the globe. Malicious actors continuously refine and innovate their tactics to deceive unsuspecting individuals and organizations, making it imperative for businesses to adopt a multi-layered approach to enhance their phishing protection. This article delves into a comprehensive strategy that integrates multiple layers of defense. It empowers organizations to safeguard their valuable data assets' confidentiality, integrity, and availability by mitigating the risks associated with phishing attacks. Need for a Multi-Layered Approach to Phishing Protection Cyberattack techniques are constantly evolving, requiring a comprehensive defense strategy. The prevalence of sophisticated phishing attacks has necessitated a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity. Human vulnerability remains significant, as employees can inadvertently turn a reason for successful phishing attacks. By implementing a multi-layered approach, organizations can address these challenges effectively. Each layer, including advanced cybersecurity technology, user training, and vigilant IT security teams, contributes to a more robust defense setup against phishing threats. This comprehensive approach minimizes the risk of successful phishing attacks and enhances the overall security posture. Below... --- #### New DoubleFinger Malware Threatens Crypto Wallets with Advanced Multi-Stage Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/crypto-wallets-face-advanced-multi-stage-double-finger-threat/ Description: New DoubleFinger Malware Threatens Crypto Wallets with Advanced Multi-Stage Attack: With cryptocurrencies soaring in value and popularity, crypto wallets. With cryptocurrencies soaring in value and popularity, crypto wallets have been a lucrative target of malicious actors. The new “DoubleFinger” threat that targets cryptocurrency wallets has prompted security experts to remain on high alert. A leading cybersecurity organization recently unveiled the emergence of a new and highly sophisticated malware called "DoubleFinger” that targets cryptocurrency wallets. The DoubleFinger malware deploys a unique multi-stage attack mechanism resembling an advanced persistent threat (APT). The malicious operation starts with sending an email attachment that contains a PIF file. Potential victims trigger a chain of detrimental events upon accessing the file. While analyzing the nature of the multi-stage attack, cybersecurity experts have highlighted the exceptional proficiency of the cryptocurrency stealer group. This group developed the DoubleFinger loader and GreetingGhoul malware, which marks the growing sophistication of cyberattacks. How Does the DoubleFinger Cyberattack Work? In the initial stage, the DoubleFinger malware downloads encrypted components from the popular image-sharing platform Imgur. The malware is advanced enough to disguise itself as a PNG file. These components consist of a loader for the subsequent stage. It includes a legitimate java.exe file and another PNG file for the following stages. Then DoubleFinger successfully executes its loader, evading security software with... --- #### Massive Phishing Campaign Ongoing for a Year Impersonates 100+ Renowned Brands URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/massive-phishing-campaign-ongoing-for-a-year-impersonates-100-renowned-brands/ Description: Massive Phishing Campaign Ongoing for a Year Impersonates 100+ Renowned Brands: In a newly discovered phishing campaign , adversaries have created. In a newly discovered phishing campaign , adversaries have created well-structured fake websites of renowned brands and stolen customer data. To ensure proper phishing protection, we have compiled all the essential information regarding this scam for your reference. Phishing attacks occur around the clock globally with innovative and unique strategies and modus operandi. In what is recently discovered, cyberattackers have been running an impersonation campaign in the dark since June 2022. They have already targeted over a hundred footwear, apparel, and clothing brands. The threat actors trick people into entering their account details and financial information on these impersonated websites and probably sell them on the dark web. Some of the renowned brands targeted in this phishing campaign include Puma, Nike, Vans, Adidas, Timberland, Casio, Skechers, The North Face, Guess, New Balance, and Reebok. What Is the Issue? The cybersecurity experts at Bolster first discovered this phishing attack on brands that rely on over 3,000 domains and 6,000 sites. This count is inclusive of inoperative sites as well. Bolster noted that this phishing campaign gained momentum between January and February 2023, when it was adding 300 new fake sites every month. To increase the credibility of these massive phishing attacks... --- #### Crypto Phishing Scams, How Can Users Stay Fully Protected? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/crypto-phishing-scams-how-can-users-stay-fully-protected/ Description: Crypto Phishing Scams, How Can Users Stay Fully Protected?: As people increasingly move towards crypto, scams lie in wait to exploit user vulnerabilities . As people increasingly move towards crypto, scams lie in wait to exploit user vulnerabilities. Identifying a crypto phishing scam and taking appropriate action to prevent getting scammed can help protect your sensitive and confidential information and crypto assets. Financial phishing scams can be disastrous because they hit you where it hurts the hardest. Victims lose their hard-earned money, but in traditional scams, you might be able to track the financial trail and reach the perpetrator. However, tracing them becomes impossible in innovative schemes like crypto phishing scams. The total loss due to cryptocurrency scams was $54 million in May 2023 alone. This article discusses crypto phishing scams, their consequences, their impacts, and how users can stay protected. What Are Crypto Phishing Scams? Crypto phishing scams are like any other phishing scam, with the primary difference being that malicious actors target online crypto wallets to steal information or cryptocurrencies. Scammers target the wallets to steal users’ private keys, which allows them to access crypto funds within the wallet. How Do Crypto Phishing Scams Work? You must be aware of how the general phishing attacks originate. Threat actors send phishing emails with malicious content, links, and attachments that unsuspecting users open or... --- #### IPFS Phishing Attacks: Phishing Campaigns Using IPFS Network Protocol on the Rise URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ipfs-phishing-attacks-phishing-campaigns-using-ipfs-network-protocol-on-the-rise/ Description: IPFS Phishing Attacks: Phishing Campaigns Using IPFS Network Protocol on the Rise: There is a significant rise in IPFS phishing attacks in 2023, causing a. There is a significant rise in IPFS phishing attacks in 2023, causing a considerable stir in the digital landscape. Read on to learn about IPFS phishing attacks, including their types and modus operandi, and how to stay secure from their clutches. IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is a modular suite of protocols and is a decentralized technology that makes an integral element of the Web 3.0 ecosystem used to transfer and organize data. Malicious actors have laid their hands on IPFS, too, for their nefarious purposes, as is the fate of any emerging technology. They have started utilizing IPFS widely in their mass phishing campaigns. The IPFS phishing attacks started in 2022 but have kicked into another gear recently and are being used in mass-targeted phishing scams. Below are more details about these IPFS phishing attacks, how they occur, IPFS phishing attack types, statistics, and how to protect yourself from such attacks. IPFS and Phishing IPFS is a beneficial protocol for storing, handling and moving data. It is an open-source technology that allows individuals to share and store information on the Internet, but in a decentralized way, focusing on efficiency and reliability. IPFS connects individual systems within a network and allows... --- #### Almost $6 Million Extracted in New Crypto Phishing Fraud from Victims URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/almost-6-million-extracted-in-new-crypto-phishing-fraud-from-victims/ Description: The latest in the crypto-cybersecurity landscape is the loss of around $6 million from about 5,000 people in a case of a phishing-as-a-service campaign by. The latest in the crypto-cybersecurity landscape is the loss of around $6 million from about 5,000 people in a case of a phishing-as-a-service campaign by Inferno Drainer.' Read on to know everything about the incident. In yet another cybersecurity breach, nearly 5,000 crypto investors have fallen victim to an audacious cryptocurrency phishing scam. The malicious actors have managed to steal a staggering $5.9 million worth of digital assets from 4,888 unsuspecting victims . The daring cyber operation came to light following a comprehensive report released by Scam Sniffer, a reputed team of cybersecurity experts. Inferno Drainer, a malicious phishing-as-a-service provider, is believed to be behind the cybercrime. The report reveals that Inferno Drainer has created a network of at least 689 fraudulent websites, which have been operational since March 27, 2023. However, most of these malicious sites were launched after May 14, 2023. That points to a significant rise in site-building activity for a period. The scammers behind Inferno Drainer have strategically targeted 229 prominent brands. These include some respected names like MetaMask, Pepe, Bob, Collab.Land, OpenSea, LayerZero, and several others. By impersonating these reputable platforms, the threat actors exploited the trust of unsuspecting users seeking to engage in legitimate... --- #### OCBC Phishing Scam: Singapore Bank’s Crisis of $240 Million Additional Capital Requirement URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ocbc-phishing-scam-singapore-banks-crisis-of-240-million-additional-capital-requirement/ Description: Here is a close look into the details of the OCBC phishing scam, how it happened, the damage it caused, how OCBC handled it, and the masterminds behind it. Here is a close look into the details of the OCBC phishing scam, how it happened, the damage it caused, how OCBC handled it, and the masterminds behind it. Singapore’s central bank asked OCBC (Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd.) in May 2022 to keep an extra $240 million in the capital following the infamous OCBC phishing scam in December 2021. OCBC, the second largest lender in Singapore, reported losses from the OCBC phishing scam and reportedly made goodwill payouts of the total amount to all the 790 phishing scam victims . Here are the details of the OCBC phishing scam and how it happened. The Aftermath of OCBC Phishing Scam Singapore’s central bank asked OCBC to keep an extra $240 million with the MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) stating, "OCBC is required to apply a multiplier of 1.3 times to its risk-weighted assets for operational risk. It translates to an additional amount of approximately S$330 million in regulatory capital." Helen Wong, the Group’s CEO, said, “The SMS phishing attacks impersonating OCBC in December 2021 was unprecedented in that the tactics reached a level of realism not seen in previous phishing scams. While we took various actions in December to stem... --- #### Scammers Launch Massive PayPal and MetaMask Phishing Campaigns URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/scammers-launch-massive-paypal-and-metamask-phishing-campaigns/ Description: In one of the latest phishing scams, malicious actors are impersonating popular platforms like PayPal and MetaMask to target unsuspecting victims. In one of the latest phishing scams, malicious actors are impersonating popular platforms like PayPal and MetaMask to target unsuspecting victims. The gravity of this cyber onslaught has been intense enough to prompt the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to warn internet users. Large-scale phishing campaigns are nothing new in the digital era. Scammers have been crafty enough to impersonate emails from reputed platforms to exploit human weakness with a sense of urgency. The fraudsters leverage user anxiety related to finances and claim that the MetaMask cryptocurrency wallets would be blocked if they don't act fast,' click a link,' or ‘update their wallet.' The fake emails imitating PayPal claim that the payments to the crypto exchange Binance have been canceled. The fraudsters further provide a phone number to potential victims to reach out to PayPal. Clicking on the deceitful links provided by the imposters in emails or reaching out to the phone numbers they specify puts the victims at risk of losing money or confidential information. The social engineering scam can also lead to cryptocurrency thefts, given that scammers ask for sensitive information like payment details and account passwords. Threat Actors Closely Imitate Genuine PayPal and MetaMask Platforms For an unsuspecting... --- #### PhaaS or Phishing-as-a-Service Tool: “Greatness” Spotted in Active Circulation URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phaas-or-phishing-as-a-service-tool-greatness-spotted-in-active-circulation/ Description: A new Phishing as a Service tool dubbed \"Greatness\" has been discovered targeting US and global sectors with fake Microsoft 365 pages designed to steal login. A new Phishing as a Service tool dubbed "Greatness" has been discovered targeting US and global sectors with fake Microsoft 365 pages designed to steal login credentials. Here are the details of Greatness PhaaS, its capabilities, how it works, and how to protect yourself. Greatness, a previously unreported PhaaS (Phishing as a Service) tool, was recently discovered in the wild and had been targeting innocent victims since last year. With some of the most advanced features, Greatness is focused on Microsoft 365 phishing pages and has targeted organizations and individuals in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Join us as we share the details of the PhaaS tool and its capabilities. Greatness PhaaS Unleashed: What is Greatness PhaaS? Greatness is a PhaaS tool that threat actors can use as a service to carry out malicious phishing campaigns and target innocent individuals. As discovered by the researchers at Cisco Talos, the PhaaS tool has been in play since mid-2022, with a significant spike in its activity in December 2022 and again in March 2023. Threat actors using Greatness PhaaS have been targeting manufacturing enterprises the most, followed by healthcare, technology, education, real estate, construction, and finance. The campaign is... --- #### T-Mobile Hit by a Second Data Breach in 2023: Customers’ Info at Risk, Again URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/t-mobile-hit-by-a-second-data-breach-in-2023-customers-info-at-risk-again/ Description: T-Mobile Hit by a Second Data Breach in 2023: Customers' Info at Risk, Again: US mobile carrier giant T-Mobile suffered another breach just four months into. US mobile carrier giant T-Mobile suffered another breach just four months into 2023, where the threat actors could use identity theft and spear phishing against the victims. Join us as we share the T-Mobile data breach, how it happened, what data was accessed, and how to get phishing protection. Data breaches are a significant threat that leaves organizations and their customers dealing with much harm. Threat actors constantly evolve their tactics and circle networks looking to exfiltrate information. The latest case is of the mobile carrier giant T-Mobile, which has suffered the second breach of the year, affecting over 800 individuals . Here is the T-Mobile data breach at a glance. T-Mobile Data Breach at a Glance One of the most significant mobile carriers in the United States, T-Mobile, was the victim of a data breach in late February. The second data breach that T-Mobile faced this year, the incident impacted 836 customers and resulted in the exposure of a ton of PII (Personally Identifiable Information). The breach affected a small number of T-Mobile customers compared to the previous one, which hit nearly 37 million. However, the information exposed in this data breach is highly extensive and can do a... --- #### QBot Email Attacks Have a New Trick Up Their Sleeve: Using PDF and WSF Combo to Install Malware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/qbot-email-attacks-now-use-pdf-and-wsf-combo-to-install-malware/ Description: The new QBot email malware attacks are the latest case where threat actors use phishing, PDF, and WSF to deploy malware. The new QBot email malware attacks are the latest case where threat actors use phishing, PDF, and WSF to deploy malware. Let us see what QBot is, how it works, and how to protect yourself against QBot malware. The cybersecurity world knows QBot as a banking trojan software that evolved into malware, providing initial access to enterprise networks for malicious actors to drop their payloads. QBot enables malicious software like Cobalt Strike, Brute Ratel, and others to access corporate network devices, spread laterally through the network, steal critical information, and deploy ransomware in extortion attacks. Let us see how QBot works and how serious this new threat is. How does QBot Work? QBot initially started as a banking trojan but has evolved into malware that can cause harm by infiltrating corporate networks and dropping payloads on compromised devices. Here is how QBot works: - Initial Access and Lateral Movement: QBot provides a foothold to the threat actors by exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities or phishing attacks on an organization's employees. - Distribution Through Phishing: QBot relies on reply-chain phishing emails, where threat actors use stolen email exchanges and reply to them with links to malware or malicious attachments. These phishing emails... --- #### Major QSR Owner Releases Data Breach Notification Three Months After Ransomware Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/major-qsr-owner-releases-data-breach-notification-three-months-after-ransomware-attack/ Description: Yum Brands, a victim of a ransomware attack, has revealed a data breach that may have compromised sensitive information. Yum Brands, a victim of a ransomware attack, has revealed a data breach that may have compromised sensitive information, emphasizing the critical role of robust phishing protection solutions in safeguarding against cyber threats. The American fast food corporation Yum! Brands underwent a ransomware attack on January 13, 2023 . Yum! Brands owns renowned global restaurant chains like KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell and has 55,000 restaurants in 155 countries. The company noticed a ransomware attack on January 13, 2023, which affected some data stored in its systems. However, Yum! Brands initially stated that there is no evidence of customer data being compromised. Two months later, the company is now sending out breach notification letters to individuals, informing them that their personal data might have been stolen after the ransomware attack! What Information Was Affected? As per Yum! Brands' latest report revealed that individuals' personal information, such as their names, driver's licenses, and other ID card numbers, were leaked because of the January 2023 breach. The latest investigations do not show any signs of stolen information being used for criminal activity, such as data theft and identity fraud. However, this does not mean there is no scope for the same!... --- #### Threat Actors Target Western Digital, Cripple Its My Cloud Service URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-target-western-digital-cripple-its-my-cloud-service/ Description: Threat Actors Target Western Digital, Cripple Its My Cloud Service: Undoubtedly, famous public cloud services providers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and. Undoubtedly, famous public cloud services providers like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Western Digital offer a more secure cloud environment than on-premise servers. But what if the hackers target them, locking you out and hampering productivity? Follow this article to learn about the latest attack on Western Digital. Western Digital recently announced today that an unauthorized party breached its network, gaining access to its multiple company systems. After discovering the breach, the firm launched an investigation into the incident (which is in the early stages) and informed the law enforcement authorities. The company gathered evidence suggesting that the intruder accessed some of the data. However, we do not know if the stolen data belongs to Western Digital's customers, employees, or others. Furthermore, it is unclear what type of data the attackers stole and if they used it for identity theft. Users Unable To Login, Incident Impacts Western Digital’s Reputation While Western Digital's primary business is providing customers with a storage device to store data locally, its My Cloud service enables them to back it up on a cloud server and access the contents remotely. According to posts on Western Digital’s customer support pages, users must authenticate themselves on MyCloud.com to access... --- #### Threat Actors Breach Reddit and Access Internal Documents, Code, and Business Systems URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-breach-reddit-and-access-internal-documents-code-and-business-systems/ Description: Threat actors managed to infiltrate the popular social media platform Reddit and access internal documents, code, and some internal business systems. Threat actors managed to infiltrate the popular social media platform Reddit and access internal documents, code, and some internal business systems, highlighting the need for individuals and organizations to take robust measures to safeguard their information . This text shares the details of the attack, what information was accessed, what Reddit is doing, and how to stay protected. Cybercrime is a growing storm in the world of technology, and it's hitting us harder each day. With the world becoming more connected, data breaches are becoming the new normal and making headlines with alarming frequency. These incidents are a harsh reality check of the importance of taking proactive measures to secure all systems and sensitive information. The latest case in point is the Reddit data breach, where a threat actor successfully infiltrated the platform using phishing as the entry point. This breach has made waves and raised concerns about the safety of one of the world's most widely used social media platforms. In light of this, we aim to provide a comprehensive report on the situation. From the details of the attack to Reddit's efforts in keeping its users secure and the steps you can take to protect yourself, we've got... --- #### Massive Google Fi Data Breach Opens up Individuals to SIM Swapping Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/massive-google-fi-data-breach-opens-up-individuals-to-sim-swapping-attacks/ Description: The Google Fi platform was breached due to one of its unsecured network providers, opening the platform's customers up to SIM-swapping attacks. The Google Fi platform was breached due to one of its unsecured network providers, opening the platform's customers up to SIM-swapping attacks. This text describes the data breach, how it happened, what data was taken, the details of the SIM swapping attacks, and how to protect yourself against these. Your private information may be at risk as a massive Google Fi data breach has opened the doors to a dangerous new threat, SIM swapping attacks. Google's US-only telecommunications and mobile internet service, Google Fi, has informed its customers that one of its private network providers suffered a data breach leading to the exposure of personal data that led to SIM swapping attacks. Amidst the rising cybercrime rates from the beginning of the year, one of the world's tech giants being the victim of a cyberattack is not good news. In this digital age, our personal and sensitive information is vulnerable to cybercrime, and this latest breach is a wake-up call to all of us to prioritize our cybersecurity. This post delves into the details of the breach and explores what you can do to protect yourself from these devastating attacks. Google Fi Data Breach: What Data was Breach and What... --- #### The Power of ChatGPT: How ChatGPT is Changing the Phishing Game URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-power-of-chatgpt-how-chatgpt-is-changing-the-phishing-game/ Description: The Power of ChatGPT: How ChatGPT is Changing the Phishing Game: ChatGPT is changing the phishing game for threat actors who can use it for crafting phishing. ChatGPT is changing the phishing game for threat actors who can use it for crafting phishing emails and bypassing MFA. This text shares the power of ChatGPT in the hands of phishing actors, how it can be used for email crafting, and how you can protect yourself from AI-powered phishing. ML (Machine Learning) Models and AI (Artificial intelligence) chatbot technology has come a long way in recent years, and one of the most advanced models is ChatGPT. Making headlines worldwide with its ability to understand and respond to natural language inputs, ChatGPT is a valuable tool in multiple industries. However, like two sides of a coin, ChatGPT can significantly impact innocent lives in the hands of threat actors. In this article, we will explore how ChatGPT is changing the phishing game and the potential implications of this technology for both businesses and individuals. The Emergence of ChatGPT and its Role in Phishing ChatGPT, OpenAI's large language model, has brought about significant progress in the field of NLP (Natural Language Processing), with applications ranging from customer service, virtual assistants, and even phishing detection and prevention, which is ironical since it can also be used for malicious purposes of phishing and targeting... --- #### Business Essentials: The Top Email Marketing Security Strategies for 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/business-essentials-top-email-marketing-security-strategies-2023/ Description: Cybercriminals are continually targeting business emails, one of the most effective marketing tools for global businesses. Cybercriminals are continually targeting business emails, one of the most effective marketing tools for global businesses. This post sheds light on the top threats to email marketing in 2023 and shares the top email marketing security strategies businesses need to follow. Emails are the most effective marketing tools for SMBs and SMEs, with an impressive ROI (Return on Investment) of $36 per each $1 spent. With over 64% of global businesses employing email marketing, threat actors have taken an affinity towards emails. This is why there is a significant increase in phishing and scamming cybercrimes, hurting businesses and consumers. The best way to ensure the phishing protection of the enterprise and healthy business growth and productivity is email security and the implementation of secure email marketing strategies. Top Threats to Email Marketing in 2023 Before delving into the corrective measures and improving email marketing security, businesses need to understand the threats they will face this coming year. Some of the top threats to email marketing include: - Phishing: Without a doubt, phishing is the top and most dangerous email threat to organizations and businesses. Crowned as the most common cybercrime in the world, phishing is a social engineering attack where... --- #### Interserve Fined $5 Million by ICO and Why Anti-Phishing Measures are the Need of the Hour URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/interserve-fined-5-million-ico-anti-phishing-measures-hour/ Description: The ICO has fined Interserve £4.4 million, which is about $5 million, due to the data breach compromising the financial and personal data of 113,000 employees. The ICO has fined Interserve £4.4 million, which is about $5 million, due to the data breach compromising the financial and personal data of 113,000 employees. Here is how the attack occurred, the lost data, why Interserve was fined, and how organizations can avoid a similar fate by investing in anti-phishing solutions. Phishing awareness and anti-phishing measures have become the need of the hour, thanks to the rising cases of phishing cybercrimes. It would seem that organizations now have no choice but to provide adequate cybersecurity measures or face legal consequences. The latest issue came to light when the Construction group Interserve was fined £4.4 million following a phishing cyberattack that resulted in the loss of personal and financial information of its workforce. Let us look into the organization, how the cyberattack took place, why the British data watchdog fined the organization, and why anti-phishing measures are what every organization needs. What is Interserve? Interserve is a construction and support services organization based in Berkshire. The organization started in 1884 and has served clients worldwide, providing professional services, construction equipment for sale and hire, and other construction services. Interserve is currently making headlines worldwide after being fined for losing the... --- #### Everything you need to know about Phishing Attacks via Caffeine URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-caffeine/ Description: Everything you need to know about Phishing Attacks via Caffeine: The article dives deep into the recent investigation of the Phishing-as-a-Service PhaaS. The article dives deep into the recent investigation of the Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform called "Caffeine, " which was noticed by Mandiant detectives, and the new findings related to it. The recent announcement about the phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platform termed Caffeine' has become the topic of discussion. It is being termed as the most convenient platform for threat actors to launch attacks via an open registration process, allowing anyone to enter and begin their phishing campaigns. Mandiants detailed analysis also focused on the technical configurations that are currently available to Caffeine's fishermen, allowing them to evade detection. Let us take a look at the basics of the investigations that led to the identification of the Phishing attack via Caffeine', the extent of Caffeine's low-barrier entry into the PhaaS platform market, the platform's core capabilities and the key findings found by Mandiant. What Actually Happened? In March 2022, Mandiant's defense analysts discovered malicious actors using a shared Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) platform called "Caffeine" while investigating phishing activity targeting their Managed Defense customers. Managed Defense uncovered a suspicious URL in an email sent to a European architectural consulting firm in March. While the email's contents were not fully recovered, domain data contained within the phishing... --- #### Iranian-Aligned Cybercriminal Group targets Researchers, Academics, and Journalists with Sophisticated Phishing Campaign URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/iranian-cybercriminals-target-researchers-academics-and-journalists-with-phishing/ Description: Iranian-Aligned Cybercriminal Group targets Researchers, Academics, and Journalists with Sophisticated Phishing Campaign: TA453, an Iranian-aligned. TA453, an Iranian-aligned cybercriminal group, is harvesting credentials by employing multi-persona impersonation. This article shares details about TA453, its Korg remote template injection, how TA453's phishing campaign works, how to check if you are a target, and how to protect yourself. It seems new cybercrime tactics are the latest craze cybercriminals are adopting these days. There is news of fresh and signature malicious tactics for causing mayhem to steal data and deliver payloads. The latest in this line is an Iranian sock puppet phishing creation. The sophisticated phishing tactic incorporates multiple impersonation accounts to lure victims, deliver malicious payloads that collect confidential information from the victim's system and exfiltrate it to the cybercrime group. Let us see who the cybercriminal behind this sock puppet campaign are and how they carry out their malicious intentions. Who is TA453? TA453 is the name of the Iranian-aligned cybercriminal group behind the sock puppet campaign targeting innocent users with the help of multiple impersonation accounts. TA453 is a part of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) and has been causing malice in the past by impersonating journalists to target policy experts. TA453 is known for its unique social engineering technique that experts call the... --- #### JuiceLedger, From Low-Key Phishing Campaigns to a Sophisticated Supply Chain Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/juiceledger-low-key-phishing-campaigns-sophisticated-supply-chain-attack/ Description: Open-source software libraries become frequent targets of attackers, who view them as an attractive path to distributing malware and stealing credentials. Open-source software libraries become frequent targets of attackers, who view them as an attractive path to distributing malware and stealing credentials. In August 2022, the threat actor JuiceLedger targeted PyPI contributors with a phishing campaign and successfully compromised various legitimate packages. Read on to know more. In early 2022, JuiceLedger ran relatively low-key campaigns that spread fraudulent Python installer applications with a .NET application, JuiceStealer,' designed to steal sensitive data from users' browsers. In August 2022, the threat actor altered its technique and started poisoning open-source packages to target a wider audience with the information stealer through a supply chain attack. Thus, there was a significant rise in the threat level posed by this group. The JuiceLedger operators actively targeted PyPi package contributors through the latest phishing campaign, poisoning at least two legitimate packages with malware. Furthermore, several hundred more malicious packages are suspected to be typo squatted. Evolution of the JuiceStealer Malware Virustotal discovered JuiceStealer in February when someone (probably a threat actor) submitted a Python program with the capability to install the malware secretly. The threat actors have developed JuiceStealer using the .Net programming framework and searches for saved passwords in Google Chrome. After carefully examining the code,... --- #### 0ktapus, Okta Breach Helps Attackers Launch Sophisticated Supply Chain Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/0ktapus-okta-breach-helps-attackers-launch-sophisticated-supply-chain-attacks/ Description: Organizations implement Multi-factor authentication (MFA) as an enterprise identity security tool to protect them against credential theft. Organizations implement Multi-factor authentication (MFA) as an enterprise identity security tool to protect them against credential theft, brute force techniques, and dictionary attacks. But what if a cybercriminal intercepts MFA? Read on to know how attackers planned the sophisticated attack on Okta customers. Cybercriminals who attempted the cyberattacks on Twilio and Cloudflare earlier this year cast a wider net in their malicious expedition and targeted over 135 organizations , primarily cloud services providers, software development, and IT industries based in the US. Attackers went after employees and customers of Okta, a customizable and secure solution to add authorization and authentication services to applications. Cybercriminals sent text messages containing malicious links to websites spoofing Okta's authentication page. They launched a sophisticated campaign to harvest their multi-factor authentication codes and work login credentials. How Group-IB Intelligence Analysts Uncovered The Attack Group-IB intelligence analysts received a request from their client on July 26, 2022, asking them for additional information on a recent credential phishing attack they had experienced. Group-IB started the investigation after the client provided IP addresses and domain names used in the attack. Group-IB analysts used Threat Intelligence, in-house, and public tools to gather the list of attacked domains. They discovered... --- #### The Recent Mailchimp Security Incident and its Impact on DigitalOcean’s Customers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/mailchimp-security-incident-impact-digitaloceans-customers/ Description: The Recent Mailchimp Security Incident and its Impact on DigitalOcean’s Customers: This article delves into the recent Mailchimp security breach and. This article delves into the recent Mailchimp security breach and how it affected DigitalOcean users. Additionally, it discusses the factors that contributed to the breach, the actions that were carried out to address it, and some key takeaways from the incident. Companies such as Klaviyo, HubSpot, and Constant Contact have been the targets of malicious attacks in which actors used phishing or social engineering to gain access to employee credentials; however, the recent security breach that exposed DigitalOcean customer email addresses is cause for concern. Here's a look at what happened and how DigitalOcean discovered it. What Does Digitalocean Say About the Security Incident? According to DigitalOcean, the organization discovered that its Mailchimp account had been compromised on August 8 . This realization came after it discovered that its emails, such as account confirmations and password resets delivered via Mailchimp, were no longer reaching its customers. Following an investigation, they learned that their Mailchimp account had been suspended without prior notice or explanation. Mailchimp sent an automated email stating that the account had been temporarily disabled due to a "terms of service" violation. Mailchimp sent the same message to others in the cryptocurrency industry, fueling speculation that the company had... --- #### Phishing Remains the Top Email Threat and Emerging Email Attack Trends by the Latest Abnormal Security Report URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-remains-top-email-threat-emerging-email-attack-trends-latest-abnormal-security-report/ Description: Abnormal Security has released the H2 Email Security Threat report highlighting the top email security threats in the first six months of 2022. Abnormal Security has released the H2 Email Security Threat report highlighting the top email security threats in the first six months of 2022. This article shares key statistics, discovered trends, and revelations of the report. Phishing is undoubtedly the most significant cybercrime today, a fact that has been proved once again by Abnormal Security’s latest Email Threat Report. With a 48% increase in email attacks in the first two quarters of 2022 and 68.5% of these including phishing links, threat artists are continuously exploring phishing campaigns, with a chief focus on brand impersonation, with over 265 brands being impersonated for phishing. Let us look at the statistics, the most evolving email threats, and the principal findings of the report. Key Statistics of H2 Email Threat Report 2022 These are the critical findings of Abnormal Security’s Email Threat Report that will help paint a vivid picture of the current email attack scenario. - BEC (Business Email Compromise) attacks increased by 60% in the past 12 months. - There is an 89% probability of financial supply chain compromise attacks being received by enterprises, and that too per week. - Credential phishing attacks are becoming more popular, with 32% involving social network impersonation.... --- #### Three Conti Spinoffs With Call-back Phishing Attack Vector Intrinsically Embedded URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/conti-spinoffs-call-back-phishing-attack-vector-intrinsically-embedded/ Description: Three Conti Spinoffs With Call-back Phishing Attack Vector Intrinsically Embedded: After a split from the Conti cybercrime cartel, three autonomous threat. After a split from the Conti cybercrime cartel, three autonomous threat groups have created Bazarcall, a call-back phishing tactic as the initial vector to breach and access targeted networks. Read on to know more and the steps you can take to prevent such attacks. Most cybersecurity threats are based on automated, drive-by tactics (like compromising legitimate websites or exploiting system vulnerabilities) or advanced detection evasion methods. However, attackers continue to succeed in human interaction and social engineering attacks. The BazarCall leaders knew that the repetitiveness of attack patterns was the reason for the downfall of older ransomware groups, leading them to plan and execute the Conti spin-offs. Silent Ransom The call-back phishing experts created "Silent Ransom" after splitting from Conti in March 2022 . After becoming an autonomous group, they operated for a few months, and their tactics were successful. They realized they could avoid the dying Conti's poor branding, sanctions, and regulations. Other Conti Spin-offs "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches these threats by pattern, not by signature - which is how we detect attacks that... --- #### The QBot Malware Operators Use DLL Hijacking to Sideload Malicious Files in Windows Computers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/qbot-malware-operators-dll-hijacking-sideload-malicious-files-windows-computers/ Description: The QBot Malware Operators Use DLL Hijacking to Sideload Malicious Files in Windows Computers: Taking advantage of how Windows handles Dynamic Link Libraries. Taking advantage of how Windows handles Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs), attackers are creating a malicious version of DLLs required by the program and infecting victims' computers. Read on to know how it happens and ways you can protect yourself. QBot or Qakbot is a malware strain in Windows that began as a banking trojan and later evolved as a malware dropper. In the early stages of the attack, the malicious actors used it to drop Cobalt Strike beacons. Recently, the ransomware gangs that operated the QBot malware started infecting computers by exploiting a DLL hijacking flaw in the Windows Calculator application. Besides infecting the system, the weakness also helps them evade detection from the security software. Security researchers at ProxyLife discovered that since July 11 , Qakbot was abusing the Windows 7 Calculator app to launch DLL hijacking attacks. Attackers keep using this method in various malspam campaigns. Before studying the modus operandi of the attack, let us first see what DLLs are. What Are DLL Files? Dynamic Link Library files, or DLL files, contain all the resources an application requires to run successfully. They include a library and images of executable functions. End-users cannot open the DLL files, and... --- #### Healthcare Industry Continues to be Impacted By Data Breaches According to the Latest Report URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/healthcare-industry-continues-impacted-data-breaches-latest-report/ Description: HIPAA journal has revealed the latest Healthcare Data Breach report highlighting millions of compromised healthcare records. HIPAA journal has revealed the latest Healthcare Data Breach report highlighting millions of compromised healthcare records. With healthcare data breaches at their highest, affecting California and New York the most, this article shares the report’s findings, summary, and the reason behind the sudden spike in targeting cyber-attacks against Healthcare Industry. HIPAA Journal recently released the May 2022 Healthcare Data Breach report that reveals how critical patient data is also not safe from threat actors. With a 25% spike in healthcare data breaches in the month of May alone, data breaches in healthcare are currently at their highest since last June-July. With healthcare data breach incidents in various states, New York, Indiana, California, and Missouri, to name a few, the report has highlighted hacking and IT incidents as the most widespread cause of healthcare data breaches, followed by unauthorized access and theft. But it does not stop there. Let us look deeply into all the key findings of the report. Summary With over 4.4 million health records breached in May 2022, the report shares the records affected, the largest healthcare data breaches of the month across different states. The breaches that exploited network servers, emails, e-records, and devices have affected millions... --- #### How Adversaries Stole Over $500 Million from this Crypto-based Game Using Phishing Tactics URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/adversaries-stole-500-million-crypto-based-game-phishing-tactics/ Description: How Adversaries Stole Over $500 Million from this Crypto-based Game Using Phishing Tactics: Blockchain gaming is gaining popularity due to the lucrative. Blockchain gaming is gaining popularity due to the lucrative earning opportunities it offers its players. But it seems even the secure and decentralized nature of Blockchain is not sufficient to stop adversaries from launching Phishing attacks. Read on to know how Axie Infinity became a victim. Developed by Sky Mavis in 2018, a Vietnamese video game developer, Axie Infinity contains "Axies," creatures that players collect and utilize to compete against other players. Every "Axie" is an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) minted on the Ethereum Blockchain. Players earn money by buying and selling Axies in the marketplace, which come in various types, with different attributes and strengths. Most of these creatures have weak characteristics, but some are strong, created by trial-and-error breeding. These Axies are the most sought after. You must note that Axie Infinity is a Pokemon-inspired game with a play-to-earn model and earns $15 million approximately in daily revenue. The Axie Infinity Hack Axie Infinity's Ronin Bridge became the victim of a $540 million hack when one of its former employees got tricked into taking a fraudulent job offer through LinkedIn. A report by The Block suggests that an ex-senior engineer got tricked into applying for a job at a... --- #### New NakedPages Phishing Toolkit Causing a Ruckus in the Cybersecurity Industry URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/nakedpages-phishing-toolkit-causing-ruckus-cybersecurity-industry/ Description: New NakedPages Phishing Toolkit Causing a Ruckus in the Cybersecurity Industry: The NakedPages phishing toolkit model has been making headlines since its. The NakedPages phishing toolkit model has been making headlines since its discovery by CloudSEK researchers. This post explains what NakedPages is, everything you need to know, and shares NakedPages' features, impact, and how you can protect yourself from the phishing toolkit. The phishing toolkit, NakedPages, has caused a stir by offering its phishing services with over 50 pre-existing phishing templates and anti-bot functionalities that can steer clear of bots from over 120 countries. The NakedPages phishing toolkit was recently discovered for sale across various cybercrime channels and Telegram by CloudSEK cybersecurity researchers. Phishing is the most common cybercrime , and NakedPages is a significant threat, especially when the cybercriminal behind it is inviting supporters for $1000 contributions for the project's development. The following sections discuss how dangerous this new threat is. What is NakedPages Phishing Toolkit? NakedPages is a toolkit that CloudSEK's XVigil discovered. NakedPages is a phishing toolkit advertised on a cybercrime forum as the tool that serious developers and scammers need. There is no information about the cybercrime syndicate/actor behind NakedPages. However, the advertisement came with a google form that allowed individuals to contact the cybercriminal by filling out a questionnaire. The users who fill out the form... --- #### Protect Yourself From Falling For A Scam: Phishing Prevention Tips URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/protect-falling-scam-phishing-prevention-tips/ Description: Protect Yourself From Falling For A Scam: Phishing Prevention Tips: While technical measures to secure our personal information and devices become more. While technical measures to secure our personal information and devices become more sophisticated, phishing remains one of the cheapest and easiest ways for cyber criminals to initiate a con. For example, when asked for credit card information by where you usually shop, be sure it's legit before you provide any personal details. Phishing is a growing cybercrime concern for businesses and individuals, and cybercriminals use phishing as a tactic to lure their victims into giving them sensitive information in order to steal identities. Phishing Meaning Phishing is a method used by cyber-criminals who use fake emails, texts or instant messages in order to deceive victims into giving away sensitive information like their credit card details by either fooling them into believing they're speaking to someone they trust or are in some sort of trouble. How Does Phishing Work? Phishing campaigns usually use one of two primary strategies: 1. Malicious attachments Malicious email attachments, which usually have enticing names, such as ‘INVOICE’, install malware on victims’ machines when opened. This malware may quietly steal important information from the victim’s computer or even use it as a resource to launch denial of service attacks against other computers . 2. Links To Malicious... --- #### CEO Fraud: How Scammers Are Impersonating Executives And How To Protect Yourself URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ceo-fraud-scammers-impersonating-executives-protect/ Description: CEO Fraud: How Scammers Are Impersonating Executives And How To Protect Yourself: One of the latest scams to steal your money, your identity and your. One of the latest scams to steal your money, your identity and your confidence is CEO fraud. CEO fraud, also known as business email compromise (BEC), is one of the most common forms of business email fraud. It’s a scam where criminals impersonate an executive at your company and request that you wire money or transfer funds to an account under their control. CEO Fraud is a huge problem and it only takes seconds for someone to intercept an email and make it look legitimate. What Is CEO Fraud and How Does It Work? An online scam wherein an attacker impersonates a C-level executive within an organization with the intent of accessing financial information or sensitive personal information is known as CEO fraud. Typically, the attacker seeks to transfer you money to a bank account owned by the attacker or to share confidential human resources information. Relying on current technology, these campaigns seek to lure victims into divulging vital data such as credit card numbers or bank account numbers via email or conducting fraudulent wire transfers. In this highly targeted form of attack, malicious actors research potential victims and their businesses to learn about who they are targeting, giving them... --- #### Learn How To Protect Yourself From Sophisticated Phishing Email Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/learn-protect-sophisticated-phishing-email-scams/ Description: Learn How To Protect Yourself From Sophisticated Phishing Email Scams: In today's digital age, phishing emails are one of the most common ways malware and. In today’s digital age, phishing emails are one of the most common ways malware and viruses are spread. While most people are familiar with phishing scams, phishing emails are a little different than other types of scams. Not only do phishing emails interact with users through spam mail or phishing emails sent to their inbox, but they also often carry malicious attachments or links that direct users to sites infected with malware or viruses. Phishing emails are spread through spam emails and spam messages. So ensure appropriate phishing protection solutions when you are online. Look out for fraudulent requests for these online services and strive to generate safe protection on your Google account and Gmail. What Phishing Is A phishing email seems to be sent directly from your bank and asks for account information for use in fraudulent transactions. Phishing messages or content may show up. - Give your own or account information. - Tell you to click links or download files. - Impersonate a reputable organization, like your bank, a social media site you use, or your workplace. - Impersonate a complete stranger, like a coworker or family member. - Look exactly like a message from the organization or... --- #### Cybercrime’s Latest: Matanbuchus Employed in Phishing Campaign to Infect Devices with Cobalt Strike URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybercrimes-latest-matanbuchus-employed-phishing-campaign-infect-devices-cobalt-strike/ Description: There is a new phishing spam campaign making headlines in the cybersecurity world that delivers malware onto compromised machines. There is a new phishing spam campaign making headlines in the cybersecurity world that delivers malware onto compromised machines. The malware is initiated by a phishing attack and delivered by "Matanbuchus," specially designed to deliver DLL payloads, launch malicious PowerShell commands, and persist via additional task schedules. The attack is highly sophisticated and makes use of malicious MSI installer files leading to an Adobe Acrobat installer running a beacon for Cobalt Strike in the background. The following sections delve deeper into how the latest malware attack takes place. How Does the Latest Cobalt Strike Attack Occur? The phishing campaign is still happening and needs careful attention. You can protect yourself from the malspam campaign by understanding how it works. The campaign's centerpiece is an email that poses as a reply to a previous email and hence bears the prefix, "Re:" These emails also contain a ZIP file with an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file, which in turn downloads another ZIP archive. When you open the HTML document, it resembles a fake Microsoft OneDrive page and downloads a ZIP file for an MSI package. The ZIP file extracts an MSI package for one "Westeast Tech Consulting, Corp." and is also... --- #### Cybercriminals are Duping Millions of Accounts in the Latest Facebook Phishing Campaign URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybercriminals-are-duping-millions-of-accounts-in-the-latest-facebook-phishing-campaign/ Description: The talk of the town is the phishing campaign on Facebook that has reportedly duped millions into providing their login credentials to cybercriminals. The talk of the town is the phishing campaign on Facebook that has reportedly duped millions into providing their login credentials to cybercriminals. The Facebook phishing operation is the latest in a long line of cybersecurity news that has shaken people worldwide. Facebook Messenger is circling various phishing pages, tricking users into providing their login credentials to threat actors. These compromised accounts are then used further to expand the phishing messages to friends and family accounts, farming more credentials to compromise additional accounts. These phishing pages are also full of online advertisements, helping the threat actors behind the attack generate significant earnings while also expanding the phishing attack surface. What is Happening During the Facebook Phishing Campaign? Facebook Messenger is floating with countless phishing pages that redirect you to fake web pages, which are only accessible once you enter your login credentials into the fake Facebook login page that appears. Various phishing pages originated from Facebook Messenger, a number that grew in proportion to the number of stolen Facebook accounts, indicating the presence of automated tools that sent phishing links to the friends of a stolen account, leading to widespread phishing and growth in stolen Facebook accounts. Facebook, one of... --- #### Phishing Trends in 2022 So Far, And What You Can Learn From Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-trends-2022/ Description: Phishing Trends in 2022 So Far, And What You Can Learn From Them: Phishing is one of the most formidable threats in the cyber world today. Even though. Phishing is one of the most formidable threats in the cyber world today. Even though various news, reports, and anti-phishing campaigns attempt to spread awareness and knowledge, people still fall victim to novel phishing methods. This article seeks to summarize key statistics observed so far in 2022 by various cybersecurity organizations and present them in a useful and comprehensive manner. It is also a warning for all organizations and individuals for the rest of the year. Alarming Cybercrime And Phishing Statistics Before an in-depth analysis of the top trends of 2022, here is a quick look at the current phishing and cybercrime landscape in numbers. - Phishing remained the top root cause of data breaches in the first quarter of 2022, according to an ITRC report. - HTML attachments were the most common files deployed by phishing attackers in Q1 2022. - Brand impersonation continued to lure victims through phishing pages, and Microsoft and LinkedIn were the topmost impersonated brands. - EMOTET, a go-to cybercrime service for malicious actors, made a return after shutting down in 2021. - The Ukraine war gave threat actors more ground to conduct their nefarious activities as it helped them raise their attack potential with... --- #### The Latest Malware Jester Stealer Warning in Ukraine from CERT-UA: Here’s Everything You Need to Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-malware-jester-stealer-warning-ukraine-cert-ua/ Description: As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the potential of utilizing more lethal weapons, which was previously merely a fear. As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates, the potential of utilizing more lethal weapons, which was previously merely a fear, may now take on a new form. The Ukrainian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UA) has issued a warning about a huge distribution campaign based on the concept of a "chemical attack." Receiving an email like this in Ukraine's invasion-affected regions is sure to generate widespread panic. Jester Stealer, a malicious file capable of large-scale data theft, is back on the hunt. What the Warning is About and How it Works Recently, via its official website, CERT-UA (Center of Excellence for Applied Research and Training) issued a warning about the upcoming wave of cyberattacks on Ukrainians that shall distribute Jester Stealer. It says, "The hackers obtain the stolen data over Telegram using statically established proxy addresses (e.g., within TOR)," and "They also employ anti-analysis methods (anti-VM/debug/sandbox)." The virus does not have a persistence mechanism and is removed as soon as its activity is accomplished. Details as Issued by CERT-UA "over 90% of ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email (Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report) email. Blocking the phishing email is the most effective ransomware prevention strategy available - it... --- #### Evolving Phishing Attack Trends: A Nightmare for Security Solutions URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/evolving-phishing-attack-trends-nightmare-security-solutions/ Description: Phishing has been one of the most widespread cyber threats and a significant challenge for security solutions for almost three decades. Phishing has been one of the most widespread cyber threats and a significant challenge for security solutions for almost three decades. According to this phishing report, in 2021, 35% of all data breaches included scams trying to rob users of their sensitive information and login credentials. Over the past year, phishing attacks have increased by 29% globally. The menace of phishing poses a threat to organizations worldwide. Though there are advanced anti-phishing tools available today that can counter these threats to some extent, threat actors have continued to up their game and make their modus operandi more sophisticated to lure end-users into divulging critical information. Furthermore, like ransomware-as-a-service, phishing-as-a-service models are coming up, allowing even those with limited technical knowledge to leverage phishing kits to target users. The following sections discuss these trends in detail. Phishing Targets in 2020/21 Phishing attacks have disrupted technological industries and economies worldwide; however, some countries saw a significant rise in phishing attacks. - The US has been the most targeted country for years, followed by Singapore and Germany. While the US has seen a 7% increase in phishing attacks in 2021, the growth of phishing attacks in Singapore and Russia has been astute, with... --- #### Social Media Impersonation in Phishing: 2022’s Latest Wave of Cybercrime URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/social-media-impersonation-phishing-2022s-latest-wave-cybercrime/ Description: Social Media Impersonation in Phishing: 2022’s Latest Wave of Cybercrime: Cybercrimes have escalated significantly in the past couple of years owing to. Cybercrimes have escalated significantly in the past couple of years owing to the mass adoption of online services. Threat actors have exhibited their affinity towards social media profiles and emails, targeting innocent people to scam them out of their finances and private data using phishing to sell on the dark web, to be spread and used in impersonation scams. As per recent reports, social media is the most recent category that cybercrime groups are exploiting for malicious purposes. Summary of the report The Brand Phishing Report of Q1 by Checkpoint Research has revealed the top social media brands imitated by cybercriminals. The report reached the verdict by analyzing the first three months of 2022, revealing social media giants such as LinkedIn, Whatsapp, and DHL as some of the most phished platforms. Threat actors have turned their attention from tech giants and service providers to social media, using fake phishing emails appearing as official ones luring innocent users to steal their credentials. The report also revealed shipping as their second choice to intercept and exploit e-commerce by employing phishing emails combined with sophisticated malware that infects workstations. Key Findings Here are the key findings of the report: - LinkedIn is the... --- #### Voice Phishing: Surfacing of a New Cyber Threat on Whatsapp URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/voice-phishing-surfacing-cyber-threat-whatsapp/ Description: Voice Phishing: Surfacing of a New Cyber Threat on Whatsapp: Researchers at Armorblox found a malicious campaign that targeted WhatsApp users. The attackers. Researchers at Armorblox found a malicious campaign that targeted WhatsApp users. The attackers have reached over 27,660 email addresses through targeted phishing attacks appearing to be from WhatsApp. When receiving attachments over email, you might be tricked by the threat actor into downloading other forms of malicious software. The following sections discuss more details about the latest phishing scheme. What is Voice Phishing? Voice phishing, or vishing, has been a growing cyber concern. These scams are carried out by the malicious actor sending a voice note over different media that directs an individual to a webpage. This webpage either encourages them to download applications that can turn out to be malware or asks them to enter their debit or credit card details by offering them a service or product. These web pages, which is a domain controlled by the attacker, can look genuine enough to fool you unless you are paying close attention to the website's hyperlink. The malware downloaded by following these voice notes given by the attacker can also store sensitive information, like your financial credentials, or auto-download other applications that can cause harmful changes in your local device. The Whatsapp Vishing Attack Pattern Recently, the attackers have... --- #### Microsoft Azure Phishing Scam: The New Favorite Of Malicious Actors URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-azure-phishing-scam-favorite-malicious-actors/ Description: Microsoft Azure Phishing Scam: The New Favorite Of Malicious Actors: Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud services used by developers and. Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud services used by developers and organizations worldwide. With an easy subscription model, Azure is convenient and popular among its users. However, Azure has also become famous among cyber attackers that use it for phishing scams to exploit protected data. Azure phishing is a comparatively new technique used to cause losses to victims by exposing their credentials and posing a threat to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive information. Microsoft Azure And Its Services Microsoft Azure platform offers its users a range of services such as cloud computing, data analytics, and networking that enable developers to build or run applications. With the variety of services that Azure offers, its usage varies. Creating computing resources, building cloud applications for mobile devices, deploying web applications, cloud storage, and big data analytics are some of the common uses of Azure. Computing resources created with the help of Azure allows the developer to host infrastructure components such as third-party applications, Windows Server services, and domain name system servers. It offers an easy payment method where you can pay only for your services. Such payment options make it easy for big corporations and developers to utilize Azure... --- #### RTLO Phishing Scam Revival – Everything You Need to Know About this Age-old Cyber Threat URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/rtlo-phishing-scam-revival-age-old-cyber-threat/ Description: RTLO Phishing Scam Revival – Everything You Need to Know About this Age-old Cyber Threat: The RTLO or RLO technique is one of the cybercriminals'. The RTLO (or RLO) technique is one of the cybercriminals' oldest and most common techniques. With the help of this technique, they can make a hyperlink look less suspicious, making you think that it is safe to click on it. However, once you click on the link, it might take you to the attacker's domain that might ask you for confidential information under a suspicious ruse or download suspicious software on your local device. Recently, cyber attackers have started sending these strategically designed hyperlinks over social networking platforms such as Whatsapp and Signal that can harm your information stored on your device or even on the Cloud. These attacks include smishing (SMS phishing), social attacks, and vishing which have seen a rise of over 74%. RTLO Technique The RTLO or right-to-left-override is a method used by software to write languages from right to left, such as Arabic. For instance, you start writing a word in left-to-right order in English. However, in Arabic and Hebrew, the term starts from the right side. Thus, while you may write s-o-c-i-a-l in the left-to-right technique, in the right-to-left procedure, you will have to register it as l-a-i-c-o-s. Windows was initially constructed to enable people... --- #### Threat Actors are Using the Russia-Ukraine Conflict to Launch Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-using-russia-ukraine-conflict-to-launch-phishing-attacks/ Description: Threat Actors are Using the Russia-Ukraine Conflict to Launch Phishing Attacks: Recently, according to a Google report, Russian and Belarusian cybercriminals. Recently, according to a Google report, Russian and Belarusian cybercriminals have attacked Ukrainian citizens, using the ongoing conflict as an opportunity to benefit from it. The recent Russia-Ukraine war has become an opportunity for cyberattackers. CSIS reported that in February of 2022, the Ukrainian Ministries, Education, and Infrastructures were attacked. This led to a massive loss for the Ukrainian government. Grasping the understanding of the Ukrainian system gave the cybercriminals a clear understanding of how to proceed with their activities. Threat actors are always using current affairs as an attack mechanism to target those who are concerned about world affairs. In the recent email phishing scam that was targeted against the Ukrainian government and other countries, the attackers used the tactic of appealing to the sentiments of the victims. The email contained a message regarding the Russia-Ukraine war and either asked to add money to a relief fund or asked for monetary help directly for one of the war victims while quoting a tear-jerking story. These emails have been impacting everyone, from individuals to conglomerates. Scope of the Attacks According to the analysis report by Google, two major cybercriminals have come to light. They go by the alias FancyBear and... --- #### Data Breaches & How They Impact Small Businesses URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/data-breaches-how-they-impact-small-businesses/ Description: The rising threat of cyberattacks and data breaches, in particular, can cripple any organization, especially a small business. The rising threat of cyberattacks and data breaches, in particular, can cripple any organization, especially a small business. SMBs and SMEs are the top targets for threat actors owing to their lack of proper cybersecurity defenses and risk mitigation practices. SMBs and SMEs need to understand the risks of data breaches and take proactive measures to ensure the security of their enterprise if they wish to maintain a strong market position. They need to evolve their cybersecurity practices with time to grow well for the future. Key Statistics Here are some key statistics revolving around data breaches, phishing, and SMBs to help you visualize the current risk of cyberattacks to your enterprise: - Nearly 43% of SMBs do not have cybersecurity defenses or risk planning. - SMBs suffering a data breach in 2021 suffer costs of $2.98 million, according to IBM. - Phishing attacks happen in conjunction with data breaches in 36% of cases. - One-fifth of data breaches occur with stolen credentials, costing an average of $4.37 million. Why Malicious Actors Target Small Businesses "When I talk to prospects about phishing protection, I don't lead with features - I lead with math. A single successful BEC attack costs $125,000... --- #### Latest Phishing Trends: Financial Services, Facebook, and Microsoft, the Biggest Impersonation Targets of Threat Actors URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-phishing-trends-the-biggest-impersonation-targets-of-threat-actors/ Description: Phishing remains the top method that cybercriminals use to target individuals and employees worldwide to lure them in and lead them to fake applications. phishing is the most common initial attack vector (IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024) that cybercriminals use to target individuals and employees worldwide to lure them in and lead them to fake applications, websites, and payment portals to steal information and hard-earned money. VadeSecure's latest report highlights how financial services is the most impersonated sector today, along with Facebook and Microsoft taking the crown for the most impersonated brands by phishing criminals. It is imperative to understand the rising threat of phishing, the latest phishing scams, and how you can ensure your organization's protection against phishing. Key Statistics Nearly 184,977 phishing emails and websites analyzed by Vade in 2021 revealed that: - The most impersonated social media platform is Facebook, used in 14% of phishing pages. - The most impersonated corporate brand is Microsoft, at 13%. - The most impersonated sector is Financial Services, at a substantial 35%, followed by social media at 24%, and Cloud at 19%. - Credit Agricole, the most impersonated financial service, featured on 13% of phishing websites. - Phishing is highest during weekdays at 78%, with weekends at 22%, and Tuesday topping the list with the highest phishing attacks. Why Do Cybercriminals Impersonate... --- #### Ice Phishing – A New Threat to Your Crypto Assets URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ice-phishing-threat-to-crypto-assets/ Description: With its technological advancements, such as Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrency, the digital world has become a breeding ground for new forms of cyberattacks. With its technological advancements, such as Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrency, the digital world has become a breeding ground for new forms of cyberattacks. Even though people can take control of their finances, the ease with which malicious actors can gain access to and steal the digital currency stored online is terrifying. Following the December 2021 Badger DAO cyberattack on the blockchain, where the attacker managed to steal $121 million from 200 accounts, Microsoft has warned that ice phishing might be the upcoming trend among the adversaries. It can put your cryptocurrency at considerable risk. Hence, it is essential to be adequately aware of such threats and be cautious to protect your crypto wallet information's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Things You Should Know About Web3 While Web1 revolved around commercial web pages created by established organizations, Web2 tried to break out of it and give more power and authority to the masses by allowing them to develop and publish their content online. Web3 is yet another attempt at breaking free from centralized control bodies, such as banks or other organizations, where you alone have control over your data. With Web3, an individual becomes the one who handles their finances, starting from... --- #### The surge of LinkedIn Phishing Attacks – Courtesy of the “The Great Resignation” URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-surge-of-linkedin-phishing-attacks-courtesy-of-the-great-resignation/ Description: Cybercriminals have always been actively looking for methods to breach security and acquire information that can be used as leverage over the victims. Cybercriminals have always been actively looking for methods to breach security and acquire information that can be used as leverage over the victims. Due to the recent transition in the job market where individuals are always on the lookout for new and better opportunities, attackers have found a new method to exploit the vulnerabilities of jobseekers. The recent LinkedIn phishing attacks have proven how unguarded LinkedIn users are to such attacks. What Is the Impact of the Great Resignation? The Great Resignation phenomenon is not only a result of the pandemic. It also results from the increasing job dissatisfaction that the current employees face. There is a disequilibrium of the demand and supply of jobs in the current job market, where many have been rendered jobless due to the pandemic. This has led to talent acquisition at lower salary rates and a higher workload. Consequently, this decreased job satisfaction and jobseekers sought out desperate methods for better opportunities. LinkedIn is one of the most widely known platforms for job seekers to be proactive and find opportunities from renowned organizations that match their skills. LinkedIn is known to have over 800 million members from over 200 countries. With a loss of... --- #### Two Decades-Old Phishing Attack Revamped URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/decades-old-phishing-attack-revamped/ Description: Two Decades-Old Phishing Attack Revamped: The RLO technique is a simple technique that disguises malicious files making them seem like simple text files . The RLO technique is a simple technique that disguises malicious files making them seem like simple text files. When downloaded by the user, these files could damage their device or could be used to acquire sensitive information. Although this technique became outdated, recently, attackers started using it again as people lowered their guard against cyber attacks. The Right-to-Left Technique The RLO technique was prevalent during the nineties, and early 2000’s when cyber security was not as advanced as it currently is. With the help of this technique, attackers used a simple method to make the users download malicious files that could then be used to extract any information that the attacker wanted to acquire. The technique utilizes a non-printing Unicode character to change the display name of a file. The RLO Unicode character U+202e reverses the text that comes after it so that it is displayed in a right-to-left format. For instance, if the file name is “filetxt.exe” it can be changed to “fileexe.txt” if the code is written as “fileU+202txt.exe”. Thus, the attackers would disguise malicious “.exe” files as “.txt” files. These files that seemed like simple text files would lead the victim to lower their guard as they... --- #### Cryptocurrency Phishing Scams: 2022’s top and Latest Threat Revealed by Security Regulators URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cryptocurrency-phishing-scams-2022s-top-latest-threat-revealed-security-regulators/ Description: The most significant hazards to investors in 2022, according to NASAA (North American Securities Administrators Association). The most significant hazards to investors in 2022, according to NASAA (North American Securities Administrators Association), are cryptocurrency and digital asset-related frauds. Investors should be aware of the current cryptocurrency phishing scams getting more attention worldwide. According to the FTC's research, threat actors exploit popular social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook as a playground for pulling investment-related scams. Due to their popularity and excellent profits, crypto assets and stablecoins make appealing targets, making cryptocurrency one of the most vulnerable marketplaces for investors globally. Summary of the Report NASAA released a report on top investor threats for 2022, highlighting cryptocurrency threats as the most significant of all. - Scammers use investment scams with promises of guaranteed high returns with little risk, which is why investors need to understand the threat properly and avoid scam artists. - 2022 will continue to see investors losing their crypto to scam artists via social media, unregistered private offerings, etc. - Cryptocurrency and other digital assets are not regulated, which is why scammers can dupe investors by offering Ponzi schemes and other fraudulent opportunities. Investors should understand the high risks of loss while tying their assets in cryptocurrency trading, crypto mining pools, and depository accounts.... --- #### Latest Phishing Campaign Targeting Microsoft Proves Why Not Having Multi-Factor Authentication is Risky for Organizations URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-phishing-campaign-targeting-microsoft-proves-multi-factor-authentication-risky-organizations/ Description: Latest Phishing Campaign Targeting Microsoft Proves Why Not Having Multi-Factor Authentication is Risky for Organizations: Phishing is the most frequently. Phishing is the most frequently used break-in technique and an attack vector malicious actors have used for years. The latest report by the Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team warns of a new and powerful phishing campaign that targets employees' bring-your-own-device(s) (BYODs). The attackers register their own devices in corporate networks and gradually make their way into internal and external corporate networks. In this phishing scam, the adversaries target the unmanaged devices within organizations to compromise networks and evade detection by taking advantage of the absence of security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) within organizations. What is the Attack Vector? On 26th January 2022, Microsoft released a blog post informing users of a recently discovered multi-phase phishing campaign targeting its vast user base. The attack vector has reportedly affected over 8,500 email accounts so far, and Microsoft warns that attackers take a furious approach to authenticating their own devices within organizational networks. The attack unfolds in two phases. The first phase assimilates attacker-operated devices within corporate networks. The second phase connects attackers' devices to the victim's Azure Active Directory to send lateral phishing messages to all linked email accounts within and outside the company network. This phishing campaign stands out... --- #### Threat Actors Exploit Adobe’s Creative Cloud URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-exploit-adobes-creative-cloud/ Description: Entrepreneurs using Adobe Creative Cloud as a part of their organizational operations need to guard against a new cyberattack model employed by threat actors. Entrepreneurs using Adobe Creative Cloud as a part of their organizational operations need to guard against a new cyberattack model employed by threat actors. Other loopholes call for more robust countermeasures even when deploying adequate phishing solutions. Malicious actors are leveraging the popular application, Adobe Creative Cloud, to dispatch malicious links to users that seem legitimate. Failure to have robust email phishing protection mechanisms in place would compromise your credentials. Global organizations extensively use Adobe Creative Cloud, the popular collection of apps for designing images, videos, and the web, as well as tools for creating images generated by AI. With the security of your organizational data at stake, it makes sense to seek anti-phishing solutions. Given that financial organizations continue to be the top target of adversaries, it's time to take adequate countermeasures. The New Attack Model Threat actors are heavily exploiting the popularity of the software suite to bypass solutions that ensure email security. This attack is a relatively more straightforward mechanism for the adversaries to steal user credentials. Experts at Avanan detected the security breach last December, where they noticed that potential attackers created Adobe accounts to carry out malicious activities. Once they come up with the account,... --- #### Recent FIFA 22 Incident and Phishing Attacks in the Gaming industry URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/fifa-22-incident-phishing-attacks-gaming-industry/ Description: There has been an unprecedented rise in gaming during the last few years, with smartphones making it more popular than ever. There has been an unprecedented rise in gaming during the last few years, with smartphones making it more popular than ever. The gaming industry is valued at $165 billion, with current estimates of over 3.4 billion players worldwide. From a handful of game developers in the early years, the industry now has many options, ranging from individual contributors to substantial gaming providers, rolling out games by the dozen. However, this also has given an opportunity to cyber adversaries by providing them with a means to target millions of gamers. \ \ Phishing in the Gaming Industry And The Recent FIFA 22 Incident The recent phishing incident involved the illegal intrusion of FIFA 22 Ultimate Team’s traders at the gaming giant EA. The malicious actors infiltrated their accounts and drained them off points and in-game currency. In a press interview, EA sources stated that they have taken cognizance and are investigating the matter in earnest. They have confirmed that several accounts were compromised, and they would make their findings public. The Method "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches... --- #### Malicious Actors Exploit Commenting Feature In Google Docs to Send Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/malicious-actors-exploit-commenting-feature-in-google-docs-to-send-phishing-emails/ Description: Malicious Actors Exploit Commenting Feature In Google Docs to Send Phishing Emails: According to a recent Axios report, over 2 million monthly active users. According to a recent Axios report, over 2 million monthly active users use G Suite products. In the 2017 Google I/O Conference, the organization mentioned that Google Drive alone has over 800 million daily users, and this figure is only increasing. If someone were to exploit a vulnerability in this famous collaborative work and educational platform, the consequences would affect millions. In a recent incident, cyber adversaries have targeted G Suite product users, exploiting a vulnerability in the Comment' option available in Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. Here are the details about the breach and some recommendations on how to stop phishing emails. What is the Issue? Threat actors exploit an unpatched Google Doc vulnerability to send out legitimate-looking emails to users. They comment on a Google document tagging a user with an @' sign. Google sends a notification by email to the user wherein the comment is displayed, including its text and all embedded malicious links. Clicking on the links will take the user to a phishing site. Since the email notification comes directly from Google, it is trusted and not blocked. Moreover, only the commenter's name will be mentioned in the notification and not their full... --- #### The Rise of Survey Scams in The Advertising Industry And The Precautions Organizations Need To Take To Prevent Such Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/rise-of-survey-scams-in-advertising-industry-precautions-organizations-need-to-take-to-prevent-scams/ Description: The Rise of Survey Scams in The Advertising Industry And The Precautions Organizations Need To Take To Prevent Such Scams: Digitization has witnessed a. Digitization has witnessed a sudden boom in online data storage, where not only work but entertainment, education, and communication have become dependent on the internet. Numerous survey scams are gaining popularity once again by promoting various products or free samples to users in return for their information. Scammers pretend to be some famous brand to steal the personal data of the victims using such scams. And everyone using the internet is not entirely accustomed to its usage, nor are they familiar with the features of such frauds. Survey scams are a kind of phishing attack, where malicious actors use advertisements tailored according to your preferences to lure you into their trap. They scam you into giving your crucial information by promising giveaways and free products in return. Survey scams collect critical data of the victim, including personal credentials and bank details. Such scams have become quite advanced and challenging to control today, as threat actors have started using advertisements tailored as per the user. Featured links are used as per your interest, which redirects you to a fraudulent website or content, making the trace-back to these scammers extremely difficult. How Are Survey Scams Executed? Advertisements of free products or prizes... --- #### QR Code Phishing Attacks: Save Your Organization From The New Wave of Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/qr-code-phishing-attacks-save-organization-from-the-new-wave-phishing-scams/ Description: QR Code Phishing Attacks: Save Your Organization From The New Wave of Phishing Scams: QR Quick Response codes have become widespread with the rise of. QR (Quick Response) codes have become widespread with the rise of smartphone usage. The COVID-19 epidemic, has accelerated digitization across industries, with online payments becoming a key component of this shift. However, malicious actors can exploit fake QR codes to redirect users from legitimate destinations to phishing websites. These "Quishing" attacks are increasingly common, with detection rates growing alongside research into online and email phishing. This article explores “Quishing” attacks, how to identify such scams, and methods to prevent phishing emails. How Are QR Codes Being Used for Phishing? Scanning a fake QR code on a smartphone may trigger a prompt to open a link or download a malicious file. Fraudsters can easily exploit the codes to hide unsafe links since one cannot identify them visually. Malicious actors can direct individuals to phishing sites and carry out various exploits on their devices using phishing QR codes. The same risk shows up when QR codes are used for member credentials, and a digital membership card guide can help organizations plan safer delivery and verification. Scammers try to make phishing links appear authentic by changing popular corporate and government agencies' names to make them appear legitimate. Furthermore, they utilize shortened URLs, which... --- #### Beware of Omicron Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/beware-of-omicron-phishing-scams/ Description: According to a survey conducted by F5 Labs in 2020, phishing scams have increased by 220% since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a survey conducted by F5 Labs in 2020, phishing scams have increased by 220% since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. A recent example was a COVID-19 health survey conducted among the staff members of the UBC (University of British Columbia), which later turned out to be fake and was instead a ransomware delivery campaign. Examples like these show how malicious actors have used the COVID-19 pandemic to target everyone, from individuals merely browsing the internet for leisure to employees who deal with confidential organizational information. The CSA reported a sharp rise in ransomware, phishing, and cybercrimes in 2020 after the onset of the pandemic. Although the phishing and ransomware scams initially used the COVID-19 virus as the bait, they later shifted to more relatable topics like job offers to lure their victims. Quite recently, the threat actors in the UK have started using the context of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, to trick people into clicking on fraudulent emails. They generally use the trusted name of the National Health Service to carry out their attacks. Hence, users are required to be aware of the kind of emails adversaries send to trick them and how they can manage... --- #### Be Aware of The TrickBot (Phishing) Technique That Evades High-resolution Screen Device Detection URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/be-aware-of-trickbot-phishing-technique-that-evades-high-resolution-screen-device-detection/ Description: As malicious actors develop increasingly sophisticated attack vectors, enterprises and organizations need to draw a strong line of defense against such threats. As malicious actors develop increasingly sophisticated attack vectors, enterprises and organizations need to draw a strong line of defense against such threats. While phishing happens to be one of the oldest tools to inflict cyberattacks, TrickBot phishing is a comparatively newer malware that first gained visibility as a simple banking Trojan. Over the years, TrickBot has evolved significantly to remain a threat to organizations. Its adaptive and modular nature makes it one of the most significant attack vectors. The latest version can check the screen resolution of the targeted devices to look for virtual machines. Nevertheless, you can combat the challenge with proper anti-phishing solutions in place, along with training your employees. What is TrickBot, And How Does it Work? TrickBot is a rather sophisticated malware that malicious actors primarily deploy for two purposes: - Spreading Conti, Ryuk, or other ransomware - Spreading malware to steal email data, credentials, and point-of-sale data In recent months, cyber adversaries have also used this TrickBot to download banking malware like Emotet to steal sensitive data related to finances. This fact underlines the need for adopting robust anti-phishing and anti-ransomware solutions for your organization. With consistent evolution, TrickBot looks much more menacing than regular... --- #### Things You Need to Learn From The Latest GoDaddy Phishing Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/learn-from-latest-godaddy-phishing-attack/ Description: Things You Need to Learn From The Latest GoDaddy Phishing Attack: As the world transforms into a more digitally connected environment, the risks have also. As the world transforms into a more digitally connected environment, the risks have also amplified manifold. New York-based domain and web hosting service provider GoDaddy discovered an enormous security breach on November 17 this year, which affected almost 1.2 million accounts. The incident occurred when the attacker accessed the GoDaddy network through a compromised password on September 6, 2021. The incident filed with the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) states that the organization had observed and identified “suspicious activity” in the hosting environment that managed WordPress. The IT Security team undertook immediate action, but the malicious actor had at their disposal almost two months to establish a rigid presence by that time. GoDaddy stated that anybody using WordPress currently should assume as compromised if not proved otherwise. Phishing Statistics To Reflect On The world of phishing has seen a dramatic rise over the years. The above graph illustrates the number of brands and legitimate entities targeted by phishing attacks from January 2009 to March 2021. As the world becomes more tech-reliant and transactions and communications become more accessible, malicious attempts to disrupt and intrude into information networks and databases have also increased. The Modus Operandi of the Phishing Attack on... --- #### HTML Smuggling: The New Mode of Phishing Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/html-smuggling-new-mode-of-phishing-attack/ Description: HTML Smuggling: The New Mode of Phishing Attack: Phishing has long been one of the most common types of cybersecurity threats for enterprises . Even though. Phishing has long been one of the most common types of cybersecurity threats for enterprises. Even though most enterprises operating in the digital mode deploy anti-phishing tools, threat actors have developed a new invasive method of attack, called HTML smuggling. Regardless of the size and industry of your enterprise, it makes sense to draw a line of defense against phishing emails. HTML smuggling serves as an attack mechanism that provides a channel to gain initial access to the system. Subsequently, the attackers can deploy other attacks, such as banking malware, ransomware payloads, and remote administration Trojans. HTML Smuggling: The New Mode of Phishing Attack While most organizations have already been collaborating with managed service providers for email phishing protection, HTML smuggling might appear to be an innovative threat variant. Here, the first-stage droppers are often smuggled by the attackers through malicious scripts. These scripts generally remain encoded within web pages, specially designed HTML attachments, or even a victim system. The attackers, in this case, do not exploit the vulnerabilities in the web browsers. Instead, they take advantage of the primary features of JavaScript and HTML5. It implies that the malicious actors need not send an HTTP request and fetch the... --- #### Google Ads Impersonation Scams, How to Avoid Falling Victim to Such Phishing Attempts URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/google-ads-impersonation-scams-avoid-falling-victim-to-phishing-attempts/ Description: Google influences many of our buying decisions each day, having an estimated 85-90% of the search engine market share worldwide. Google influences many of our buying decisions each day, having an estimated 85-90% of the search engine market share worldwide. Fraudsters find the online advertising world attractive because it involves massive sums of money. Besides, the transactions are impersonal with a complex and opaque supply chain mechanism that add to the anonymity factor. A mighty challenge associated with online ad frauds is that no one knows the magnitude of the scam unless it hits them. Google Ads Impersonation Scams that start with a simple phishing email have become one of the biggest challenges for organizations, advertisers, and publishers. Ads Impersonation Scam Statistics You Need to Pay Attention to Digital advertising frauds are on an exponential rise, as highlighted by the following points. - The global digital advertising fraud costs could jump from $35 billion in 2018 to more than $100 billion by 2023. - The US alone accounts for nearly $13.8 billion in 2020. - Close to 20% of ad impressions served programmatically in the US are fraudulent. - Nearly 25% of global marketers are highly concerned with the issue, with almost 49% displaying apprehensiveness. - Google Ads Impersonation Scams are on the rise globally. What is Google Ad Impersonation... --- #### What is a Credential Stuffing Attack and Why Is It Paramount to Protect Your Organization from Such Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-credential-stuffing-attack-and-why-paramount-protect-your-organization/ Description: Credential stuffing is a phishing attack in which threat actors use the credentials obtained from a data breach to log in to another unrelated service. Credential stuffing is a phishing attack in which threat actors use the credentials obtained from a data breach to log in to another unrelated service. For example, an attacker may use a list of passwords and usernames that he got from a breach of a department store and use these login credentials to log in to the website of a national bank. The malicious actors work on the notion that a fraction of department store customers also have a bank account and use the same login credentials for both services. Alarming Statistics Pertaining to Credential Stuffing Attacks The following statistics highlight the need to address the growing issue of credential stuffing: - The F5 annual Credential Stuffing Report 2021 states that credential spill incidents approximately doubled from 2016 to 2020. - It further adds that organizations were slow in detecting cyber intrusions, taking 327 days on average to discover credential spills. The median time was 120 days, and the most prolonged period to detect the phishing attack was six and a half years! - According to a report by Arkose Labs, 1.3 billion phishing attacks occurred in the third quarter of 2020, with over 770 million using credential-stuffing techniques. While... --- #### Everything You Need To Know About The Latest Tech Support Scams Involving Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-tech-support-scams-involving-phishing-attacks/ Description: Tech support teams assist users in overcoming various technical challenges they might be facing while operating a computer or a laptop. Tech support teams assist users in overcoming various technical challenges they might be facing while operating a computer or a laptop. Many organizations have dedicated technical support teams to mitigate such eventualities, while many outsource to specialized service providers. Malicious actors often disguise themselves as online technical helping hands and illegally access confidential information, taking advantage of this vulnerability. They may also urge individuals to spend a considerable amount of money by fear-mongering. Victims are often unaware of the technicalities concerning their systems and fall for this trap. Therefore, it is imperative to approach only the genuine technical support teams for any action that might be needed to overcome technical faults and issues. The above statistics illustrate the rising nature of the estimated cost of digital fraud worldwide from 2018 to 2023. Norton Labs has mentioned in a report that it has blocked almost 12.3 million tech support URLs. It has been topping the list of online threats for 13 consecutive weeks between July and September. It also mentions that tech support threats are a kind of phishing attempt that will see a rise in the coming months, mainly due to the ongoing pandemic and holiday seasons. How to Spot... --- #### Threat Actors are Leveraging Excel Files to Execute Phishing Campaigns, Here’s Everything You Need to Know! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-are-leveraging-excel-files-to-execute-phishing-campaigns/ Description: Threat Actors are Leveraging Excel Files to Execute Phishing Campaigns, Here’s Everything You Need to Know!: During the past year, users have come. During the past year, users have come across several attacks that leveraged the technique of Excel 4.0 Macros, also known as XLM macros, through phishing emails to infect the users' systems with malware. It is essential to get acquainted with this excel file weaponizing technique to keep your critical data from falling into the hands of cyber adversaries. What are Excel 4.0 Macros? In 1992, Microsoft programmers introduced a feature in Excel 4.0, known as XML 4.0 macros. It was a useful record-and-playback feature that allowed the users to automate Excel 4.0 functions as this piece of programming code automates the repetitive tasks in Excel. However, now, adversaries have converted this function into a backdoor to deliver malicious software to users' computers. The threat actors make the XML code obscure to conceal the malicious macros. The aspect that makes every organization concerned about this latest attack is that Excel 4.0 Macros is one of the core capabilities of Excel used across several business processes regularly. The malware authors weaponize the Excel file using the macro code to sneak the malicious payload and deliver it as an attachment in a phishing email. How The Recent XLM Macros Phishing Campaigns Worked The... --- #### Phishing Simulations are The Crucial Need of the Hour for Phishing Prevention and Keeping Adequate Awareness Levels URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-simulations-are-crucial-for-phishing-prevention-and-keeping-adequate-awareness-levels/ Description: The increasing trend of cyber-attacks and the lack of adequate cyber readiness dictate that organizations should improve their security posture by alerting. The increasing trend of cyber-attacks and the lack of adequate cyber readiness dictate that organizations should improve their security posture by alerting their users about various types of phishing attacks, the methods malicious actors use, and the consequences of a successful attack. Solutions to improve phishing awareness start by educating users about what communications and media are used in a phishing attack, what to look for in a social engineering attempt, and how to spot a scam from a distance. Phishing simulation campaigns go a step further by helping employees become more alert to phishing attempts by going through mock-phishing attempts. Some Recent Crucial Aspects of Phishing An alarming 94% of malware is delivered via email, and over 80% of all security incidents are attributed to phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are increasing rapidly, and even the best-trained staff can fall victim to them, which is why anti-phishing solutions are the need of the hour. Organizations employ security tools such as email phishing protection and anti-ransomware solutions to protect against malicious attempts by threat actors. However, employee awareness training, including phishing simulation, is crucial as the human vulnerability factor cannot be overlooked. Phishing as a Service, The Threat Has Strengthened "over... --- #### Threat Actors Have Started Using Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) – Here Is Everything You Need To Know! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-using-phishing-as-a-service-phaas/ Description: Threat Actors Have Started Using Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) – Here Is Everything You Need To Know!: Less than a month ago, Microsoft exposed a. Less than a month ago, Microsoft exposed a well-organized operation that provides a one-of-a-kind, DIY phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) product to malicious actors. This product includes phishing kits, hosting services, and templates to create and develop customized phishing campaigns. This ‘BulletProofLink’ (also referred to as BulletProftLink) operation was first discovered in 2020, yet it continues today. Microsoft discovered this highly criminal operation during an investigation on phishing campaigns. Malicious actors have hit gold with this product as it makes phishing campaigns lucrative and easy to launch. BulletProofLink has been active since 2018. The below graph shows phishing activity in 2020. It indicates that phishing sites doubled during the year. It also depicts the rising trend of phishing sites, which is proportional to phishing attempts. This trend is alarming, as phishing attacks become easier to launch and widespread with such dedicated organizations for cybercrime. What is Phishing-as-a-Service, and Why Should It Be Alarming For Cybersecurity? Carrying out cyberattacks requires technical expertise and knowledge. Threat actors develop their attack from scratch, coding to hosting to selling the compromised data. The development of a cyberattack is a challenging and laborious one that includes: - Designing the attack: This step would include identifying the targets, deciding... --- #### How Machine Learning Helps in Fighting Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/machine-learning-helps-fighting-phishing-attacks/ Description: How Machine Learning Helps in Fighting Phishing Attacks: Machine learning is one of the critical mechanisms working in tandem with Artificial Intelligence AI. Machine learning is one of the critical mechanisms working in tandem with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is based on algorithms focused on understanding and recognizing patterns from enormous piles of data to create a system that can predict unusual behavior and anomalies. It evolves with time while learning patterns of normal behavior. These characteristics make it helpful in identifying phishing emails, spam, and malware. Threats Posed By Phishing Attacks With the ascent of the digital age, phishing attacks have been wreaking havoc across the world. Technology grows and with it the threats from cyber adversaries. With time, phishing and ransomware traps have become an increasing concern. According to information from Verizon's 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), 36% of all breaches involved phishing, which witnessed an 11% rise in 2020. Meanwhile, the APWG's 2021 Report on Phishing Activity Trends for Q1 2021 reported a historic high. Even phishing attacks and other malicious activities are sophisticated today in that they use advanced technologies like AI and ML, as is evident from the below graph. And phishing has the highest share in it. In this scenario, phishing mitigation will be far behind if it doesn't leverage AI and ML capabilities. A total... --- #### What is Smishing and Why Organizations need to Keep Safe From This Phishing Scam URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/smishing-organizations-need-to-keep-safe-from-phishing-scam/ Description: What is Smishing and Why Organizations need to Keep Safe From This Phishing Scam: Smishing, a relatively new form of cyberattack, is threatening millions of. Smishing, a relatively new form of cyberattack, is threatening millions of small businesses and consumers worldwide. Smishing is a phishing attack that uses text messages instead of emails to entice the recipients to click on phony links. The links draw them to websites which either download malware or exchange personal information. Some Eye-Opening Statistics - A security software firm reported that only 23% of users above 55 years could define Smishing correctly. In comparison, only 34% of people between 23-38 years of age demonstrated awareness of the term. - Upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities started using SMS to communicate about contact tracing, lockdowns, and vaccine options. It created a fertile ground for threat actors to launch smishing attacks. The next caller said that 44% of Americans reported increased scam text messages and phone calls during the first two weeks of the lockdown period. - In 2020, the Bank of Ireland paid out €800,000 (About $935,000) to 300+ bank customers whose information got compromised in a smishing scam. - The FBI's cybercrime complaint division, the IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center), documented a steady growth of cyber scams globally in 2020. It reported over 240,000 victims of phishing, Smishing,... --- #### The Revival Of IDN (Phishing) Attacks With Microsoft Outlook URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/revival-of-idn-phishing-attacks-with-microsoft-outlook/ Description: The Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) consists of a combined Unicode character set with similar Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. The Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) consists of a combined Unicode character set with similar Latin and Cyrillic alphabets, making the domain look identical to the Daily ASCII domain. Unicode domain names could be problematic from a security point of view, as many Unicode characters are hard to distinguish from regular ASCII characters. Phishing attacks with Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) using Unicode characters and non-Latin character sets such as Cyrillic and Greek look like typical Latin characters. Outlook phishing emails sent by an IDN have a severe problem. The recipient cannot distinguish between the real and the fake email handles and also views the contact card of a professional contact, which is against their privacy, because they see the person affected by the attack. If the email comes from a similar domain, Outlook will show the person's contact card registered on that domain or an equivalent address instead of the fake sender. Thus, the problem with Outlook is that the recipient of a phishing email from an IDN cannot tell the actual email address from the fake one, and also views the "contact card" of a "professional contact" because they see the details of the "victim" instead of the attacker. What... --- #### The Rise in Online Payments Has Given Rise to Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/rise-in-online-payments-given-rise-in-phishing-attacks/ Description: Phishing is one of the oldest forms of social engineering, which malicious actors use to extract critical information from users. Phishing is one of the oldest forms of social engineering, which malicious actors use to extract critical information from users. And online payments have their share of phishing threats to handle. While many businesses move to the virtual world to reach more customers and make transactions smoother, malicious actors find a massive opportunity in it to exploit associated data. As organizations use more sophisticated anti-phishing solutions, threat actors also develop bolder methods to take advantage of the payment systems. Eye-opening Statistics Despite the increased use of sophisticated tools like anti-malware and anti-ransomware solutions, businesses still have to endure their share of online threats. The below graph shows that the online payment systems alone face nearly a tenth of all phishing attacks. While providing businesses with an advantage, online payment has also been one of the reasons for security managers' sleepless nights. How Has The Rise of Online Payment Boosted Online Crime? "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches these threats by pattern, not by signature - which is how we detect attacks that no database has seen yet."... --- #### Microsoft 365’s New Phishing Simulation to Check Your Organization’s Email Security Posture URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-365s-new-phishing-simulation-to-check-organizations-email-security-posture/ Description: Microsoft 365’s New Phishing Simulation to Check Your Organization’s Email Security Posture: With threats such as ransomware, phishing emails. With threats such as ransomware, phishing emails, and malware constantly lurking in the dark, cybersecurity experts are always at war against those waiting to exploit uneducated victims. Since the first phishing attack in the mid-1990s, it has evolved into a highly sophisticated and most frequent attack vector leading to fraud activity. Enterprises need to fundamentally change their approach to cybersecurity and align their budgets with the newly defined reality. As per a report, cybersecurity expenditure will touch approximately $6 trillion by 2021 globally. Statistics show that ransomware attacks increased in 2020 by a massive 62% since the previous year. 74% of American organizations suffered phishing attacks in 2020. Decoding The Numbers in The Phishing Landscape Although organizations are deploying considerable resources to enhance their cybersecurity posture, they still have a long way to go. Here are a few statistics: - The COVID pandemic made many employees shift their work from typical office cubicles and offices to home. While the disease was already scary enough, threat actors leveraged it to attack the vulnerable networks in personal homes. - Malicious actors infiltrate the enterprise network through their weakest link, the employees. Human error remains one of the prime reasons behind data breaches.... --- #### How To Deal With The Most Recent Trends in Spear-Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/deal-with-recent-trends-in-spear-phishing-attacks/ Description: How To Deal With The Most Recent Trends in Spear-Phishing Attacks: With advancements in technology, crimes like cyber theft , phishing, and scamming have. With advancements in technology, crimes like cyber theft, phishing, and scamming have increased over the years. American citizens lost over US$50 million due to phishing attacks in 2020, and for businesses, the figure is in billions. Spear-phishing is one of the most perilous cyber-attacks methods that many organizations face in today's world. Although phishing awareness at large has increased, spear-phishing victims often don't realize that they have been targeted till they notice some unusual activity in their bank accounts or anywhere else. Spear phishing is not a stagnant form of a cyber-attack; it keeps evolving from time to time. Hence, it is inevitable that one is aware of the latest trends of spear phishing and how to manage the menace. New Trends in Spear Phishing Spear Phishing is evolving like any other method of cyber attack. And, today, there are new forms of spear phishing appearing on the scene and some old forms witnessing alarming growth. The following modes of spear-phishing mark the trends of the current time. - Brand Impersonation: Emails are sent by impersonating famous brands, and the recipient is tricked into clicking on the link and typing in their organizational or personal logins. According to a statistical... --- #### The Relevance of Phishing Protection for Ecommerce Businesses URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/relevance-of-phishing-protection-for-ecommerce-businesses/ Description: Today's cyber adversaries don't merely rely on computer viruses and worms to target an individual digitally but make use of sophisticated social engineering (. Today's cyber adversaries don't merely rely on computer viruses and worms to target an individual digitally but make use of sophisticated social engineering ( phishing ) techniques to rob the end-users of their PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and other confidential information. And businesses are no different, especially online businesses such as e-commerce; they are more lucrative targets for them. Their modus operandi includes masquerading themselves as authorized entities, sending out fraudulent emails, text messages, or even making phone calls to lure customers and clients and mislead them into divulging sensitive information. Here's how these threat actors target e-commerce businesses. Cyber Threats That Target E-commerce Businesses Before delving into how you can protect your information assets, you must first understand how online adversaries target your business and customers. Some of the most common cyber threats faced by e-commerce businesses are discussed below. Card Cracking Card cracking occurs when cybercriminals acquire credit card details. Despite having these details, cybercriminals do not have information regarding the limit of credit cards. To verify this information, they initially make small purchases. Since these purchases are small, they often go unnoticed by the impacted customer. When they notice that they are victims of cyber theft, larger... --- #### Why Mobile Phishing Attacks Are On The Rise And Strategies On How To Counter Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/mobile-phishing-attacks-on-rise-and-strategies-to-counter/ Description: Why Mobile Phishing Attacks Are On The Rise And Strategies On How To Counter Them: According to a recent report, 85% of all organizations have been targets. According to a recent report, 85% of all organizations have been targets of phishing attacks. Like other phishing attacks, adversaries also use mobile phishing to trick users into sharing personal or critical organizational information. It is gradually becoming the most preferred mode of phishing by threat actors as there has been a significant increase in the use of mobile devices over the years. What Is Mobile Phishing? The scope of phishing has extended past the emails. Today, cyber adversaries have moved to techniques involving mobile phones to lure the end-user into divulging some crucial information, such as credentials to their bank accounts, credit card details, and so on. They use various innovative techniques, such as Screen Overlays (replicating the login page of a mobile application to trick the user), SMS Spoofing (sending phony messages to users, trying to get them to click on a phishing link), etc., which have proven highly lucrative for attackers. Disturbing Statistics Involving (Mobile) Phishing Attacks "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches these threats by pattern, not by signature - which is how... --- #### 2021 Phishing Trends You Need To Be Wary Of URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/2021-phishing-trends-to-be-wary-of/ Description: Social engineering is the technique of employing psychological methods and communication skills, generally by competitors and adversaries. Social engineering is the technique of employing psychological methods and communication skills, generally by competitors and adversaries, to gather information about their competition or potential targets. However, with the advent of technology, sophistication has increased too. Modern-day phishing exercises are elaborate and require a concerted effort by security teams to create a firewall against them. Falling into phishing traps often leads the organization to catastrophic consequences. These activities are generally directed towards disrupting the network by planting malware or stealing information for future misuse. 2021 has shown an upward swing in the number of phishing incidents, which has become a worrisome trend for IT Security Managers. There had been a dip in phishing activities towards the end of the last year, mainly due to anti-phishing solutions used against such attempts. 2021 Phishing Trends You Need To Be Wary Of Here are the main phishing trends of this year that enterprises must seriously consider to strengthen their safeguards accordingly. Government Impersonators While there have always been attempts to impersonate government departments and officials, 2021 will see a jump in the percentage. It is because of the pandemic and the overall health crisis engulfing the planet. National governments are sending out more... --- #### Domain Squatting And Phishing: Everything You Need To Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/domain-squatting-and-phishing/ Description: Domain squatting, also known as cybersquatting, can be understood as an intentional act of registering a domain in the name of an already existing organization. Domain squatting, also known as cybersquatting, can be understood as an intentional act of registering a domain in the name of an already existing organization that has a registered trademark but does not have a website in its name. The primary objective of doing so is to park the domain name of a reputable business with no website. When the business entity wants to use the domain name for its website in the future, the cybersquatters make a profit by selling the domain name to the organization. Some phishers also use similar-looking domain names to send phishing emails for fraudulently obtaining sensitive information about the user or organization. Therefore, it is helpful to learn how domain squatting and phishing works, their different types, and protective measures. How Does Cybersquatters Make Domain Squatting And Phishing Work? Cybersquatters usually contact various businesses and trick them by advising them how to protect themselves against domain squatting. All their advice boils down to the point that it is the organization's fault to miss registering the domain name and the best option is to agree to the terms of the squatters and buy the domain name at the so-called "reasonable price" offered by them. -... --- #### How To Protect Your Electronic Records Against Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/protect-your-electronic-records-against-phishing/ Description: With the fast pace of digital transformation today, businesses don’t have much choice other than doing all their transaction processing online. With the fast pace of digital transformation today, businesses don’t have much choice other than doing all their transaction processing online, including the creation, storage, and retrieval of documents and records. According to a study conducted by Berkeley’s School of Information Management, University of California, organizations create more than 93 percent of their corporate data electronically. In such a scenario, the need for protecting your electronic records against social engineering attacks like phishing, vishing, spear phishing, SMiShing, etc. is of the utmost importance for any organization. This is the reason all the organizations today are now trying hard to implement a Cybersecurity framework that also encompasses anti-phishing techniques and deploy phishing protection control measures to safeguard their information assets. The Need For Protecting Your Electronic Records With increasing digitalization in the technology space, the way we work with our documents and electronic records have changed. We no longer use a typewriter to create paper documents which we then store in file cabinets and shelves; instead, we create electronic documents using word processing software on our computers and other information processing systems and store them on our information system, external drives, or on cloud storage facilities. Such electronic records may take... --- #### Phishing Continues To Impact Industries Worldwide URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-continues-impact-industries-worldwide/ Description: Phishing Continues To Impact Industries Worldwide: In this tech-advanced world where all information and communication has undergone a paradigm online shift. In this tech-advanced world where all information and communication has undergone a paradigm online shift, phishing remains the most common threat from adversaries to breach and exploit the digital assets of people and organizations. Over the last two years, with a global pandemic, the frequency of phishing incidents has increased significantly. Organizations with sophisticated cybersecurity protocols still face this challenge as it is not only a technical problem but one that also calls for human awareness. According to a report, industries have witnessed a 6000% increase in pandemic-related phishing attacks in March last year. What Is Risk In Terms Of PPP? Malicious actors design emails, messages and stealthily incorporate them as phishing emails. They manipulate clients and users to get backdoor access to organizations' data and funds. Phish-Prone Percentage (PPP) measures the employees' likeliness of falling for these phishing attacks (such as clicking a malicious link, entering data on a fake webpage masquerading as the original page, etc.), i.e., it measures the percentage of users who fail the phishing simulation training, and are likely to end up being the victim of a social engineering (phishing) attack. The higher the PPP, the greater is the risk, as it indicates a higher... --- #### AI In Phishing: How Artificial Intelligence Can Act As Both, A Boon And Bane When It Comes To Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ai-phishing-artificial-intelligence-act-both-boon-and-bane-for-phishing/ Description: AI In Phishing: How Artificial Intelligence Can Act As Both, A Boon And Bane When It Comes To Phishing: Cybercrime is directly proportional to improving. Cybercrime is directly proportional to improving technology; technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and so do the malicious tactics employed by threat actors. They are forever on the lookout for vulnerabilities to exploit and access network systems. While present-day cybersecurity strategies such as anti-ransomware solutions and anti-phishing solutions use AI to fight cybercrime, cyber adversaries use the same technology to turn the tables. Hence, it wouldn't be wrong to say that AI is functioning like a double-edged sword. And here is how AI can be a boon and a bane simultaneously when it comes to phishing. Malicious Actors Move With The Times Phishing is as old as cybercrime itself. Ironically, phishing continues to be the most effective cybersecurity threat today, despite the advancements made by technology over the years. Statistics point out some chilling facts. - One in every 4200 emails is a phishing email. - Phishing attacks constitute more than 80% of reported security incidents. - 65% of adversary groups use spear-phishing as the primary infection vector. Over a period, scammers have modified their phishing tactics from simple scamming emails to sophisticated techniques like visual similarity attacks, Distributed Spam Distraction, and even polymorphic attacks. The graph shows that... --- #### Data Breaches And Phishing Attacks: How Third-party Vendors Can Jeopardize Your Organization URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/data-breaches-and-phishing-attacks-how-third-party-vendors-jeopardize-organization/ Description: The recent pandemic-induced rush of small to medium businesses and large enterprises to get on the cloud has encouraged malicious actors to develop more. The recent pandemic-induced rush of small to medium businesses and large enterprises to get on the cloud has encouraged malicious actors to develop more creative phishing emails and other modes of cyberattacks to lure people into parting with sensitive data. Besides, the work-from-home scenario has pushed people to less secure environments. Cyber adversaries have also taken advantage of the relaxed mindset employees fall into when they are away from the secure network of the workplace. Some very significant data breaches in the history of the digital world have taken place in the past decade. Yahoo! revealed that its data breach in 2013 affected 3 billion user accounts. And an Indian data breach resulted in stealing biometrics and iris scans of more than 1 billion people. They are two of the most significant data breaches of the century. Most organizations have turned to third-party cloud solutions to take care of their data and storage needs. Malicious actors have breached many third-party vendors' cloud infrastructure due to wrong configuration settings and a lack of security updates. Therefore, organizations and large enterprises must implement robust safeguards and control measures to keep watch on their information assets before a cyber-attack occurs. How Third-Party Vendors... --- #### How Threat Actors Use Phishing & Other Methods To Launch Backdoor Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-use-phishing-and-other-methods-to-launch-backdoor-attacks/ Description: How Threat Actors Use Phishing & Other Methods To Launch Backdoor Attacks: Some of the world's most audacious cyberattack attempts or incidents have. Some of the world's most audacious cyberattack attempts or incidents have happened due to the presence of backdoors. Though backdoors are of particular help for developers who create them for troubleshooting, they can be destructive when in the hands of cyber-attackers. Only up-to-date and robust cybersecurity practices can counter backdoor exercises. Most development teams create a customized backdoor that helps them maintain the software well. As the above graph amply illustrates, Trojans have been one of the most significant challenges for IT Security teams across the world. These malicious codes can enter the system through the backdoor and infect the entire network. This survey is also testimony to how important it is to upgrade software and hardware continually. Backdoor-specific incidents have also shown a steady rise, and IT Security specialists have to deploy security measures and critical controls, including anti-phishing solutions. How Do Backdoor Attacks Work? Backdoors are of many types. Most of them are legitimate components in the infrastructure put in place by the vendors themselves for maintenance purposes. However, backdoors are usually in the news for the wrong reasons. They could be malware put in place by malicious actors who use it to access information systems and networks... --- #### Increased Phishing Attacks During The Pandemic : How To Stay Safe and Relevant In a Post-COVID Era URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/increased-phishing-attacks-during-pandemic-how-to-stay-safe-and-relevant-post-covid-era/ Description: Increased Phishing Attacks During The Pandemic : How To Stay Safe and Relevant In a Post-COVID Era: Phishing has been one of the favorite modes of. Phishing has been one of the favorite modes of cyber-attacks employed by malicious actors for years now. COVID-19 has given them a fresh lease of life by providing these threat actors to ramp up their phishing efforts to an entirely new level. Here are some chilling statistics that drive home the point. - Phishing emails have surged by a staggering 667% in one month, February 2020. - With January 2020 reporting 137 incidents, the figure rose to 1188 in February, and 9116 in March. - The break-up shows 54% of phishing attacks as scams, 34% as impersonation attacks, 11% classified as blackmail, and 1% comprising business email correspondence. Phishing attacks have increased and much of this can be attributed to individual negligence, unawareness on the part of people, and the failure of organizations to build necessary controls around their information assets. Phishing During COVID-19 Globally, it has been accepted that a complete lockdown is one of the most reliable ways to halt the pandemic in its tracks. With the lockdown enforced, no one would be able to travel. Therefore, this situation has given rise to a new breed of workers, also known as the virtual workforce, employees who work from... --- #### What Is Domain Phishing, And Tips To Keep Your Business’s Domain Secure From Spoofing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-domain-phishing-tips-to-keep-businesss-domain-secure-from-spoofing/ Description: What Is Domain Phishing, And Tips To Keep Your Business’s Domain Secure From Spoofing: A study by Forbes concluded that there could be up to 3.1. A study by Forbes concluded that there could be up to 3.1 billion domain spoofing emails being sent daily. The most common understanding of spoofing is associated with email spoofing. However, domain spoofing is a more significant threat to organizations. Furthermore, many organizations are unaware of how it can hurt business and how anti-phishing solutions and anti-ransomware solutions can protect them from spoofing. Domain spoofing is a phishing technique that involves an attacker who abuses an organization's domain to impersonate it or any of its employees and misleads the victim for malicious gains. Spoof domains created by altering the characters in the name of any legitimate organization's domain are one of the techniques employed in phishing email examples. It can include an alternative spelling of the organization's domain that looks very similar to the original one. Additionally, it could involve a change of domain or website suffix such as .com' instead of .gov.' Types Of Domain Spoofing There are two main types of domain spoofing, classifying broadly, namely, URL spoofing and email spoofing. Below is more information on each class. URL Spoofing In URL spoofing, attackers spoof the URL of the website and try to pass off one website as... --- #### Crypto Phishing Scams Gaining Momentum With More And More Coins Getting Into The Market URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/crypto-phishing-scams-gaining-momentum-with-more-coins-in-the-market/ Description: Crypto Phishing Scams Gaining Momentum With More And More Coins Getting Into The Market: With technology improving by the hour, cybercrime is also steadily. With technology improving by the hour, cybercrime is also steadily on the rise. Every other day, one hears about crimes like phishing, ransomware attacks, BEC (Business Email Compromise), and others affecting businesses globally. Unfortunately, despite organizations employing the latest anti-phishing and anti-ransomware solutions, these crimes are on the increase. Cryptocurrency As Ransom Ransomware is a unique cyberattack method where the attacker demands the ransom in cryptocurrency. The specific reason behind it is the anonymity that cryptocurrency transactions offer. It is practically impossible to discover and determine the transaction chain in the cryptocurrency blockchain. Today, more cryptocurrencies are being introduced into the market regularly. It provides more opportunities for crypto scams to take place. Statistics reveal that the value of cryptocurrency theft has risen over the years, with 2018 being the worst affected year. There was a comparative decline in 2019, but it picked up again in 2020, with the loss estimated at $513 million. Business Email Compromise Cryptocurrency Scams Like ransomware, the corporate world is witnessing an unprecedented rise in BEC attacks. Business Email Compromise is a cyberthreat explicitly targeted at corporate-level entities. The cyber adversaries send emails to the organization's employees by impersonating the CEO or any other top... --- #### Phishing Alert: SolarWinds Hackers Back In Action, Target US Government And 150 Organizations URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-alert-solarwinds-hackers-back-target-usa-government-and-150-organizations/ Description: Phishing Alert: SolarWinds Hackers Back In Action, Target US Government And 150 Organizations: In a cyber-attack that will be remembered as one of the most. In a cyber-attack that will be remembered as one of the most significant phishing email attacks in decades to come, a Russian hacking group attacked more than 3,000 email accounts belonging to individuals from more than 150 organizations across 24 countries. Nobelium, also known as APT29 to the cybersecurity community, has targeted government agencies, research institutions, consultants, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations this time. The cyber adversaries leveraged ‘Constant Contact,’ a mass-mailing service, to carry out a large-scale phishing campaign by masquerading as the US Agency for International Development (USAID.) The latest wave of phishing attacks has further emphasized the need for innovation in email phishing protection by employing advanced anti-phishing solutions to keep phishing emails out of inboxes, accompanied by anti-malware and anti-ransomware solutions. How Did The Perpetrators Do It? According to Microsoft, the attackers deployed a mass-email service used by USAID and sent phishing emails that contained malicious links. The campaign was initiated in January and was being conducted in stages, escalating in late May. Constant Contact, the mass-mailing service, clarified that the attackers compromised their customers’ credentials before further escalating the attack. These authentic-looking emails claimed to disclose new information on the 2020 election fraud and had... --- #### Ransomware Hits: The Reason Why Businesses Need To Adopt Robust Anti-Phishing Measures URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ransomware-hits-reason-why-businesses-need-to-adopt-robust-anti-phishing-measures/ Description: Due to the ongoing pandemic, multitudes of people have been obligated to work remotely, making phishing attacks commonplace in the digital world. Due to the ongoing pandemic, multitudes of people have been obligated to work remotely, making phishing attacks commonplace in the digital world. It has widened the doors to vulnerability as people move away from the more secure networks of their workplace. Businesses' networks have not been entirely secure either, with reports showing that phishing attacks account for more than 80% of reported security incidents. According to Verizon, 94% of all malware was delivered via email as of 2019. At this juncture, what do organizations do to stay protected, and how to stop phishing emails? Why Do Businesses Need To Be Doubly Cautious? The year 2020 has been a particularly detrimental year for businesses owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Yahoo! Finance, 78% of senior IT and IT security leaders believe their organizations' security stance is weak despite the increased IT investments towards work-from-home challenges. Businesses suffer from being the target of cyber adversaries mainly in two ways. Loss Of Revenue Business organizations cannot afford to underestimate the need for anti-phishing solutions, given the growing losses in revenue each year. According to Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report of 2019, 71% of breaches reported were financially motivated. Therefore, it is clear... --- #### How To Strengthen Employee Security Awareness To Combat Phishing Attacks? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/strengthen-employee-security-awareness-to-combat-phishing-attacks/ Description: How To Strengthen Employee Security Awareness To Combat Phishing Attacks?: In the highly digitized world, phishing attacks continue to jeopardize global. In the highly digitized world, phishing attacks continue to jeopardize global organizations, targeting their employees. Considering humans to be an easily accessible line of defense when it comes to cybersecurity, awareness among staff is the need of the hour. When one finds one of the machines or systems vulnerable, one proactively fixes the issue. The same applies to employees who are humans. Besides deploying innovative anti-phishing solutions, one needs to deploy a good cybersecurity awareness program to prepare employees to mitigate attacks. In January 2021, Google registered as many as 2,145,013 phishing websites, while the figure was 1,690,000 around the same year in 2020. It marks a 27% rise in phishing attempts within a year, and the trend continues to look menacing. Forward-thinking organizations often scrutinize the maturity of their employees by simulating phishing attacks on them. Fostering a solid cyber-awareness culture within the organization can serve as a powerful defense mechanism against online threats. What Makes Security Awareness Training A Necessity? As a business owner, one would prioritize securing one’s operational environment. Given that malicious actors presently deploy intelligent techniques to make their way through the line of defense, an organization needs to start with its employees. Even if... --- #### Know About The Real-World Solutions To Fight Phishing Attacks Effectively URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/know-real-world-solutions-to-fight-phishing-attacks-effectively/ Description: Know About The Real-World Solutions To Fight Phishing Attacks Effectively: Combating cyberattacks happen to be a top priority for global organizations. In. Combating cyberattacks happen to be a top priority for global organizations. In 2020, phishing was among the most extensively deployed attack modes by malicious actors, as per FBI reports. Besides, phishing attacks are on the rise as attackers use various social engineering techniques. In 2019, around 114,702 phishing attacks were recorded, which jumped to 241,324 in 2020. The digital landscape brings several threats against which one needs to take serious guard. As a business or marketing head, one needs to know the value of anti-phishing tools. Most successful enterprises try to draw their line of defense against phishing attacks by collaborating with accomplished IT security teams and create the proper awareness among their employees. Facts And Figures Defining The Threat To Organizations The following statistics serve as an eye-opener to anyone concerned about a likely phishing attack on their organization. - Emails deliver almost 96% of phishing attacks, while malicious websites account for another 3%. - As of January 2020, Google had registered 2,145,013 phishing websites. - As much as 97% of the users fail to recognize sophisticated emails with phishing links. - Spear phishing accounts for 95% of attacks on enterprise networks. - 85% of organizations have been targeted... --- #### The Severity Of Phishing Attacks Involving Google Applications And How To Keep Safe From It URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/severity-of-phishing-attacks-involving-google-applications-and-how-to-keep-safe-from-it/ Description: With the pandemic raging across the world, many business networks and organizations have switched over to working from home to let themselves be operational. With the pandemic raging across the world, many business networks and organizations have switched over to working from home to let themselves be operational and safe simultaneously. This paradigm shift requires over-reliance on cloud-based services like Google’s GSuite. Though it has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks in the form of increased phishing attacks. Phishing is not something new to Google-based services. The threat has existed for years, but the pandemic has encouraged malicious actors to increase their attacks more than ever. Hence, Google Docs, Firebase, Google Forms, and other Google services increasingly become vulnerable targets. How Do Google Applications Become Vulnerable Targets? Google is one of the most trusted online brands across the world. Malicious actors take advantage of the trust users have in Google applications to target them in the following ways. If The URL Originates From Google, It Is Perceived To Be Legitimate Organizations conduct employee awareness training and ensure anti-phishing solutions are in place. This training focuses the most on URL recognition. Google has a reputation for being a trusted domain. Hence, the general perception is that if the URL originates from Google, it is a legitimate website. However, Google Firebase and Google Sites allow... --- #### How To Achieve The Best Phishing Protection? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-achieve-the-best-phishing-protection/ Description: How To Achieve The Best Phishing Protection?: If you oversee the information security services and administration of the networks in your organization, then. If you oversee the information security services and administration of the networks in your organization, then it is your responsibility to safeguard the users in your system from phishing and other attacks that can disrupt the services. There is no need for complacency in the digital age, and you can never feel 100% protected as hackers keep inventing new techniques and innovative ways to exploit vulnerabilities of user’s information systems. So if you plan to combat one threat and are successful in protecting yourself, they will find another way to invade your security periphery. Hence, phishing protection is an ongoing job as you always need to keep an eye on your defense strategies and be on a lookout for any system vulnerabilities- human or technical. What Are Best Practices for Phishing Protection by Organizations? Always Stay Away from Suspicious Emails, Links and Attachments Almost 80-90% of attacks from cybercriminals start from a phishing email. Yes, if you are not sure about the sender of an email or if you are suspicious of an email, it is always good to not open that email or better still, delete the email. Attackers know precisely how to lure you into opening an infected... --- #### Basics Of Phishing: What Is A Supply Chain Attack And Why You Must Be Wary Of It As A New Business Owner URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/basics-of-phishing-what-is-supply-chain-attack-and-why-wary-business-owner/ Description: Basics Of Phishing: What Is A Supply Chain Attack And Why You Must Be Wary Of It As A New Business Owner: Today, merely knowing how to stop phishing emails. Today, merely knowing how to stop phishing emails cannot guarantee cybersecurity. Besides the traditional threats such as phishing and malware, new forms such as supply chain attacks also continue to target large, medium, and small businesses daily. A 2020 report by ID Agent states that supply chain attacks have increased by 78%. It further says that around 58% of all breach victims are small/new businesses. Such attacks are the most dangerous ones because the vulnerability isn’t necessarily with the business’s systems, and yet it suffers. While large corporations can afford to use various solutions and hire cybersecurity experts, small or new businesses often fail to recover from a cyber attack. Hence, a new business owner must ensure that the third-party software and service providers do not expose their critical data to cyber threats. What Are Supply Chain Attacks? As the name suggests, supply chain attacks are when attacks on one's supply chain (involving third-party providers and partners) enable adversaries to infiltrate its system. These attacks are also known as value-chain or third-party attacks. The cyber adversaries keep a close eye on third parties that provide software or services to organizations and attack them if they find any security vulnerability. Attacking... --- #### Spear Phishing- The Spooky Way to Compromise Sensitive Information URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/spear-phishing-the-spooky-to-compromise-sensitive-information/ Description: Spear Phishing- The Spooky Way to Compromise Sensitive Information: It is a well-known fact that most of us in this digital era leaves behind our track or. It is a well-known fact that most of us in this digital era leaves behind our track or digital footprint online. While we don’t often get into troubles for doing so, our digital trails may be all that is needed by savvy scammers to get the better of us. There’s a scam operation called spear phishing that relies on information that is available online about a person or an organization to take advantage of them and to obtain illegal gains from them. What Is Term? There are various types of cyber attacks, and one of the most common of those is spear phishing. In this type of phishing attack, the cyber-criminals try to compromise the sensitive information of a targeted person or organization using emails, social media, messaging services, and other kinds of platforms. To make the attacks successful, the hackers first gather personal information of the targeted person. After collecting such details, the adversaries attempt to fool the target, usually employees of corporate enterprises by contacting them online as an authentic entity or person and steal sensitive corporate information through emails or messaging services. The attackers typically act as a trusted person and compose their messages to show that... --- #### Understanding Phishing & Types Of Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/understanding-phishing-types-phishing/ Description: Phishing is a kind of cyber-attack that is increasingly growing in popularity among hackers due to its simplicity of use and high potential rewards should the. Phishing is a kind of cyber-attack that is increasingly growing in popularity among hackers due to its simplicity of use and high potential rewards should the attacks prove to be successful. Phishing is usually done via email, popup ads, or even calls and involves deceptively fooling users into taking some action that ends up compromising them. The history of the first phishing attacks began in 1990 when phishers designed an algorithm to generate random credit card numbers and then scrambled these numbers to match up with original card numbers belonging to clients of a financial organization in America. This was the first time phishers used sophisticated algorithms along with social engineering on the Internet through phishing scams. Such incidents now include theft of personal information have given no sign of abating. In fact, phishers used advanced cryptographic methods and repurpose tools created for decent purposes such as TOR (The Onion Router), military-grade tools such as automated ransomware and crypto currencies to mask their identity and carry attacks with impunity. In the early 2000s, hackers devised advanced techniques for performing phishing attacks through the use of emails. This generation’s adversaries are very tech-savvy and use modern technology to intrude and steal... --- #### The Latest In Phishing Scams: Hackers Can Now Bypass Two-Factor Authentication URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-latest-phishing-scams-hackers-can-bypass-two-factor-authentication/ Description: The Latest In Phishing Scams: Hackers Can Now Bypass Two-Factor Authentication: Not a day goes by without phishing scams occurring somewhere in the world . Not a day goes by without phishing scams occurring somewhere in the world. The internet brings with it many conveniences but can also be dangerous at times, especially if the users do not observe due diligence. While there are scores of measures you can adopt for cybersecurity, there are some that we can consider the primary essentials. Firstly, it is always advisable to keep usernames and passwords a secret. Secondly, internet security demands the use of strong passwords that are challenging to hack. An example of a robust password is one that contains a combination of alphabets in the capital and small cases, numbers, and special characters. However, cybercriminals and their phishing scams have become smarter today, and they can decipher reasonably strong passwords. The two-factor authentication (2FA) is an excellent step towards securing your valuable data, but hackers have now become smart enough to crack even this additional layer of security. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Before going into the details of how hackers bypass 2FA, let’s take a brief look for an understanding of how 2FA works. The 2FA is a concept that necessitates every transaction to clear two layers of authentication. The first layer is the password that users... --- #### Sim Swap Fraud: The Reason Why You Must Adopt Robust Anti-Phishing Measures Besides 2FA URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/sim-swap-fraud-the-reason-why-you-must-adopt-robust-anti-phishing-measures-besides-2fa/ Description: Cyberspace provides many avenues for malicious actors to attack, exploit and cause damage to individuals and organizations. Cyberspace provides many avenues for malicious actors to attack, exploit and cause damage to individuals and organizations. Global internet penetration has grown 7.3% percent since 2020, which means that cyberspace is getting larger. SIM Swap fraud prevention, along with anti-phishing solutions, anti-ransomware solutions, and anti-malware tools, can protect users from being exploited in this age of rising internet use. A massive 92.6% of internet users use their mobile phones to access the internet. With such a rapid rise in global internet penetration and countless mobile phone users, cybercrimes such as phishing and ransomware are becoming spine-breaking day by day. SIM Swap fraud is one of the latest cybercrime developments to add to the long list of cyber threats like phishing and ransomware. What Is SIM Swap Fraud? SIM Swap fraud is a form of a cyberattack involving identity theft. It is the fraudulent replacement of SIM cards without the user's knowledge (which the threat actor leverages for various nefarious purposes). The malicious actor then acquires access and control of the victim's mobile number in either of the two ways mentioned below. The first way to obtain control is by swapping the victim's number with another SIM card on the same... --- #### 6 Biggest Data Breaches From Recent Years That Lay Down The Importance Of Adopting Anti-Phishing & Cybersecurity Tools URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/6-biggest-data-breaches-from-recent-years-that-lay-down-the-importance-of-adopting-anti-phishing-cybersecurity-tools/ Description: Data breaches have become a part of people's daily lives. Every day, there is news about network infiltrations and data stealing. So far, almost 3. Data breaches have become a part of people's daily lives. Every day, there is news about network infiltrations and data stealing. So far, almost 3.5 billion people have their data stolen only from the two most significant data breaches in history in the current century. Data is the most valuable asset any entity holds, be it a giant corporate or an individual. The frequency at which these mishaps keep occurring is an indication of the criticalness of adopting robust cybersecurity measures. Numerous tools available in the market promise complete network and hardware security, and it is wise that they are given adequate importance. Recent Statistics The graphs below prove the fact that the threat from data breaches is real. There has been a significant jump in data breaches affecting the financial sector because of its data-rich repositories. The nature of the violations has changed over the years too. The government and military data breaches have seen dwindling numbers, while those occurring to banking institutions have seen a quantum leap. 6 Recent Significant Data Breaches That Shook The World "The most common pattern we see in support is customers who come to us after a phishing incident bypassed their existing email... --- #### Phishing Is Here To Stay: What Can You Do To Keep Your Information Assets Safe? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-is-here-to-stay-what-can-you-do-to-keep-information-assets-safe/ Description: Phishing Is Here To Stay: What Can You Do To Keep Your Information Assets Safe?: The post-pandemic digital age presents several new and exciting. The post-pandemic digital age presents several new and exciting opportunities for organizations. However, rising digitization has also led to an unprecedented rise in cybercrime. Sophisticated, rapidly evolving phishing attacks have become a part of the "new normal." A research shows that 75% of all enterprises faced a phishing attack in 2020. Another research reported a 667% rise in COVID-related spear phishing attacks from February to March 2020. The trends show that phishing is here to stay, but enterprises can take several anti-phishing measures to keep their assets safe. Awareness is the first step necessary to protect yourself from phishing. Phishing is a social engineering attack that exploits human psychology to bypass technical defenses. For example, an adversary may pretend to be a trusted entity like the IRS and get victims to click a malicious link or divulge confidential information. Organizations must understand how the attacks work and use anti-phishing solutions accordingly. Spear phishing, for instance, uses a highly targeted email that uses personal information to get a victim to divulge information. Here are some recent statistics to give you an idea about this rising threat. Recent Phishing Statistics For 2020-2021 The following alarming statistics show how critical using phishing prevention... --- #### A Brief Email Security & Phishing Safety Guide, Useful for IT and Email Administrators URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-brief-email-security-and-phishing-safety-guide-useful-for-it-and-email-administrators/ Description: A Brief Email Security & Phishing Safety Guide, Useful for IT and Email Administrators: Though phishing has its origins in the mid-1990s, it has gained. Though phishing has its origins in the mid-1990s, it has gained tremendous relevance today. The entire business world relies on email as its prime communication channel. As email traffic has increased over the years, so have phishing attempts. Hence, it becomes essential for IT and Email admins to be constantly on their toes and keep employing innovative strategies to keep phishing at bay. The following Email Security and Phishing Safety Guide endeavors to touch upon these aspects. Statistics To Give You An Idea About The Menace Before proceeding into the details, here are some spine-chilling statistics that tell about the gory picture threat actors have painted using phishing as their modus operandi. - Emails are responsible for 96% of all phishing attack. - Phishing has overtaken malware as the leading threat used in unsafe websites. As of January 17, 2021, Google has identified 2.14 million phishing websites.), an increase of 27% over 12 months (1.69 million as of January 19, 2020). - About 75% of organizations globally experienced some kind of phishing attack in 2020. - Of all the data compromised in phishing attacks, the prominent ones include personal credentials and data, internal data, medical info, and bank details. -... --- #### Phishing Case Studies: Learning From the Mistakes Of Others URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-case-studies-learning-from-the-mistakes-of-others/ Description: Phishing remains one of the oldest and the most commonly used modus operandi by cyber adversaries to access network systems globally. Phishing remains one of the oldest and the most commonly used modus operandi by cyber adversaries to access network systems globally. Though phishing attacks can be of many types, BEC or Business Email Compromise causes the most significant threat to businesses. Verizon's 2020 DBIR (Data Breach Investigations Report) states that 22% of data breaches in 2019 involved phishing. ESET's Threat Report highlights that malicious email detections rose by 9% between the second and third quarters in 2020. Here are some critical statistics related to the above points. - As malicious actors rely more on phishing to access network systems, there is a decrease of 40% on breaches involving malware, further shifting the cybersecurity focus from anti-malware solutions to anti-phishing solutions. - Nearly 65% of the active phishing attacks relied on spear-phishing in 2019. - A whopping 96% of phishing attacks arrive by email. Despite organizations employing the most effective anti-phishing solutions in their network systems, phishing attacks are growing relentlessly worldwide due to employee negligence. Employee training is one way to deal with such problems. Learning from the mistakes of others is also an effective remedial measure. Here are some phishing case examples caused by employee negligence that cost their... --- #### Phishing Attacks In The Tax Season And What To Do About It URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-in-the-tax-season-and-to-do-about-it/ Description: Phishing Attacks In The Tax Season And What To Do About It: Tax season is often punctuated with a mad rush for closures and submissions. Both individuals and. Tax season is often punctuated with a mad rush for closures and submissions. Both individuals and organizations fight against time to fill in their tax receipts and submit them. Tax season is also the time when phishing agents look forward to a whole lot of good catches. Phishing baits are sent out as emails to many recipients, many of whom fall for it, leading to a catastrophe. Malicious actors use the information to defraud the victim or even steal their identity. Malicious actors are successful at creating enough panic in the ranks of IT Security by using impersonations. Phishing has been an age-old exercise, and with advanced technology, it has only got more sophisticated, becoming a more formidable threat. Alarming Statistics The below graph shows the scams and phishing attacks in the first two quarters of the year 2020. The period between January and April showed the highest consistent percentage of attacks. It is partly due to the tax season when most individuals and organizations file their tax returns, which is the season that greatly interests malicious actors. Source:Securelist.com The consistency of the attacks shows the tenacious attitude of the phishing community. There have been many counters created by IT... --- #### Here’s What Organizations Must Do To Avoid Phishing Scams While Their Employees Continue To Work From Home URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/heres-organizations-avoid-phishing-scams-employees-continue-work-home/ Description: Here's What Organizations Must Do To Avoid Phishing Scams While Their Employees Continue To Work From Home: The effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic have. The effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic have drastically altered the way the world functions. Social distancing and lockdowns had to be exercised to curb the spread of Coronavirus. 91% of the world's population were restricted from movement due to the lockdown as organizations shut down workplaces. However, they continued their operations to stay in business and out of bankruptcy. Nevertheless, the technology was in place for organizations to adopt the work from home' culture, and they migrated seamlessly to the remote work mode. However, the new modality of the functioning of enterprises and business operations gave rise to more contemporary challenges in cybersecurity. What Happened When Organizations Migrated To Remote Working By 2020, a large number of organizations have already been established in their online business activities. And the graph below shows that the number of unique phishing sites has increased drastically by the middle of 2020 to a level unprecedented in nearly a decade, which indicates an increased phishing activity during the period. The following are a few of the severe consequences of the organizations' moving to the remote work culture. - The volume of cybercrimes rapidly shot up to a significant extent compared to the previous years. -... --- #### Get an Insight on Various Types of Anti-Phishing Services URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/get-an-insight-on-various-types-of-anti-phishing-services/ Description: Cybercriminals invade into your enterprise’s information systems and figure out new ways and new vulnerabilities to execute more sophisticated phishing attacks. Cybercriminals invade into your enterprise’s information systems and figure out new ways and new vulnerabilities to execute more sophisticated phishing attacks. Human, time and again have proved to be the weakest link in the security chain before organizations take some preventive measures to stop phishing. ‘Anti Phishing Services’ are used to prevent phishing attacks against the individuals, systems or organizations. Type of Anti- Phishing Services Available Today With the increasing cybercrime by every passing day, there are several anti-phishing services which help to prevent or defend against any phishing attack. Browser-Based Anti-phishing Services This is a domain binding segment of the anti-phishing services. Anti-phishing solutions attempt to identify phishing related content, symptoms or suspicious domain names contained in an email, websites etc. and block the content based on configured rules, and generally will issue an alert to the users. Example: Spoofguard examines phishing symptoms and increases alert based on them. While systems like Pwdhash generates domain based passwords specific to websites. There are plenty of anti-phishing security solutions available for getting a comprehensive anti-phishing service provided by Phish Protection. Content Filtering Anti phishing Services The technique is used to filter the malicious content which enters the user’s mailbox. Example: Bayesian... --- #### How Threat Actors Take Advantage Of Fintech Platforms To Launch Phishing Campaigns URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-advantage-fintech-platforms-launch-phishing-campaigns/ Description: Technology has made tremendous strides in the recent past. While it has proven beneficial to society, malicious actors have also benefited from the same. Technology has made tremendous strides in the recent past. While it has proven beneficial to society, malicious actors have also benefited from the same. They have invented novel ways to access enterprise network systems worldwide. Phishing remains a favorite mode of launching cyberattacks over the years. Though phishing attacks do not distinguish between businesses in the industry, the financial sector is one of the most vulnerable as the rewards are noticeably better. Thus, we get to witness that a significant proportion of phishing attacks take place to obtain financial information. The recent example of the PayPal fraud is a new incident of the kind. High Vulnerability Of Fintech Establishments Current information shows that financial institutions rank at the top of the list of phishing attack victims. The following statistics drive the point home. - 85% of all business organizations have experienced a phishing attack at least once in their lifetime. - 78% of users claim that they are familiar with the risks of clicking on unsolicited links in emails. Nevertheless, they go on to click on them, anyway. - A single spear-phishing attack costs around $1.6 million in losses. - 97% of users are not able to recognize a sophisticated... --- #### How Adequate Protection Against Malware Can Help Secure Your Organization’s Network Systems URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-adequate-protection-against-malware-can-secure-organizations-network-systems/ Description: Before we look at ways of protection against malware, let us do a quick recap on what malware is and the extent of damage it can cause. Before we look at ways of protection against malware, let us do a quick recap on what malware is and the extent of damage it can cause. Malware is malicious software that can harm your computer systems considerably if the system is left unprotected (without any anti-malware software program installed). Hackers use malware to gain access to an organization’s computer networks or user’s personal computers. Every phishing attempt made by cyber adversaries is accompanied by introducing malware into your computer systems so that they can exploit it at some later time. What Harms Can Malware Cause? Malware comes in various types and forms, such as viruses, spyware, ransomware, botnets, adware, trojan horse programs, and so on. Malware is a software program that can attach itself to your computer files(e.g. .pdf, .doc, .jpeg, etc.) and manipulate or wipe out your valuable data. Hackers can gain vital information about your financial details, usernames, passwords, and by using this information they can cause tremendous financial harm. A malware infection can also result in identity theft, information loss. Therefore, one should employ phishing and malware protection measures on their computer systems and other internet-accessing devices. Malware Prevention Best Practices "over 90% of ransomware attacks... --- #### Keep Yourself Safe From Ransomware: Learn How Do You Get Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/keep-yourself-safe-from-ransomware-learn-how-do-you-get-ransomware/ Description: Ransomware is a form of malware that takes control of the victim's system and threatens to block access or delete files if the victim ignores it. Ransomware is a form of malware that takes control of the victim's system and threatens to block access or delete files if the victim ignores it. Hackers and adversaries are continually upgrading ransomware to elude even the sophisticated anti-malware software. Hence, every individual needs to learn the basics behind ransomware attacks. Be knowledgeable enough so that you will no longer be of those who keep asking ‘How do I get ransomware on my computer,’ ‘How does ransomware get installed in a system,’ etc. How To Identify Ransomware? There are various indications that can show that your system is infected. Let’s look at ways to identify ransomware. Ransom Note Ransomware can get into your systems through phishing emails and email attachments without your knowledge. Once ransomware is installed, it starts doing its malicious job in the background by encrypting and renaming your files. Most of the time, people come to know about a ransomware attack only when a ransom note appears on their screen. In these ransom notes, the ransomware hackers post their demands and how they want you to pay the ransom, or face deletion of files. Recently, the Jigsaw ransomware resurfaced demanding victims to pay the ransom in the... --- #### How To Get Past Spam Filters To Make Sure Your Genuine Marketing Emails Are Not Marked As Phishing Ones URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/spam-filters-genuine-marketing-emails-marked-phishing/ Description: An email marketer puts efforts into creating a quality prospective consumer list, designing a great email, and focusing on the campaign's success. An email marketer puts efforts into creating a quality prospective consumer list, designing a great email, and focusing on the campaign's success. But, for reaching the potential customer, one surely needs to avoid spam filters. Many factors help in successful email deliverability. Whether you are using emails for selling or guest posting, below is a discussion of various critical considerations that will determine whether a marketing email will reach the customer’s inbox or not. What Is Spam Filters? Before learning about avoiding spam filters, one should first understand why email service providers use spam filters. Every day, billions of spam messages enter inboxes, and organizations lose millions of dollars due to spam emails from fake vendors. Therefore, to protect the users from counterfeit emails and prevent email phishing, inbox providers use spam filters. The spam filters work as a guard and analyze the incoming emails, allowing only genuine emails to enter the user's inbox. It filters out any suspicious or harmful emails and rejects them. It even works as an anti-phishing tool by blocking malicious emails and preventing phishing attacks and spear-phishing attempts. Avoiding Spam Filters If an enterprise wants its email campaigns to enter the user's inbox and don't... --- #### What Makes Government Departments A Prime Target For Cybercrime Such As Phishing Attacks? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/government-departments-prime-target-cybercrime-phishing-attacks/ Description: Cybercrime is one of the primary forms of menace in the online world. Threats like phishing and ransomware attacks have been around for a long time now. Cybercrime is one of the primary forms of menace in the online world. Threats like phishing and ransomware attacks have been around for a long time now. Despite the best effort of agencies, both public and private, it does not seem to slow down. From breaking into information system networks to stealing data to impersonations, cybercrime has covered it all. With time, it has grown exponentially. And government departments are highly vulnerable to such attacks due to various reasons. What Makes Government Departments A Prime Target For Phishing Attacks? The amount of value an attack would return is a prime attraction to the phishing agents. Government departments store a wealth of information at every level related to the country and its residents. Malicious actors understand the importance of government departments at all levels, such as the municipal, local, state, or central levels. This information can provide immense insight into the behavioral patterns and lives of the inhabitants. The market value of such data would be enormous on the dark web. Cyberattacks on government departments have always been on the rise. It demands governments raise cybersecurity expenses with each passing year, as is evident from the below graph. What Makes Government... --- #### Lessons From The Past: 5 Substantial Phishing Attacks/Data Breaches Of The 21st Century URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/lessons-from-the-past-5-substantial-phishing-attacks-data-breaches-of-the-21st-century/ Description: Cybercriminals use malicious social engineering techniques to extract information from unsuspecting users, to launch phishing breaches. Cybercriminals use malicious social engineering techniques to extract information from unsuspecting users, to launch phishing breaches. Website email scams and phishing email scams are the two most common methods used by attackers. A 2020 phishing attack survey by Greathorn reveals that IT leaders were remediating 1,185 phishing attacks each month, that's an average of 40 each day! To help business leaders get a peek into the havoc these phishing attacks can cause, we have compiled a list of the five deadliest phishing attacks of the 21st century. JPMorgan Chase (2014) Impact: Compromised contact information of seven million businesses and 76 million households. JPMorgan Chase, one of the largest US banks, holds an undesirable title, a bank that was a victim of one of the most significant data breaches in history. It announced in 2014 that attackers stole the contact information of seven million businesses and 76 million households in the attack. They exploited an OpenSSL vulnerability and utilized various phishing tactics to access login credentials and steal information. The cybercriminals first obtained a list of programs and applications running on JPMorgan's computers. Then, they cross checked with known vulnerabilities for every web application and program to look for an entry... --- #### Phishing Attacks In The Manufacturing Industry: Why Is It A Lucrative Target For Phishers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-in-the-manufacturing-industry-why-is-it-a-lucrative-target-for-phishers/ Description: Various industries have fallen victim to phishing globally, and the manufacturing sector is no exception due to decentralized IT infrastructure and fragmented. Various industries have fallen victim to phishing globally, and the manufacturing sector is no exception due to decentralized IT infrastructure and fragmented controls, besides many other reasons. Since the beginning of 2020, cyber intruders have exploited several manufacturing units’ vulnerabilities and used them for financial benefits and brand impersonation. Moreover, the lower degree of cybersecurity, policy enforcement, and lack of centralized visibility makes the task easier for malicious actors. Once the target opens a spoofed website or email attachment, the threat actors compromise the victim’s browser settings and modify them without their knowledge and use the data available for monetary gains or resell it on the dark web. Due to evolving cyberattacks, cybersecurity professionals are continually looking for anti-phishing services and ransomware protection solutions. Why Is The Manufacturing Industry Vulnerable? The manufacturing industry is highly vulnerable to phishing and other cybersecurity vulnerabilities due to outdated systems and policies. The below section discusses such loopholes in detail. - Legacy Equipment: The devices used in the manufacturing industry are usually old and not designed to maximize security. It makes the work easier for cyber attackers, and they do not require much effort for hacking into the systems. - Different IT Infrastructure: Manufacturing... --- #### Cybersecurity In Insurance Industry: Why Has It Become A Lucrative Target For Threat Actors? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-in-insurance-industry-why-has-it-become-a-lucrative-target-for-threat-actors/ Description: Cybersecurity In Insurance Industry: Why Has It Become A Lucrative Target For Threat Actors?: Insurers deal with enormous risks every day . Risk management. Insurers deal with enormous risks every day. Risk management is an inherent part of the insurance business. However, the sector has lagged behind other financial services sectors, such as banking, cyber focus, investment, and capabilities when it comes to the cybersecurity front. The banking sector's increased cyber resilience has been due to the rising number of phishing and other cyber-attacks, which have compelled them to act quickly to protect their customers and reputations. However, the anti-phishing cyberwar has been quieter in the insurance sector. But the trend is changing. As a more significant number of insurers are adopting robust anti-malware solutions, attackers are targeting organizations with weaker defense systems in place. The stakes are high for the insurance firms because they process vast amounts of data of their customers regarding their life, health, personal property, etc. They do not want a phishing email to compromise their hard-earned reputation! What Makes the Insurance Industry Vulnerable? The insurance industry is vast and interconnected to other industries such as brokerage firms, financial service organizations, policyholders and other subsidiary insurers, and many more. The insurance industry is vulnerable due to below discussed three main issues. - Easily exploitable weak points: Due to such gigantic... --- #### Phishing Threats That Got Reinforced In 2020, And Will Likely Continue in 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-threats-that-got-reinforced-in-2020-and-will-likely-continue-in-2021/ Description: With the Pandemic raging across the length and breadth of the world, there has been a lot of chaos and confusion amongst organizations’ workforce. With the Pandemic raging across the length and breadth of the world, there has been a lot of chaos and confusion amongst organizations’ workforce. Industries of every hue have suffered, and the end to it is yet to be seen. However, that has not stopped malicious actors from continuing their nefarious activities. 2020 has seen no let-up in phishing attempts, and IT Security specialists have been sleepless at work trying to overcome the relentless menace. Such threats are likely to spill over to the new year. Here is an account of the phishing trends unearthed in 2020 that will likely continue in 2021. COVID-19 Phishing Emails The Pandemic has created a lifelong opportunity for malicious actors. They have flooded mailboxes of hapless users worldwide asking for donations, providing information on vaccines, and even scaring individuals into submitting their data. Phishing emails have, in most cases, accompanied a fake website impersonating a legitimate one. Malicious actors have created sites that resembled those of WHO and other authentic organizations and sent emails that made it look official and genuine. It worked on the unsuspecting user by working on their emotions. The user submits their personal information or banking details, which got saved... --- #### What Makes Healthcare Sector A Prime Target And What Can Be Done To Avoid These Phishing Attacks? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-makes-healthcare-sector-a-prime-target-and-what-can-be-done-to-avoid-phishing-attacks/ Description: What Makes Healthcare Sector A Prime Target And What Can Be Done To Avoid These Phishing Attacks?: The medical world has been one of the domains that have. The medical world has been one of the domains that have seen unprecedented advancement. Medical science has advanced over the years, and life expectancy has improved vastly. However, all is not well with the healthcare sector. Phishing and cyber-attacks on its systems have been relentless and mostly successful. Numerous instances of system disruption and loss of records have been reported from around the world. For example, one victim from last year was Montana-based Kalispell Regional Healthcare, which stated that the breached data has led to the disclosure of 140,000 patients’ information. The phishing attacks happened over three months. Why Are Healthcare Facilities The Prime Target? At first glance, it may be stupefying to learn that healthcare facilities could be targets of phishing. However, there are enough reasons for it as described below. Healthcare Facilities Lack The Necessary IT Security Infrastructure While hospitals and healthcare facilities may have the latest equipment and technology to cure a disease, the IT Security Department is among the most neglected units. There is hardly any substantial effort in fortifying the internal systems to prevent phishing attacks in many facilities. While most of their effort is to leverage medical technology and deliver better care, phishing protection... --- #### The Rise Of Package Delivery Phishing Scams In COVID Times URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-rise-of-package-delivery-phishing-scams-in-covid-times/ Description: The Rise Of Package Delivery Phishing Scams In COVID Times: In times of the Coronavirus Pandemic, when people are too apprehensive of walking to the local. In times of the Coronavirus Pandemic, when people are too apprehensive of walking to the local stores and malls, the internet and online shopping come as a relief to shoppers. Almost every day, package tracking, order confirmation, or cancellation messages from FedEx, Amazon, UPS, DHL, and other organizations pop up in the inbox. Hence, receiving fake package delivery messages look neither unusual nor suspicious. But alarm bells should ring when there is an email, text, or call requiring ‘urgent’ identity verification for package delivery. Malicious actors take advantage of people’s dependence and faith in online shopping applications to launch identity theft, banking fraud, and other phishing or malware attacks. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also brings to light the significant increase in such fake package delivery scams. What Does A Package Delivery Phishing Scam Look Like? Some package delivery phishing emails or text messages reported in COVID times come with the delivery partner’s logos or shopping site, which naturally increases credibility. Some other emails ironically include warnings to be aware of phishing scams, which serve the purpose of winning the victim’s trust. Most emails or messages come embedded with malicious links that either download spyware, ransomware, or lead the victim... --- #### Phishing Scams Smaller Businesses Must Look Out for During the Holiday Season URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-scams-smaller-businesses-holiday-season/ Description: A Microsoft report points out that there has been a 35% rise in phishing attacks. And that was not even the holiday season. A Microsoft report points out that there has been a 35% rise in phishing attacks. And that was not even the holiday season. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have shown around a 28% rise in online sales year after year. As promotions fill people's inboxes, phishing agents also find it an opportunity. It gives IT security specialists a hard time. They would begin to lure the individual with enticing emails and spoofed offers. It causes the unsuspecting user to click on spurious links and share their financial credentials. Types Of Holiday Phishing Scams The following are the major phishing scams that make the rounds, especially during the holiday season. They mostly spoof the names of legitimate organizations. Businesses, especially SMEs, must be aware of it because it can tarnish their image in the customers' eyes and bring huge losses. Fake Gift Coupon As people shop for festivities during the holiday season, they receive many gift coupons in the inbox. Phishing attackers take this opportunity to send fake gift coupons. Malicious Shipping Notification Users receive many shipping notifications corresponding to their purchase during holidays. Malicious actors imitate them and send fake product shipping messages to take advantage of the situation. Travel... --- #### What Makes Financial Institutions A Prime Phishing Target For Threat Actors URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-makes-financial-institutions-a-prime-phishing-target-for-threat-actors/ Description: All organizations providing financial services such as banking, investment, and insurance constitute financial institutions. All organizations providing financial services such as banking, investment, and insurance constitute financial institutions. Financial frauds and identity thefts in such institutions have increased significantly with the digitalization of the sector. Today, financial institutions are among the top targets of phishing and other cyber threats. The graph illustrates that the financial industry is among the worst hit by phishing scams of all sectors. Regardless of the security shields established by such institutions, phishing attacks keep targeting banking organizations, including their employees and customers. Some Major Phishing Attacks On Financial Institutions Phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) techniques have successfully lured financial institutions’ employees and customers into giving out confidential information in the past and continue to do so even today. Following are some recent phishing incidents that have successfully robbed financial institutions by the millions: - The BetterSure Attack (October 2020): This attack on the South African home insurance company affected over 4000 clients. The malicious actors had used a phishing email to compromise an internal BetterSure email. - The Norfund Attack (May 2020): This attack on Norway’s state investment fund used BEC to access and monitor the email system of Norfund and steal over $10 million. What Makes Financial... --- #### How Organizations Are Leveraging AI & Machine Learning To Prevent Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-organizations-are-leveraging-ai-and-machine-learning-to-prevent-phishing-attacks/ Description: Hackers use social engineering in text messages and emails to launch phishing attacks on unsuspecting users and persuade them to share private information such. Hackers use social engineering in text messages and emails to launch phishing attacks on unsuspecting users and persuade them to share private information such as their login credentials or bank account details. Phishing schemes are becoming more advanced, and targeted attacks like spear-phishing are posing a threat to many organizations. While they deploy spam filters to counter malicious emails, the sophisticated ones quickly pass through these filters. Crucial Phishing Facts And Statistics For 2020 Phishing attacks are widespread As per APWG's Phishing Activity Trends Report for Q2 2020, the first half of 2020 witnessed 146,994 phishing attacks. While there are many attacks, it is 11% less than in 2019, which saw 165,772 attacks for the same period. Reduction in credential phishing attacks As per Cofense's Q1 2020 Phishing Review , the keyloggers and information stealers are becoming the favored phishing tools. Compared with last year, phishing attacks involving credential phishing, stealing passwords and usernames, made up 74% of all attacks. The most common targeted attack vector is spear-phishing emails Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report 2019 states that almost two-thirds (65%) of all the renowned adversary groups carried out cyber-attacks through spear-phishing emails. The report also adds that 96% of the... --- #### A Hand-Guide To Know About Crypto Scams, Their Types And How To Avoid Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-hand-guide-to-know-about-crypto-scams-their-types-and-how-to-avoid-them/ Description: Ecash, the brainchild of Chaum and one of the first forms of cryptocurrency, was launched as an alternative to paper money in 1983. Ecash, the brainchild of Chaum and one of the first forms of cryptocurrency, was launched as an alternative to paper money in 1983. Such was the popularity of this "non-corporeal" currency that Digicash, the firm which was regulating this new monetary asset, was able to raise over $10 million in a decade. It was so because the general public liked the idea of getting rid of traditional money. In the year 2009, Satoshi Nakamoto launched Bitcoin, which was considered the first decentralized digital currency. Then, there was no stopping the rising popularity of cryptocurrency. All glorious and brave new world, right? The thing with money is that wherever it is involved, there are always bad actors who want to steal it. Hence, cryptocurrency scams or frauds are gaining a foothold, with malicious actors defrauding thousands of people every day. They have managed to carry out these frauds with so intricacy that it is difficult to tell fake crypto from the real one. Types of Crypto Scams Imposter Websites You may be a dedicated crypto investor who follows solid tips from experts, but you can quickly become a victim if you accidentally visit a fake website. Malicious actors have set up... --- #### Rising Phishing Attacks On Schools And Colleges As Online Education Becomes More Prevalent Than Ever URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/rising-phishing-attacks-on-schools-and-colleges-as-online-education-becomes-more-prevalent-than-ever/ Description: As online education has become more prevalent than ever, schools and colleges face tremendous challenges due to COVID-19. As online education has become more prevalent than ever, schools and colleges face tremendous challenges due to COVID-19. There is growing uncertainty on the revival of regular classes for students. Many educational institutions have resorted to online education as an alternative. However, online education comes with its disadvantages. Cyber adversaries now have one more sector to target. By the looks of it, schools and colleges have become easy targets for these malicious actors. Let us discuss why it is so and how to avoid the threat. Why Are Educational Institutions Vulnerable To Cyberattacks? Here are some reasons why the education sector is vulnerable to attacks from malicious actors. Lack of cybersecurity awareness Educational institutions are not as active on online platforms as other business entities. Hence, it is natural for them to have lower levels of cybersecurity awareness. Besides, cybersecurity preparedness levels are also not much high, as they do not require as much cybersecurity as, say, a bank. Forced to do something different With COVID-19 bringing a halt to all educational activities, schools and colleges have been forced to conduct classes online. An educational institution that has been primarily conducting offline classroom lectures will find it challenging to shift... --- #### The Holidays are Coming Which Means Holiday Phishing Emails are Coming too URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-holidays-are-coming-which-means-holiday-phishing-emails-are-coming-too/ Description: The Holidays are Coming Which Means Holiday Phishing Emails are Coming too: It's that time of the year. Time for a special brand of phishing emails. It's that time of the year. Time for a special brand of phishing emails: holiday-themed emails. Who doesn't like receiving a discount code from their favourite retailer in an email promotion around the holidays? Or, a holiday e-card from a co-worker? Or, a shipping notification from UPS saying that a package is on the way? Everyone loves getting these types of emails around the holidays and hackers know it. Which is why they use these types of emails to phish you. And by all accounts, they're planning on doing it even more this holiday season. So, you better be ready. According to Dark Reading, "Around the holidays, phishing emails with malware often demonstrate a change in trend, opting for holiday greeting cards and graphics or sound with underlying nefarious code." It's not just consumers at risk for these holiday threats. Small and mid-size businesses are very much in the crosshairs of cyber criminals. According to Hook Security, "Compared to bigger companies, SMBs are especially at risk because only 32% of them organize training sessions and simulations to teach their staff how to recognize and avoid phishing scams. Moreover, less than 30% of small firms employ an IT security specialist who... --- #### Understanding Business Identity Theft & What Makes Businesses Vulnerable To These Identity Thefts URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/understanding-business-identity-theft-and-what-makes-businesses-vulnerable-to-these-identity-thefts/ Description: Understanding Business Identity Theft & What Makes Businesses Vulnerable To These Identity Thefts: Those days are long gone when thieves only targeted. Those days are long gone when thieves only targeted stealing physical assets such as physical money or expensive items. Today is the time of “cyber thieves” who know stealing confidential information of business entities, and impersonating them has far higher benefits. Business identity theft involves malicious attackers impersonating the owner, officials, or staff of a business entity to get loans, credit, or other financial benefits. And the burden of the financial credit rests on the business entity. They use various methods to accomplish it, such as social engineering techniques and so on. And, the unauthorized access to information usually goes unnoticed until the loss is massive for the business. How Do Identity Thieves Operate? Identity thieves usually start their work by stealing an organization’s financial information, such as the bank account details, credit card numbers, and tax identification number. They may also get the personal information of officials in the organization. Using the businesses’ creditworthiness and reputation, the identity thieves then obtain loans and credits posing as the representative of the business entity. They cash out the allowed credit amounts quickly. The organization comes to know about the fraud much later when a payment default notice reaches them. Why Do... --- #### What Made Microsoft The Most Impersonated Brand And How Phishers Leverage Similar Bigger Brands? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-made-microsoft-the-most-impersonated-brand-and-how-phishers-leverage-similar-bigger-brands/ Description: What Made Microsoft The Most Impersonated Brand And How Phishers Leverage Similar Bigger Brands?: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc not only in our real. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused havoc not only in our real world but also in the virtual one. On the brighter side of things, it has encouraged a new work culture, working from home. This development has given a tremendous boost to Microsoft, with millions of employees working from home using one Microsoft product or the other. Rising to the top position on the popularity charts has its downsides, as well. One is that it becomes a viable target for malicious actors to exploit. With more people using Microsoft, they have a broader net to phish. The Q3 2020 report published by Check Point Research is ample testimony that Microsoft has made a giant leap from fifth place (7% share of global phishing attempts) to top the table with a 19% overall share. The Reasons For The Surge In recent times, MS Office 365 has gained popularity, with many of the workforce using it for various purposes. The current pandemic has necessitated employees’ working from home. Hence, a lot of people are working with MS Office as compared to other platforms. Cyber adversaries see a potential goldmine in such a workforce. It allows them to spread their net far and... --- #### Beware Of Phishing Scams, You Could End Up Compromising Your Vital Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/beware-of-phishing-scams-you-could-end-up-compromising-your-vital-data/ Description: Beware Of Phishing Scams, You Could End Up Compromising Your Vital Data: Every day, we see phishing scams happening around us . We read in the newspapers. Every day, we see phishing scams happening around us. We read in the newspapers and on the internet that people have lost their hard-earned money to cybercriminals. What are these phishing scams, and how do they play out? What is the general modus operandi of these hackers? How do we identify a phishing scam email? What precautions can we take to ensure that we do not become victims of such scams? All these questions require answering. Let us discuss phishing scams in detail. What Is A Phishing Scam? As the name suggests, the phishing scams start with the recipient receiving a seemingly innocuous email message. Usually, such emails have catchy subject lines that entice people to venture inside and read the contents. For example, have a look at the recent NAB (National Australia Bank) phishing email scam message. Many customers of National Australia Bank receive email messages stating that they have thrice in a row entered their password incorrectly. The emails claim that, as a result, the bank security team has to suspend their accounts and put the funds available there on hold. Customers are asked to verify their information following which the bank will release their funds. The message... --- #### Covid-related Phishing Attacks are Just Getting Started URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/covid-related-phishing-attacks-are-just-getting-started/ Description: Covid has been around for more than seven months now. And in that time, it has become the number one source of phishing attacks worldwide. Covid has been around for more than seven months now. And in that time, it has become the number one source of phishing attacks worldwide. We even detailed ten ways hackers use Covid to phish you in a recent post. It’s been so widespread, almost everyone is wary of Covid-related phishing emails by now. You might think that would put an end to them, but nothing could be further from the truth. When it comes to fraudsters, Covid is the gift that keeps on giving. According to research done by Next Caller and reported on Help Net Security, "A pending second stimulus package, combined with a clear urgency from Americans around receiving it, indicates that another wave of activity from customers and criminals is on the horizon. Rising reports of fraud activity signal not only that fraudsters are eager to replicate their initial success, but that some of those early schemes may just be getting started." It's hard to imagine things getting worse. According to the report, "55% of Americans believe they’ve been targeted by COVID-related fraud." In spite of that "59% of Americans claim that they have not taken any additional precautions to protect themselves from attacks." So, to... --- #### An Email Phishing Test That Totally Backfired URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/an-email-phishing-test-that-totally-backfired/ Description: An Email Phishing Test That Totally Backfired: How good are your employees at spotting phishing emails? There's a really easy way to find out. Send each one. How good are your employees at spotting phishing emails? There's a really easy way to find out. Send each one of them a fake phishing email and see how many click. And that's exactly what Tribune Publishing, publishers of the Chicago Tribune, did recently, and boy did it backfire. According to The Big Lead, "The media giant has spent the last few years cutting staff at newspapers across the country, leaving workers underpaid and overworked. On Wednesday the company sent out emails to employees suggesting they would be getting raises for all their hard work. It turns out it was a test to see how susceptible they were to a phishing scam. Needless to say, the employees were furious." The article goes on to detail the furious responses of some employees to the insensitive phishing test. What the article didn't mention, however, is how many employees fell for the scam and clicked on a link. It was probably a lot. The sad thing about this incident is it didn't have to happen. Tribune didn't have to test their employees with fake phishing emails to know many of them wouldn't pass the test. There's already been plenty of research to confirm... --- #### The Phishing Attack You Knew Was Bound to Happen URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-phishing-attack-you-knew-was-bound-to-happen/ Description: The Phishing Attack You Knew Was Bound to Happen: When it comes to preventing phishing attacks, companies are often torn between how to spend their security. When it comes to preventing phishing attacks, companies are often torn between how to spend their security dollars. The choice they make is usually between two options: employee awareness training and email security hardware/software. The first choice assumes your employees can protect you from phishing attacks if only they can be taught to spot them. The second choice assumes there's not enough training in the world for you employees to stop every phishing attack - it's better to leave that to technology. In a perfect world, companies would just do both as part of a "defense-in-depth" strategy. Unfortunately, many companies don't have the resources for both and are forced to choose one or the other. Which one is more effective? Depends which data you look at. What we do know for sure though is that one of these options is also an attack vector now, thanks to some clever hackers. According to a recent article on SC Magazine, "That anti-phishing training email your employees just received may, ironically, actually be a phishing email, according to cyber threat analysts who recently uncovered a security awareness-themed online social engineering campaign." I'm not sure I'd use the word ironic here. Maybe terrifying would... --- #### Here Come the Election-Related Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/here-come-the-election-related-phishing-attacks/ Description: If it's time for a big election, you can be sure the scammers will take advantage of that in the next round of phishing attacks. If it's time for a big election, you can be sure the scammers will take advantage of that in the next round of phishing attacks. But, election-related phishing attacks may not target who you think. Rather than go after voters, who aren't accustomed to having to provide credentials in response to an election-related email, the hackers "target political parties and campaigns, think tanks, civic organizations, and associated individuals," according to CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency), a U.S. federal agency responsible for the nation's cyber infrastructure and readiness, which issued the warning. From an article on Tripwire referring to the agency's notification, "The security agency noted that malicious actors could use a successful phish to lay the groundwork for secondary attacks. For instance, those nefarious individuals could use a compromised password to conduct password spraying attacks against multiple web accounts of a single user. They could also use an exposed set of credentials to launch brute-force attacks." The warning couldn't have come at a better time. According to the Tripwire article, "This bulletin arrived on the same day when Microsoft revealed that malicious actors from Russia, China and Iran were launching digital attacks against both campaigns in the 2020 U.S.... --- #### The Surprising Facts Behind Brand Impersonation Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-surprising-facts-brand-impersonation-attacks/ Description: The Surprising Facts Behind Brand Impersonation Attacks: As far as phishing attacks go, brand impersonation is the go-to tactic for attackers . This is. As far as phishing attacks go, brand impersonation is the go-to tactic for attackers. This is especially true for credential phishing and business email compromise attacks (BEC). And according to a recent analysis, there are some pretty surprising discoveries regarding brand impersonation. For starters, is the top 10 list of most phished brands. Many are recognizable like Microsoft, Google, PayPal and NetFlix. But there were also some lower profile organizations that surprisingly made the top 10 list including Maersk, DHL and WeTransfer. Not exactly household names. Perhaps the most useful discovery is that brand impersonation attacks come in three varieties: - known brands, - own-brand and - related stakeholders. Known brand impersonation is where a well-known brand, like Google, is used in the attack. Own-brand is where the company's own name and branding are used to attack it. Related stakeholder attacks use "brands of stakeholders related to the targeted company against it. These can include customers, suppliers, partners, and other organizations that work closely with the employees of the targeted company." What that means is, if you want to stop brand impersonation phishing attacks, you'd better be prepared to identify all three types of attacks. The bad news? These types... --- #### Phishing Attacks are no Longer Just Malicious Links in Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-are-no-longer-just-malicious-links-in-emails/ Description: Phishing Attacks are no Longer Just Malicious Links in Emails: Combating phishing attacks used to be just a matter of not clicking on malicious links in an. Combating phishing attacks used to be just a matter of not clicking on malicious links in an email. If you could spot the suspect link in an email, and didn't click it, you were pretty much guaranteed to be safe. Not anymore. Oh sure, hackers still want you to click on a malicious link, but their techniques for disguising them is nothing short of remarkable. According to an analysis done by Security Boulevard, in addition to the "traditional" credential stealing phishing attacks, there are four other categories of phishing attacks which leave people vulnerable. The first of these is what they call rogue software, rogue apps & browser extensions. According to the article, "These types of attacks typically trick users in downloading malicious software, apps, and extensions. In some cases, these attacks lure victims into installing a malicious video player or a rogue browser extension to gain permission to install socially engineered malware on their system." The second type of phishing attack is scareware & fake virus alerts. "These scams typically use scare tactics to trick victims into believing their computer has crashed or a virus has been detected. Trying to lure victims into calling a fake technical support hotline... --- #### Is There Something Worse Than Getting a Layoff Notice? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/is-there-something-worse-than-getting-a-layoff-notice/ Description: There are two really scary aspects to getting a layoff notice. First, of course, is that you're being laid off, which stinks. There are two really scary aspects to getting a layoff notice. First, of course, is that you're being laid off, which stinks. The other is that it almost always comes without warning and catches you off guard. When you get the notice, your heart starts racing, you may even panic a little. The last thing you're prepared to do is to identify the email as a phishing scam. And that's exactly what the scammers are counting on. The good news? You're not being laid off. The bad news? You just got scammed. This is just one example of the latest exploit hackers are using to take advantage of the very unique situation most find ourselves in today. According to Tech Financials, "The weakening of the economy during the pandemic in a number of countries caused a wave of unemployment, and fraudsters did not miss this opportunity to strike. Kaspersky experts encountered various mailings that announced, for example, some amendments to the medical leave procedure, or surprised the recipient with the news about their dismissal. In some attachments, there was a Trojan file. This Trojan is most often used for downloading and installing encryptors. Encryptors are used for ransomware attacks. So,... --- #### If These Guys Can Get Phished Anyone Can URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/if-these-guys-can-get-phished-anyone-can/ Description: If These Guys Can Get Phished Anyone Can: Who would you expect to be the last organization taken in by a phishing attack? How about the \"largest source for. Who would you expect to be the last organization taken in by a phishing attack? How about the "largest source for information security training and security certification in the world?" That's right. The SANS Institute, around since 1989, training more than 165,000 security professionals around the world, was just breached as the result of a phishing attack. According to an article on SC Magazine, "The security training authority has confirmed to SC Media that it was the victim of a consent phishing' scam, an attempt by adversaries to get employees to install a malicious application and/or grant it permissions that will allow it to access sensitive data or perform unwanted functions." What was the damage? How about "28,000 records containing personally identifiable information to a malicious Office 365 add-on, which caused an employee’s email account to automatically forward emails to an attacker’s address." Should this come as a shock, that a security training company got phished? Not really. As the article correctly pointed out, [all] "it takes [is] just one uninformed, distracted or negligent employee to trigger an incident." Proving once again that the weak link in the email security chain is the employee and that awareness training that is... --- #### It Doesn’t Take Long for a Phishing Attack to do its Damage URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/it-doesnt-take-long-for-a-phishing-attack-to-do-its-damage/ Description: Given how widespread phishing attacks are, you might think that not only are there a lot of phishing attacks, but that each one lasts a long time. Given how widespread phishing attacks are, you might think that not only are there a lot of phishing attacks, but that each one lasts a long time. While it's true that there are a lot of phishing attacks, most phishing attacks do their damage in a really short time. Research conducted by USENIX recently examined 4.8 million victims who visited phishing pages in a one-year period. And what was the average time of an attack measured by the researchers? "[F]rom the time they first come online, to email distribution, to visitor traffic, to ecosystem detection, and finally to account compromise, we find the average campaign from start to the last victim takes just 21 hours." Twenty-one hours! It's over in less than a day. What did the research discover about the number of victims? "At least 7.42% of visitors supply their credentials and ultimately experience a compromise and subsequent fraudulent transaction. Furthermore, a small collection of highly successful campaigns is responsible for 89.13% of victims." The bottom line is phishing attacks are fast and effective. And that's why they keep happening. One surprising finding from the research, as pointed out in Digital Information World, is "the criminals usually transact after... --- #### You’ll Never Guess What was Behind the Great Twitter Hack: Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/you-will-never-guess-what-was-behind-the-great-twitter-hack-phishing/ Description: If you haven't already heard, Twitter was hacked recently and some pretty high-profile people like Barack Obama and Elon Musk had their accounts compromised. If you haven't already heard, Twitter was hacked recently and some pretty high-profile people like Barack Obama and Elon Musk had their accounts compromised. When such a powerful tech company as Twitter gets taken like that, the first impulse is to assume it's some band of sophisticated hackers or a rogue nation employing some leading-edge network penetration technology that does the damage. But in the case of Twitter, as with most high-profile attacks, nothing could be further from the truth. Now that the truth has come out, we know that the person who has been arrested as the mastermind behind the attack is a 17-year-old from Tampa, Florida. And his technology of choice for causing such havoc? Phishing, of course. It's almost always phishing. Now, to pull off such a successful phishing attack, required the hackers to gain access to at least one of the more than 1,000 Twitter employees who "had access to internal tools that could change user account settings and hand control to others." But to accomplish such a feat, did the hackers have to phish one of these employees? Surprisingly not. According to HelpNetSecurity, "To pull off the attack, attackers had to obtain access to Twitter’s... --- #### When it Comes to Phishing You Can no Longer Trust Trusted Services URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-phishing-you-can-no-longer-trust-trusted-services/ Description: When it Comes to Phishing You Can no Longer Trust Trusted Services: At this point, it's probably impossible to find a company that doesn't rely on some. At this point, it's probably impossible to find a company that doesn't rely on some cloud-based trusted services. Trusted services are services offered by companies so well recognized and respected, that we never give it another thought whether to trust them or not. Companies like Google, Microsoft and Dropbox. We all use them and we all trust them. And that's exactly what hackers are counting on. One of the fastest growing email security threats today are phishing attacks that takes advantage of these trusted services. Why do hackers use these trusted services? Because users trust them, which makes it easier to slip phishing emails past email security defense. Case in point, from an article on BankInfoSecurity, "A fresh round of phishing attacks is relying on using trusted services and a well-designed social engineering scheme to trick users into enabling malware to bypass an end point's security protocols. The attack profile centers on using legitimate file-sharing websites and invoice-themed phishing attacks to steal credentials and spread malware." When it comes to launching a phishing attack, hackers use these trusted services to do double duty. First, they use them to launch the phishing email. After all, everyone trusts an email from an... --- #### The Numbers are in: You Can’t Stop Email Impersonation Without Help URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-numbers-are-in-you-cant-stop-email-impersonation-without-help/ Description: The Numbers are in: You Can’t Stop Email Impersonation Without Help: Email impersonation is one of the most prevalent and effective types of phishing. Email impersonation is one of the most prevalent and effective types of phishing attacks. Why is that? Because this type of phishing email supposedly comes from someone or some company you know, so you let your guard down. "As the professional community continues to work in a remote environment, email impersonations present the perfect way for opportunistic fraudsters to take advantage of human vulnerabilities." The numbers for email impersonation are getting out of hand, especially for a distracted workforce. According to a survey from GreatHorn, "IT professionals are required to remediate email-based attacks daily." That's up 165% compared to last year. The report collected data from over 640 security and IT professionals. How bad are email impersonation attacks? More than a third of respondents said it was their number one email threat in 2020. What makes it so bad is how effective it is. "Both people and brand impersonations remain difficult to detect as they appeal to authority and urgency, utilize a known contact name and depend on the systematic lack of education among non-technical recipients." The need to remediate so many emails has put a strain on every IT team. "Due to this increase, 33.6% of respondents said they... --- #### Biggest Heist In Twitter’s History: How Cyber Adversaries Used Coordinated Social Engineering Attack To Target Verified Twitter Accounts Of Celebrities URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/biggest-heist-twitters-history-cyber-adversaries-coordinated-social-engineering-attack-target-verified-twitter-accounts-celebrities/ Description: , the adversaries could successfully barge into some of the most popular accounts of the San Francisco-based social networking platform Twitter. On the 15th of July, 2020 , the adversaries could successfully barge into some of the most popular accounts of the San Francisco-based social networking platform Twitter. The attackers infiltrated despite Twitter's phishing attack prevention measures and used this access to Twitter's database to hack celebrity Twitter Accounts. This attack has taken the internet by storm as many renowned faces have become its victims. Although Twitter is adopting the phishing prevention best practices, it is unsure whether they will be able to combat the long term effects of this historic breach- A high time organizations must adopt innovative anti-phishing solutions. So, What Exactly Happened? A notification from Twitter's handle @TwitterSupport surprised all of its users on Wednesday, 15th of July when they cracked it to the world that accounts of prominent figures, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk have been compromised in a latest cyber attack. After the initial investigation, Twitter found and revealed that it was a coordinated social engineering attack. The attackers first compromised a few of Twitter's employee accounts to gain access to their internal systems and tools, which then enabled them to access all Twitter accounts under the sun. Who Were The Victims Of This Attack?... --- #### Something New: The Dual Impersonation Business Email Compromise Scam URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/something-new-the-dual-impersonation-business-email-compromise-scam/ Description: Something New: The Dual Impersonation Business Email Compromise Scam: As far as phishing emails go, business email compromise BEC are amongst the most. As far as phishing emails go, business email compromise (BEC) are amongst the most sophisticated. In BEC, "typically an attack targets specific employee roles within an organization by sending a spoof email which fraudulently represents a senior colleague (CEO or similar) or a trusted customer." BEC attacks take time and planning and patience. After all, the attackers are attempting to impersonate a real person, so they have to be very convincing. Now word comes from ZDNet of a sophisticated new group of Russian hackers targeting big companies around the world with BEC phishing emails. Their clever new twist? They're attempting to impersonate two people. According to the article, "the initial emails detail a supposed acquisition of an Asian company, which the person receiving the email is told is both time-sensitive and secret, so shouldn't be discussed with anyone else." But here's where things get clever. "Following the initial email, the CEO' then CCs in a lawyer to help complete the financial transaction. The emails from law firms [are] almost entirely based on real practices in the UK. It's after the lawyer' is involved that the attack finally attempts to coerce the victim into transferring the hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions,... --- #### Will Office 365 Email Ever Be Safe? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/will-office-365-email-ever-be-safe/ Description: Will Office 365 Email Ever Be Safe?: Probably not. Office 365 has two things going against it when it comes to safe email. First, it's the most targeted. Probably not. Office 365 has two things going against it when it comes to safe email. First, it's the most targeted platform, so it's always getting the hackers' best shot. Second, it doesn't have a particularly good traffic record of producing effective email defense. An example of the first issue is the recent phishing attack on Office 365 remote workers as reported by Malwaretips. According to the article, "Microsoft Office 365 customers are targeted by a phishing campaign using bait messages camouflaged as notifications sent by their organization to update the VPN configuration they use to access company assets while working from home. These phishing messages are a lot more dangerous because of the huge influx of employees working remotely and using VPNs to connect to company resources from home for sharing documents with their colleagues and accessing their orgs' servers." As soon as there is a vehicle for a new phishing attack (e.g., increase in remote workers), hackers immediately get to work using it to exploit Office 365 email. It just comes with the territory. An example of the second issue is hackers using an old exploit to target Office 365 email users. According to Trinity Networx, "Hackers have... --- #### When it Comes to Phishing Attacks Hackers Get You Coming and Going URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-phishing-attacks-hackers-get-you-coming-and-going/ Description: When it Comes to Phishing Attacks Hackers Get You Coming and Going: Before COVID-19, pretty much everyone worked in an office so that's where hackers aimed. Before COVID-19, pretty much everyone worked in an office so that's where hackers aimed their phishing attacks. They used spear phishing and business email compromise (BEC) techniques to steal credentials and to steal money. And then something strange happened: everyone started working from home. Once everyone started working remotely due to the coronavirus, that's where the hackers went after them because remote workers are even more vulnerable working from home (WFH). COVID-19 themed emails targeting WFH employees with promises of face masks or investments in fake companies claiming to be developing vaccines were very common. And then something strange happened: employees started returning to the office. You'll never guess where the hackers are focusing their phishing attacks now: workers returning to the office. They get you coming and going. In an article from TechRepublic, "Now that organizations in some parts of the world are trying to reopen, recent phishing attacks observed by the cyber threat intelligence provider Check Point Research are targeting employees returning to the office." What's the theme of these latest phishing attacks? Employee COVID-19 testing. From the article, "Organizations welcoming back workers are enacting testing programs and workplace rules to guard against COVID-19 infections. To prepare employees,... --- #### The Scary Phishing Attack on Bank of America URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-scary-phishing-attack-on-bank-of-america/ Description: The Scary Phishing Attack on Bank of America: Just detecting a phishing attack on a bank isn't an extraordinary event. There are dozens of phishing attacks. Just detecting a phishing attack on a bank isn't an extraordinary event. There are dozens of phishing attacks per week targeted at the major international banks. As phishing targets go, banks are just too enticing for hackers to ignore. And banks, for the most part, understand the threat and are prepared to deal with most attacks. Most! There are technologies available specifically designed to thwart phishing attacks. These include SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKey Identified Mail) and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). DMARC, an industry standard that flags messages where the “from” field in an email header has been tampered, in particular is good for stopping phishing attacks. Well, it used to be. According to an article on Threat Post, "A credential-phishing attempt that relies on impersonating Bank of America has emerged in the U.S. this month, with emails that get around secure gateway protections and heavy-hitting protections like DMARC." DMARC "ensures emails are authenticated before they reach users’ mailboxes and confirms that they have been sent from legitimate sources. If configured correctly, potential phishing emails can be stopped at the gateway, or redirected to the junk folder." But this phishing attack bypassed the gateway even with... --- #### What Follows COVID Phishing Attacks? Black Lives Matter Phishing Attacks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-follows-covid-phishing-attacks-black-lives-matter-phishing-attacks/ Description: If it's in the news, it's a phishing attack waiting to happen. First, it was the popularity of the show Game of Thrones. Then it was the new Star Wars sequel. If it's in the news, it's a phishing attack waiting to happen. First, it was the popularity of the show Game of Thrones. Then it was the new Star Wars sequel. More recently it was the fear of COVID-19. And now, in response to all the recent protests over police brutality, it's the Black Lives Matter movement. Apparently, hackers get their ideas for phishing attacks from the news. The most recent phishing campaign asks "you to vote anonymously about Black Lives Matter," but in reality, all it's really doing is "spreading the TrickBot information-stealing malware. Started as a banking Trojan, the TrickBot has evolved to perform a variety of malicious behavior." How does this scam work? An email pretending to be from "Country administration" asks recipients to vote anonymous about Black Lives Matter. "The email states, Leave a review confidentially about Black Lives Matter' and then prompts recipients to fill out and return an attached document named e-voteform3438.doc." "When a recipient opens the Word document, they will be greeted with a message stating that they need to click on the Enable Editing' and Enable Content' buttons to view the contents properly. Once they click on these buttons, the Word document... --- #### How To Protect Your SMBs (Small Medium Businesses) From Phishing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-smbs-small-medium-businesses-from-phishing/ Description: How To Protect Your SMBs (Small Medium Businesses) From Phishing: In the 21st century, enterprises are facing a severe threat from people they have not met. In the 21st century, enterprises are facing a severe threat from people they have not met, and may never meet. Digitalization means the bad guys no longer have to be present at the site of their crimes. As a result, tight security at the office premises and money kept in the safe are not enough insurance against cyber thieves. The Need To Protect SMBs From Cyber Attacks A majority of businesses today run their operations online and have sensitive information in databases. Organizations big or small are willing to protect this data from any breach to happen, a business, no matter how big or small, is vulnerable to cyber crimes. A successful attack, though very costly, may not necessarily deal the final blow to large corporations; however, the same cannot be said for Small Medium Businesses (SMBs) for whom a single attack may be enough to put them out of operation. More than 28 million small businesses exist in the US alone, and an estimated 90 percent of them don’t have adequate measures to protect against phishing on their data and those of their clients. Unsurprisingly, attackers managed to breach half of these SMBs in the US in 2016 alone.... --- #### The Perfect Phishing Setup: A VPN Configuration from the IT Department URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-perfect-phishing-setup-a-vpn-configuration-from-the-it-department/ Description: The Perfect Phishing Setup: A VPN Configuration from the IT Department: Hackers are always trying different ways to get you to let your guard down. In that. Hackers are always trying different ways to get you to let your guard down. In that endeavor, they try to leverage the current state of affairs to craft their phishing attack. For instance, today many people are working from home who normally wouldn't be. Hackers use that information to launch their phishing attack, like the one supposedly delivering a new VPN configuration. People working from home for the first time may not have a lot of experience doing that, but they quickly learn that they need a VPN (virtual private network) to securely communicate with the main office. So, if they receive an email from the company's IT department informing them that they need to update their VPN configuration, it is a perfectly logical email to receive. And that's exactly why it's being used to phish employees right now. According to Help Net Security, "Phishers are impersonating companies’ IT support team and sending fake VPN configuration change notifications in the hopes that remote employees may be tricked into providing their Office 365 login credentials. The sender email address is spoofed to impersonate the domain of the targets’ respective organizations. The link provided in the email allegedly directs to a new... --- #### Why Remote Workers are so Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-remote-workers-are-so-vulnerable-to-phishing-attacks/ Description: Why Remote Workers are so Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks: Workers suddenly finding themselves working remotely are extremely vulnerable to phishing attacks . Workers suddenly finding themselves working remotely are extremely vulnerable to phishing attacks. This is due to a unique combination of two factors that amplify the problem: bigger target and poorer security behavior. The first factor making remote workers move vulnerable is that hackers are going after them more vigorously now that they're working remotely. This is especially true of hackers leveraging the Google brand. According to an article on National Cybersecurity News, "Remote workers are being bombarded' with Google-branded spear phishing attacks. This is according to a new report from Barracuda Networks, which claims that in the first four months of the year, almost two thirds of spear phishing attacks that impersonated big name brands were Google-themed." The second factor making remote workers more vulnerable is that it seems that once they're out of the office, employees aren't as security conscious as they were while at the office. Perhaps this is because they feel that since they are outside the perimeter of the company, they're not putting the organization at risk, which is far from the truth. According to an article on Help Net Security, "Employees [are] abandoning security when working remotely. 48% of employees are less likely to follow... --- #### Phishing: A Threat To Your Business And Employees URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-a-threat-to-your-business-and-employees/ Description: With the growing dependence on technology in today’s digital world, phishing attacks are also evolving by each passing the day. With the growing dependence on technology in today’s digital world, phishing attacks are also evolving by each passing the day. For those who refuse to accept this claim, we have broken down the 2019 version of the Phishing and Fraud statistics, to prove that, so far, phishing has been the most extensive cyber threat to every large or small enterprise. In phishing scams, humans are the most vulnerable. Everyone from employees on a simple entry-level position to the CEO or even members of the board of directors could be the primary target and also the victims of phishing scams, which skilled hackers explicitly plan to target the organizations. Email Fraud Statistics, 2019 - Sixty per cent of the current population in the US has been exposed to such scam or security breaches at least once in their lifetime. - Every year, organizations spend over $13 million to deal with the consequences of such sophisticated attacks. - If you think that large businesses are the only ones affected, then consider this, small businesses spend an average of $500 every year on safeguarding themselves from malicious phishing attacks. - It can take as long as 50 days to discover or report a... --- #### 10 Ways Hackers are Using Coronavirus to Phish You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ten-ways-hackers-are-using-coronavirus-to-phish-you/ Description: 10 Ways Hackers are Using Coronavirus to Phish You: COVID-19 has been a goldrush for hackers looking to exploit the epidemic . Almost every aspect of what's. COVID-19 has been a goldrush for hackers looking to exploit the epidemic. Almost every aspect of what's unfolded has presented hackers with new and creative ways to phish you. People are fearful, they're working from home and under a lot of stress. That makes for a perfect target for hackers. Here are the top ten ways hackers are using the pandemic to phish you. It would be nice if these were the only ten. They're not, there's more. #1 Free Money Everybody knows about the stimulus checks offered by the U.S. government to most workers, which means hackers know about it too. And they've been using it to phish you. From the WKRG web site, “The FBI is also warning about another kind of scam-email phishing scams over coronavirus and economic stimulus checks. The agency says to look out for phishing emails asking you to verify your personal information in order to receive an economic stimulus check from the government.” The email is not from the government, it's from a hacker. #2 Web Conferencing For many people working from home, they're using web conferencing software for the very first time. So, they're not experienced with the procedures and protocols for... --- #### More Bad News for Microsoft 365 Users URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/more-bad-news-for-microsoft-365-users/ Description: As we've written about many times before, Microsoft Office 365's native security does not do a very good job of protecting you from phishing attacks which. As we've written about many times before, Microsoft Office 365's native security does not do a very good job of protecting you from phishing attacks which makes Office 365 extremely vulnerable to them. Now comes news of a targeted email phishing attack specifically designed to bypass the already vulnerable Office 365 security. "The attack is a variant of PerSwaysion', a recent spate of credential phishing attacks that utilize compromised accounts and leverage Microsoft file-sharing services to lull victims into a false sense of security." The culprit here is Microsoft's file hosting service OneDrive, which is used as the main conduit for the phishing attack. "By using OneNote to host the final OneDrive phishing link the people behind the attack hope to convince victims to hand over their credentials. The attackers also created a new domain for the link in this attack, so it got past any filters that were created to block known bad links. The link in the email led to multiple web pages that were painstakingly made to resemble legitimate Microsoft pages." This is a classic example of why Microsoft is such a big target and why they are so vulnerable to phishing attacks. Microsoft's attack surface is... --- #### Phishing is Changing but Defense Remains the Same URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-is-changing-but-defense-remains-the-same/ Description: Phishing is Changing but Defense Remains the Same: One of the challenges to stopping phishing attacks is that hackers used to be really nimble. They would. One of the challenges to stopping phishing attacks is that hackers used to be really nimble. They would use a new domain for each phishing attack, often keeping it active for only a few hours before retiring it forever. This fleet footedness enabled the hackers to do their dirty work before word got out about the malicious website. That situation seems to be changing. According to an article on Help Net Security, hackers are actually getting lazy, as evidenced by the increasing number of phishing websites blocked. From the article, "This sharp upsurge in the number of blockages stems from the growing duration of phishing attacks: cybercriminals used to stop their fraudulent campaign as soon as their web pages were blocked, quickly mobilizing efforts for attacks on other brands. Today, they no longer dwell on it and continue replacing removed pages with new ones." What's the source of this new "laziness"? "Several years ago, creators of phishing pages were likely to have some technical background, they created phishing pages, putting much effort into the launch of their campaigns, preventing them from being detected and relentlessly supporting their sustainability." That's no longer the case. Today, "those pioneers no longer create phishing... --- #### Sophisticated New Tactic Makes Phishing Emails Harder to Detect URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/sophisticated-new-tactic-makes-phishing-emails-harder-to-detect/ Description: You've seen reCAPTCHA. It's the image verification software that asks you to click on the cars or the crosswalks to verify you're a human being and not a bot. You've seen reCAPTCHA. It's the image verification software that asks you to click on the cars or the crosswalks to verify you're a human being and not a bot. It's a service now owned by Google. Seeing reCAPTCHA software on a website probably gives most people a sense of security. Afterall, the website is protecting itself from malicious activity with the software. And that's exactly why hackers have started using reCAPTCHA to launch phishing attacks. Because it gets you to let your guard down. According to an article on Help Net Security, "Cyber scammers are starting to use legitimate reCAPTCHA walls to disguise malicious content from email security systems. Sophisticated scammers are starting to use the Google-owned service to prevent automated URL analysis systems from accessing the actual content of phishing pages." This is a serious phishing threat. One of the most effective ways to stop phishing attacks is to first run the email through a URL analysis system to assess whether or not the URL leads to a phishing page. This reCAPTCHA tactic keeps that from happening. Only after you solve the reCAPTCHA are you "redirected to the actual phishing page, which spoofs the appearance of a common Microsoft... --- #### Zoom isn’t the Only Video Conferencing Service Being Targeted by Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/zoom-isnt-the-only-video-conferencing-service-being-targeted-by-phishing-attacks/ Description: If you've been paying attention, you know that the Zoom video conferencing service has been in the news a lot recently as a prime target for phishing attacks. If you've been paying attention, you know that the Zoom video conferencing service has been in the news a lot recently as a prime target for phishing attacks. This is the result of more people working from home due to COVID-19. Thousands of potential phishing sites have been created to target Zoom users as its usage has soared. With all the headlines, you might get the idea that Zoom is the only video conferencing service being targeted by hackers. Unfortunately, hackers are more ambitious than that. Other popular services, including WebEx and Skype, are also under attack. According to an article on Help Net Security, "Not only are attackers using video conferencing brands as a lure for malware, but they’re using it for credential phishing, in particular to steal Zoom and WebEx credentials." In the case of WebEx (a Cisco company), "The fake emails purportedly coming from Cisco are a mishmash of unconnected visual elements and subject lines that command attention (e.g., “Critical Update!” or “Alert!”)." Skype is in the same boat as WebEx. According to Threat Post , "Remote workers are being warned of a new phishing campaign targeting their Skype passwords. The phishing emails look eerily similar' to... --- #### Hackers Now Going After Software Tools Which Help Workers Collaborate URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/hackers-now-going-after-software-tools-which-help-workers-collaborate/ Description: In business today we use software in almost everything we do. What’s proven to be especially useful is web-based software or software-as-a-service (SaaS). In business today we use software in almost everything we do. What's proven to be especially useful is web-based software or software-as-a-service (SaaS). It would be almost impossible to find someone in business who isn't using at least some SaaS tools. From email (Gmail) to communication (Skype) to file sharing (Dropbox), SaaS tools have become a staple of office productivity. One particular category of SaaS tools is collaboration. This is software that enables teams - especially remote teams like we have today - to work together on and communicate about projects. Two of the more popular SaaS collaboration tools are GitHub and Slack. GitHub is a repository and version control tool which helps software teams develop software together. Slack is a communications portal built around "channels," which are groups of people with something in common. Hackers are now targeting SaaS products in general and these two SaaS tools in particular with phishing attacks. It's somewhat surprising, since these tools are used by some of the most sophisticated technology people around and those most likely to sniff out a phishing attack. However, as organizations continue to adopt more cloud-based applications, SaaS sprawl becomes a real concern, increasing the attack surface and... --- #### There’s More Than Just COVID-19 Phishing Emails Out There URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/theres-more-than-just-covid-19-phishing-emails-out-there/ Description: COVID-19 is certainly grabbing the majority share of the headlines today. And why not? Afterall, it is a worldwide pandemic. COVID-19 is certainly grabbing the majority share of the headlines today. And why not? Afterall, it is a worldwide pandemic. If you've been paying attention, you'll also notice COVID-19 is responsible for a majority of the phishing email headlines. And why not? Afterall, hackers tend to "follow the news," so it's not surprising the dramatic increase in coronavirus-themed phishing emails. In fact, you could get the idea that coronavirus-themed phishing emails are the only phishing email attacks happening today, or at least the majority of them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite Microsoft claiming to see 60,000 phishing emails each day that carry COVID-19 related malicious attachments or malicious URLs, such emails represent only a small fraction of the total number of daily phishing emails. According to Microsoft, "given the millions of malicious emails observed on a daily basis to target hundreds of thousands of users, that [COVID-19] number amounts to less than two percent of the total volume of threats." FireEye agrees. According to the company, "COVID-19 content is still only used in two percent of malicious emails." According to Microsoft, the overall volume of phishing emails is remaining relatively constant. What's changing is the number leveraging... --- #### Hackers Leveraging Other Services to Supercharge Coronavirus Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/hackers-leveraging-other-services-to-supercharge-coronavirus-phishing-scams/ Description: Hackers Leveraging Other Services to Supercharge Coronavirus Phishing Scams: The world is starting to wake up to the onslaught of coronavirus-themed phishing. The world is starting to wake up to the onslaught of coronavirus-themed phishing emails. According to Check Point, "Since January 2020, there have been over 4,000 coronavirus-related domains registered globally. Coronavirus-related domains are 50% more likely to be malicious than other domains registered at the same period." Consequently, it's getting harder for hackers to phish victims simply by scaring them with a coronavirus email. So, what are hackers doing now? Taking their exploits to the next level by leveraging other services to scam victims while using coronavirus as the "excuse" for the phishing email. The first example of this is the Netflix Covid-19 phishing scam. In this scam, victims receive an email telling them that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix "will give out 3 months of Netflix Premium to help you spend more time at home." And of course, the email comes with a link to click on for more information. It's a scam. Bottom line: "Netflix is not offering free streaming for three months and are advising people not to click on the link and just delete it." But hackers know that not everybody knows that. Another example of this leveraging other services is "Cyber criminals trying to... --- #### COVID-19 Fear Leads to Trickledown Phishing Scams URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/covid-19-fear-leads-to-trickledown-phishing-scams/ Description: COVID-19 Fear Leads to Trickledown Phishing Scams: One of the fastest-growing security threats today is coronavirus-based phishing scams . Here, scammers use. One of the fastest-growing security threats today is coronavirus-based phishing scams. Here, scammers use people's fear of the virus to get them to do something they shouldn't. According to an article on TechRepublic, "There has been a steady increase in the number of coronavirus COVID-19-related email attacks since January, according to security firm Barracuda Networks, but researchers have observed a recent spike in this type of attack, up a whopping 667% since the end of February. Skilled attackers are good at leveraging emotions to elicit response to their phishing attempts." These types of attacks are "direct" attacks, using the fear of coronavirus to scam the victim. For example, "Many of the scams Barracuda Sentinel detected were looking to sell coronavirus cures or face masks or asking for investments in fake companies that claimed to be developing vaccines." That was the first wave. What's happening now, the second wave, are the "trickle down" phishing scams which use the fallout of the pandemic to launch the attacks. What does a trickle down phishing scam look like? How about the promise of a stimulus check as a result of the economic slowdown due to coronavirus? From WJRG's website, "The FBI is also warning... --- #### Coronavirus Requires Two Quarantines URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/coronavirus-requires-two-quarantines/ Description: Coronavirus Requires Two Quarantines: By now, everyone has heard of COVID-19, the coronavirus rapidly spreading across the globe . In response to this. By now, everyone has heard of COVID-19, the coronavirus rapidly spreading across the globe. In response to this fast-moving coronavirus, the international medical community has come up with a pretty simple, but effective way to stop it: quarantine. In other words, isolate yourself to keep from getting infected. And it seems to be working. As hard as it may be to believe, there may actually be something spreading even faster than COVID-19. Coronavirus-themed scams and phishing attacks. And it's only going to get worse because more people are working from home where they have even less protection from these threats than they do at work. How bad are things getting? According to Reuters, "Victims in the United Kingdom have lost more than 800,000 pounds ($1 million) to coronavirus-linked scams since last month, with criminals tricking fearful people who wanted to buy protective masks. Scammers had sent coronavirus-themed phishing emails which purported to be from research organizations linked to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO)." These attacks started almost the minute COVID-19 did. From an article on Help Net Security, attackers have "been tricking users with fake email notifications and fake alerts impersonating local authorities, the... --- #### How Chatbots Became a Phishing Tool URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-chatbots-becomne-a-phishing-tool/ Description: How Chatbots Became a Phishing Tool: Whenever someone develops technology to help people, you can be sure that eventually, hackers will figure out some way. Whenever someone develops technology to help people, you can be sure that eventually, hackers will figure out some way to use that same technology to phish people. Such is the case now with customer service chatbots. Customer service chatbots are software-driven instant messaging apps which are designed to convince you that you are having a conversation with a real person. They are frequently found on ecommerce websites as a first line of customer support. It is not uncommon when you interact with a chatbot the response will include instructions to click on a link (in the window) and enter information. It's that simple chatbot interaction that hackers have seized upon to launch a phishing attack. According to an article on Bleeping Computer, "An intricate phishing scam is utilizing a customer service' chatbot that walks its victims through filling out the various forms so that the attackers can steal their information, credit card numbers, and bank account information." This is how it works. "After submitting requested information such as the victim's name, address, last four digits of passport number, and payment details, the fake support rep tells the victim that something strange has happened as their information cannot be found in... --- #### Sometimes When You go Phishing You Catch a Shark URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/sometimes-when-you-go-phishing-you-can-catch-a-shark/ Description: Sometimes When You go Phishing You Catch a Shark: It's easy to assume that someone who is rich and famous is also tech savvy, but that's not always the case. It's easy to assume that someone who is rich and famous is also tech savvy, but that's not always the case. Take for example the news this week that Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran lost almost $400,000 in a phishing scam. According to an article in People Magazine, "The incident unfolded last week when Barbara’s bookkeeper received an email about an invoice approving the payment for a real estate renovation.'" Corcoran admitted she was duped. "I lost the $388,700 as a result of a fake email chain sent to my company. It was an invoice supposedly sent by my assistant to my bookkeeper approving the payment for a real estate renovation. There was no reason to be suspicious as I invest in a lot of real estate.” This is such a brilliant example of perfect social engineering that it should be studied in universities for years to come. What makes for great social engineering? A phishing email so believable that nobody even stops to question it. It's the type of email that the victim actually expects to receive during the normal course of their business. And as a result, they never even question it. Ms. Corcoran can expect more of... --- #### Phishing Attacks Get Really Scary When They Stop Attacking People and Start Attacking Systems URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-get-really-scary-when-they-stop-attacking-people-and-start-attacking-systems/ Description: When you think about phishing attacks, most people think the ultimate goal is to get the victim's credentials and use them to possibly impersonate them or. When you think about phishing attacks, most people think the ultimate goal is to get the victim's credentials and use them to possibly impersonate them or steal their money. And mostly, that's true. We hardly ever think that the ultimate target of a phishing attack might be an inanimate object. But more and more it's becoming the case. And it's getting pretty frightening. There's a report out this week that "A ransomware infection at a natural gas compression facility in the United States resulted in a two-day operational shutdown of an entire pipeline asset, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed on Tuesday." The agency said "the attackers used spear-phishing to gain initial access to the facility’s IT network, after which they managed to make their way to the OT network. The hackers then deployed commodity ransomware that encrypted files to Windows machines on both the IT and OT networks." Natural gas stopped moving because of a phishing attack at a compression facility. According to the article, "A compression facility helps transport natural gas from one location to another through a pipeline. Natural gas needs to be highly pressurized during transportation, and compression facilities along... --- #### How Something Meant to Protect Your Mobile Device is Being Used to Phish You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-something-meant-to-protect-your-mobile-device-is-being-used-to-phish-you/ Description: Since mobile devices are essentially computers, it didn’t take long to figure out they needed to be protected like computers. Since mobile devices are essentially computers, it didn’t take long to figure out they needed to be protected like computers. That's especially true given how frequently users download apps from the app store onto their mobile devices. One example of mobile protection is Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect is Google's built-in malware protection for Android devices. When you download an app from the Google Playstore, Google Play Protect automatically scans your device and makes sure your apps and everything else are safe. Sounds pretty good. Users place a lot of trust in Google Play Protect, and unfortunately, that trust is being used against you to get you to lower your defenses to a phishing attack. According to a recent article on Bleeping Computer, "Android users are targeted in a phishing campaign that will infect their devices with the Anubis banking Trojan that can steal financial information from more than 250 banking and shopping applications. The campaign uses a devious method to get the potential victims to install the malware on their devices: it asks them to enable Google Play Protect while actually disabling it after being granted permissions on the device." Did you catch that? Google Play Protect is... --- #### Hackers Use Recent Tragedies to Target Phishing Victims URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/hackers-use-recent-tragedies-to-target-phishing-victims/ Description: Hackers have no soul. They will use any means available to target victims with phishing emails, including seizing on the latest widely-known tragedies. Hackers have no soul. They will use any means available to target victims with phishing emails, including seizing on the latest widely-known tragedies. And you have to be aware of it. On January 26th, Kobe Bryant, an internationally-recognized sports superstar died in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles. It didn't take long for the heartless hackers to try and take advantage of the tragic event. According to KDBJ7 in Virginia, "BBB warns of phishing and clickbait scams following the death of Kobe Bryant. The sender claims to be from a reputable news organization capitalizing on trending news with an exclusive video, image, or document they want to share with you. These links can lead users to a malicious website once clicked." This use of "clickbait" to scam victims is nothing new, just the headlines change. Another recent tragedy hackers are trying to take advantage of to phish people is the spread of the Coronavirus. According to Wired Magazine, "Amid international efforts to contain transmission of the virus, online scammers have already begun exploiting the uncertainty and fear." In this case, hackers were promising information on how to protect yourself from the virus. From the article, "A sample phishing email from... --- #### The News Gets Worse for Victims of Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-news-gets-worse-for-victims-of-ransomware/ Description: Hackers using ransomware to extort money from victims used to have a fairly straightforward playbook: gain access to the victims data. Hackers using ransomware to extort money from victims used to have a fairly straightforward playbook: gain access to the victims data, encrypt it and promise to decrypt it for the ransom. That by itself caused all kinds of havoc. From Laporte, Indiana to Baltimore, Maryland, companies and municipalities found themselves scrambling to figure out how to decrypt their own data, or whether or not they should pay the ransom. And as bad as things got, these victims still had one thing going for them. While they couldn't get to their data, nobody else could either, so at least it was safe from widespread public disclosure. Not anymore. According to Bleeping Computer, there has now been a series of three different ransomware attacks, Sodinokibi, Maze, and now the latest one, Nemty, which plan to leak data if the ransom isn't paid. And if you don't think these hackers are serious, "the operators behind the Sodinokibi Ransomware have released files stolen from one of their victims because a ransom was not paid in time." The victim? "Artech Information Systems, who describe themselves as a minority- and women-owned diversity supplier and one of the largest IT staffing companies in the U.S." Do these... --- #### If You’re Retired, be Wary of This Scam URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/if-youre-retired-be-wary-of-this-scam/ Description: If you're a retired U.S. citizen, there's a pretty good chance you collect monthly Social Security benefits. And if you do, there's something you should know. If you're a retired U.S. citizen, there's a pretty good chance you collect monthly Social Security benefits. And if you do, there's something you should know. Hackers are coming after your money. From an article on the AARP website, "Crooks are turning to email as a way to steal Social Security benefits, often including official-looking attachments to make them seem legit, a new warning from the government says." First it was the phone, now it's email. How bad it is? The Social Security Administration says it received more than 1,200 phishing complaints a day for the period ending September 20, 2019. That's just the ones they know about. To make things more believable, according to AARP, "The fraudsters may threaten you with arrest or claim that they can increase your benefit in an effort to get you to send them money. Typically, they ask for payment via gift cards, cash, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers or even bitcoin." That should be the first clue it's a scam. If someone is asking a retiree for bitcoin, it's probably not legitimate. The Social Security Administration does remind retirees that they will never send an email asking the recipient to provide personal data,... --- #### The Newest Phishing Tactic Designed to Get You to Click URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-newest-phishing-tactic-designed-to-get-you-to-click/ Description: The Newest Phishing Tactic Designed to Get You to Click: Phishing is a pretty straightforward scam. Get victims to click on a link they shouldn't. In that. Phishing is a pretty straightforward scam. Get victims to click on a link they shouldn't. In that regard, hackers never stop evolving and coming up with clever new ways to trick victims into clicking. And it seems they've done it again. The trick of course is to make a malicious URL look legitimate. In that endeavor, hackers are now using the date to make phishing URLs look normal. According to an article on PCMag website, "Scammers have been incorporating the date into their malicious internet domains to help them spoof legitimate websites." According to computer expert Terence Eden, who first noticed the phishing attempt, "he was surprised that the URL contained the letters jan02,' or the same date the message was sent to his wife. This helped the message look even more convincing." This is really nothing more than a sophisticated variant of, domain name spoofing a top phishing tactic. Phishers will try every tactic imaginable to get you to click on a legitimate-looking link. And eventually they will convince you. So, how do you protect yourself from this tactic and whatever new tactic the hackers come up with in the future? By using technology that doesn't get tricked into... --- #### Bad News for Phishing Attacks: AI is Coming URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/bad-news-for-phishing-attacks-ai-is-coming/ Description: If you're responsible for email security at your company, then you're acutely aware of the role that social engineering) plays in effective phishing attacks. If you're responsible for email security at your company, then you're acutely aware of the role that social engineering) plays in effective phishing attacks. Social engineering is not a technology hack, it's psychology hack. It doesn't exploit technological weakness, it exploits human weakness. You can be sure the next phishing attack launched upon your organization will have, at its roots, social engineering. Up till now, the limit on social engineering exploits has been, ironically, human ingenuity. Humans are only so clever and creative, especially when it comes to impersonation, the key component in social engineering. Unfortunately, hackers are about to get a gigantic boost in this area thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), which will be used increasingly to launch sophisticated phishing attacks through impersonated social engineering. According to an article on Infotech, "AI is improving the standard of impersonation and call monitoring for vishing attacks (telephone phishing). As an example, an attacker can find a video of a CEO speaking at an event, grab it off social media and then use a voice snippet to create a voice key that works on voice-activated devices and platforms. Even if there are no recordings online, a skilled hacker can still find ways... --- #### May the Force Be With You - That Force is a Phishing Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/may-the-force-be-with-you-that-force-is-a-phishing-attack/ Description: The newest Star Wars movie due out this week, The Rise of Skywalker, could just as easily be titled The Rise of Hackers. The newest Star Wars movie due out this week, The Rise of Skywalker, could just as easily be titled The Rise of Hackers, because they're using the release of the over-hyped movie to target fans with a phishing attack. As reported in SC Magazine, "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is just being released into theaters today but cybercriminals were already assembling fake websites and social media profiles to deliver malware to fans, instead of something useful like the Death Star’s plans." Furthermore, "Kaspersky researchers have found 30 fraudulent websites and social media profiles disguised as official movie accounts advertising free copies of the film, but in fact collect credit card data under the pretense of registering for the ability to download or view the movie. So far, 83 users have already been affected by 65 malicious files disguised as copies of the upcoming movie." This isn't the first time that hackers have used the most hyped entertainment event to target victims in a phishing attack. Earlier this year, hackers used the excitement around the Game of Thrones to target fans of the popular TV show. And the tactics used in that attack were eerily similar to the ones targeting... --- #### The Latest Popular Service to Serve You up Phishing Emails: Spotify URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-latest-popular-service-to-serve-you-up-phishing-emails-spotify/ Description: The Latest Popular Service to Serve You up Phishing Emails: Spotify: If it's a popular consumer service, you can bet that eventually, hackers will use it in. If it's a popular consumer service, you can bet that eventually, hackers will use it in phishing attacks. First it was Netflix, then it was Instagram and then Google and now Spotify. Almost all communication with the services you use today is via email. Hackers know it, and that's why phishing attacks aren't going away any time soon. This time, it's hackers going after Spotify customers with a phishing email that warns you that your payment didn't go through. According to 9News, the email arrives "Complete with the Spotify username and branding, the email advises customers their account has been suspended as payment couldn't be made." The email goes on to say "We're sad to see you go. We couldn't take your payment, so we have paused your subscription for now. You will start hearing ads and you can no longer listen to your favorite songs offline. The good news is Premium is just a click away." Of course the hackers make it easy for you to get phished. "A button is provided for customers to reactivate premium Spotify, with unsuspecting recipients who click the link being led to a fake Spotify-branded phishing page that asks for their login details.... --- #### How Hotels Leave You Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-hotels-leave-you-vulnerable-to-phishing-attacks/ Description: How Hotels Leave You Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks: If you invest in phishing protection software, which you should, you probably think you're safe from. If you invest in phishing protection software, which you should, you probably think you’re safe from phishing attacks. It would be nice if that were true, but it's not. Unfortunately, we live in a tightly-coupled financial ecosystem where vulnerability to one of us is a vulnerability to all. I'll bet that when you stay at a hotel, you don't give much thought to how the hotel's vulnerability to phishing attacks can affect you. But you should. Because we live in a tightly-coupled financial ecosystem. And because the hospitality industry is under attack from cybercriminals. According to an article on the Security Week website titled Cybercrime Campaign Targeting Hospitality Sector Intensifies, "The activity associated with a cybercrime campaign targeting hospitality companies has intensified this year. Referred to as RevengeHotels and active since 2015, the campaign targets hotels, hostels, hospitality and tourism companies to steal credit card information from hotel management systems and data received from popular online travel agencies such as Booking.com." Kaspersky has confirmed that more than 20 hotels are victims of the latest exploits by two groups, RevengeHotels and ProCC. The article on Secure List goes on to say that "One of the tactics used in operations by these... --- #### You’ll Never Guess What Technique Cyberspies Use to Hack into Google URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/youll-never-guess-what-technique-cyberspies-use-to-hack-into-google/ Description: You’ll Never Guess What Technique Cyberspies Use to Hack into Google: Government-backed cyberspies are always looking for a way to gain access to. Government-backed cyberspies are always looking for a way to gain access to people's sensitive information. One of their favorite targets is their Google account, since so many people store information there. And even if they don't, a Google account can be a critical access point to sensitive information stored elsewhere. So, what technique do you suppose these cyberspies prefer when it comes to hacking someone's Google account? Is it a brute force password attack? How about a SQL injection attack? Man-in-the-middle attack? Nope. None of them. When a cyberspy wants to gain access to a Google account, they use the trusted old phishing attack. More than 90% of the time. That’s right. When the most sophisticated hackers in the world want access to your Google account, they'll send you a phishing email because they know it works. How bad is this problem? From PC Magazine, "From July to September, the company sent out more than 12,000 warnings to users across the globe that government-backed attackers were trying to break into their Google accounts through phishing scams." What countries are most at risk for these kinds of attacks? Of course the US, but also Pakistan, South Korea, and Vietnam. The surprising... --- #### What Happens When a Phishing Email Isn’t? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-happens-when-a-phishing-email-isnt/ Description: Everyone's on the lookout for phishing emails today (or if they're not, they should be). Some people are on high alert and are really good at spotting them. Everyone's on the lookout for phishing emails today (or if they're not, they should be). Some people are on high alert and are really good at spotting them. Are you? What if you received an email that you were convinced was a phishing email, with all the telltale signs, but it wasn't? That's exactly what happened to customers of TriNet, one of the largest outsourced human resources providers in the United States, primarily for small-to-medium-sized businesses. TriNet sent an email to their customers' remote employees and unintentionally crafted the email in such a way that it looked very much like a phishing email. So much so, that most experts who looked at it could not be sure it was 100% safe. According to the employees at TechCrunch who analyzed the email, "There were more red flags than we could count." From an article on SC Magazine, the red flags included the following: - The TriNet logo in the email was hosted on the image-hosting site Imgur instead of the company’s own website, a trick spammers use to avoid detection. - The email contained a link to a web page with an entirely different domain than TriNet’s home page, and with... --- #### Healthcare Organizations Still Reluctant to Protect Themselves from Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/healthcare-organizations-still-reluctant-to-protect-themselves-from-phishing-attacks/ Description: What's the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Apparently the shame is on the healthcare industry. What's the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Apparently the shame is on the healthcare industry. Despite numerous successful phishing attacks on healthcare organizations affecting almost 40 million people, the industry is still not sufficiently motivated to protect itself. From Security Boulevard, "to date in 2019 there have been 326 Hacking/IT Incidents affecting some 39,050,355 individuals. Of these incidents, 208 of them have been via email phishing attacks." This is confirmed in an article on Data Breach Today. "Phishing attacks are the primary vector in many of the largest health data breaches being reported to the Department of Health and Human Services these days." How bad is it? According to Business Insider, "Last year healthcare had more cybersecurity breaches than any other industry - and it will likely intensify." That these breaches took place is not in dispute. But what is perplexing is the industry's response to them. So, what has been the industry's response? From the same Security Boulevard article, "Privacy and security are health firms’ third-highest priority." Third? What has to happen for it to move up to number one? It can't be the cost, because the cost of HIPAA... --- #### Closing on a Home Loan? You’re a Prime Target for Getting Phished URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/closing-on-a-home-loan-youre-a-prime-target-for-getting-phished/ Description: Closing on a Home Loan? You’re a Prime Target for Getting Phished: At the end of the day, most phishing emails are based on the same thing: a plausible. At the end of the day, most phishing emails are based on the same thing: a plausible financial transaction. An email shows up, it involves a financial transaction you're been expecting, you don't give it another thought, you get phished. The latest phishing scam is an email targeting homeowners seeking to secure a loan to purchase their home. According to Komo News, "It's from someone using the name Larry Conrad with First American Title in Phoenix, Arizona. The greeting doesn't address you by name but only says Hello - that's your first clue. It says the loan has been cleared to close and the preliminary closing documents are attached." To make things more convincing, ironically, "the fraudster includes a bold warning about the growing problem of real estate wire fraud to gain your trust." As things turned out, First American Title in Phoenix is a legitimate company. And the phone number and address in the email are correct. But, there is one clue to the scam, if you know what to look for. It's called domain name spoofing, and if you're smart enough to hover your mouse over the embedded link, you'll notice that it does NOT link to First... --- #### The Multiplying Effect of Vendor Email Compromise URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-multiplying-effect-of-vendor-email-compromise/ Description: The Multiplying Effect of Vendor Email Compromise: By now, most people know about the potential threat from business email compromise or BEC . With BEC. By now, most people know about the potential threat from business email compromise or BEC). With BEC, someone in a company gets their email taken over by a hacker and the hacker uses the trust implied in that email to exploit others in the company. "Formerly dubbed as Man-in-the-Email scams, BEC attackers rely heavily on social engineering tactics to trick unsuspecting employees and executives. Often, they impersonate the CEO or any executive authorized to do wire transfers." As bad as BEC is, at least it threatens just a single company - the one with the compromised email. Not being satisfied with exploiting just a single company, hackers are now taking their game to a whole new level. There is now evidence of hackers using that single email at the compromised company to exploit many companies - the companies in the compromised company's supply chain. It makes sense, too. It's just as easy to trust an email from an employee as one from a trusted supplier or customer. It's called Vendor Email Compromise (VEC) and it's becoming a very large problem. According to Agari research, as reported by Security Week, "One of the most significant emerging threats in the cyber threat... --- #### Phishers Sure are Cold-hearted URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishers-sure-are-cold-hearted/ Description: Phishers Sure are Cold-hearted: When you tell me that phishers go after large enterprises, I get it. There's a lot of valuable data there. When you tell that. When you tell me that phishers go after large enterprises, I get it. There's a lot of valuable data there. When you tell that they go after banks, cause that's where the money is, I understand. But, when you tell me they're going after relief agencies, I call them cold-hearted. That's the news making headlines from researchers at Lookout Security. According to a blog post there, they have "detected a mobile-aware phishing campaign targeting non-governmental organizations around the world, including a variety of United Nations humanitarian organizations, such as UNICEF." Perhaps what's most shocking about this campaign is that it's not new. It's ongoing, having been around for at least six months. The problem, of course, is that unlike banks and other enterprises with a large IT staff that can respond to phishing attacks, relief agencies have neither the time nor manpower (nor the budget) to do anything about it. According to an article on Help Net Security, "The phishing pages are made to look like the organizations’ Office 365 login page for employees." These pages help hackers steal credentials which enable them to penetrate the organization. And once inside, they can create all sorts of havoc. This attack is... --- #### Ransomware Statistics Present A Grim Scenario About The Vulnerabilities Of The Users URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ransomware-statistics-present-a-grim-scenario-about-the-vulnerabilities-of-the-users/ Description: Given the proliferation of the internet and e-mails as the preferred means of communication, ransomware attacks are on an upward spree. Given the proliferation of the internet and e-mails as the preferred means of communication, ransomware attacks are on an upward spree. Malware attacks 2017 show that nearly 40% of all e-mail spam contains ransomware. It brings forth the question, what exactly is ransomware? It is a malware attack that cripples the victim's files with unbreakable encryption. The cyber attacker then demands money, usually in the form of cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoins) to unlock the data. Hackers can spread ransomware through malicious e-mail attachments, infected external storage devices, infected software apps, and compromised websites. Some attacks also use remote desktop protocol and other approaches which do not rely on any user interaction. How to proceed further in the wake of a ransomware e-mail? Surprisingly, the FBI states that it is beneficial to pay up rather than try to find and eliminate the threat. However, being vigilant and taking appropriate security measures can go a long way in controlling the risk. Types Of Ransomware Attacks There are many ransomware infection methods which hackers use to extort digital currency from their victims. The most common ransomware types are: - Scareware: These type of ransomware pose as security software or tech support. - Screen... --- #### User Accounts On Netflix Hacked By The Thousands URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/user-accounts-on-netflix-hacked-by-the-thousands/ Description: User Accounts On Netflix Hacked By The Thousands: Netflix, the popular online entertainment and video streaming site, has millions of subscribers and hence. Netflix, the popular online entertainment and video streaming site, has millions of subscribers and hence is a tempting target for the cybercriminals that look to hack into email accounts to gain illegitimate access to services. When they target many, even a small percentage of success could mean something significant. Unlike massive bank robberies online by cybercriminals for money or a reconnaissance attempt to steal strategic data from large corporates, hacking Netflix does comparatively less harm if they are only looking for free Netflix account information using stolen passwords to binge watch programs streamed. However, we can never be sure if anyone is putting up Netflix accounts for sale online that can help someone open Netflix accounts for cheap prices or even a Netflix account hacked list itself. Talk about black market Netflix! Besides, you cannot rule out chances of your ending up sharing confidential financial information with the Netflix hackers, though it usually happens when you have to open new Netflix user accounts. How Are Netflix Accounts Hacked To hack into Netflix is child’s play for cybercriminals. They know how to hack a Netflix password in a matter of minutes. They use a specific mode of cyber-intrusion called ‘phishing.' In... --- #### Time for Your Yearly Performance Appraisal? Maybe not! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/time-for-your-yearly-performance-appraisal-maybe-not/ Description: Time for Your Yearly Performance Appraisal? Maybe not!: If you work at an organization, there's a pretty good chance you're in for a yearly performance. If you work at an organization, there's a pretty good chance you're in for a yearly performance appraisal. And if you are, it's likely that someone from human resources will send you an email around that time reminding you of that. But beware, that email may not be what you think it is. There's a new corporate phishing attack going on that involves hackers sending unsuspecting employees an email notifying them of their upcoming performance appraisal. The hacker's use of social engineering in this attack is very clever because they convince the victims that the appraisal is mandatory and that they might get a pay raise. So, pretty much everyone who receives it will respond to it. According to Kaspersky Labs, "The employee receives a message that appears to be from HR, recommending a performance appraisal. The text of the message contains a link to a website with an appraisal form to be filled out. The user must follow the link, log in, wait for an e-mail with additional details, and select one of three options. If the employee opens the link, they will see an HR portal login page. The victim is asked to enter their username, password, and... --- #### In Honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Here’s the Only Fact You Need to Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/in-honor-of-cybersecurity-awareness-month-heres-the-only-fact-you-need-to-know/ Description: In Honor of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Here’s the Only Fact You Need to Know: Cybersecurity is about keeping the bad guys out of your network. Two ways to penetrate a network Cybersecurity is about keeping the bad guys out of your network. Whether it's your home network or the one at work, once the bad guys get in, they can wreak all kinds of havoc. The good news, if you can call it that, is there's really only two ways to penetrate any network: exploit equipment or exploit people. If you can stop both of these, you can keep your network safe. Vulnerability of web-facing equipment You might think the most vulnerable part of your network is the equipment. Afterall, there's at least some equipment in every company or household that's exposed to the Internet. Whether that's a firewall or router or web server, it's out there and it's vulnerable. All web-facing equipment comes with some kind of built-in security capability. However, they can still be vulnerable from misconfiguration and unpatched software. But, from a cybersecurity standpoint, web-facing equipment comes with a built-in tactical advantage. For the most part, attacking a piece of equipment is done one-on-one. That means the bad guy has to specifically target a piece of equipment and take the time to look for vulnerabilities to exploit. And since they only have... --- #### Hackers Show Once Again They Care About More Than Just Money URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/hackers-show-once-again-they-care-about-more-than-just-money/ Description: Hackers Show Once Again They Care About More Than Just Money: When you think of phishing, you probably think of ransomware which you should . And when you. When you think of phishing, you probably think of ransomware (which you should). And when you think of ransomware, you probably think about money (which you should). The money the hackers are trying to get as a ransom. There's no doubt that most phishing attacks, either directly or indirectly, are about money. But not all. According to an article on KnowBe4, "Universities worldwide are the target of phishing attacks by a hacking group aimed at stealing research and intellectual property." From the article, "The Iranian hacker group dubbed Cobalt Dickens has hit over 60 universities around the globe attempting to steal credentials to provide access to sensitive data. The latest string of phishing attacks, according to security researchers at SecureWorks, is squarely focused on attempting to fool university users into providing credentials." It's not surprising that nation states are behind phishing attacks to steal sensitive information. This type of espionage has been going on long before the email came along. Email just makes it faster, easier and more anonymously. Other than targeting university personnel, the phishing attack is pretty run of the mill. There's a link to a fake login page that looks real, and once the victim offers up... --- #### Why the New Instagram Anti-Phishing Tool Won’t Work URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-the-new-instagram-anti-phishing-tool-wont-work/ Description: Why the New Instagram Anti-Phishing Tool Won’t Work: As previously discussed on this blog, Instagram is now more popular than Facebook when it comes to. As previously discussed on this blog, Instagram is now more popular than Facebook when it comes to phishing attacks. As the article detailed, Instagram is popular as a target for phishing attacks because Instagram phishing attacks can so easily go viral, given that every victim can quickly lead to hundreds of more emails to trusted relationships. Well, the folks at Facebook, the company that owns Instagram, heard the cries for help and decided to do something about it. To that end they are rolling out a new tool to protect Instagram users from phishing attacks. There's just one problem: it won't work. According to an article on The Verge discussing how the tool works, it pointed out that "if you receive an email claiming to be from Instagram, you can check if it’s genuine by heading over to the Emails from Instagram' option in the app’s Security settings, which lists every email the service has sent you over the last 14 days. The new menu divides your Instagram emails into two categories: security emails and other.' If you see an email in there then you can be sure it’s legitimate, and you can safely click any links it contains. If... --- #### You’ll Never Guess Who’s Behind the Latest Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/youll-never-guess-whos-behind-the-latest-phishing-attacks/ Description: You'll Never Guess Who's Behind the Latest Phishing Attacks: You might think that phishing emails from these \"third world\" countries would be unsophisticated. Would you believe North Korea, Nigeria and Egypt? You might think that phishing emails from these “third world” countries would be unsophisticated and easy to detect. You’d be wrong. First North Korea. According to the Digital Journal, “Several U.S. businesses have been targeted by a campaign seemingly to originate from North Korea and using the tactic of spear-phishing. The cyber-assault is sophisticated, using legitimate documents as the targets.” The article goes on to say, “The cyber-process is potentially connected to the North Korean Kimusky threat actors and it consists of sending victims trojanized documents via email. Furthermore, the hackers utilize little-used file formats, which makes them difficult to detect by conventional antivirus products.” Next we have Nigeria. Probably no surprise being on this list. This time hackers attacked U.S. government employees. Not the brightest idea. According to the Ridgewood blog, “Ogunremi and other conspirators perpetrated a computer hacking and theft scheme targeting United States government agencies’ email systems and Government Services Administration (GSA) vendors. The ring employed phishing attacks, which used fraudulent e-mails and websites that mimicked the legitimate e-mails and web pages of U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Unwitting employees of those agencies visited... --- #### Hackers Find One More Way to Use Google to Scam You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/hackers-find-one-more-way-to-google-to-scam-you/ Description: At this point, mentioning a new Google attack vector is almost not news anymore, given how many times the company's services have been exploited. At this point, mentioning a new Google attack vector is almost not news anymore, given how many times the company's services have been exploited. It's to be expected though. Google makes most of its service available free of charge, which means not only do you have free access to it, so do hackers. And given these services' widespread adoption, it's not surprising that Google is a frequent target. The latest exploit takes advantage of Google Alerts. "Google Alerts is a content change detection and notification service, offered by the search engine company Google. The service sends emails to the user when it finds new results - such as web pages, newspaper articles, blogs, or scientific research - that match the user's search term(s)." In some ways, this is a perfect attack vector for hackers. People are telling Google what search terms they care about and they are volunteering to have emails sent to them which contain links to pages with those search terms. All hackers really have to do to take advantage of this situation is to set up a malicious web page with those search terms on it. And if they choose popular search terms, a lot of people... --- #### Microsoft and Google Team up to Phish You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-and-google-team-up-to-phish-you/ Description: Microsoft and Google Team up to Phish You: When hackers go after you with phishing emails, you'll never guess which brand they impersonate the most . When hackers go after you with phishing emails, you'll never guess which brand they impersonate the most. Microsoft. "Given the ubiquity of Windows and Office, as well as other services including the Outlook.com webmail service and Xbox Live, Microsoft's position at the top of the list should come as no surprise." You'll never guess which popular Calendar app was used to phish Gmail users earlier this year. Google Calendar. For a long time now, Google Calendar has had a major flaw. If someone sends an event request to your Gmail account, it automatically assumes you want to go and adds it to your calendar. It does so even if the event request is an attempt to phish you. Microsoft and Google. Two big brands frequently used by hackers to phish victims. It should come as no surprise then that hackers have figured out a way to use both companies in their latest phishing exploit. "A new phishing campaign uses Google search query redirects to send potential victims to a phishing landing page designed to collect Microsoft Office 365 credentials via encoded URLs," according to Bleeping Computer. "The phishers behind these attacks use URL encoding, a technique that makes it possible... --- #### Stop! Don’t Watch That Video URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/stop-dont-watch-that-video/ Description: If one of your Facebook friends sent you an email that said \"Is this you?\" with a link to a video, would you click on it to see if it's you? If one of your Facebook friends sent you an email that said "Is this you?" with a link to a video, would you click on it to see if it's you? If so, there's a good chance you're going to get phished, because you just fell for the newest Facebook phishing scam. According to the Better Business Bureau , "There’s a phishing scam making the rounds. If you’re a victim, you receive a message from someone you know and trust, one of your friends and family members. The message expresses they were surprised to have seen you in a video and contains a web address that’s supposed to lead you to it. You’re not in the video." The twist here is the bad guys are using Facebook Messenger to deliver their payload. From the article, "You only typically hear from people you care about through Messenger, so your guard is already down. When you see the notification you’ve received a message, you experience a tiny dose of positive emotion, expectation and curiosity. You want to know what this person you care about has to say. Before you even click on the message, that bait has your attention." "The message reads... --- #### The Real Purpose to Phishing Awareness Training: Paranoia URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-real-purpose-to-phishing-awareness-training-paranoia/ Description: It’s big business today. Training employees to defend themselves (and their organization) from phishing emails. And there’s a good reason for that. It's big business today. Training employees to defend themselves (and their organization) from phishing emails. And there's a good reason for that. Phishing is big business. It's estimated that the average cost of a spear phishing attack is $1.6 million. So, no matter what a company spends to train its employees, if it keeps them from getting phished, it's probably a good investment. The stated purpose of awareness training is to make employees aware of all the various exploits hackers can use to phish them. There are definitely some awareness basics that should be included in every training. Display name spoofing and domain name spoofing The training should make employees aware of both types of spoofing. Display name spoofing is when a hacker replaces the "from name" in an email with a name the recipient will trust. Since most people don't take the time to look at the "from address", this is an easy way for them to get phished. With domain name spoofing on the other hand, hackers send an email from what appears to be the correct "from address." It only appears to be correct because the hackers used what's known as a homograph attack in which they... --- #### Phishing Scams Don’t Always Arrive by Email URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-scams-dont-always-arrive-by-email/ Description: Phishing Scams Don’t Always Arrive by Email: When you hear the word phishing, you probably think of email. And that's exactly what the scammers want. When you hear the word phishing, you probably think of email. And that's exactly what the scammers want you to think so you won't pay attention to their latest delivery mechanism: voicemail. Phishing is generally an email that looks real, but isn't, in an effort to get you to do something you shouldn't. Now, fraudsters are using deepfake technology to generate audio that sounds real, but isn't, in an effort to get you to something you shouldn't. And that's exactly what scammers did to the CEO of a German energy company. According to an article on HotHardware, "a company CEO was tricked by scammers who faked the voice of the parent company CEO to get the executive to transfer $243,000 to an external account. The unwitting company CEO says that he suspected nothing once he heard the German dialect and voice patterns of his assumed boss." Deepfake technology is normally used to combine and superimpose existing images and videos onto source images or videos using a machine learning to create a believable fake video. In this case, deepfake technology was used to combine and superimpose existing audio and source audio to create a believable conversation. "It's unclear what software was... --- #### A Big Part of the Phishing Problem is You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-big-part-of-the-phishing-problem-is-you/ Description: The days of a hacker sitting alone at their computer screen in a dark room probing for network vulnerabilities is a thing of the past. That's too much work. The days of a hacker sitting alone at their computer screen in a dark room probing for network vulnerabilities is a thing of the past. That's too much work. To penetrate networks today, hackers almost always enlist the help of an inside accomplice: you. What hackers have discovered over the years is that it's much easier to get unsuspecting humans to help them in their endeavour. This was confirmed by research and published in Proofpoint's Human Factors Report 2019. From the report, "Over 99% of emails distributing malware required human intervention - following links, opening documents, accepting security warnings, and other behaviors - for them to be effective." Following up on that, an article on Dark Reading stated, "Most cybercriminals target people, not infrastructure: More than 99% of emails distributing malware from 2018 to 2019 required human interaction. Instead of targeting systems, criminals focus on people, their roles, and data they can access." Continuing from the report, "Regardless of the means of attack - email, cloud applications, the web, social media, or other vectors - threat actors repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of the social engineering tactics that convinced victims to click malicious links, download unsafe files, install malware, transfer funds,... --- #### New Phishing Exploit Leaves Android Phones Vulnerable URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/new-phishing-exploit-leaves-android-phones-vulnerable/ Description: New Phishing Exploit Leaves Android Phones Vulnerable: Got an Android Phone? You're going to love this. Attackers can now take control of your phone. Got an Android Phone? You're going to love this. Attackers can now take control of your phone over-the-air. From Check Point Research, "Check Point Researchers have identified a susceptibility to advanced phishing attacks in certain modern Android-based phones, including models by Samsung, Huawei, LG and Sony. In these attacks, a remote agent can trick users into accepting new phone settings that, for example, route all their Internet traffic through a proxy controlled by the attacker. This attack vector relies on a process called over-the-air (OTA) provisioning, which is normally used by cellular network operators to deploy network-specific settings to a new phone joining their network. However, as we show, anyone can send OTA provisioning messages." "While OTA provisioning has been used in the past to set up wireless access point proxies to hijack traffic, this is the first time that an attack has been shown to hijack email on mobile phones,” says Slava Makaveev, a security researcher with Check Point. "The ability to configure email and directory servers is a vendor-specific extension for the protocol," he says. "The email server provisioning is a design weakness." How bad is this problem? "More than half of the Android mobile phones in use... --- #### How to Stop Spam From Ending Up in Google Calendar URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-stop-spam-from-ending-up-in-google-calendar/ Description: How to Stop Spam From Ending Up in Google Calendar: A lot of people use a web-based calendar to track all of their comings and goings. It makes sense. A. A lot of people use a web-based calendar to track all of their comings and goings. It makes sense. A web-based calendar is a smart way to make sure you have access to your calendar no matter where you are. And one of the most popular calendars in use today is Google Calendar. But, I'll bet you didn't realize that Google Calendar can be a giant repository for spam. Sure, you want things that you put in your calendar to actually be in your calendar. But, what about the things you don't put in your calendar? For the most part, you don't want them in your calendar. Especially if that thing is spam. For a long time now, Google Calendar has had a major flaw. If someone sends an event request to your Gmail account, it automatically assumes you want to go and adds it to your calendar. It does so even if the event request is pure spam. That's right. Even if an event request is identified as spam by Gmail and gets sent to the spam folder, the event still ends up on your calendar by default. Until recently, the only known solution was to manually delete these... --- #### Phishing Attacks Now Coming in Stages URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-now-coming-in-stages/ Description: Phishing Attacks Now Coming in Stages: It never ceases to amaze how clever hackers are or how far they'll go to phish someone. Whenever they find a flaw in. It never ceases to amaze how clever hackers are or how far they'll go to phish someone. Whenever they find a flaw in their attack methodology, eventually, they figure out a way to overcome it. Normally, a phishing attack will try and lure victims to a website to steal their credentials. The phishing website is typically a single, static webpage. In other words, everyone who ends up on that page sees the same page. The problem for hackers is that once this one webpage is identified as a phishing page, word gets out and that site gets blocked by anti-phishing technology pretty quickly. Now, one of the newest campaigns, called Heatstroke, has figured out a way around that with a multistage phishing attack. Heatstroke invokes two clever techniques to bypass anti-phishing solution. First, it doesn't send victims to the phishing website right away. It sends them to a legitimate one initially and then redirects them to the phishing site after that. Second, and this is where things get really clever, the first site they send victims to varies for different users. That's clever! Heatstroke uses a three-stage approach, according to the research done by Trend Micro. "The attacker sends a... --- #### Threats From Obsolete Phishing Protection: Are You Safe? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threats-from-obsolete-phishing-protection-are-you-safe/ Description: Threats From Obsolete Phishing Protection: Are You Safe?: The rate of cybercrimes has risen drastically across the globe in recent times. The advanced. The rate of cybercrimes has risen drastically across the globe in recent times. The advanced technology, the sophistication of attack methods used, and seemingly legitimate appearance of today’s phishing emails are a testimony of the strides of advancement that the phishers and cybercriminals have made in the past decade. However, the advice for securing ourselves from phishing emails seems to have remained stagnant since the 2000s. One would always hear the same old song playing on when the topic at hand is that of phishing protection or ensuring cybersecurity in general. We need to defend ourselves from cyber threats by gathering information and resources that match the level of advancement of our adversaries. Merely following some age-old tips without cross-checking their effectiveness in the present scenario makes us more vulnerable than stronger to face the multitude of phishing attacks that hackers launch each day. What Are These Obsolete Phishing Protection Advice? Just like the stories of grandma that we pass from one generation to another, we continue to propagate specific phishing protection advice even today, in spite of their near-absolute ineffectiveness in the present era. Some of these old pieces of information are: - Look Out For Typos/Grammatical Errors: We... --- #### All Those Security Breaches are Finally Coming Home to Roost URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/all-those-security-breaches-are-finally-coming-home-to-roost/ Description: All Those Security Breaches are Finally Coming Home to Roost: It seems like every week we hear about another major security breach. There was the Equifax. It seems like every week we hear about another major security breach. There was the Equifax breach in 2017 that compromised the data of 143 million people and the JP Morgan Chase breach in 2014 that affected 83 million households. Then there was Anthem and Target and Uber and Home Depot. I think you get the point. There's almost a 100% chance you've been impacted by a breach and had some of your personal information compromised. Do you ever wonder what the bad guys do with all that information? Now we do. According to the KLEW website, there is now an email phishing scam going around in which the email includes YOUR social security number. And how did the scammers most likely come by your social security number? See paragraph number one above. "According to the Social Security Administration, the scam is fairly new with the same target of trying to steal your identity." The threatening emails read "lawsuit will be filed on your name for your due account with us. We still can offer you a settlement of $100.00 if it is paid today." Apparently the scammers aren't really trying to take you for a hundred bucks. All they... --- #### The Privacy Tool Used to Phish You URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-privacy-tool-used-to-phish-you/ Description: The Privacy Tool Used to Phish You: With email security, it's a never ending cycle of attacks and counterattacks . Whenever the bad guys come up with some. With email security, it's a never ending cycle of attacks and counterattacks. Whenever the bad guys come up with some clever new way to scam people, the good guys eventually figure out a way to combat it. If only that were the end of the story. Unfortunately, it really is a never ending cycle. So, whenever the good guys come up with a counter move, the bad guys immediately jump on it and figure out some way to use that counter move in their next scam. Such is the case with two factor authentication (2FA). 2FA is a way to grant access to a computer system based on two pieces of evidence. One is usually a username/password combo. The other can be any of several things including biometrics, tokens or a secret code texted to a mobile phone. 2FA is meant to make accessing computers safer. So, you knew it would only be a matter of time before the bad guys figured out some way to us 2FA against users. The latest phishing scam tries to use people's trust in 2FA against them. According to Sophos Security, there's a new phishing "attack received this week that was much more believable,... --- #### When is a 404 Error Page not an Error Page? When it’s a Phishing Page! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-is-a-404-error-page-not-an-error-page-when-its-a-phishing-page/ Description: When is a 404 Error Page not an Error Page? When it’s a Phishing Page!: If you've been on the Internet, then you've run into a 404 error page. If you've been on the Internet, then you've run into a 404 error page. According to Lifewire, "a 404 error is an HTTP status code that means that the page you were trying to reach on a website couldn't be found on their server. To be clear, the 404 error indicates that while the server itself is reachable, the specific page showing the error is not." The server's there but the page isn't. 404 error pages usually happen when you enter the web address incorrectly into the address bar in your browser or click on a "dead" link. Now, there are two really interesting aspects to error pages that make them appealing to hackers. First, any incorrect web address you enter for a server will take you to the 404 error page. And, since there is an infinite number of ways to enter a web address incorrectly, this offers hackers the opportunity to create an infinite number of malicious links linking to the same error page. Theoretically, hackers could send out a million emails each with their own unique malicious link. That's pretty appealing. The other thing that makes error pages interesting to hackers is they can customize them to... --- #### Seriously - Now a Phishing Attack Can Make You Deaf URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/seriously-now-a-phishing-attack-can-make-you-deaf/ Description: Seriously - Now a Phishing Attack Can Make You Deaf: There used to be a time when the worst thing that could happen to you from a phishing attack was a. There used to be a time when the worst thing that could happen to you from a phishing attack was a financial loss. Maybe the hackers stole your credentials, got a credit card in your name and went on a shopping spree. Or, maybe they used ransomware to encrypt your hard drive and insisted on some Bitcoins before you could get your data back. At least there was no threat of bodily harm. Until now. According to the article on Dark Reading, Hackers Can Hurt Victims with Noise, "Research presented at DEFCON shows that attackers can hijack Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected speakers to produce damaging sounds." Scary. This really shouldn't come as any surprise. Bluetooth security vulnerabilities have been all over the news lately. According to Intel, "A vulnerability in Bluetooth(R) pairing potentially allows an attacker with physical proximity (within 30 meters) to gain unauthorized access via an adjacent network, intercept traffic and send forged pairing messages between two vulnerable Bluetooth(R) devices. This may result in information disclosure, elevation of privilege and/or denial of service." "Matt Wixey, research lead for the PwC UK Cyber Security practice and a doctoral student, found that he could access the speaker and volume controls for... --- #### White House, The Most Secure Place In The World Targeted By Cyber Criminals Through Spear Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/white-house-the-most-secure-place-in-the-world-targeted-by-cyber-criminals-through-spear-phishing-attacks/ Description: It was not long ago the white house was in the news when US intelligence agencies concluded Russia tried to sway the US presidential election in favor of. It was not long ago the white house was in the news when US intelligence agencies concluded Russia tried to sway the US presidential election in favor of Donald Trump alleging that the Russian hackers stole the information of rival Hillary Clinton's campaign. The White House is said to be one of the most secured and safe-guarded buildings in the world. But when it comes to cybersecurity, no one is spared. Yes, even top-ranked White House officials including the Homeland security Advisor and other White House officials were spoofed by cyber-criminals. It was all the work of an email prankster from the UK who played his tricks on several White House officials by impersonating emails from other officials in the White House. The first man to fall prey to this attack is none other than Tom Bossert, Homeland Security Officer in White House. In what seemed like a regular email from one of the president’s senior advisor, Jared Kushner, the email invited Tom Bossert for a party and asked whether he would be willing to take part of it. Tom Bossert accepted the invite without understanding the threats behind the attack. The modus operandi behind these attacks is how the... --- #### Phishing Prevention: Email Providers Aren’t Helping Any URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-prevention-email-providers-arent-helping-any/ Description: How many employees have to get phished before they take action? How much ransomware has to be paid before they take action? How many employees have to get phished before they take action? How much ransomware has to be paid before they take action? How many personal records have to be stolen before they take action? What will it take for email security service providers to install phishing protection technology and protect their customers? Apparently they haven't hit the limit yet because the one thing we know for sure is that they aren't doing a very good job of it. Research conducted by academics at Plymouth's Centre for Security, Communications and Network (CSCAN) discovered that up to 75% of "the potential phishing messages made it into inboxes and were not in any way labelled to highlight them as spam or suspicious. Moreover, only 6% of messages were explicitly labelled as malicious." Why does this number reflect so poorly on the email service providers? Because the researchers used "email content obtained from archives of reported phishing attacks." That's right! They used known phishing emails that had already been circulated and the email service providers found 6 out of 100. We're not talking about zero-day exploits - phishing tactics that have never been seen before. The most basic phishing filters would have discovered these,... --- #### The Homograph Phishing Attack: The Antidote to Awareness Training URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/homograph-phishing-attack-antidote-awareness-training/ Description: The Homograph Phishing Attack: The Antidote to Awareness Training: If you've ever taken phishing awareness training, you've most likely been taught to. If you've ever taken phishing awareness training, you've most likely been taught to identify domain name spoofing. Domain name spoofing is a phishing tactic where an attacker sends you an email from one domain, the attacker's domain, that looks almost identical to another domain, a domain you trust. The idea is that if the recipient of the email looks at the email address quickly, they may not notice the slight difference. Here's an example of an email from a lady named Beth at Google: beth@gooogle.com. Or is it? No, it's a domain name spoof spelling Google with three Os. Now, if you had phishing awareness training and you had your defenses up, there's no way you'd be fooled by a domain name spoof like that. But, what if you received an email like this: beth@goоgle.com? Undoubtedly your defenses would be lowered. Congratulations, you just got phished with a domain name spoof. How is that possible? It's called a homograph phishing attack and it's virtually impossible for users to spot on their own. How does a homograph phishing attack work? It exploits the fact that many different characters look alike. Those identical looking characters are called homographs. The problem is with... --- #### One Phishing Filter is Not Enough Which is Why You Need Six URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/one-phishing-filter-is-not-enough-which-is-why-you-need-six/ Description: A recent article on the Help Net Security website discussed the results of research into the effectiveness of phishing filters. A recent article on the Help Net Security website discussed the results of research into the effectiveness of phishing filters. Phishing filters are used in email security to scan emails for malicious links or attachments. Phishing filter technology is becoming widely adopted and it's generally thought to be pretty effective at preventing phishing attacks. That's not what the research found. The research was conducted by academics at the University of Plymouth’s Centre for Security, Communications and Network (CSCAN) located in the UK. The research assessed the effectiveness of phishing filters employed by various email service providers. What the researchers discovered was that "In the significant majority of cases (75% without links and 64% with links) the potential phishing messages made it into inboxes and were not in any way labelled to highlight them as spam or suspicious. Moreover, only 6% of messages were explicitly labelled as malicious." In some regards, these results are not unexpected. First, email service providers are experts at providing email, not preventing phishing. Second, ideally, phishing filter technology should be deployed in the cloud to stop phishing emails from reaching the inbox. But cloud deployment means outsourcing, something email providers are reluctant to do. And third,... --- #### What to do If You’re Hit by Ransomware, Part 2 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-to-do-if-youre-hit-by-ransomware-part-2/ Description: What to do If You're Hit by Ransomware, Part 2: As we mentioned in Part 1, when it comes to dealing with ransomware, you basically have three choices: pay. As we mentioned in Part 1, when it comes to dealing with ransomware, you basically have three choices: pay it, don't pay it or avoid it in the first place by deploying anti-phishing software. Naturally, here at Phish Protection we think you should be proactive and use our inexpensive and easy-to-deploy cloud-based phishing protection with Advanced Threat Defense to avoid it in the first place. But, what if it's too late? What if you've already been hit by ransomware? If you've been hit by ransomware AND you've decided not to pay it, there's a resource you should know about. It's called No More Ransom (NMR) and it "is an initiative by Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, the National High Tech Crime Unit of the Netherlands’ police and McAfee to help victims of ransomware retrieve their encrypted data without having to pay to the criminals." Europol is “the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Their main goal is to achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all the EU citizens." Even though Europol is for the benefit of EU citizens, there's no reason why people outside the EU cannot take advantage of their initiative. What NMR does is it figures out how... --- #### 13 Spear Phishing Attacks Examples To Justify Investment For Phishing Prevention Solutions In Your Organization URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/13-spear-phishing-attacks-examples-to-justify-investment-for-phishing-prevention-solutions-in-your-organization/ Description: Spear Phishing is a type of phishing attack which generally targets “Whales” or “high-level organizational actors” such as C-suite executives (e.g. Spear Phishing is a type of phishing attack which generally targets “Whales” or “high-level organizational actors” such as C-suite executives (e.g., CEO, CFO, CIO, etc.) or upper management to steal financial and sensitive or confidential information from unsuspecting top-level management. Spear phishing data breaches account for more than half of the phishing scams worldwide, which occur every year. Verizon reports elucidate that a high proportion of these data breaches begin with a directed phishing campaign targeted against an enterprise. Although corporations deploy sophisticated phishing prevention software to safeguard their data, they remain vulnerable because of human error, which allows adversaries to bypass such security measures, including anti-phishing solutions. Even today, most security professionals blame human failure as the main weak link in organizational security. “Human” here refers to users of technology with the exception of adversaries. Although major enterprises invest a considerable amount of capital on cybersecurity measures, news headlines regularly report new spear-phishing scams. There is no doubt that ignorance of employees and executives is a significant reason such attacks are successful. Such a situation is dangerous and untenable in this digital age, where cyber espionage is a matter of ‘when’ rather than that of ‘if.’ We can understand... --- #### Office 365: Almost Any Amount You Spend to Avoid a Phishing Attack is Worth it URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-almost-any-amount-you-spend-to-avoid-a-phishing-attack-is-worth-it/ Description: Osterman Research came out with their Office 365 Email Security 2019 Benchmarking Survey and the results are scary for organizations using Office 365 for email. Osterman Research came out with their Office 365 Email Security 2019 Benchmarking Survey and the results are scary for organizations using Office 365 for email. The results are based on 318 in-depth surveys with IT and security managers of enterprises using Office 365 in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to Osterman, the purpose of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the security management issues faced by organizations using Office 365. The first thing that stands out is the prevalence of successful phishing attacks. According to the report, "Seventy-eight percent of enterprises suffered at least one email-related security breach during the previous 12 months, whether phishing, ransomware, or some other malware, and the average for all enterprises during that period was 11.3 such successful attacks - almost one a month." "Enterprises on average suffered 4.2 phishing related breaches, and 40 percent report that Office 365 login credentials were compromised; this happened on average 3.7 times per organization." The other thing that really stands out is not the direct cost of a successful phishing attack (i.e., what was lost or compromised), but the indirect cost. The indirect cost includes all the effort to restore service and... --- #### Spear Phishing: The Greatest Threat to Democracy URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/spear-phishing-the-greatest-threat-to-democracy/ Description: What's the greatest threat to democracy today? How about election results that can't be trusted because the election was manipulated by hackers. What's the greatest threat to democracy today? How about election results that can't be trusted because the election was manipulated by hackers. Hackers who began their attack with a spear phishing campaign. It's happened before. It will almost certainly happen again. Manipulating campaigns is now part of the election process. And the number of ways it can be manipulated is scary to think about. It could be as simple as hijacking a social media account to post fake election results. Or, it could be a sinister as hijacking a county website and posting fake voting instructions about where, when and how to vote. And no matter what form it takes, it will almost certainly start with a spear phishing attack. The problem has attracted a lot of attention. According to Krebs on Security , "a grand jury from San Mateo County in northern California released a report which envisions the havoc that might be wrought on the election process if malicious hackers were able to hijack social media and/or email accounts and disseminate false voting instructions or phony election results. The report notes that concerns about the security is hardly theoretical: In 2010, intruders hijacked election results web page." We... --- #### Reeling in a Different Kind of Phish at Sea URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/reeling-in-a-different-kind-of-phish-at-sea/ Description: Fishing can be a very profitable enterprise. Many commercial fishing fleets head out to sea each day hoping to land a big catch. Fishing can be a very profitable enterprise. Many commercial fishing fleets head out to sea each day hoping to land a big catch. Now these same boat owners have to be careful the big catch doesn't land them. According to an article on the Hot for Security website, "An alert released on Monday cautions that hackers have actively been targeting the networks of commercial vessels with phishing attacks. A similar alert had been issued in May when cybercriminals resorted to phishing to steal sensitive information about the ships and their itineraries." You might think that a boat at sea would be immune to a phishing attack. Nope. Hackers are only limited by their imaginations. And what do hackers want from these commercial vessels? To cause havoc, apparently. According to an article on Professional Mariner website, "the Coast Guard has received reports of malicious software designed to disrupt shipboard computer systems." They were also "attempting to gain sensitive information using email addresses that pose as an official Port State Control (PSC) authority such as: port@pscgov.org." The hackers were using email! In response, the US Coast Guard has released a set of best practices for commercial vessels. The recommendations include the following:... --- #### Protection From Phishing: A Growing Threat In Today’s Information Age URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/protection-from-phishing-a-growing-threat-in-todays-information-age/ Description: The rapid transformation of the cyberspace and digital technologies in recent times have necessitated changes in an enterprise’s digital architecture. The rapid transformation of the cyberspace and digital technologies in recent times have necessitated changes in an enterprise’s digital architecture. Adversaries these days make use of highly sophisticated techniques and advanced digital platforms to attack enterprises and individuals. One of these techniques employed by cybercriminals is ‘Phishing.’ Phishing is a type of online fraud, which makes use of deceptive e-mails, website, or pop-up ads. It involves a technique known as social engineering which consists of throwing a bait towards the intended victim (usual employees of an organization) and luring them to reveal his private information or user credentials. This information can further be used to compromise the financial assets and data of the organization. Historical Examples of Successful Phishing Attacks Cybercriminals, who use phishing to pose as real people with legitimate concerns, play their cards very carefully. This allows them to bypass sophisticated cybersecurity controls already present at the organizational level by exploiting the vulnerabilities that untrained and unaware employees may present. Phishing is one of the oldest, yet most successful forms of cyber-attacks faced by all the enterprises of today’s digital age. Learning to protect your organization or yourself from such attacks also involves understanding the methods used in... --- #### What to do If You’re Hit by Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-to-do-if-youre-hit-by-ransomware/ Description: There's much debate going on today about what to do if your organization gets hit by ransomware. There's really only two choices: pay it or don't. There's much debate going on today about what to do if your organization gets hit by ransomware. There's really only two choices: pay it or don't. And which side you come down on says a lot about your big picture perspective. Recently, U.S. Mayors, at their yearly conference, which represents over 1,400 mayors from U.S. cities with over 30,000 people, adopted a resolution not to give in to ransomware demands. Of course the mayors "admitted that ransomware attacks can result in the loss of millions of dollars and months of work to repair damage, but highlighted that paying the attackers only encourages continued attacks on other government systems, as perpetrators financially benefit.'" The mayors' perspective is, we're in this for the long haul and we want to discourage ransomware attackers. That can be an expensive proposition. In the case of the Baltimore, MD ransomware attack, "Officials refused to meet hacker demands for a ransom of $76,000 to unlock the systems, but have been saddled with an estimated $18 million in costs of restoring and rebuilding the city's computer networks." Taking the other tact, LaPorte County, IN chose to pay $130,000 in ransom to their attackers. Perhaps they choose to do... --- #### Is Paying Ransom Being Considered As The Best Way Out For Dealing With Ransomware Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/is-paying-ransom-being-considered-as-the-best-way-out-for-dealing-with-ransomware-attacks/ Description: Phishing has been on the rise in form or the other, ever since users have started to use emails, messages, phones, etc. Every other month, around 1. Phishing has been on the rise in form or the other, ever since users have started to use emails, messages, phones, etc. Every other month, around 1.5 million new phishing sites are created by cyber-criminals and add to the growing cybercrime world. Several of these sites employ ransomware as a tactic in order to extort money from unsuspecting users who accidentally click on a fraudulent link in an email or text message sent to them. Sometimes they fall prey of a dubious phone call, seemingly coming from a bank employee or tax department personnel. Ransomware is a form of malicious software developed to steal user credentials most of the times and encrypt user files, folders, etc. and ask for ransom often in the form of cryptocurrency. According to industry experts; it costs around $75 billion in combined losses to the market every year. Although there are many disaster recovery plans in place which can be used by organizations to cope with the current crisis, surveys suggest that when faced with a ransomware attack, the majority of organizations opt to pay the adversaries off rather than counter the threat via other means available to them. History of Ransomware How historical trends... --- #### Death, Taxes and the Evolution of Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/death-taxes-and-the-evolution-of-phishing-attacks/ Description: Death, Taxes and the Evolution of Phishing Attacks: They say nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes . You can add one more to that list. They say nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes. You can add one more to that list: phishing attacks. Hackers continue to do their homework and innovate as the number one cybersecurity threat refuses to be contained. According to an article on the Dark Reading website, "Email continues to be an extremely effective vector for delivering malicious content because of how adept attackers have become at tricking users over the years." Two of the newer methods involve hackers using HTTPS websites, which are supposedly safe, and exploiting trust in file sharing sites like Dropbox and Google Drive. According to the article, "File-sharing sites have become very common, so users are likely to be less suspicious of interacting with content on these services." That's where the real evolution has taken place. Not in the exploit method (i.e., phishing), but in the sleight-of-hand used by attackers to get user to let down their guard. According to FireEye, these types of phishing attacks rose by 17% over the previous quarter. "The top spoofed brands across these activities included Microsoft, with almost 30% of all detections, followed by OneDrive, Apple, PayPal and Amazon, each within the 6-7% range." What's the message?... --- #### Phishing Attacks Depend Heavily on New Top Level Domains URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-depend-heavily-on-new-top-level-domains/ Description: Phishing Attacks Depend Heavily on New Top Level Domains: When the Internet first began, there were just a handful of top-level domains in use. Top-level. When the Internet first began, there were just a handful of top-level domains in use. Top-level domains (TLD) are the letters that come after the "dot" in the URL. Examples include .com, .org and .net. One of the most-used phishing tactics is domain name spoofing. Domain name spoofing occurs when an attacker uses a domain, that at first glance, looks legitimate, but isn't because the attacker substituted one or two letters in the domain. For example, here is what a spoofed Google URL would look like with the Os replaced with zeros: G00GLE.COM. Domain name spoofing can get pretty sophisticated. Hackers can use a Cyrillic alphabet in which some letters appear identical to ASCII characters but are different letters altogether. For instance, in the Russian alphabet, the lowercase "a" is identical to the lowercase ASCII "a" but it's not the same. So, if a hacker sent you and an email from amazon.com using a Cyrillic "a", you'd think it was from Amazon but it would be from a completely different domain. That's the trick to domain name spoofing. Use any method available to trick victims into thinking the domain is one thing while it's actually another. And the hackers now... --- #### When the Department of Homeland Security isn’t so Secure URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-the-department-of-homeland-security-isnt-so-secure/ Description: When the Department of Homeland Security isn’t so Secure: From its website , the Department of Homeland Security's DHS mission is \"to secure the nation. From its website , the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) mission is "to secure the nation from the many threats we face." In essence, the DHS's job is to create trust, for Americans, in their own security. So, it shouldn't come as any surprise that hackers would try to exploit that trust by launching an email phishing scam that impersonates email alerts from the DHS. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), whose parent is the DHS, "The email campaign uses a spoofed email address to appear like a National Cyber Awareness System (NCAS) alert and lure targeted recipients into downloading malware through a malicious attachment." Hackers have a pretty simple playbook. Figure out what people trust and exploit that trust to launch an attack. Phishing attacks aren't about technology, they're about trust exploitation. So, in that regard, the DHS phishing attack is no different from any other phishing attack. So, how do you protect yourself from phishing email masquerading as a DHS alert? The same way you protect yourself from all email-based phishing attacks. With technology that isn't easily tricked by spoofed email addresses and fake websites. With our cloud-based email threat protection that includes real-time link... --- #### Ever Heard of an Angler Phishing Attack? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ever-heard-of-an-angler-phishing-attack/ Description: Ever Heard of an Angler Phishing Attack?: You wouldn't put up a neon sign outside your home that says \"rob this house\" before you left for a week's vacation. You wouldn't put up a neon sign outside your home that says "rob this house" before you left for a week's vacation. The last thing you want to do is give a crook a heads up. But that's exactly what people unwittingly do when they post complaints about companies they do business within their social media accounts. It's called angler phishing , and according to Experian , "[it] is the practice of masquerading as a customer service account on social media, hoping to reach a disgruntled consumer. With the name of the company or its social media account handle included in the post, scammers are ready to strike. They will then reach out to the victim using an account like [Name of Company] Customer Support Team, hoping [they] don't realize that it's not a real account." This attack is named after the anglerfish, which uses a bioluminescent lure to entice and attack smaller prey . Angler phishing attacks are particularly effective at exploiting the human factor in one regard. A response from someone in customer support is exactly what the complainer is seeking. So, receiving such a response does not immediately throw up any red flags. And hackers know that.... --- #### Five Phishing Tactics Sure to Trick You Into Clicking URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/five-phishing-tactics-sure-to-trick-you-into-clicking/ Description: Five Phishing Tactics Sure to Trick You Into Clicking: By now, most people know that 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email. In recognition of this. By now, most people know that 91% of cyberattacks start with a phishing email. In recognition of this, companies are now beginning to offer security awareness training. According to an article on the website Dark Reading, "45% of organizations provide employees mandatory, formal cybersecurity training; another 10% give optional training." The objective is simple: teach employees not to click on the links in suspicious emails. Given the sophisticated nature of some phishing exploits today, that's easier said than done. With that in mind, we present five phishing tactics being used today that are sure to trick you into clicking, no matter how much awareness training you've received. Conversation Hijacking Imagine you're partaking in a back-and-forth email thread with someone you trust. Would you think twice about clicking on a link in one of their emails? Probably not. And that's what makes conversation hijacking so effective. According to ZDNet, conversation hijacking occurs when "hackers infiltrate intimate email threads between people, and use highly-customized phishing techniques to make it look as if the victim is the one sending messages back and forth." The easiest way to get you to click on a link in an email is to include that link in... --- #### Everyone Loves PDFs Including Hackers URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/everyone-loves-pdfs-including-hackers/ Description: If you're doing business, then you're sending, receiving and reading PDFs. PDFs have become ubiquitous in business as a way of sending documents over the web. If you're doing business, then you're sending, receiving and reading PDFs. PDFs have become ubiquitous in business as a way of sending documents over the web. And why not? There are a lot of advantages to using PDFs. For starters, it's ubiquitous - everyone has a PDF reader. The files can include embedded links and images. The files tend to be small compared to other formats. They can be password protected. They can work on any operating system. And they're not likely to go away any time soon. That's the good news. The bad news is that hackers know all that, and so PDFs have become the vehicle of choice for malware and fraud. According to SonicWall Capture Labs, "there has been a substantial increase in fraudulent PDF files. [The] fraud campaign takes advantage of recipients’ trust in PDF files as a safe' file format." The problem's getting worse. According to SonicWall, their "multi-engine sandbox service discovered threats in over 47,000 PDFs files in 2018. In just March of 2019, [SonicWall] identified over 83,000 malicious events, of which over 67,000 were PDFs linked to scammers." What makes these PDF-based scams so hard to defend is that in most cases, the... --- #### The Problems With Paying a Phishing Ransom URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-problems-with-paying-a-phishing-ransom/ Description: If you haven't been paying attention, a lot of organizations have been hit by ransomware lately, almost all of which are triggered by a phishing email. If you haven't been paying attention, a lot of organizations have been hit by ransomware lately, almost all of which are triggered by a phishing email. Hackers use all types of exploits to extract money from their victims too. Their favorite, by far, is to encrypt the victim's hard drive with a promise to decrypt it if the ransom is paid, usually in something untraceable like Bitcoin. Local governments seem to be particularly vulnerable to this type of attack. Riviera Beach, FL was hit with a $600,000 ransom recently and Jackson County, GA was asked to pay $400,000. As Scott Simon of NPR put it, "American cities are being taken hostage, not by bandits in ski masks, but cybercriminals who use so-called ransomware to shut down critical systems until the cities pay up." These are not isolated incidents. According to an article on JD Supra, "Recent studies show that over 170 ransomware attacks have hit U.S. cities and local governments in the past six years. In 2018 alone, over 50 ransomware attacks have targeted local governments, and at least 21 similar incidents have already occurred this year." The scary thing is, it's going to get worse. If you do get... --- #### Phishing Prevention: If Users are the Weakest Link, Why is Training the Only Solution? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-prevention-users-weakest-link-training-solution/ Description: Phishing Prevention: If Users are the Weakest Link, Why is Training the Only Solution?: In cybersecurity, there's a best practice called Defense in Depth. In cybersecurity, there's a best practice called Defense in Depth. The idea behind Defense in Depth is very simple. Put up a bunch of different types of barriers instead of just relying on one. This way, no matter what attack vector the enemy chooses, you're covered. Defense in depth is a pretty sound cybersecurity strategy, one which many companies employ, except for when it comes to phishing protection. The one thing everyone agrees on is that users are the weak link in the phishing prevention chain. But, the big question is, what to do about it? Judging by the headlines recently, it seems the issue has been settled and the consensus answer is phishing awareness training. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, “the market for security awareness training will reach $10 billion annually by 2027, up from roughly $1 billion in 2014.” Awareness training isn't the problem. In fact, it's part of the solution. The problem occurs when organizations forget about Defense in Depth and rely solely on awareness training to prevent phishing. Phishing awareness training alone will not protect your company because all the training in the world won't get the click rate of employees down to zero. And it only... --- #### Phishing Awareness Training is Getting Some Large Investments URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-awareness-training-is-getting-some-large-investments/ Description: It sure is a good time to be in the phishing awareness training business, especially if you're looking for investors to invest in your company. It sure is a good time to be in the phishing awareness training business, especially if you're looking for investors to invest in your company. A couple of multimillion dollar deals were announced just last week. First, "start-up security awareness firm CybeReady has expanded into the U.S. market with an initial funding round of $5 million led by Baseline Ventures," according to an article on Security Week website. Not to be outdone, awareness training company KnowBe4 raised $300 million last week from private equity company KKR. According to a different article on Security Week website, "The company has raised $388 million in funding to date, with the latest round valuing the company at $1 billion." None of this should come as a surprise. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, "the market for security awareness training will reach $10 billion annually by 2027, up from roughly $1 billion in 2014." Where there's a growing marketing, there's going to be growing investment. Of course each of the 32 awareness training companies identified by Cybersecurity Ventures claims that their training is the best. The latest claim is that the secret to effective delivery is continuous training. For example, CybeReady claims their approach is different than... --- #### A Really Dumb Way to Protect Yourself from Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/a-really-dumb-way-to-protect-yourself-from-phishing-attacks/ Description: I have to admit, what I'm about to share with you will save you a few bucks. There are a lot of ways to protect yourself from phishing attacks. I have to admit, what I'm about to share with you will save you a few bucks. There are a lot of ways to protect yourself from phishing attacks. There's awareness training, endpoint security and real-time, cloud-based link scanning, to name a few. The problem with all of these is that they cost money. Not a lot of money, but money nonetheless. Now, maybe you're thinking you'd like to protect yourself, and maybe even your company, from phishing attacks but you don't want to spend any money to do so. I've come up with a way you can do it. Protect your company without spending a dime. But I have to warn you, it's really dumb. It is one of the dumbest ways to prevent phishing. Almost all phishing attacks redirect you to a fake website where the attackers try to grab your credentials by putting up a fake login screen. You think you're logging in to a familiar website when in fact all you're really doing is sending your username and password to hackers. Now, here comes the trick to protect yourself. Every time you're asked to log into a web site, any website, enter the wrong credentials the... --- #### Phishing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Google URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-google/ Description: Google is great. It offers a lot of useful services for free. And those services are tightly integrated so they work well together. Google is great. It offers a lot of useful services for free. And those services are tightly integrated so they work well together. Google services are also used by a lot of people. According to an article on Forbes.com, "Google's Gmail email service is used by upwards of 1.5 billion people. The Google Calendar app, meanwhile, has been downloaded more than a billion times from the Play Store" Now, the tight integration between Google apps is being exploited by hackers to target users with phishing attacks. According to the article, "Security researchers working at Kaspersky [found that] users of the Gmail service are being targeted primarily through the use of malicious and unsolicited Google Calendar notifications." The problem is that anyone can use Google Calendar to schedule a meeting with anyone else. Gmail, which is tightly integrated with Google Calendar, receives notification of the invitation. According to Kaspersky, "Google services often send email notifications to Gmail inboxes - and Google’s antispam module avoids flagging notifications from its own services as spam." And therein lies the problem, which threat actors have been quick to jump on. Google doesn't natively protect Google users from phishing attacks that use Google services to deliver... --- #### Some Truly Startling Phishing Statistics URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/some-truly-startling-phishing-statistics/ Description: Which phishing statistic is scarier? That 94% of organizations say they were hit with a phishing attack in 2018 or that the attacks themselves may be underreported, even when it's required by law? Which phishing statistic is scarier? That 94% of organizations say they were hit with a phishing attack in 2018 or that the attacks themselves may be underreported, even when it's required by law? How about 42% of public sector organizations had been hit with a disruptive ransomware attack in the last month? LAST MONTH! What about the cost of these attacks? The city of Baltimore, which was hit with a ransomware attack but refused to pay the $80,000 ransom, has spent $18 million trying to recover. And it's not just money. According to an article on the Dark Reading website, "Nearly 40% of respondents say they experienced data loss as a result of email-based impersonation attacks, 29% reported direct financial loss, 28% lost customers, and 27% admitted some employees lost their jobs." Yes, it can cost you your job. Is this problem go away? Nope. Cyberattacks are on the rise. In fact, more than 50% of organizations reported seeing the volume of phishing attacks increase over the last twelve months. And we know from research that phishing emails are responsible for about 91 percent of cyber-attacks. The headlines are everywhere. The chances of it happening are high and the impact... --- #### This Fall Season, Beware of Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/this-fall-season-beware-of-phishing-attacks/ Description: This Fall Season, Beware of Phishing Attacks: As the holiday season approaches and shoppers plan to spend more on online purchases buying toys, gifts. As the holiday season approaches and shoppers plan to spend more on online purchases buying toys, gifts, clothes, etc. for the loved ones, the Cyber criminals become more active during this time of the season trying to lure the online buyers into stealing their banking and credit card information. According to various reports published, October month is dangerous for organizations as attackers come out of their cave in search of prey. Email addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, and login credentials, are all akin to gold for the hackers. It has been proven by the reports that phishing is the most common initial attack vector (IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024) in multi-vector attacks. Some Facts on Phishing: - The season of phishing attacks ramp up in the month of October (with approx. 50% of annual average attacks) and continues up till January. Organizations need to train their employees to reduce the click-through rate on attachments, malicious emails, and other web links from the current 33%, to 13%. - Adversaries lure their targets either by sending malicious e-mails or through texts and phone calls. Thus, enterprises need to be vigilant and need to provide training against such vulnerabilities, by... --- #### SaaS Makes Business Easier and More Vulnerable URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/saas-makes-business-easier-and-more-vulnerable/ Description: SaaS Makes Business Easier and More Vulnerable: Software-as-a-service SaaS is being used more and more to deliver mission critical services to business of. Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is being used more and more to deliver mission critical services to business of all sizes. SaaS provides tremendous benefits to businesses, including eliminating the need for a software development team and eliminating expensive patching and upgrades. Examples of SaaS services include customer relationship management (CRM), eCommerce, storage and email delivery. SaaS business is expected to grow almost 18% this year up to $85 billion, according to Gartner. With an industry that big and growing fast, you knew it wouldn't be long before it caught the attention of hackers. According to the APWG Q1 2019 Phishing Activity Trends Report, SaaS/Webmail businesses are now the most targeted businesses for phishing attacks, representing 36% of all targets. It even surpasses attacks on the payment industry (27%). According to an article on Help Net Security website, "Phishers are interested in stealing logins to SaaS sites because they yield financial data and also personnel data, which can be leveraged for spear-phishing.” The chances are your business uses SaaS. And if your business is the target of a phishing attack based on that SaaS provider, there's a good chance it will be effective because it will appear to be an ordinary part of... --- #### Biggest Phishing Attack Risk: It Can’t Happen to Me URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/biggest-phishing-attack-risk-happen/ Description: Biggest Phishing Attack Risk: It Can’t Happen to Me: Some people just refuse to put the seatbelt on when they get in their car. An act that takes about. Some people just refuse to put the seatbelt on when they get in their car. An act that takes about two seconds. It's a lot of protection - perhaps lifesaving - for a little bit of time and effort. And it's not like they're unaware of seatbelts or the protection they provide. I guess they just assume that when it comes to getting into a wreck, it can't happen to them. Unfortunately, when it comes to phishing attacks, most organizations adopt the same attitude: it can't happen to me. Perhaps more shocking is that those responsible for the security in those organizations also underestimate the risk of phishing. That according to a new survey conducted by Survata for SlashNext entitled Phishing in the Dark. According to the survey of cybersecurity decision makers in mid-size companies, "Ninety-five percent of respondents underestimate how frequently phishing is used at the start of attacks to successfully breach enterprise networks." What's also surprising from the survey is that the top concern (64%) of the IT pros is shortfalls in employee awareness training. It's surprising because of how ineffective employee awareness training is. The best employee awareness training out there is probably from KnowBe4. Even they... --- #### How Using Anti-Phishing Email Templates to Train Your Employees Can Help Avoid Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-using-anti-phishing-email-templates-to-train-your-employees-can-avoid-phishing-attacks/ Description: Phishing is among the most common types of cyber-attacks that take place these days and is preferred by cyber-criminals for stealing sensitive and confidential. Phishing is among the most common types of cyber-attacks that take place these days and is preferred by cyber-criminals for stealing sensitive and confidential user data. Such data may include valuable personal information such as login credentials, credit card details etc. which can cause severe personal or financial damage if it falls in the wrong hands. In a typical email phishing attack, criminals send out fraudulent emails that appear to be coming from a legitimate source that is often known to users. These emails are specially designed using a process called social engineering to lure the victims into clicking malicious URLs in the email. Clicking the URL ultimately leads to the installation of malware into the user's system which is later used to steal sensitive information from their devices. Cybersecurity risks are steadily growing, so is the acknowledgement by business owners of the fact that phishing attacks can cause immense damage to businesses and lead to a loss of not only their reputation but also can cause financial losses and regulatory implications. According to a recent report, “64% of organisations have experienced a phishing attack in 2018”. That's over half of all organisations out there and should help us appreciate... --- #### How Perfectly Safe Emails From Trusted Parties Suddenly Turn Dangerous URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-perfectly-safe-emails-from-trusted-parties-suddenly-turn-dangerous/ Description: When you think of phishing attacks, you think about some hacker directly sending you a malicious email with the hope that you'll trust them and click on a link. When you think of phishing attacks, you think about some hacker directly sending you a malicious email with the hope that you'll trust them and click on a link or download a file. But, people are getting wise to phishing emails, because there's plenty of phishing awareness training out there. The bottom line is, people have their radar up now for phishing emails and it takes a lot for them to let their guard down. Of course hackers know this, so, unfortunately, they've upped their game too. The key to an effective phishing attack is believability, and there's nothing more believable than an ongoing email reply chain. It's called conversation-hijacking and according to ZDNet, conversation hijacking occurs when "hackers infiltrate intimate email threads between people, and use highly-customized phishing techniques to make it look as if the victim is the one sending messages back and forth." "Rather than having to start brand new email threads in an effort to lure in victims, the attackers can use the trusted accounts to reply back to ongoing and previous legitimate conversations." In other words, what starts out as a safe email between trusted parties suddenly turns dangerous. In case you're wondering, this type... --- #### Phishing Attacks: Top Executives Better be Worried URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-top-executives-better-be-worried/ Description: Phishing Attacks: Top Executives Better be Worried: If you're in the C-suite, you'd better get yourself some phishing protection. The hackers are coming. If you're in the C-suite, you'd better get yourself some phishing protection. The hackers are coming after you, and they're not going to stop because you're just too lucrative a target. According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report, social engineering attacks were up last year against C-level executives. Further amplifying the point, an article on SC Magazine website went on to say, "Compared to previous years covered by the report, C-level executives last year were 12 times more likely to be the target of a social engineering incident and nine times more likely to be the target in a breach caused by social engineering." "Whereas before, a global phishing email might elicit a worthwhile haul of bank details and other criminally commoditized data, the modern cybercrime organization recognizes the value in more targeted, high level attack,” said Brian Higgins, security specialist at Comparitech in response to the report. If you're not going to provide phishing protection for every employee, you also better be prepared to replace their missing salaries. According to an article on HelpNetSecurity website, BEC scammers have now added "payroll diversion" to their repertoire in which "The attacker creates an email account, makes it look like... --- #### Latest Phishing Vulnerability Confirms Awareness Training is Insufficient URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-phishing-vulnerability-confirms-awareness-training-is-insufficient/ Description: Latest Phishing Vulnerability Confirms Awareness Training is Insufficient: Phishing prevention that primarily depends on awareness training is doomed to. Phishing prevention that primarily depends on awareness training is doomed to fail. That's the implication of the latest research conducted at Ruhr University Bochum and Münster University of Applied Sciences A team of researchers discovered several vulnerabilities in two technologies used for email authentication and verification: OpenPGP and S/MIME. The vulnerabilities could allow attackers to spoof signatures on over a dozen popular email clients including Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail. Email spoofing is a technique used to mislead email recipients about the origin of the email. It's one of the main phishing techniques used by attackers. Theoretically, awareness training can combat email spoofing if users are taught to carefully inspect the email from address. That is, until now. According to an article on Hacker News, "When you send a digitally signed email, it offers end-to-end authenticity and integrity of messages, ensuring recipients that the email has actually come from you. However, researchers tested 25 widely-used email clients and found that at least 14 of them were vulnerable to multiple types of practical attacks, making spoofed signatures indistinguishable from a valid one even by an attentive user." To make matters worse, "researchers also found that some email signature spoofing attacks can... --- #### Inception the Movie is Now an Undetectable Phishing Method URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/inception-the-movie-is-now-an-undetectable-phishing-method/ Description: Inception the Movie is Now an Undetectable Phishing Method: Cyber expert James Fisher discovered a new phishing method he calls the \"inception bar.\" He named. Cyber expert James Fisher discovered a new phishing method he calls the "inception bar." He named it after the movie Inception, and just like the movie, the phishing method traps you in a fake reality. You can see an example of how it works on his website. He discovered the exploit in Chrome for mobile, confirming what we already know: mobile is the number one threat target going forward. According to James, "In Chrome for mobile, when the user scrolls down, the browser hides the URL bar. When the user scrolls up, Chrome will re-display the true URL bar. But we can trick Chrome so that it never re-displays the true URL bar! Once Chrome hides the URL bar, we move the entire page content into a scroll jail.' Then the user thinks they’re scrolling up in the page, but in fact they’re only scrolling up in the scroll jail! Like a dream in Inception, the user believes they’re in their own browser, but they’re actually in a browser within their browser." James elaborates, "The user should be able to scroll to the top of the jail, at which point Chrome will re-display the URL bar. But we can disable... --- #### When it Comes to Getting Phished, Game of Thrones is no Fantasy URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-getting-phished-game-of-thrones-is-no-fantasy/ Description: When it Comes to Getting Phished, Game of Thrones is no Fantasy: Phish protection technology is needed more than ever for fans of the wildly popular TV show. Phish protection technology is needed more than ever for fans of the wildly popular TV show Game of Thrones. Scammers are out there with official-looking websites trying to steal everything from personal information to credit card numbers. According to Checkpoint Research, "The fraudulent websites exploit the popularity of the brand to display ads, acquire personal information or convince the user to install an unwanted program. These fraudulent websites mostly include sites requesting personal information for marketing opportunities, and fake streaming sites, requesting the user to download a browser add-on and provide personal information, while no streaming content is displayed at the end of the process." It gets worse. According to Checkpoint, "Another example aims to dishonestly collect credit card details of users by posing as an official Game of Thrones merchandise store." The common advice to avoid these kinds of scams includes 1) think before you click, 2) make sure the site is secure (https) and 3) check the site's domain to see if it matches what you're expecting to visit. All of these recommendations are sound, but if they actually worked, nobody would ever get phished. And as we know, that just isn't so. Everyone knows, before they get... --- #### Instagram More Popular Than Facebook: Guess Where the Hackers are? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/instagram-popular-facebook-guess-hackers-are/ Description: Willie Sutton had a famous response when asked why he robbed banks: \"Because that's where the money is.\" Hackers seem to be following Willie's advice. Willie Sutton had a famous response when asked why he robbed banks: "Because that's where the money is." Hackers seem to be following Willie's advice. When it comes to phishing attacks, hackers go where the people are. And as Instagram catches up in popularity to Facebook, it's become the go-to destination for hackers looking to exploit victims via phishing attacks. According to an article on Bleeping Computer, "A phishing scam called The HotList is the latest scam currently making its way through Instagram. This scam pretends to be a list of pictures ranked on how Hot' they are, but just leads to a fake Instagram login page that is used to steal account logins and passwords." The article goes on to say that, "If you do fall victim to the HotList scam, the phishers will log into your account and use it to send further phishing messages to other Instagram users." So, if you think you're hot, it could get you phished on Instagram. So too could thinking that you're nasty. In other words, there's more than one way to phish an Instagram user. According to an article on Komando.com, "A new phishing attack is growing on Instagram that targets... --- #### Compromised Microsoft Credentials is Code for They Got Phished URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/compromised-microsoft-credentials-code-phished/ Description: If you haven't already heard, Hackers compromised Microsoft support agent’s credentials to access customer email accounts. If you haven't already heard, Hackers compromised Microsoft support agent’s credentials to access customer email accounts, according to an article on TechCrunch. The article states that "Microsoft has confirmed to TechCrunch that a certain limited number of people who use web email services managed by Microsoft - which cover services like @msn.com and @hotmail.com - had their accounts compromised." “We addressed this scheme, which affected a limited subset of consumer accounts, by disabling the compromised credentials and blocking the perpetrators’ access,” said a Microsoft spokesperson in an email. The article goes on to say that Microsoft has not explained how the credentials got compromised. There's this one term you almost always hear with a successful cyber-attack of any kind: compromised credentials. Do know what compromised credentials means? It's code for they got phished. How else do credentials get compromised? Most credentials are compromised because some other credentials were compromised first. Sure enough, according to an article on Vice.com, "the Microsoft support account used belonged to a high privileged user, meaning they likely have more access to material than other employees." The reason Microsoft hasn't explained how it happened is they don't want to cop to the fact that they got... --- #### The Only Thing Worse Than Clicking on a Malicious Link in a Phishing Email URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-only-thing-worse-than-clicking-on-a-malicious-link-in-a-phishing-email/ Description: You might think that the worst thing you can do with a phishing email is to click on the malicious link embedded within. You'd be wrong. You might think that the worst thing you can do with a phishing email is to click on the malicious link embedded within. You'd be wrong. There's something worse, much worse. What's that? How about forwarding the email to other employees, lots of them? A recent article on security website SC Magazine details all the bad things employees do with suspicious emails. As things turn out it's not uncommon for employees to forward infected emails to other employees. What's even crazier, according to the article, is that "even when users do suspect that danger may be lurking within emails they have received, they still forward those malicious emails to others. When they do, they inadvertently kick off a chain of forwards, exposing multiple users to malicious links and attachments." What makes forwarding a malicious email bad is twofold. First, it has the potential to spread the problem beyond just the recipient. Instead of one person getting their login credentials compromised, there's now the potential for dozens of them to get phished. The other thing that makes forwarding an email bad is that it becomes increasingly difficult for users to identify it as a phishing email with every forward. That's because... --- #### Phishing Protection for SMBs: The Good News and Bad News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-protection-smbs-good-news-bad-news/ Description: If you run a small or midsize business (SMB) and you're concerned with , there was a lot to read in the news last week. Let's get the bad news out of the way. If you run a small or midsize business (SMB) and you're concerned with phishing protection , there was a lot to read in the news last week. Let's get the bad news out of the way. According to an article on Security Week website, Karl Racine, attorney general for the District of Columbia introduced a new bill, the Security Breach Protection Amendment Act of 2019 . The bill expands the types of information companies are held accountable for. The article states that, "Current legislation covers social security numbers, payment cards, and driver’s license numbers, and the new bill would also add passport numbers, military IDs, biometric data, health information, taxpayer identification numbers, health insurance info, and genetic information and DNA profiles to that list. The bill also requires companies that own, maintain, license or handle personal information to implement security measures to prevent unauthorized access and data misuse. Companies that expose social security numbers will be required to provide affected customers free identity theft protection services for a period of two years." Almost every SMB maintains personal information - all it takes is a single employee or contractor. What this bill means is it's now the law that you must... --- #### Is this the Most Successful Business Email Compromise of All Time? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/is-this-the-most-successful-business-email-compromise-of-all-time/ Description: Evaldas Rimasauskas of Lithuania faces up to 30 years in prison for scamming Facebook and Google out of $122 million in a BEC scheme. The bad news for Evaldas Rimasauskas of Lithuania is he's facing up to 30 years in prison for scamming Facebook and Google out of $122 million. The good news is that he only has to pay restitution of about $50million. It's not clear what's happened to the other $73m , according to an article on BoingBoing. So, when he gets out, he's going to be a very rich man. In what has to be one of the most successful business email compromises of all time, Rimasauskas conned two of the most tech savvy companies in Silicon Valley out of millions of dollars. And how did he pull off this elaborate heist? Did he craft an incredibly convincing bogus website or send emails with embedded links hoping employees would click on them? Nope. He just set up a dummy company and started sending invoices. First, he set up a fake company called Quanta to mimic the real Quanta in Taiwan that manufactures hardware for both Facebook and Google. Then Rimasauskas sent emails to the firms claiming to come from Quanta with forged invoices and fraudulent contracts . According to an article on the security site Tripwire, "all of the messages were... --- #### How Someone Else Getting Phished Can Cost You Your Life URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-someone-else-getting-phished-can-cost-you-your-life/ Description: When it comes to phishing attacks, you probably don't give it a second thought when someone else gets phished. But maybe you should. When it comes to phishing attacks, you probably don't give it a second thought when someone else gets phished. But maybe you should. According to a new article on the Help Net Security website , "Cybersecurity threats are a rising problem in society, especially for healthcare organizations. Successful attacks can jeopardize not only patient data, but also patient care, leading to cancellations and disruptions in the critical services that hospitals provide." That's right. A healthcare provider getting attacked can put your health in danger. We've already seen how a healthcare facility in Spokane, WA was forced to pay $15,000 ransomware to regain access to encrypted files or it would have put patient surgeries at risk. The article goes on to explain that a study on phishing click rates conducted by investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital found high click rates for simulated phishing attacks. "Brigham investigators aggregated data from six anonymized U.S. healthcare institutions representing a broad spectrum of care and geography. In total, they analyzed click rates for more than 2.9 million simulated emails." What the study found is that 14.2% of simulated phishing emails were clicked. That equates to approximately one in every seven emails. But they added... --- #### When it Comes to Phishing Attacks Today it’s all About Mobile URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-phishing-attacks-today-its-all-about-mobile/ Description: When it Comes to Phishing Attacks Today it’s all About Mobile: If you get hit with a phishing attack today, most likely it will be your mobile device. If you get hit with a phishing attack today, most likely it will be your mobile device. That's because mobile is where hackers are spending their creative energy. According to an article on Hacker News this week, a new phishing attack was uncovered that is "based on the idea that a malicious web page could mimic [the] look and feel of the browser window to trick even the most vigilant users into giving away their login credentials to attackers." This phishing attack specifically targets iPhones by mimicking mobile browser animation and design. But, the researchers warn, this same type of attack could easily be adapted to target Android devices. The article goes on to offer some advice for how to spot such an attack. It suggest that users pay attention to the real navigation bar at the top of the mobile browser and recognize that the contents of the page are fake. This is good advice, in theory. In practice, people are in a hurry, they're distracted and are often in poorly lit places in which it is difficult to read the navigation bar on a mobile device. To emphasize the vulnerability of mobile devices even further, Check Point Research... --- #### Phishing Prevention Best Practices eBook is Right on the Mark URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-prevention-ebook-announcement/ Description: phishing prevention best practices eBook , we provide ten best practices for small and mid-size businesses. We know these practices work. In our phishing prevention best practices eBook , we provide ten best practices for small and mid-size businesses. We know these practices work. We know they're right on point today. We want small and mid-size business to get and use this information. And once again we've been vindicated. Internet security company Webroot came out with their 2019 Threat Report and wouldn't you know it, the tried-and-true attack methods are still going strong. This means the phishing prevention best practices within the eBook are still applicable and essential for protecting your business. For instance, best practice #6 states "Anti-phishing technology should check more than just embedded email links." In addition to checking embedded email links, it's imperative to check the linked-to website for malicious content. Characteristics to be checked on the linked-to website include on-page content, hidden fields and JavaScript with injection code. The Webroot report confirmed that "A massive 40% of malicious URLs were found on good domains, since legitimate websites are frequently compromised to host malicious content." The link you click on may be a good one and take you to the website you want to go, but that doesn't mean the website you want to go to hasn't... --- #### Use Humor to Get Your Employees Serious About Phishing Awareness URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/humor-employees-phishing-awareness/ Description: Use Humor to Get Your Employees Serious About Phishing Awareness: For most people, phishing scams are not high on the list of potential sources of comedy. For most people, phishing scams are not high on the list of potential sources of comedy, although there are plenty of examples of blundering scammers and inept cybercriminals who got their due. When it comes to phishing awareness training for organizations, however, humor can be a powerful tool for maintaining compliance. Considering the alarming number of employees who admit to falling for phishing scams even after training , plenty of organizations are ready to change their security training approach. Humor is an effective motivator in the workplace. It is persuasive, promotes listening, and reduces stress - the exact opposite of your average enterprise-level infosec training session. Incorporating humor can boost employee engagement and achieve security results the way statistics-based scare tactics never will. IT managers who use humor during cybersecurity training can break through to their users. Applying the right dose of comedy will help break through the mindset of boredom and stress that often accompanies long, drawn-out, jargon-heavy cybersecurity sessions. How to Make Phishing Prevention Training Funny The first question you might ask is whether phishing protection can be funny at all. When it comes to the professional scams run by dangerous and sophisticated cybercriminals, you might think not.... --- #### Why More and More Phishing Attacks are Going After Mobile Users URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-more-and-more-phishing-attacks-are-going-after-mobile-users/ Description: Why More and More Phishing Attacks are Going After Mobile Users: Phishing attacks are hard to stop because hackers are extremely sophisticated and they use. Phishing attacks are hard to stop because hackers are extremely sophisticated and they use every method available. What hackers have discovered is that one of the best methods available is to target mobile devices. As challenging as it is for users to identify well-constructed phishing emails on a desktop, it's much more difficult on mobile devices and hackers know it. And they're starting to take advantage of it. According to an article by security firm cyperscoop ,Phishing attacks against mobile devices rise 85 percent annually. Why is that? From the article, "It’s harder to spot phishing websites on mobile devices compared to a desktop computer which puts the most important device in people’s lives at a distinct disadvantage. As a result, mobile users are historically more likely to fall for phishing attacks." It used to be that malware was the big threat to mobile devices. Not anymore . "Though malware has claimed the lion’s share of mobile-related security headlines, phishing is actually a much bigger threat. Users on a mobile device are 18 times more likely to be exposed to phishing, than to malware, according to Dr. Michael J. Covington, VP of Product at Wandera, a mobile security vendor." One... --- #### Phishing in the News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-in-the-news/ Description: 2018's Primary Breach Actors Were Malicious Outsiders by security firm Tripwire, \"2018’s primary breach actors were malicious outsiders. 2018's Primary Breach Actors Were Malicious Outsiders According to a Whitepaper by security firm Tripwire, "2018’s primary breach actors were malicious outsiders. They were behind 56 percent of all breaches, followed by - accidental loss at 34 per­cent, - malicious insiders at 7 percent, - hacktivists at 2 percent, and - the remain­ing 1 percent falling into unknown." So, a majority of beaches come from outside the organization. What we know about external attacks is that somewhere between 91% and 93% of all cybercrimes and cyber-attacks start with a phishing email . From this we can conclude that in 2018, a majority of breaches were initiated by a phishing email. And what were those breaches mostly interested in? Identity theft. Phishing Surpasses Ransomware Attacks in 2018 According to research detailed in the new 2019 State of the Phish report, "last year saw a 65% increase in enterprises compromised by phishing attacks, with credential compromises rising by more than 70% to become the most commonly experienced attack in 2018." This increase in phishing attacks now means it's more prevalent than ransomware as a threat to organizations. This was confirmed in the report which claimed that, "83% of IT professionals surveyed said... --- #### Deceptive Links Make Phishing Emails Even Harder for Users to Detect URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/deceptive-links-make-phishing-emails-even-harder-for-users-to-detect/ Description: Deceptive Links Make Phishing Emails Even Harder for Users to Detect: If you've been trained to detect phishing emails, then you know it's best not to click. If you've been trained to detect phishing emails, then you know it's best not to click on links in an email. And if you do decide to click on a link, you've also been trained to hover your mouse over the link to check to see if the link is legitimate. But, what if the hackers are so good they make you think a malicious link is genuine? Would you click on it? You might. Here is the URL displayed on a mouse over of a link found in an email in the Google phishing quiz: https://google.com/amp/tunyurl.com/7u8ewlr Does it look legitimate to you? It did to me. If all you do is what I did and look at the first part of the URL, you'll be deceived into thinking it's the real thing. But it's not! As things turn out google.com is just a subdomain. The actual website is a redirect of the domain tinyurl.com. Are most users sufficiently trained to recognize these deceptive links? Probably not. That's why, if you really want to protect your users from phishing emails, it's best to leave it to technology. Technology that doesn't get fooled by deceptive links. PhishProtection's email security service doesn't... --- #### Attack on 2 Factor Authentication Highlights Phishing Protection Needs URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/attack-on-2-factor-authentication-highlights-phishing-protection-needs/ Description: Attack on 2 Factor Authentication Highlights Phishing Protection Needs: Two factor authentication 2FA is supposed to make logins more secure. Using 2FA. Two factor authentication (2FA) is supposed to make logins more secure. Using 2FA requires two private pieces of information to login: your password and one other, typically a code received via text message. The challenge is the more secure the approach seemingly is, the less attention you pay while logging in. And therein lies the problem. According to an article on ITPro this week, "A security researcher has released a tool that can bypass a host of 2FA schemes widely used across platforms such as Gmail and Yahoo. When deployed, the tool places a server named Modlishka between a phishing target and a secure platform such as Gmail, which phishing victims unwittingly connect to in order to enter login details. In a hypothetical phishing campaign, a targeted user would encounter a malicious email containing a link to the proxy server mimicking a Google login procedure. The user would then enter their username and password, and then the 2FA code, all of which would be collected and held on the proxy server." In other words, this two-factor authentication man-in-the-middle attack has the potential to not only steal your password, but your 2FA credentials as well. It all depends on convincing you... --- #### Combating the Threat of Phishing in the Modern Corporation URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/combating-the-threat-of-phishing-in-the-modern-corporation/ Description: Phishing is possibly the single most dangerous form of cyber attack facing individuals and corporations in today’s world because it exploits people rather than. Phishing is possibly the single most dangerous form of cyber attack facing individuals and corporations in today’s world because it exploits people rather than systems. At a very high level, phishing is any form of attack that trades on the trust of a person or corporation to reveal some information they wouldn’t normally reveal. Telemarketing scams that attempt to get someone on the phone to reveal their social security number or credit card information are technically phishing attempts, they call it Vishing (Voice Phishing) but it is the same thing. In this article, we’re concerned with spam email messages or email phishing. To understand more about this exploit and what can be done to mitigate the risks associated with it, it first helps to understand what phishing actually is, and the three basic forms it can take. What is Email Phishing? Email phishing can be defined as any email attack that purports to be from a reputable company or person that fraudulently attempts to get the recipient to reveal information that they would not normally reveal. Such information may include - passwords, - credit card numbers, - login credentials, - corporate secrets… anything that should remain undisclosed. There are three... --- #### The Top 5 Phishing Scams in History, What You Need to Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-top-5-phishing-scams-in-history-what-you-need-to-know/ Description: Learn how to protect yourself by studying the biggest phishing scams in history If we draw an analogy between phishing and fishing. Learn how to protect yourself by studying the biggest phishing scams in history If we draw an analogy between phishing and fishing, some scam artists are industrial-sized trawling operations that scrape the sea clean. Automated software and sophisticated tools make it possible for enterprising cybercriminals to scale their fraudulent emails in ways never imagined. Processes that used to be laborious and time-consuming can now be coded into automatic routines that cast a wider net than the previous generations of cybercriminals were ever able to. The same chatbot technology that allows you to waste scammers’ time as a fun practical joke is being used on the other end by the scammers themselves. When it comes down to it, wasting a chatbot’s time with another chatbot time doesn’t sound all that appealing. The history of cybersecurity can show us some key developments in the size and sophistication of email phishing scams that illustrate how we arrived here today. Some of the world’s largest scams were perpetrated with technology that may seem simple today, by using an underlying method and structure that is just as dangerous now as it was then. Only advanced phishing protection can keep users safe from these scams. The... --- ### Intermediate #### Email Threat Triage: How To Identify And Prioritize Suspicious Messages URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/email-threat-triage-how-to-identify-and-prioritize-suspicious-messages/ Description: Learn how to identify suspicious emails, assess potential threats, and prioritize security risks to prevent phishing, malware, and email-based attacks. Email threat triage is the structured process of reviewing, classifying, prioritizing, and responding to suspicious messages before they become business-impacting incidents. In a modern security operations center, the SOC analyst must quickly determine whether an email is benign spam, a phishing attempt, credential theft, malware delivery, vendor email compromise, or part of a broader phishing campaign. Effective email threat triage matters because email remains one of the most common entry points for attackers, making phishing protection essential for identifying and mitigating malicious messages before they cause harm. Malicious emails may impersonate Google, DocuSign, OneDrive, finance teams, executives, or trusted vendors. Some attempt to steal an MFA token, while others deliver malware attachments or redirect users to credential-harvesting pages. Without a repeatable phishing triage process, a SOC analyst can spend too much time on low-risk messages while critical alerts wait in the email triage queue. A mature email threat triage program supports alert volume reduction by filtering noise, reducing the false positive rate, and helping teams focus on the malicious emails that pose the highest risk. It also improves threat investigation by giving analysts a consistent way to assess threat signals, assign a verdict, and coordinate remediation. Platforms such as Microsoft... --- #### Callback Phishing Explained: How Fraudulent Support Numbers Lead To Credential Theft URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/callback-phishing-explained-fraudulent-support-numbers-lead-to-credential-theft/ Description: Learn how callback phishing uses fake support numbers to steal credentials, exploit trust, and trick victims into sharing sensitive information. Callback phishing is an emerging cybersecurity risk that deceives individuals into dialing fake support numbers to address non-existent invoices, dubious account notifications, or pressing subscription matters. Unlike conventional phishing methods that use harmful links or file attachments, this strategy involves phone interactions that coerce victims into divulging sensitive information, such as login credentials, MFA codes, or payment information. Also referred to as reverse vishing, callback phishing takes advantage of trust, fear, and urgency to make fraudulent requests seem authentic. By comprehending how these scams operate, identifying their red flags, and implementing effective phishing protection measures and security awareness training, both individuals and organizations can mitigate the risk of credential theft, minimize the chances of account takeovers, and enhance their overall email security posture. What Callback Phishing Is and Why It Works A phone-first variation of phishing Callback phishing is a social engineering technique in which an attacker sends a phishing email that urges the recipient to call a fraudulent phone number. Instead of placing a malicious link in the message, the attacker relies on a live conversation to manipulate the victim into revealing credentials, payment details, or other Personal Information. This method is often called reverse vishing because the victim... --- #### Malicious Redirect Detection: How To Identify Hidden Phishing Threats URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/malicious-redirect-detection-how-to-identify-hidden-phishing-threats/ Description: Learn how to detect malicious redirects, uncover hidden phishing threats, and protect users from deceptive links that lead to fraudulent websites. A malicious redirect is a forced or hidden website redirect that sends visitors from an expected page to an attacker-controlled destination. In phishing campaigns, attackers use a malicious redirect to move users from a trusted-looking domain to a fake login page, payment form, malware download, or fraudulent support portal. The victim may click a familiar-looking link, pass through several redirect URL hops, and land on a page designed to steal credentials or session data. Attackers favor redirects because they help disguise the final redirect location. A link may begin on a compromised WordPress site, pass through Redacted.com-style tracking URLs, and end on a phishing page. This URL manipulation makes security verification harder for users and automated tools. It also helps attackers evade blocklists used by Google, Bing, Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Chrome Safe Browsing, and email gateways. A redirect vulnerability often begins as an unvalidated redirect, also called an open redirect. If an application accepts a redirect parameter such as next=, returnUrl=, or url= without proper data validation, attackers can send users to an unsafe redirect destination. OWASP highlights this risk in its Cheat Sheet Series because an unvalidated redirect can support phishing, account takeover, and a forward attack where users... --- #### Phishing Link Analysis: How Security Tools Detect Malicious URLs Before You Click URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-link-analysis-security-tools-detect-malicious-urls-before-clicking/ Description: Learn how phishing link analysis helps security tools detect malicious URLs, identify threats, and protect users before they click suspicious links. Phishing link analysis is the process of inspecting a URL, its destination, its reputation, and the behavior of the page behind it to determine whether it is safe, suspicious, or malicious. Modern phishing attacks often arrive through email phishing, SMS, social media messages, QR codes, ads, collaboration tools, or fake brand pages impersonating companies such as Adobe, Facebook, Roblox, YouTube, or financial institutions. A phishing link checker or phishing link scanner helps users and security teams detect phishing URLs before someone enters credentials, payment details, or sensitive business data. This matters because malicious links can lead to identity theft, account takeover, malware installation, and financial loss. A convincing scam website may look like a secure website at first glance, especially when it uses HTTPS, a realistic login page, or copied brand assets. Why visual inspection is not enough Traditional “naked eye phishing detection” is unreliable. Attackers use misspelled words sparingly, hide grammatical errors, and register domains that visually resemble trusted brands. They may mix Cyrillic script and Latin script, use lookalike characters, or create a deceptive brand link that appears legitimate in a mobile preview. A suspicious URL might redirect through several tracking domains before landing on a malicious website.... --- #### What Is URL Obfuscation? How Attackers Hide Malicious Links In Plain Sight URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-url-obfuscation-attackers-hide-malicious-links-plain-sight/ Description: Learn what URL obfuscation is, how attackers disguise malicious links, and the warning signs that can help you spot hidden phishing threats. URL obfuscation is the practice of disguising a link so its true destination, behavior, or embedded payload is harder for people, browsers, input filters, and security tooling to interpret correctly. An obfuscated URL may still resolve normally after browser parsing, URL decoding, server-side decoding, or client-side decoding, but it appears confusing, harmless, or unrelated to the real destination server. Attackers use URL obfuscation in phishing attack pages, malware distribution, scam redirects, XSS payload delivery, SQL injection attempts, and payload smuggling. The danger is not simply that a link “looks weird.” The danger is that encoding, decoding, schema abuse, parameter obfuscation, and alternative hostname formats can create mismatches between what a user sees, what a filter checks, and what the browser or back-end server actually processes. What URL Obfuscation Means and Why It Matters A normal URL contains recognizable components: scheme, hostname, path, query parameter values, and fragments. URL obfuscation manipulates those components using encoding, alternative hostname formats, misleading delimiters, or unusual syntax. For example, reserved characters may be represented with percent encoding, HTML escape sequences, Unicode escaping, hex escaping, octal escaping, or multiple encodings that only become meaningful after decoding. This matters because many defenses rely on inspection. Input filters,... --- #### Calendar Invite Phishing: How Cybercriminals Turn Meeting Requests Into Credential Traps URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/calender-invite-phishing-how-cybercriminals-turn-meetings-into-credential-traps/ Description: Discover how calendar invite phishing exploits meeting requests to steal credentials—and learn practical ways to detect, block, and prevent these attacks. Calendar invitations are intended to streamline the scheduling process, but cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting this common tool as a means of phishing. By masking harmful events as legitimate meetings, security updates, billing alerts, or support sessions, attackers can effectively insert convincing scams directly into a victim's calendar. These invites can include phishing links, fraudulent support numbers, harmful attachments, or pages designed to steal credentials. Because calendar alerts tend to seem more credible than random emails, users may be more inclined to accept them without scrutiny. It’s crucial to understand how phishing through calendar invites operates, to recognize the warning signs, and to implement strategies that individuals and organizations can use to thwart these attacks and prevent the theft of credentials and account breaches. What Calendar Invite Phishing Is and Why It Works Calendar invite phishing is a social engineering technique in which attackers send malicious meeting invitations that appear inside a user’s trusted Calendar app. Instead of relying only on suspicious emails, cybercriminals create calendar entries that look like legitimate meetings, payment alerts, security warnings, billing issues, or support appointments. These fake calendar invites may contain links to credential harvesting pages, phone numbers for a tech support scam, or prompts... --- #### Browser-In-The-Browser Vs. Traditional Phishing Pages: What Makes BitB Attacks More Convincing? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/browser-in-the-browser-vs-traditional-phishing-pages-bitb-attacks/ Description: Learn how Browser-in-the-Browser attacks mimic real login windows and why they can appear more convincing than traditional phishing pages. Phishing schemes have advanced significantly, moving past mere counterfeit websites and dubious links. Unlike classic phishing tactics that redirect users to deceitful domains, Browser-in-the-Browser (BitB) phishing generates a fraudulent login window that appears directly within an authentic webpage. By mimicking recognizable single sign-on (SSO) prompts, browser layouts, and reliable authentication processes, these attacks can make the theft of credentials seem extraordinarily credible. It’s crucial to grasp the distinctions between traditional phishing and BitB methods to understand the effectiveness of this newer approach and how both individuals and organizations can protect themselves against it. How Traditional Phishing Pages Work—and Where They Fall Short Traditional phishing usually relies on luring a victim to a fake website that imitates a trusted brand such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook, Meta, Steam, or Gmail. The attacker may send an email phishing message, a Microsoft Teams lure, a Telegram message, or a link posted on a compromised website. The user lands on a phishing site or fake portal, sees a fake authentication page, and is asked to enter user credentials, a one-time code, or other sensitive information. The goal is typically credential theft, credential harvesting, data theft, account takeover, or gaining network access for secondary attacks.... --- #### Executive Impersonation Phishing Explained: How Cybercriminals Mimic Business Leaders URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/executive-impersonation-phishing-explained-how-cybercriminals-mimic-business-leaders/ Description: Learn how executive impersonation phishing works, how attackers mimic business leaders, and the best ways to recognize and prevent these targeted scams. Executive impersonation phishing is a targeted form of spear phishing in which attackers pretend to be a CEO, CFO, founder, board member, or other senior leader to pressure employees into taking risky actions. These phishing attacks often aim to trigger wire transfers, change payroll details, disclose sensitive data, approve vendor payments, or share login credentials. In many organizations, this threat is closely tied to CEO fraud and business email compromise, two attack categories that rely heavily on social engineering rather than technical exploitation alone. Why Executives Are Effective Impersonation Targets Cybercriminals mimic business leaders because executives carry authority. A short message that appears to come from the CEO can bypass normal skepticism, especially when it references urgency, confidentiality, or a high-value business event. Authority, urgency, and trust Executive impersonation phishing works because it combines three powerful social engineering triggers: - Authority: “This is from the CEO, so I should act quickly.” - Urgency: “This must be completed before the end of the day.” - Secrecy: “Do not discuss this with anyone else.” These tactics make spear phishing particularly dangerous. Unlike generic phishing attacks, spear phishing messages are customized using company details, executive names, current projects, vendor relationships, and employee roles... --- #### How Generative AI Is Changing Phishing Attacks—And How AI Defends Against Them URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-generative-ai-changing-phishing-attacks-and-ai-defense-strategies/ Description: Discover how generative AI is making phishing attacks more sophisticated and how AI-powered security tools detect, prevent, and stop these threats. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the landscape of cybersecurity on both offense and defense. On one hand, generative AI enhances the capabilities of organizations in detecting threats and streamlining security processes. On the other hand, it equips cybercriminals with sophisticated tools for crafting highly convincing phishing schemes. This includes AI-generated emails, deepfake audio messages, and tailored social engineering tactics that are increasingly difficult to recognize as fraudulent. As these phishing threats become more advanced, businesses need to implement equally sophisticated protective measures. Contemporary AI-driven security systems leverage machine learning, behavioral analytics, and real-time threat intelligence to identify suspicious behavior before it can result in compromised accounts or stolen data. This article delves into how generative AI is revolutionizing phishing attacks, the reasons these threats are harder to identify, and the preventive strategies organizations can adopt to enhance their security. The New Phishing Landscape: How Generative AI Makes Attacks More Convincing Generative artificial intelligence has reshaped the phishing threat landscape by lowering the skill barrier for cybercriminals and increasing the realism of phishing scams. In the past, many phishing emails were easy to spot because of awkward grammar, generic greetings, or poorly formatted messages. Today, AI-powered phishing campaigns can use natural language... --- #### Office 365 Email Protection For Remote Teams: Security Risks And Controls You’re Missing URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-email-protection-remote-teams-security-risks-controls-missing/ Description: Explore key Office 365 email security risks for remote teams and the essential controls needed to protect against modern threats and misconfigurations. The shift to remote work has significantly transformed how organizations safeguard email within Microsoft 365. With employees accessing Office 365 from home networks, personal devices, and various collaboration tools, the scope of potential threats now extends far beyond the conventional office boundaries. Consequently, email security has evolved from merely filtering spam to a comprehensive challenge that encompasses identity management, endpoint protection, and ongoing surveillance throughout the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This article delves into the often-ignored vulnerabilities that remote teams pose to Office 365 email security and points out essential protective measures that organizations commonly overlook. Covering issues such as identity-based threats and configuration weaknesses, as well as advanced solutions like Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Safe Links, and Safe Attachments, we clarify what is truly required to effectively secure email in today's remote work landscape. Remote Email Risk in Microsoft 365 Why Remote Teams Change the Office 365 Email Threat Model Remote work changes the assumptions behind traditional Office 365 email protection. Employees no longer access Microsoft 365 only from managed offices, corporate networks, or secured endpoints. They open email from home Wi-Fi, personal devices, mobile apps, shared workspaces, and unmanaged browsers. That shift expands the attack surface and makes... --- #### How Machine Learning Improves Modern Email Security Solutions URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-machine-learning-improves-modern-email-security-solutions/ Description: Machine learning strengthens modern email security by detecting phishing, malware, and suspicious behavior in real time to stop advanced cyber threats. Modern email security depends on fast, context-aware decisions across Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and hybrid environments. Traditional rule-based filtering still has value, but today’s threat landscape includes phishing, ransomware, BEC, account takeover, zero-day attacks, and other advanced threats that change too quickly for static controls alone. Machine learning improves email protection by analyzing patterns, user behavior, message metadata, attachments, links, and historical threat intelligence at scale. Leading email security platforms from vendors such as Proofpoint, Mimecast, Abnormal Security, Check Point Harmony, Cisco, Symantec, and Microsoft increasingly combine secure email gateway controls, API protection, and cloud-based security models. Whether deployed as a SEG, through API integration, or via deployment via API into M365 and Google Workspace, AI-powered security gives security teams better visibility, faster threat detection, and more adaptive risk management. Detecting Phishing and Business Email Compromise with Pattern Recognition Phishing remains one of the most common cyberthreats because it exploits trust, urgency, and human behavior. Machine learning strengthens email security and phishing protection by recognizing subtle patterns across sender reputation, message tone, domain similarity, authentication signals, and historical attack data. Recognizing impersonation and social engineering signals BEC, or business email compromise, often lacks obvious malware or suspicious attachments. Instead, BEC... --- #### The Rise Of Autonomous Threat Hunting In Zero-Day Protection Software URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-rise-of-autonomous-threat-hunting-in-zero-day-protection-software/ Description: Zero-day threats represent a significant challenge in today’s cybersecurity landscape. Zero-day threats represent a significant challenge in today’s cybersecurity landscape. Unlike familiar vulnerabilities, these exploits focus on newly identified weaknesses that traditional signature-based defenses cannot address. As cybercriminals employ more advanced strategies, organizations realize that merely responding to threats is inadequate. In response to this changing environment, a groundbreaking strategy has emerged: the use of autonomous threat hunting in zero-day protection software like PhishProtection for phishing attacks. Autonomous threat hunting marks a transition from traditional, analyst-led investigations to smart, self-operating systems that can pinpoint and react to threats instantly. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and sophisticated analytics, these systems actively seek out concealed threats, detect irregularities, and mitigate risks before they grow into serious issues. This article delves into the transformation of zero-day protection software by autonomous threat hunting, examining its key elements, advantages, challenges, and prospects. What Is Autonomous Threat Hunting? Autonomous threat hunting involves utilizing AI-powered systems that independently probe for indicators of harmful activities throughout networks, endpoints, and cloud settings, eliminating the need for ongoing human oversight. How It Differs from Traditional Threat Hunting Conventional threat hunting is largely dependent on cybersecurity experts who sift through logs, assess alerts, and search for indicators of compromise... --- #### Office 365 Virus Protection: How Microsoft Defender Keeps Your Email And Files Safe URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-virus-protection-how-microsoft-defender-keeps-your-email-and-files-safe/ Description: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the cloud-native layer of professional-grade protection that safeguards email and collaboration data across Microsoft 365. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 is the cloud-native layer of professional-grade protection that safeguards email and collaboration data across Microsoft 365. It delivers advanced virus protection and phishing defenses for Outlook, plus malware and ransomware controls for OneDrive, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams. Unlike a traditional antivirus that runs only on endpoints, it provides online protection at the service edge, using real-time monitoring to stop threats before they reach user inboxes or shared files. Plans, Workloads, and Coverage - Plans : Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 (P1) focuses on anti-phishing, Safe Links, and Safe Attachments . Plan 2 (P2) adds Threat Explorer, Automated Investigation and Response (AIR), hunting, and enhanced reporting. - Workloads : Coverage spans Exchange Online (Outlook), OneDrive cloud storage, SharePoint, and Teams, with policies administered centrally in the Microsoft 365 security dashboard. - Integrations : It works seamlessly with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Azure signals to correlate email-borne attacks with device security events, improving security status across business devices and work devices. Intelligence, Signal Sharing, and Ecosystem Microsoft Defender uses Microsoft’s global threat intelligence , telemetry from Windows, Azure, and Microsoft 365 services, and detonation sandboxes to identify malicious apps, suspicious URLs, and weaponized attachments .... --- #### O365 Phishing Protection: 2026 Guide To Microsoft Defender And Policies URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/o365-phishing-protection-2026-guide-to-microsoft-defender-and-policies/ Description: Modern attackers continue to pivot faster than controls evolve, which is why O365 phishing protection remains a top priority for Office 365 security teams in. Modern attackers continue to pivot faster than controls evolve, which is why O365 phishing protection remains a top priority for Office 365 security teams in 2026. Business Email Compromise (BEC) campaigns now blend executive impersonation with invoice tampering and supplier fraud. MFA fatigue and push-bombing bypass weak sign-in habits, while QR code “quishing” evades URL scanners by offloading payloads to mobile devices. OAuth consent abuse targets Entra ID app registrations to persist access to cloud mailboxes and data in Microsoft 365 , Azure, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform. Meanwhile, Teams-based lures exploit chat trust and link previews to initiate drive-by credential theft. - Effective anti-phishing protection starts with layered email security , but must extend to collaboration and identity to cover Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Office online surfaces. - Strong email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and anti-spoofing protection reduce exact-domain spoofing, but adversaries still favor lookalike domains and compromised partners. - Microsoft’s unified signals across Microsoft Defender XDR improve threat classification for BEC and OAuth consent phishing that don’t carry malware. In short, O365 phishing protection must protect human-in-the-loop workflows and cloud mailboxes wherever users work, on Windows or mobile, and inside Teams channels as much as in traditional email.... --- #### Troubleshooting The Office 365 Report Phishing Add-In: Missing Button, Com Conflicts, And Fixes URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/troubleshooting-the-office-365-report-phishing-add-in-missing-button-com-conflicts-and-fixes/ Description: The Report Phishing and Report Message add-in experiences let users flag for phishing reporting and training within Office 365. The Report Phishing and Report Message add-in experiences let users flag fake emails for phishing reporting and training within Office 365. They streamline submission to Microsoft and your SOC, helping Microsoft Defender for Office 365 learn from false positives and false negatives while surfacing user-reported messages in your Security Dashboard. In modern Outlook clients, this capability also surfaces as the built-in Report button (the “Reporting in Outlook” experience), which consolidates Junk, Phishing, and Not Junk. Supported Outlook clients and button locations: - Windows classic Outlook (Win32) : On the Home ribbon, look for the built-in Report button or a Report Message group . Within a message window, the Report button appears on the Message tab. If the Report Message or Report Phishing web add-in is used, it typically appears in the Home ribbon or in the message read pane command bar. - New Outlook for Windows (Monarch) : A built-in Report button is in the command bar above the reading pane; use the overflow (…) menu if the ribbon is customized or space is constrained . - Outlook on the web (OWA) : Open a message, then select the built-in Report button, or go to More actions (…) Report Phishing/Junk/Not... --- #### Office 365 Impersonation Protection Not Working? Troubleshoot Spoofing And Policy Gaps URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-impersonation-protection-not-working-troubleshoot-spoofing-and-policy-gaps/ Description: When impersonation protection seems ineffective in Office 365/Microsoft 365, the root cause is usually a gap in anti-phishing policies, scope, or mail flow. When impersonation protection seems ineffective in Office 365/Microsoft 365, the root cause is usually a gap in anti-phishing policies, scope, or mail flow. Modern phishing attacks blend display-name deception, lookalike domains, and compromised partner accounts to evade basic filters. Microsoft Defender for Office 365 adds machine learning-based detection, spoof intelligence, and first contact safety tip capabilities to reduce user impersonation , domain impersonation, and sender impersonation. If these controls aren’t triggering, revalidate how your policies are configured, what they apply to, and whether unauthenticated sender indicators, safety tips & indicators, and quarantine policy actions are set to enforce - not just audit. Below, use this guide to verify what’s covered, recognize symptoms of failure, confirm prerequisites, configure anti-phish/impersonation settings, and avoid scope and priority pitfalls . What impersonation protection covers in Microsoft 365 Coverage and signals across EOP and Defender Exchange Online Protection (EOP) includes baseline anti-spoofing protection and anti-phishing policies, but comprehensive impersonation protection is unlocked in Microsoft Defender for Office 365. In EOP, explicit email authentication and email authentication checks (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) underpin composite authentication. Defender augments these with AI-based detection, advanced algorithms, mailbox intelligence, spoof intelligence, and machine learning-based detection tuned to protect high-risk users and... --- #### Amazon blocks 1,800 alleged DPRK IT fraudsters - Experts hint at a massive cyber trend! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/amazon-blocks-1800-alleged-dprk-it-fraudsters-experts-hint-at-cyber-trend/ Description: Amazon blocks 1,800 alleged DPRK IT fraudsters - Experts hint at a massive cyber trend!: State-sponsored IT fraud is a real threat, and the recent disclosure. State-sponsored IT fraud is a real threat, and the recent disclosure by Amazon further proves the point. The e-commerce giant has barred a whopping 1800 DPRK IT operatives from joining the company since April 2024. This cyber incident is a staggering reminder of how persistently bleak the situation can be when it comes to state-sponsored threat actors . The Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President at Amazon, Stephen Schmidt , has revealed that there has been a 27% quarter-over-quarter boost in applications from DPRK-affiliated threat actors in 2025. IT scams are definitely not a new entry in the cybersecurity landscape. However, the obsession of the cybercrooks with a single company- Amazon- may come off as unnerving. When the same kind of attacks are being orchestrated strategically against the same organization, it is a clear indication of a large-scale industrial operation carefully strategised to create national implications. The IT worker scam! The IT operative scam involves fraudsters who operate on behalf of a nation-state. They serve as legitimate remote technology manpower to secure legal jobs on foreign soil. Cyber experts believe that although different nations are involved in such activities, North Korea is a key suspect. The motivation behind such... --- #### How Modern Marketers Can Work with Cold Outreach: The Right Way to Use Contact Databases URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-modern-marketers-use-contact-databases-for-compliant-cold-outreach/ Description: Cold outreach gets a bad reputation. IT administrators flag it as spam. Email security systems block it aggressively. Recipients delete it without reading. Cold outreach gets a bad reputation. IT administrators flag it as spam. Email security systems block it aggressively. Recipients delete it without reading. Yet legitimate businesses need to reach prospects. Sales teams must find new customers. Marketers require scalable lead generation. The challenge isn't whether to do cold outreach. It's about doing it properly without triggering spam filters, damaging sender reputation, or crossing ethical boundaries. The difference between effective cold outreach and spam comes down to data quality, compliance, and execution strategy. Done wrong, you waste money and destroy deliverability. Done right, you build predictable pipeline growth. The Database Dilemma Buying email databases sounds appealing. One purchase gives you thousands of contacts instantly. You skip the time-consuming work of manually building lists. You start campaigns immediately. But most purchased databases cause more problems than they solve. Contacts didn't opt in to hear from you. Email addresses are outdated. Data accuracy is terrible. Your bounce rates spike. Spam complaints multiply. Your sender reputation crashes. Email security platforms, such as spam filters and phishing protection systems, closely track these signals. High bounce rates flag you as a low-quality sender. Spam complaints get your domain blacklisted. Once damaged, the sender's reputation takes months... --- #### Understanding Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: A Curated List For Cybersecurity URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/understanding-zero-day-vulnerabilities-a-curated-list-for-cybersecurity/ Description: A zero-day vulnerability refers to a previously unknown security flaw in software or hardware that has not yet been addressed by the vendor through a security. A zero-day vulnerability refers to a previously unknown security flaw in software or hardware that has not yet been addressed by the vendor through a security patch. Because these vulnerabilities lack any known remedy at the time of discovery, they pose a significant cybersecurity threat, often exploited by threat actors before organizations can perform patch management or apply exploit mitigation strategies. The term "zero-day" indicates that defenders have had zero days to resolve or defend against the vulnerability . These software exploits can be packaged within exploit kits that threat actors use to automate the attack process. Unlike conventional vulnerabilities cataloged in a vulnerability database maintained by entities such as MITRE Corporation or the Zero Day Initiative, zero-day vulnerabilities remain undisclosed until widely known or exploited. This hidden nature allows for stealthy software exploits that can facilitate remote code execution, buffer overflow, or privilege escalation, leading to severe security incidents. A zero-day exploit often forms part of an exploit chain that advanced persistent threats (APTs) use in targeted malware attacks or cyber espionage campaigns. Security researchers play a vital role in discovering such flaws through rigorous analysis and vulnerability scanning. The Lifecycle of a Zero-Day Vulnerability The lifecycle of a... --- #### Comprehensive Email Virus Protection For Office 365 Users URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/comprehensive-email-virus-protection-for-office-365-users/ Description: Comprehensive Email Virus Protection For Office 365 Users: In today's cybersecurity landscape, email security stands as a critical component of enterprise. In today's cybersecurity landscape, email security stands as a critical component of enterprise defense, particularly for organizations utilizing the Office 365 platform. Office 365, powered by Microsoft, is a robust cloud service that integrates email, productivity tools, and collaboration solutions. However, its widespread adoption also makes it a prime target for cyberattacks such as email spoofing, phishing attacks, zero-day malware, and other advanced persistent threats. Emails serve as a common attack vector where malicious actors embed unsafe attachments or exploit embedded links to spread malware. These threats range from simple viruses detectable by traditional anti-virus software to sophisticated, evasive techniques like sandboxing-resistant malware or polymorphic viruses that demand real-time scanning combined with behavioral analysis for effective remediation. Moreover, Office 365 is frequently targeted with phishing attempts aiming to harvest user credentials or bypass identity and access management controls, potentially compromising entire corporate networks . This threat landscape requires a multi-layered defense strategy. Organizations must account for risks not just in a purely cloud or on-premises setup but also within a hybrid email environment, where synchronization between cloud and local infrastructure must maintain consistent security policy enforcement. Additionally, the evolving nature of threats drives the need for continuous email threat analytics,... --- #### Office 365 Malware Protection: Essential Tips For Business Security URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/office-365-malware-protection-essential-tips-for-business-security/ Description: In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, Office 365 security remains a paramount concern for businesses that rely on cloud-based productivity. In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, Office 365 security remains a paramount concern for businesses that rely on cloud-based productivity suites. With increasing sophistication in malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks targeting email platforms, implementing robust malware protection in Office 365 environments is critical. Leveraging Microsoft Defender for Office 365 alongside best practices can significantly enhance your organization’s cybersecurity posture. Understanding Malware Threats in Office 365 Environments Office 365, now an integral component of Microsoft 365, offers organizations seamless cloud security and collaboration capabilities. However, its popularity makes it a prime target for cybercriminals who exploit vulnerabilities via email, collaboration tools, and endpoints connected to the network. Common malware threats include ransomware, zero-day exploit attacks, email spoofing, and phishing campaigns designed to harvest credentials or deploy malicious payloads. Malicious attachment scanning plays a crucial role in detecting and quarantining suspicious files before they reach end users . Threat intelligence integrated within Microsoft Defender continuously updates detection algorithms to identify zero-day attack vectors and newly discovered malware strains. Additionally, ransomware protection mechanisms isolate infected files while enabling swift threat remediation to prevent lateral movement within the network. Businesses must also consider insider threats and social engineering techniques that bypass traditional spam filtering... --- #### Big Sleep prevents cyberattack in first-of-its-kind instance! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/big-sleep-prevents-cyberattack-in-first-of-its-kind-instance/ Description: Google's AI agent Big Sleep detected and disrupted a live cyberattack, a first-of-its-kind win for AI-driven security announced by CEO Sundar Pichai. Big Sleep prevents cyberattack in first-of-its-kind instance! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/07/Big-Sleep-prevents-cyberattack-in-first-of-its-kind-instance.mp3 AI agent Big Sleep has foiled a live cyberattack, as announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai. On Tuesday, Pichai announced that Big Sleep, an autonomous security agent at Google, managed to detect and disrupt a threat attack. This major breakthrough has proved the efficacy of artificial intelligence in preventing cyberattacks. Sundar Pichai posted on X about this “first for an AI agent” achievement. Big Sleep: The next big thing Big Sleep was launched last year as a collaboration between Project Zero and Google DeepMind . The core purpose of this AI agent is to “autonomously” scan and detect software vulnerabilities and prevent subsequent cyber threats. Back in 2024, Big Sleep managed to detect a real-world cyber threat . According to Pichai, Big Sleep detected an SQL vulnerability (CVE-2025-6965). Google managed to anticipate this vulnerability by deploying Big Sleep and threat intelligence. Google has published a white paper to facilitate the development of AI agents with well-defined human controllers. Additionally, experts will ensure that such AI agents have limited capabilities to prevent potential rogue incidents . The actions of these AI agents will be closely monitored and tracked. There has... --- #### Indian car-sharing company, Zoomcar Holdings, targeted by threat actors! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/indian-car-sharing-company-zoomcar-holdings-targeted-by-threat-actors/ Description: Indian car-sharing company, Zoomcar Holdings, targeted by threat actors!: Indian car-sharing company, Zoomcar Holdings, targeted by threat actors. Indian car-sharing company, Zoomcar Holdings, targeted by threat actors! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/06/Indian-car-sharing-company-Zoomcar-Holdings-targeted-by-threat-actors.mp3 Last week, Zoomcar Holdings, an Indian car-sharing firm, was targeted by cyberattackers . The company has filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the same matter. Zoomcar was founded by two Americans back in 2013. However, the company is currently operated from Bengaluru, India. With a user base of over 10 million people, Zoomcar operates across 99 cities in India, as well as in Egypt, Vietnam, and Indonesia . Over the last year, the stock price of Zoomcar plummeted by a massive 99% . It also got removed from the Nasdaq Global Markets list in May 2025. The car-sharing firm has taken immediate measures to limit the extent of the cyber damage. It is working with a third-party cyber incident company to combat the situation. A thorough investigation is going on. Zoomcar, an Indian peer-to-peer car-sharing firm, enables car owners to list their cars for medium and short-term rentals. The company operates across different nations in Asia. It merged with Innovative International Acquisition Corp (IOAC) in 2023 and became a US-listed public company. Since it is a US-listed company, they were required... --- #### UAE bolsters cybersecurity around the healthcare sector URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/uae-bolsters-cybersecurity-around-the-healthcare-sector/ Description: The healthcare sector is one of the worst hit in the Middle East when it comes to cyberattacks. Therefore, the UAE is taking cognizance and coming up with... The healthcare sector is one of the worst hit in the Middle East when it comes to cyberattacks. Therefore, the UAE is taking cognizance and coming up with a new set of regulations and policies that are way more stringent than before. The sensitive nature of the healthcare sector makes it mandatory for the Middle East governments to bring out a stern regulatory approach . The data includes sensitive information such as financial transactions and health records which make it crucial for authorities to protect it by all means. The healthcare sector is currently a top pick among ransomware groups. It is literally impossible for healthcare centers to afford the downtime and postpone critical operations for long . Because of the sensitive nature of the healthcare industry, hospitals and medical facility centers are more likely to oblige to the ransom demands. Apart from that, medical data is considered to be one of the priciest commodities in the black market. It is ten times more expensive than financial data, which is why many healthcare providers now rely on specialized support, such as Virtual Latinos healthcare and medical virtual assistants, to manage operations securely while reducing vulnerabilities. What’s more concerning is that... --- #### Latin America is more vulnerable to cyberattacks than other countries! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latin-america-is-more-vulnerable-to-cyberattacks-than-other-countries/ Description: Cyber threats are for real! In today’s world, we are not in a situation to ignore them or think of them as insignificant. While the entire world is... Cyber threats are for real! In today’s world, we are not in a situation to ignore them or think of them as insignificant. While the entire world is getting hit, Latin America is struggling the most, followed by Africa and Europe. As per the research of a leading cybersecurity vendor, Latin America experiences around 2569 attacks every week. This is 40% higher than the global average of 1848 attacks per week. Threat actors target critical infrastructural setups such as governments, communications, healthcare, and militaries. These sectors face an estimated 3k to 4k cyberattacks every week. Not only critical sectors but ordinary people are also facing cyber risks through financial institutions and apps. Latin American nations are majorly exploited through weaker security settings in financial apps and settings. Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru are among the most targeted Latin American countries. Experts believe that the developing status of this region is what makes it too prone to threat attacks. Latin American countries are embracing cybersecurity measures. However, the pace is not as swift as other developed nations. They are still a ‘work in progress,’ which makes them an easy target for cyberattackers . The worst thing about Latin America’s situation right... --- #### Cybercriminals may try to misuse LA fire! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybercriminals-may-try-to-misuse-la-fire/ Description: Cybercriminals may try to misuse LA fire!: The LA fire has devastated the lives of 92,000 people. Around 12,000 homes, educational institutes , and. The LA fire has devastated the lives of 92,000 people. Around 12,000 homes, educational institutes , and businesses have burnt down to ashes. 24 unfortunates have lost their lives. While the entire world is praying for the Santa Ana winds to slow down, cybercriminals have a completely different agenda at this point. Those Americans who are trying to lend a helping hand to the LA fire victims may get duped by threat actors amidst complete chaos. How do threat actors leverage natural disasters to their benefit? Threat actors and scammers are best at one thing- making the most out of people’s emotions. Be it during the holiday season or any kind of n atural or man-made disaster, cybercriminals look forward to feathering their own nests. Cliff Steinhauer, the information security and engagement director at the National Cyber Security Alliance, believes that cyber scams spike all of a sudden around natural disasters or major events. People are willing to help the victims with monetary aid, and there is a lot of emotional investment involved in such situations. That’s what the scammers make come into the scene. You often tend to go out of your way to help people without considering whether... --- #### Middle East gradually catching up with cybersecurity trends! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/middle-east-gradually-catching-up-with-cybersecurity-trends/ Description: Middle East gradually catching up with cybersecurity trends!: Middle Eastern countries have been known for their petrochemical-based economies and policies. Middle Eastern countries have been known for their petrochemical-based economies and policies for a long time now. However, over the last couple of decades, the world has witnessed a significant shift in the digital landscape of Middle Eastern nations. The blend of artificial intelligence and rapid technological development across Middle Eastern nations has led to terrific growth in their economy over the last couple of years. The core focus is to significantly reduce the dependence on raw materials by choosing digitization over traditional practices. However, due to a lack of appropriate cybersecurity measures, Middle Eastern nations have faced severe cyber threats , such as hacktivism, ransomware attacks , and phishing activities. As a result, major Middle Eastern nations like Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia have now started focusing on strengthening their cybersecurity setups. Authorities are working together to make the frameworks and regulations more mature and robust. More and more regional governments are jumping onto the bandwagon to help the Middle East take a significant stride towards a secure digital landscape . The CyberIC Program launched by Saudi Arabia focuses on strengthening the nation’s digital security as well as developing the technological infrastructure. Together, the CyberIC program and the National... --- #### Cyber disinformation is becoming one of the biggest concerns in the U.S. elections URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-disinformation-is-becoming-one-of-the-biggest-concerns-in-us-elections/ Description: Cyber disinformation is becoming one of the biggest concerns in the U.S. elections: It's a wrap for the US election season and cybersecurity experts. It’s a wrap for the US election season and cybersecurity experts. However, the US federal agencies are far from feeling relief as the risk of cyberattacks lingers to date. Election time always witnesses certain malicious activities that aim at overthrowing the basic essence of democracy in the US. However, by taking proper preventive and remedial measures and running constant awareness campaigns, the relevant authorities manage to safeguard and uplift the spirit of democratic elections across all the states. Even though federal and cybersecurity agencies were on their toes 24/7, the biggest concern was bouts of misinformation trying to create chaos and confusion among voters. Dark Reading ran a poll among its 1000 readers, and out of those participants, around 41% felt the risk of deepfakes and disinformation during election days. While 23% feared data tempering , 20% were doubtful of the state-sponsored threat attacks, and the remaining 16% were concerned about full-fledged phishing attacks backed by artificial intelligence. Two derogatory deepfake videos that tried to create unrest Two controversial videos were doing the rounds during the election time to raise questions against democratic election processes. One of the videos showed protestors damaging the ballots in Pennsylvania, while the other showed... --- #### Pro-Russian hacktivists attack Japan’s Government Websites! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/pro-russian-hacktivists-attack-japans-government-websites/ Description: Cyberattacks are no longer restricted to just corporate enterprises and individuals. Cyberattacks are no longer restricted to just corporate enterprises and individuals. Rather, state-sponsored cyberattacks have witnessed a steep upsurge in recent times. These attacks are a reflection of the ongoing geo-political tensions and pose a serious threat to public safety , national security, and major global infrastructures. The primary targets are water treatment plants , power grids , and healthcare systems . This sudden spike in state-sponsored cyberattacks requires immediate global attention and effective remedial measures to preserve and protect geopolitical stability . In a recent turn of events, two Russian hacker groups managed to penetrate deep into the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party’s website . The attack took place at a time when election campaigns were going on in Japan. The severe breach exposed Japan’s cyber insufficiency and served as a wake-up call against the heightened instances of state-backed cyberattacks. A multi-front cyberattack on Japan’s government! The attack was no longer restricted to just Japan’s political and government organizations . Rather, the DDoS attacks were designed to disrupt the functioning of other significant infrastructures, such as shipbuilding firms, manufacturing companies, and logistics. The idea was to expose Japan’s vulnerability in front of the world and pressure the East Asian country.... --- #### AI-powered cybercrimes witnessing a sharp spike in Asia! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ai-powered-cybercrimes-witnessing-a-sharp-spike-in-asia/ Description: Asia is witnessing an alarming surge in the case of AI-powered cyberattacks, and the most popular choice is deepfakes. Asia is witnessing an alarming surge in the case of AI-powered cyberattacks, and the most popular choice is deepfakes. The UNODC, or United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , has recently published a report mentioning different types of AI threats affecting Asia, specifically the Southeast parts. Threat actors are leveraging generative AI to come up with polished, error-free phishing messages in different languages. Fake documents, social media, and chatbots are also being used prominently to manipulate victims into sharing their sensitive data . Threat actors are getting increasingly sophisticated - one cyberattack at a time . As per the UNODC, in 2023 alone, the victims of cyber scams across Asia have lost somewhere between $18-$37 billion. Asia is eventually emerging as the breeding ground for transitional cybercriminal networks that are constantly on the lookout to diversify their online scamming business . As per UN researchers, threat actors have their operation bases spread across the Golden Triangle region, which comprises Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. As mentioned above, deepfake attacks are emerging as the new trend in the cyberthreat landscape. In the past 5 months, there has been a whopping 600% increase in mentions of deepfakes in different cybercriminal communities, forums,... --- #### The United Arab Emirates is gradually becoming a prime cyberattack target! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-united-arab-emirates-is-gradually-becoming-a-prime-cyberattack-target/ Description: The United Arab Emirates is gradually becoming a prime cyberattack target!: Hacktivists and cyberattackers are gaining a stronghold over the United Arab. Hacktivists and cyberattackers are gaining a stronghold over the United Arab Emirates as well as other countries in the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC). Threat actors consider this region a prime target because it is the center of trade and commerce, as well as the hub of significant geopolitical issues . As per the report of a threat research firm based in Moscow, the instances of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks increased significantly (almost by 70%) in the GCC region . The firm had been studying the data for the last 18 months before they reached this conclusion. Hacktivists leverage different forums with primarily two main goals- attracting like-minded threat actors and publishing their success to establish their authority. As per Anastasiya Chursina, a threat analyst expert, the intensity of these attacks may increase over time. As per the UAE government report , the UAE alone faces as many as 50,000 cyberattacks on a daily basis. As many as 150K+ networks and apps are also severely vulnerable to cyberattacks. Back in July 2024, BlackMeta, the pro-Palestine hacktivist group , attacked a UAE Bank. The attack lasted for about 100 hours. Similarly, in April, Saudi Arabia was enlisted as one of... --- #### India’s poor cybersecurity mechanism impacting its space efforts! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/indias-poor-cybersecurity-mechanism-impacting-its-space-efforts/ Description: Chandrayaan 3- the Indian spacecraft landed on the moon's surface, making India the 4th country to achieve this astonishing feat! India has been investing... Chandrayaan 3- the Indian spacecraft landed on the moon's surface, making India the 4th country to achieve this astonishing feat! India has been investing consistently in its space missions, astronomical capabilities , and ground support infrastructure. However, at present, this South Asian country needs to concentrate on cybersecurity as Indian space infrastructure is being targeted left, right, and center by threat actors . The chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), Dr. Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, said that with India’s humongous space infrastructure , the focus should be on cybersecurity. Managing data across different countries and coordinating with each one of them makes Indian space infrastructure and satellites highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Why is the Indian space landscape susceptible to cyberattacks? India is among very few nations that are actually serious about their space missions. But this ambition is proving to be quite risky, especially because of the high degree of competition among these nations. The issue of cyber threats has also escalated because of the increasing nation-state conflicts. Experts believe that India’s space initiatives can easily attract regional attackers. India’s tense relations with Pakistan make the South Asian country prone to regional cyberattacks on space infrastructure. Recent cyberattacks on different... --- #### Iran sponsored ‘Fox Kitten’ threat group targeting vital US organizations for ransomware attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/iran-sponsored-fox-kitten-threat-group-targeting-vital-us-organizations/ Description: Iran sponsored 'Fox Kitten’ threat group targeting vital US organizations for ransomware attacks: The Fox Kitten threat group is creating ripples in. The Fox Kitten threat group is creating ripples in the cyber world. The threat actors are proactively attacking prominent USA-based organizations. As per the investigations by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI, the Fox Kitten group is being sponsored by Iran to carry out these malicious cyberattacks against the USA. Currently, the threat actors have decent access across different sectors such as defense, finance, education, and healthcare . After studying their activities closely, the cybersecurity experts have come to the conclusion that the Fox Kitten group has been trying to monetize their access across all these US-based industries . However, this threat campaign is completely different from what Fox Kitten has been trying to achieve in Israel, the US, and Azerbaijan . The latter involves cyberattacks to steal vital technical data from multiple organizations across these nations. Getting into the details The FBI and the CISA are working closely on Fox Kitten cyberattacks . They have warned against Fox Kitten’s advances as an attempt to gain deeper access to ‘victim networks’ in order to facilitate ransomware attacks in the near future. Danesh Novin Sahand, an Iranian company, is the prime suspect at the moment. Both... --- #### The UAE witnessing a staggering surge in cyberattack incidents! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-uae-witnessing-a-staggering-surge-in-cyberattack-incidents/ Description: The UAE witnessing a staggering surge in cyberattack incidents!: The UAE has been experiencing a sudden surge of 11.7% in malware detections since January. The UAE has been experiencing a sudden surge of 11.7% in malware detections since January 2024. The trend is more or less similar among most of the EMEA countries. They are facing increased malware and ransomware attacks. However, the conditions in MENA nations are worse than in EMEA countries. As per the report, Bahrain (63.2% malware detection) tops the list of MENA countries on the radar of threat actors . Egypt is not far behind and has managed to be in the second spot (42.6%) According to cybersecurity experts, the UAE is now a ‘prime target’ for ransomware attacks. Managed Service Providers , or MSPs, are more vulnerable to cyber threats like social engineering, supply chain attacks, and phishing. Experts believe that an extra layer of protection is a must, given the current scenario, especially in the MSP infrastructure . For example, using advanced endpoint protection solutions , implementing all-encompassing security strategies, and organizing regular security awareness training can help prevent ransomware attacks to a great extent. The current global scenario Small and medium-sized businesses are prone to ransomware attacks , the most targeted industries being healthcare and government . As per the above report, in the first quarter of... --- #### 13,000 Singapore-based students affected as a threat actor hacked into their devices! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/13000-singapore-based-students-affected-as-a-threat-actor-hacked-into-their-devices/ Description: Over 13,000 Singapore students were affected after a threat actor hacked Mobile Guardian, a classroom management platform, wiping devices across Singapore, North America, and Europe. The latest hacking incident has proved that even students are not safe from cyberattacks! Mobile Guardian, a classroom management platform for seamless digital management, was attacked by a threat actor recently. The attack affected users across Singapore. North America and Europe. As many as 13000 devices got completely wiped out and those students simply lost all their data . What exactly happened to the digital classroom management system? A threat actor managed to get illegitimate access to Mobile Guardian on 4th August 2024. This breach affected 13000 ChromeOS and iOS devices. The digital management platform claims that the hacker does not have access to any user data. But Singapore government is extremely unhappy with the breach. They are highly concerned about the security of students and other users. Over 26 Singapore-based schools have been affected by this massive cyberattack. Singapore MOE, or the Ministry of Education, has removed the app from all the devices. Also, they are trying their best to restore all the wiped-away data as soon as possible. The services have been temporarily suspended by Mobile Guardian. So at present, no users are able to access the digital classroom management platform. Also, this is not the first time... --- #### CrowdStrike blames buggy update for the “blue screen of death” disruption! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/crowdstrike-buggy-update-blue-screen-of-death-disruption/ Description: The “blue screen of death” brought the world to a standstill last Friday. The “blue screen of death” brought the world to a standstill last Friday. From aviation to health, elections to IT and banking, every sector was affected by the Windows crash. There was complete chaos and confusion while authorities grappled with the situation. CrowdStrike acknowledged the crisis and accepted responsibility for the same. They have reached the conclusion that a buggy update, which was otherwise meant to protect Windows devices from cyber threats, has led to this terrible outage . CrowdStrike is convinced that this is not a cyberattack, as Linux and Mac systems are doing completely fine. However, the faulty update proved to be a nightmare for majority of the Windows users across the globe. CrowdStrike has come up with a preliminary PIR or Post Incident Review whereby they have claimed that a defective Rapid Response Content Configuration update has created this global disruption. Rapid Response Content update is meant to protect software from the malicious advances of threat actors. A stress test) was performed and nothing came up in the test results. So, CrowdStrike went ahead with the update. George Kurtz, the CEO of CrowdStrike was summoned by Congress. He and his team are required to save the brand's... --- #### The Pentagon is unhappy with Microsoft’s partnership with Middle East AI firm URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-pentagon-is-unhappy-microsofts-partnership-with-middle-east-ai-firm/ Description: The Pentagon has expressed concerns over Microsoft's partnership with G42, a Middle East AI firm with reported ties to Chinese surveillance technology. Group 42, the UAE-based AI firm, is getting all the attention from the US and not for the right reasons. The government of the USA believes that Group 42 has close ties with China and their operations may lead to technology leaks. Group 42, on its part, has assured the US government that it is gradually cutting all sorts of intelligence and military ties with China . However, the US authorities are visibly not happy. What’s G42? G42, or Group 42, is an AI firm founded in the United Arab Emirates back in 2018. Its core purpose is to develop artificial intelligence capabilities for different industries. The AI firm claims to have broken all ties with China to focus on the full-fledged development of AI technologies. The firm has both the US as well as Middle Eastern investors. Zayed Al Nahyan- the national security adviser of the UAE, and Peng Xiao- the CEO of G42, are the key stakeholders with maximum control over the company . G42 has been strongly denying any kind of relationship with the People’s Republic of China. They claim to operate within ethical boundaries while adhering norms and regulations. US restrictions on technology companies! "Microsoft's built-in... --- #### Microsoft Tweaks ‘Recall’ After Facing Extreme Backlash! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-tweaks-recall-after-facing-extreme-backlash/ Description: Microsoft has revised its controversial Recall feature after facing extreme backlash over privacy concerns. The AI-powered screenshot tool now includes stronger security controls. Off lately, Microsoft has been bearing the brunt for its highly controversial AI-powered ‘Recall’ feature. Amid all the uproar and opposition, the tech giant has finally decided to revamp the criticized ‘Recall' feature. Let’s have a look at what went down in the past couple of days! What’s So Wrong About Recall? Recall has faced extreme backlash from privacy experts as well as commoners because of its ability to capture continuous screenshots and keep complete track of user activity. It can capture screenshots with sensitive details such as financial account numbers, usernames, and even passwords. The screenshots are then saved locally on the device itself. As per Microsoft, the ultimate goal of Recall is to make it easy for users to locate previously viewed data on the same device. Also, during the initial launch, they claimed that users could decide which screenshots needed to be captured. Microsoft also says that the screenshots will be stored safely on the local hard disk of the same device. And the data will be thoroughly protected with data encryption. Experts are also unhappy with the fact that Microsoft tested the ‘Recall' feature secretively and did not go for an open, public test because of... --- #### INTERPOL and Its Strategic Involvement In Combatting Cybercrime! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/interpols-strategic-involvement-in-combatting-cybercrime/ Description: INTERPOL and Its Strategic Involvement In Combatting Cybercrime!: Cybercrime is no longer a localized activity . In fact, cybercrimes take place across the. Cybercrime is no longer a localized activity. In fact, cybercrimes take place across the globe, which makes it immensely difficult for judicial processes and law enforcement teams to combat the menace. Geopolitical barriers, along with cultural and lingual differences, further add to the woes. This is where steps in INTERPOL or the International Criminal Police Organization. 7th September 2023 marked the 100th anniversary of INTERPOL, making it highly relevant to combat the advanced technical challenges of today’s time. The Synergia operation by INTERPOL has recently grabbed the attention of the public by taking down multiple cyber fraud organizations across Africa and the Middle East . Another notable INTERPOL operation was the Operation Storm Makers II Campaign, which ruffled a lot of feathers by busting cyberfraud-backed human trafficking organizations. Last month, at the RSA Conference USA 2024, Craig Jones, the director of cybercrime at INTERPOL, shed light on how INTERPOL managed cyber fraud at a global scale. Have a look at what he shared! Cyberfraud is Actually One of the Topmost Priorities at INTERPOL INTERPOL considers cyber fraud as one of its top priorities . As much as it is focused on organized crime, terrorism, and financial corruption, INTERPOL is equally... --- #### The 2024 Multi-Nation Elections Need to Steer Clear of Highly Potent Cyber Menaces URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/2024-multi-nation-elections-cyber-threats-stay-vigilant/ Description: emailsecurity · The 2024 Multi, Nation Elections Need To Steer Clear Of Highly Potent Cyber Menaces In 2024, elections have been scheduled in 55 countries. emailsecurity · The 2024 Multi, Nation Elections Need To Steer Clear Of Highly Potent Cyber Menaces In 2024, elections have been scheduled in 55 countries, giving more than 2 billion voters the opportunity to choose their leaders and enjoy their democratic rights. While parties leave no stone unturned to propagate their agendas and win the hearts (and votes) of citizens, some bad creatures of the cyber world are planning ahead of upcoming elections to plague them with social engineering, phishing, and spoofing attempts. It’s not new for these bad actors to take advantage of sensitive and critical situations, but with the growing penetration of machine learning and artificial intelligence-based tools, it’s getting easier for them to plan and attempt attacks, severely impacting the governments and citizens both. America’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is anticipating the use of chatbots, AI-generated voice, and videos to spread false information about the time, manner, or place of voting via texts, emails, social media channels, phone calls, or print mediums. They are scared that AI-generated deepfake videos could be exploited to harass, impersonate, or delegitimize election officials. All these can strongly influence voters decisions and opinions, attacking the whole idea and foundation of... --- #### The Increasing Role of AI in Shaping Tomorrow’s Phishing Techniques! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/increasing-role-of-ai-in-shaping-phishing-techniques/ Description: The Increasing Role of AI in Shaping Tomorrow's Phishing Techniques!: Phishing attacks are gradually turning into a global menace. Surprisingly enough. Phishing attacks are gradually turning into a global menace. Surprisingly enough, artificial intelligence (AI) is playing a significant role in their proliferation. Threat actors have started leveraging AI to enhance their phishing tactics and effortlessly evade security setups . Gone are the days when one could detect a malicious email by looking at grammatical mistakes, unprofessional language, and poor graphics. Even the images, often sourced from Depositphotos, appear legitimate. Let’s find out more about the seamless contribution of AI in cyberattacks. AI Facilitates Seamless Phishing Attacks Deepfakes have become the talk of the town. Every day, we are bombarded left, right, and center with news of celebs being the victims of deepfake technology. Not only celebrities but even common men are facing issues because of fake audio and video calls wherein a loved one poses to be stuck in a distressful condition and claims to be in dire need of money. The ultimate goal of such deepfake scams is to create a sense of chaos, instill fear among people, and mint easy, quick money from the victims. With AI, creating fake websites, imitating the tonality of an industry giant, or generating email content has become easier than ever. All it... --- #### How To Protect Your Online Business From Day One? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-online-business-from-day-one/ Description: How To Protect Your Online Business From Day One?: For a lot of people, protection is something that happens retroactively . You only think about security. For a lot of people, protection is something that happens retroactively. You only think about security after your home has been broken or your car has been stolen. Before that, these instances only seem to happen to other people. The same thing happens with your online business. You wait for the problem to happen, and you plug the gap in your system retroactively. There are so many problems with this approach. First, the cost related to the attack can be incredibly high . Second, even a single reputation hit can be enough to ruin the future of a new business. Remember, as a newcomer to a well-established industry , you’re not really starting from zero (you’re probably working up your way toward a zero from a significant negative). So, you cannot afford a step back (especially this big and this early). With all of that in mind and without further ado, here’s how you can easily protect your online business from day one. Start with the basics From the very start, you will have to make a few choices that will deeply affect your ability to protect your business in a digital environment. First, you need to choose a strong... --- #### Unveiling the Nexus: Analyzing How AI Impacts Phishing Schemes! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/unveiling-the-nexus-analyzing-how-ai-impacts-phishing-schemes/ Description: Unveiling the Nexus: Analyzing How AI Impacts Phishing Schemes!: Cybercriminals have always managed to give a hard time to the cybersecurity system by. Cybercriminals have always managed to give a hard time to the cybersecurity system by leveraging the latest technology. This time, they are using AI or Artificial Intelligence as their trump card. AI is posing a severe threat to cybersecurity setup as it is being exploited by phishing actors in their malicious activities. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that artificial intelligence has opened up new avenues for these threat actors to obtain sensitive details in the most innovative ways ever. Phishing Attacks- Then and Now Conventionally, phishing actors used to send SMSes, emails, and links to carry out fraudulent activities and obtain sensitive information from companies or individuals. Basically, this manipulative system of communication tricked naive users into sharing their personal details, confidential information, and private data. However, a little bit of phishing awareness training and vigilance have helped multiple organizations and individuals steer clear of these scams and protect their precious data from phishing actors. But with the advent of artificial intelligence, things have further gone downhill. AI has brought a paradigm shift in the phishing arena by making the attacks more sophisticated, flawless, and fail-proof. AI-Centric Phishing Scams Sophisticated Context-Aware Messages Artificial Intelligence enables phishing actors... --- #### Data-Driven Insights that Improve Digital Security URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/data-driven-insights-that-improve-digital-security/ Description: Data-Driven Insights that Improve Digital Security: You can't prevent a threat you don't understand, but how do you understand these cyber threats? The. You can’t prevent a threat you don’t understand, but how do you understand these cyber threats? The answer is simple: you gather as much data as possible from previous instances, analyze them, and use sophisticated analytical tools to turn this data into insights. Here’s how all of this works and how you can use it to improve your digital security. Analyzing Advanced Persistent Threats (Apts) One of the biggest mistakes that people improving their cybersecurity make is assuming that these threats are simple or one-dimensional. The truth is that tools or automatic processes always handle these simplest threats. The problem is that some of these hackers are highly skilled and specialized in what they do. They won’t just crash your servers. Instead, they’ll infiltrate unnoticed, stay there for a prolonged period, and slowly siphon your data and resources. They might subtly disrupt your operations over a long period so that they make the highest amount of cumulative damage instead of sticking to short, violent bursts that you may expect. The problem is that it’s like diagnosing a disease with subtle symptoms, it’s very hard to do. If the symptoms were more aggressive, any doctor could tell you what was happening... --- #### Teams Phishing Spreads Malware, Crypto Theft Heist, Russian Cyberattack Charges – Cybersecurity News [September 04, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-36-of-2023/ Description: Let us look into the latest phishing news of the week, highlighting Google's new features, Darknet malware, crypto phishing attacks. Let us look into the latest phishing news of the week, highlighting Google's new features, Darknet malware, crypto phishing attacks, and Russian malicious actors. DarkGate Malware Propagated Through Phishing Attack on Microsoft Teams A recent cyberattack has been uncovered involving a phishing campaign that exploits Microsoft Teams messages to deliver a dangerous payload known as the DarkGate Loader malware. This nefarious campaign came to light in late August 2023 , as reports emerged of malevolent Microsoft Teams phishing messages emanating from two compromised external Office 365 accounts. These accounts were compromised to deceive unsuspecting Microsoft Teams users into downloading and launching a deceptive .zip file labeled "Changes to the vacation schedule." Upon clicking the attachment, the .zip file containing an LNK file camouflaged as a PDF document would be downloaded from a SharePoint URL. This seemingly innocuous file harbored malicious VBScript code that catalyzed the infection process, ultimately leading to the deployment of the DarkGate Loader. As found by researchers at Truesec , the phishing campaign leveraged compromised Microsoft Teams accounts to disseminate malicious attachments to other organizations that used Teams. The approach bore similarities to a June 2023 report by Jumpsec, which demonstrated the exploitation of Microsoft Teams for... --- #### Blue-Tick Phishing Exploits, LockBit Targets Architecture, Russian Zulip Phishing – Cybersecurity News [August 28, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-35-of-2023/ Description: Blue-Tick Phishing Exploits, LockBit Targets Architecture, Russian Zulip Phishing – Cybersecurity News [August 28, 2023]: Here's this week's phishing. Here’s this week’s phishing newsletter, bringing you the latest updates on phishing attacks . You will find details of cyber threats involving phishing campaigns across diverse fronts in this update, from new phishing scams targeting X users to Russian threat actors using the Zulip Chat App to carry out diplomatic phishing. Blue-Tick Phishing Scams Exploit X Customer Complaints Malicious players online are leveraging the frustration of consumers who seek customer support from various organizations by posting complaints on X (formerly Twitter). Scammers are impersonating different customer support agents, acting through fake X handles to entice unsuspecting victims with refunds. The new X Premium subscription service now allows anyone to purchase a blue-tick verification badge for a small fee. This rule has substantially led to a compromise in the credibility of these badges. As the number of malicious actors using the blue tick rises, users must exercise extra caution with new scams. Scammers can manipulate the trust associated with verified accounts and deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive information. Instances of this scam include fake airline and bank agents targeting people posting complaints. Such incidents highlight the need for extra vigilance to address this emerging threat. LockBit Locker Ransomware Targets Spanish Architecture... --- #### Strengthening Cloud Security: Google Unveils New Measures for Google Workspace URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/strengthening-cloud-security-google-unveils-new-measures-for-google-workspace/ Description: Strengthening Cloud Security: Google Unveils New Measures for Google Workspace: Google announces many state-of-the-art security features, including AI-based. Google announces many state-of-the-art security features, including AI-based ones, for Workspace users that can significantly help them combat phishing attacks and advanced cyber threats. Securing data is paramount in an era where phishing attacks are becoming frequent, and businesses are migrating to cloud platforms. As a pioneer in the cloud space, Google has consistently strived to strengthen the robust security mechanism of its Workspace platform. In its latest move to counter online threats, Google has announced various security enhancements, some backed by AI. In 2022, there was an alarming 38% increase in cybersecurity attacks over the previous year. Google is introducing new security measures considering the increasing menace from malicious actors. Today, the average data breach cost is $4.45 million . The tech titan's proposed innovative features, including phishing protection, could make significant strides in countering online threats such as phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and more. Some of these protective measures are currently under testing, while others, imbued with the strength of phishing protection, are slated for implementation later this year. AI To Support Many of Google’s Security Measures The new bunch of security tools are aimed to protect Google’s suite of productivity tools, including Gmail and Drive. With phishing... --- #### Rising USDT Phishing, Zimbra Credential Targeting, UAE Phishing Surge – Cybersecurity News [ August 21, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34-of-2023/ Description: Here are the latest updates in the realm of digital safety, specifically the weekly phishing news and emerging online threats information. Here are the latest updates in the realm of digital safety, specifically the weekly phishing news and emerging online threats information. Stay informed in order to strengthen your defenses against phishing attacks with the added layer of phishing protection. Escalating Phishing Attacks: Scammers Pocket $675,000 via USDT Approval Phishing Scams Recent reports highlight a concerning trend as scammers made off with a substantial sum of $675,000 along with seven distinct NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), notably including prized possessions from the ‘Mutant Ape Yacht Club.' PeckShield, a prominent name in blockchain security, has brought to light this particularly concerning case where a scam artist stole over $675,000 in just five days. These incidents occurred as two phishing attacks that have set off alarm bells among digital security experts. The modus operandi of these crypto scammers involves many tactics, with deceptive airdrops being one of their preferred methods to lay hands on individuals' digital assets. The scam revolves around an ingenious move wherein unsuspecting victims were manipulated into granting unrestricted spending permission for USDT. Given these incidents, PeckShield strongly advises users to reconsider and revoke their USDT spending permissions. Persistent Phishing Scams Aim for Zimbra Credentials ESET experts found an ongoing malicious campaign... --- #### US Energy Giant Hit, Website Scammers Exploit, Social Media Phishing – Cybersecurity News [August 14, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-33-of-2023/ Description: US Energy Giant Hit, Website Scammers Exploit, Social Media Phishing – Cybersecurity News [August 14, 2023]: Here's the latest phishing news causing a. Here’s the latest phishing news causing a stir around the world this week. Top US Energy Enterprise Falls Victim to QR Code Phishing Scam An extensive phishing campaign has come to light, focusing on a prominent US energy enterprise. The attackers exploit a novel approach of employing a QR code phishing scam to infiltrate email inboxes and bypass security controls. A substantial portion of the campaign's 1,000 emails, approximately 29% , were directed at a significant US energy firm. Cofense, the organization that uncovered this scheme, noted that this deployment of QR codes on such a large scale is unprecedented. This incident suggests other threat actors may experiment with QR codes as a potential attack vector. Although not disclosed by Cofense, the targeted energy organization was identified as a significant US-based corporation. The phishing attack commences with an email alerting recipients to update their Microsoft 365 account settings. Attached PNG or PDF files contain QR codes, urging the recipient to scan them for account verification, with a sense of urgency emphasized by a 2-3 day deadline. While QR codes have been leveraged in smaller-scale phishing attempts, this campaign stands out due to its size and innovation. Organizations are advised to... --- #### EvilProxy Targets 120K, Interpol Dismantles Phishing Platform, FBI NFT Scam- Cybersecurity News [August 7, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-32-of-2023/ Description: This week in cybersecurity: EvilProxy targets 120,000 inboxes, Interpol dismantles a phishing network, an FBI NFT scam warning, and more from August 7, 2023. emailsecurity · [EvilProxy Targets 120K,Interpol Dismantles Phishing,FBI NFT Scam, Cybersecurity News [Aug 7, 2023]](https://soundcloud.com/phishprotection/evilproxy-targets-120kinterpol-dismantles-phishingfbi-nft-scam-cybersecurity-news-aug-7-2023) Dive into a detailed analysis of the most recent phishing updates from the week and enhance your understanding of the changing strategies and patterns in online threat prevention, including phishing protection. Gaining this knowledge is crucial in staying ahead of potential threats and maintaining a secure digital environment. EvilProxy Phishing Campaign Aims at 120,000 Microsoft 365 Users Researchers have flagged a concerning surge in successful cloud account takeovers, particularly among high-ranking executives, over the last five months. EvilProxy, a phishing platform, has become a prominent tool helping malicious actors target MFA-protected Microsoft 365 accounts. Proofpoint, a cybersecurity enterprise, uncovered a massive campaign using EvilProxy, a malicious tool that uses reverse proxies to intercept authentication requests and user credentials during login attempts. This trick allows attackers to seize authentication cookies upon login. Since victims will have already navigated MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), the cookies stolen by threat actors enable them to bypass the additional layer of protection. This EvilProxy method is being used to impersonate renowned brands like Adobe and DocuSign in a current phishing campaign observed since March 2023 . Once users click the embedded link, they... --- #### Malicious Actors Embrace AI Chatbots for Advanced Cyber Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/malicious-actors-embrace-ai-chatbots-for-advanced-cyber-attacks/ Description: Malicious Actors Embrace AI Chatbots for Advanced Cyber Attacks: With the inception of generative AI tools, the cybersecurity landscape is witnessing an. With the inception of generative AI tools, the cybersecurity landscape is witnessing an alarming trend. Threat actors are leveraging the power of AI chatbots for malicious purposes, further streamlining malware attack mechanisms. Online adversaries have already produced the infamous WormGPT, a clone of ChatGPT trained on malware data. Also, a new malicious tool called FraudGPT raises concerns among cybersecurity experts. A threat actor known as CanadianKingpin12 developed this tool and customized it for malicious actors, fraudsters, and spammers. That empowers them to launch devastating online attacks. The latest among the AI-based malicious digital weapons are DarkBART and DarkBERT. Such widespread availability of AI generative tools has increased the potential of AI phishing attacks across the globe. The Rise of Next-gen Cybercrime Chatbots Threat actors are training chatbots using data from the dark web and sophisticated language models designed to combat cybercrime. DarkBART , one of these malicious chatbots, stands out as a "dark version" of Google's conversational AI, Bard. Exploring the activities of CanadianKingpin12, the threat actor behind such malicious AI bots, cybersecurity experts have discovered that the development is highly concerning . The focus of CanadianKingpin12 lies beyond FraudGPT and DarkBART. Online adversaries also have access to DarkBERT, another... --- #### Malign AI Chatbots, Teams Targeted: Russian Threats, Facebook’s Zero-day Threat – Cybersecurity News [July 31, 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-31-of-2023/ Description: This week in cybersecurity: AI chatbot risks, Russian threat activity, a Facebook zero-day, and more news from July 31, 2023. emailsecurity · [AI Chatbots, Russian Threats, Facebook's Zero-day, Cybersecurity News [July 31, 2023]](https://soundcloud.com/phishprotection/ai-chatbots-russian-threats-facebooks-zero-day-cybersecurity-news-july-31-2023) Here's a close look at the latest phishing news covering significant attacks on Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. Google AMP Exploited by Threat Actors in Sophisticated Phishing Attacks Security experts are warning about a concerning rise in phishing attacks that exploit Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) to bypass email security measures, making their way into enterprise employees' inboxes. Google AMP%20is,versions%20of%20your%20landing%20pages.) is a collaborative HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) framework that enhances the loading speed of web content on mobile devices. These AMP pages are hosted on Google's servers, simplifying content and pre-loading heavier media elements for faster delivery. The tactic behind incorporating Google AMP URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) into phishing emails is to avoid detection by email protection technologies, leveraging Google's reputable image. Upon clicking the AMP URLs, victims are redirected to malicious phishing sites, adding a layer to thwart analysis efforts. To enhance stealth and success rates, phishing actors employ various evasive methods. A multi-faceted approach from malicious actors makes it increasingly challenging for targets and security tools to identify and block phishing threats effectively. Therefore, users and organizations must be aware and cautious to safeguard against... --- #### Why Cybersecurity Should Be a Business Traveller’s Priority? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-cybersecurity-should-be-a-business-travellers-priority/ Description: Why Cybersecurity Should Be a Business Traveller's Priority?: A corporate traveler must evaluate how well-poised they are to ward off cyberattacks. A corporate traveler must evaluate how well-poised they are to ward off cyberattacks. Accordingly, they can adopt measures to ensure better security during their journeys. Corporate cybersecurity is a critical concern for businesses to secure their information resources. Business travelers are among the most vulnerable in the face of menacing threats from malicious actors. Professionals frequently venturing outside the secure confines of their office premises and secure IT infrastructure should prioritize business travel awareness. Here is a close look into why business travelers must cultivate corporate cybersecurity best principles. Importance of Cybersecurity for Business Travelers Before exploring effective strategies to remain secure while traveling, it’s helpful to understand the importance of cybersecurity for business travelers. 1. Staying Connected with the Organization For global businesses, the importance of communication cannot be overemphasized. Business travelers must remain connected with their teams for seamless operation and to ensure greater productivity. However, this also exposes them to risks like data breaches through unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Threat actors tend to exploit these vulnerabilities, leading to compromised business data. Therefore, employees need to take guard against connecting to insecure systems. A small mistake on their part can lead to significant data breaches, and the consequences can... --- #### AI Fraud Advancement, Microsoft Leads Phishing, HR Phishing Trends – Cybersecurity News [24 July 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-30-of-2023/ Description: AI Fraud Advancement, Microsoft Leads Phishing, HR Phishing Trends – Cybersecurity News [24 July 2023]: emailsecurity · AI Fraud, Microsoft Phishing. emailsecurity · [AI Fraud, Microsoft Phishing, HR Trends, Cybersecurity News [24 July 2023]](https://soundcloud.com/phishprotection/ai-fraud-microsoft-phishing-hr-trends-cybersecurity-news-24-july-2023) Stay informed and secure with this comprehensive Weekly Cybersecurity News, bringing you the latest insights and updates to enhance your phishing protection. Advanced AI Fraud Tool Released for Sophisticated Attacks Malicious actors have introduced a new AI tool, FraudGPT, following the footsteps of WormGPT , to aid in offensive activities such as crafting spear phishing emails and creating malicious tools. The Fake ChatGPT scam has been advertised on dark web marketplaces and Telegram channels, with a monthly subscription cost of $200 . It boasts various capabilities, including writing malicious code, creating undetectable malware, and identifying vulnerabilities. Over 3,000 confirmed sales and reviews have been reported, but the LLM (Large Language Model) used for its development remains unknown. This emergence of AI-based malicious digital tools poses a significant threat, facilitating phishing and business email compromise attacks at scale, potentially leading to data theft and unauthorized wire payments. Organizations must adopt in-depth defense strategies and leverage security for fast analytics to counter such fake ChatGPT scams . Microsoft Tops Phishing Scam List in Q2 2023 "Microsoft's built-in phishing protection in Office 365 catches the obvious attacks, but it consistently... --- #### ZIP Domain Phishing,Advanced WormGPT Phishing,Moviegoer Scam-Cybersecurity News[17 July 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-29-of-2023/ Description: This week in cybersecurity: ZIP domain phishing, advanced WormGPT phishing tools, a moviegoer ticket scam, and more news from July 17, 2023. email security · [ZIP Domain Phishing,Advanced WormGPT Phishing,Moviegoer Scam-Cybersecurity News[17 July 2023]](https://soundcloud.com/duocircle-135145402/zip-domain-phishingadvanced-wormgpt-phishingmoviegoer-scam-cybersecurity-news17-july-2023) Here is the latest phishing news sharing updates on phishing attacks , sophisticated email attacks , and other serious cyber threats. This edition includes discoveries by FortiGuard Labs, the influence of WormGPT on sophisticated phishing, moviegoer scams, and upcoming changes to email phishing filters at universities. FortiGuard Labs Identifies the New Threat of .ZIP Domains in Phishing Attacks In a recent FortiGuard Labs report released on July 17, 2023, cybersecurity experts raised concern over the escalating use of phishing attacks by threat actors to gain initial access to information networks. FortiGuard Labs researchers Jonas Walker and Fred Gutierrez identified .ZIP domains as the latest addition to the phishing toolkit of threat actors. They are among the generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) that allow custom addresses ending with words such as .cash and .team. The availability of .ZIP domains for public purchase has enabled phishers to create confusion, particularly among less tech-savvy users, who might mistake .ZIP URLs for .ZIP file extensions. Besides, by leveraging .ZIP domains, malicious actors can add a sense of authenticity to fraudulent websites, making it harder for unsuspecting users to distinguish between legitimate and malicious... --- #### Cryptocurrency Phishing Threat, RomCom Phishing Scheme, OpenSea Scam Arrest – Cybersecurity News [10 July 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-28-of-2023/ Description: email security · Crypto Threat, RomCom Scheme, OpenSea Arrest, Cyb As the popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to soar. email security · Crypto Threat, RomCom Scheme, OpenSea Arrest, Cyb As the popularity of cryptocurrencies continues to soar, malicious actors are targeting cryptocurrency users through sophisticated phishing attacks . Malicious players are using ever-evolving tactics to victimize unsuspecting users. While enterprises and organizations are rapidly embracing email phishing protection to draw their line of defense, phishing attack mechanisms are becoming more innovative . This development is a worrying one for enterprises worldwide. Here is this week’s phishing news for you to check out the key highlights. Global Cryptocurrency Users Under Threat from Phishing Schemes A leading cybersecurity organization has uncovered an alarming rise in phishing campaigns aimed at hot and cold cryptocurrency wallets. Thus, cryptocurrency users appear to be the direct target for phishing campaigns. While anti-phishing solutions and ransomware protection largely secure information at the organizational and entrepreneurial levels, individual cryptocurrency account holders remain vulnerable to phishing attacks. These phishing campaigns have been designed to exploit cryptocurrency users globally. Of late, cryptocurrencies attract investors with their potential upside. However, malicious players are taking advantage of this extensive use of digital assets. In the spring of 2023, cybersecurity experts intercepted over 85,000 scam emails targeting hot and cold wallets. Their... --- #### Malware via Teams, Amazon Email Fraud, Canadian Phishing Target – Cybersecurity News [03 July 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-27-of-2023/ Description: Here is this week’s edition of phishing news to keep you updated on the latest developments in the cybersecurity landscape. Here is this week’s edition of phishing news to keep you updated on the latest developments in the cybersecurity landscape. TeamPhisher Tool Exploits MS Teams to Deliver Malware Malicious actors are using a new tool TeamPhisher in one of the latest phishing attacks to infiltrate Microsoft Teams and send malicious Sharepoint attachments to users. Becoming a victim of such malicious attacks could cost dearly to organizations without robust phishing prevention and ransomware protection strategies and safeguards. Though TeamPhisher was initially published by the US Navy for authorized red team missions, threat actors found it could help exploit a Microsoft flaw. MS Teams’ vulnerability allows infiltrators to trick a recipient into receiving an external message thinking it is from a trusted internal sender. They do this using TeamPhisher to alter the message’s POST request ID . However, Microsoft hasn’t taken any action for email phishing protection in this regard yet, as it thinks the issue doesn't warrant immediate treatment. Instead, it warned users only to receive messages from trusted domains. It also urged them to disable unwanted tenants and be careful with attachments and file transfers. Fraudsters Exploit Amazon Users and Steal Credentials Through Fake Emails "over 90% of ransomware attacks... --- #### UPS SMS Phishing, Phishing Scams on the Rise, Phishing Defense Urgent – Cybersecurity News [26 June 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-26-of-2023/ Description: Recent cyberattack instances on UPS and Meta Mask and a general rise in phishing attacks make it imperative for organizations to follow robust cybersecurity. Recent cyberattack instances on UPS and Meta Mask and a general rise in phishing attacks make it imperative for organizations to follow robust cybersecurity strategies. Multinational shipping giant UPS has been one of the latest victims of SMS phishing attacks, underlining enterprises' demand for higher vigilance. It is one of the recent massive phishing attacks that sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community. The terrifying and extended attack exposes the vulnerability of customer information. This breach also raised concern about the security of personal data and highlighted the urgent need for organizations and individuals to boost their lines of defense. With phishing scams continually evolving and increasing, organizations must adopt adequate countermeasures. Besides using anti-phishing tools, businesses also need ransomware protection to thwart malicious interventions. The data breach targeting UPS disclosed customer information, marking increased SMS phishing attacks. The SMS Phishing Attack on UPS Shipping Service The attack involved UPS customers receiving fraudulent text messages. These messages demanded payment before their packages were delivered. The internal review launched by UPS revealed that the threat actors had abused the organization’s package look-up tools to access customers' shipping information. The breach occurred between February 1, 2022, and April 24, 2023 . It potentially... --- #### Realistic Checkout Fraud,Developer Account Ban,Data-Selling Arrest- Cybersecurity News [19 June 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-25-of-2023/ Description: Here we are with this week's top cybersecurity news sharing the latest arrests of cybercriminals, Google's actions against threats actions. Here we are with this week's top cybersecurity news sharing the latest arrests of cybercriminals, Google's actions against threats actions, and the latest campaigns. It is important to stay informed and implement effective phishing protection strategies. Credit Card Theft Through Realistic Checkout Forms Replaces Hackers' Stealth Tactics Hackers and threat actors hijack online marketplaces to steal credit cards from innocent individuals worldwide. Threat actors add the code to display genuine-looking fake payment forms that display as a modal overlaid on the main webpage of these marketplaces and online stores. Researchers at Malwarebytes released a report on this new campaign highlighting that these models are carefully crafted and visually captivating, adding to the sophistication of the campaign. Whenever an individual enters information into the modal, it shows a loading screen that leads to an error, redirecting the user to the original payment URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The details entered, such as the card number, expiration date, CVV, and the holder's name, are sent to the threat actors. If you are a frequent shopper and come across a modal, it is better to skip these and look for the original payment link on the online store. Google Blocks Malware and Fraud Rings... --- #### Vulnerable Parental Control: 5M+ Downloads, Data Breach 5.8 Million Affected,French Transport Leaks – Cybersecurity News [12 June 2023] URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-24-of-2023/ Description: Here are the latest headlines from this past week to keep you updated on the latest techniques and tactics threat actors adopt to lure individuals and. Here are the latest headlines from this past week to keep you updated on the latest techniques and tactics threat actors adopt to lure individuals and organizations into cyberattacks. Over 5 Million Downloads, But The Parental Control App Is Vulnerable To Attacks The Parental Control, Kids Place' Kiddowares Android app contains multiple vulnerabilities that attackers can use to steal user credentials, upload arbitrary files on protected devices, and allow children to bypass controls without their parents noticing, say researchers at SEC Consult . The Kids Place, a parental control suite, has over 5 million downloads on Google Play. It offers parents to monitor their children through geolocation capabilities, enable screen time management, remote device access, harmful content blocking, and more. Researchers discovered that the Kids Place app’s older versions than 3.8.49 were vulnerable to the following security flaws: - User registration and logins returned the unsalted MD5 hash, which hackers can easily intercept and decrypt. - Attackers can manipulate the child device’s customizable name to trigger an XSS payload. - Cybercriminals can exploit the app's dashboard to upload malicious files (it was initially intended to send up to 10 MB files to their children's devices). - Since there is no... --- #### Augusta City’s Cyberattack: BlackByte’s Claim, Portuguese Banks’ Cyberattack, RomCom Malware Spreads – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-23-of-2023/ Description: Augusta City’s Cyberattack: BlackByte’s Claim, Portuguese Banks’ Cyberattack, RomCom Malware Spreads – Cybersecurity News: Here is. Here is the weekly cybersecurity bulletin highlighting the latest developments in phishing protection. The City of Augusta Cyberattack Claimed by BlackByte Ransomware Gang Augusta, Georgia, has fallen victim to a cyberattack that resulted in the city’s IT system outage. The unauthorized access to Augusta’s governance network caused disruptions and technical difficulties starting on May 21. While city officials did not disclose the exact nature of the attack, the BlackByte ransomware gang claimed responsibility and identified Augusta as one of its targets. As Georgia's second-largest city with a population exceeding 611,000 , Augusta is now working to investigate the incident's full impact and restore the affected systems promptly. Augusta's Information Technology Department is diligently examining the incident to assess the extent of the systems' damage and restore full functionality. Cyberattack on 30 Portuguese Banks' Credentials Linked to Operation Magalenha' "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches these threats by pattern, not by signature - which is how we detect attacks that no database has seen yet." - Adam Lundrigan, CTO, DuoCircle A group of threat actors from Brazil has... --- #### Encrypted RPMSG Exploited In Microsoft 365 Phishing – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-22-of-2023/ Description: Online attacks continue to become more sophisticated, and malicious players are deploying more innovative tactics than ever to launch phishing attacks. Online attacks continue to become more sophisticated, and malicious players are deploying more innovative tactics than ever to launch phishing attacks. One of the latest tactics is using RPMSG files to extract users’ Microsoft login credentials. In recent development, threat actors have adopted a new attack mechanism in the phishing world. They are utilizing encrypted RPMSG attachments delivered through compromised Microsoft 365 accounts. The attack vectors have been designed to steal the Microsoft credentials of users and are specifically crafted to evade detection by email security gateways. RPMSG (restricted permission message) files use Microsoft's Rights Management Services (RMS) for encrypting email message attachments. It delivers an additional layer of protection to sensitive information as they restrict access only to authorized recipients. In a recent discovery by Trustwave, a platform known for its rapid threat detection and response, attackers have successfully tricked victims into divulging their Microsoft credentials using fake login forms. The online attackers have managed to leverage the authentication requirements of RPMSG to exploit the vulnerabilities. How Does the New Phishing Attack Model Work? The new wave of online attacks begins with an email from a compromised Microsoft 365 account. These emails often impersonate legitimate organizations, replicating a typical... --- #### US Infrastructure Hacked, Patch Urgently Needed, WordPress Sites Compromised – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-21-of-2023/ Description: With discoveries of Chinese malicious actors and new APT groups, our Weekly Cybersecurity Bulletin brings you the top cybersecurity news from around the globe. With discoveries of Chinese malicious actors and new APT groups, our Weekly Cybersecurity Bulletin brings you the top cybersecurity news from around the globe. These underscore the importance of implementing cutting-edge phishing protection solutions. US Critical Infrastructure Breached by Chinese Adversaries in Covert Attacks Volt Typhoon, an active cyber espionage group from China, has been relentlessly targeting organizations based in the United States since mid-2021. Their operations target critical sectors, including communications, manufacturing, transportation, construction, utilities, and education. The esteemed Threat Intelligence Team at Microsoft discovered these malicious activities. It determined that the threat actors behind Volt Typhoon leveraged zero-day vulnerabilities to exploit Internet-exposed Fortinet FortiGuard devices, breaching their security defenses. The group adeptly utilizes widely available open-source tools like Impacket and Fast Reverse Proxy (FRP) to carry out their sophisticated attacks. They also exploit SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) network equipment vulnerabilities, effectively stealing credentials that enable them to deploy web shells for data extraction. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Microsoft has taken swift action by proactively reaching out to all affected customers, offering comprehensive support and vital information to fortify their network defenses against future attacks. Urgent Patching Required for Maximum Severity Flaw, GitLab Advises GitLab... --- #### Android’s Guerrilla Malware: Risks – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-20-of-2023/ Description: Are Android devices safe to use? The answer could be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ given the Guerrilla malware implanted in many Android devices by the Lemon Group. Are Android devices safe to use? The answer could be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ given the Guerrilla malware implanted in many Android devices by the Lemon Group. Read on to know more. Android is easy to use but could also be risky sometimes. The latest update on phishing protection reveals that cyber threat actors known as the Lemon Group are using Guerrilla malware to infect domestic Android devices and create data privacy issues. The activities include loading additional payloads, intercepting OTPs from SMSs, hijacking WhatsApp sessions, and setting up reverse proxy accounts from infected devices. Besides your smartphone, many other devices, such as TVs, smartwatches, and music players, could be running on Android software. The Guerrilla Malware The Guerrilla malware gets its name from guerrilla warfare tactics adopted by yesteryear's warriors. Threat actors attack the most vulnerable systems, with the owner unaware of how and when the attack occurs. Threat actors like Lemon Group specialize in infecting Android devices, especially those re-flashed with new ROMs. This malicious group has infected millions of Android smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs, and other devices working on Android software. How Does Guerrilla Malware Work? "over 90% of ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email (Verizon 2024... --- #### Spanish Authorities Bust Phishing Syndicate, Sysco Alerts Data Breach, Linux Kernel Exploit – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-19-of-2023/ Description: Spanish Authorities Bust Phishing Syndicate, Sysco Alerts Data Breach, Linux Kernel Exploit – Cybersecurity News: Check out the latest cybersecurity. Check out the latest cybersecurity news worldwide to keep yourself safe with our latest Weekly Cybersecurity Bulletin! Spanish Authorities Dismantle Crime Ring Connected to Phishing Operation Spain’s National Police arrested two threat actors and 15 members of a cybercriminal organization, and 23 individuals involved in illegal financial operations and bank scams. The threat actors were engaged in an email and SMS-based phishing campaign and scammed nearly 300,000 individuals making away with €700,000 ($768,000). The police investigated the campaign and all illegal activities of those arrested and found out that the members of the Trinitarios organization employed stolen credit cards to purchase crypto, which was exchanged with fiat currencies and sent to a standard box. These credit cards were stolen from the SMS phishing campaign victims via fake bank portal phishing pages. Threat actors and organized cybercriminal gangs are moving to cybercrimes and phishing for new revenue streams, and individuals should stay on their guard, keeping away from phishing or suspicious emails. Sysco, a Major Food Distributor, Issues Data Breach Warning Following Cyberattack One of the leading food distribution organizations worldwide, Sysco, confirmed that it was the victim of a network breach with the threat actors making away with sensitive business,... --- #### Russian Hackers Target French Senate, DVR Camera Hacking Attempts, Fake ChatGPT Exploit – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-18-of-2023/ Description: This week's cybersecurity news updates discuss why patching security vulnerabilities can be a significant step toward a safer network. This week's cybersecurity news updates discuss why patching security vulnerabilities can be a significant step toward a safer network. Read on to know more about how threat actors continued to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities and compromise information systems recently. Pro-Russian Hackers Claim They Targeted French Senate Website The French Senate’s website went offline on Friday after pro-Russian attackers claimed they had taken it down. The upper house of Parliament posted on Twitter, “Access to the website has been disrupted since this morning," further adding that a team was busy fixing the problem. A group that goes by the tag NoName on Telegram claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it took the step because “France is helping Ukraine on a new ‘aid’ package includes weapons." It is the same cybercriminal group that had taken responsibility for downing the website of France’s lower-house National Assembly in March. The group had also claimed responsibility for disrupting the Canadian government websites last month during the visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Canada. However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shrugged off the attack, saying that knocking a webpage offline would not prevent Canada from supporting Ukraine. Researchers Observe Attack Attempts On TBK DVR Camera... --- #### Coercive Hackers Extorting Payments, Personal Data Leaked by Cybercriminals, New MacOS Info-Stealer Discovered – Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-17-of-2023/ Description: Coercive Hackers Extorting Payments, Personal Data Leaked by Cybercriminals, New MacOS Info-Stealer Discovered – Cybersecurity News: Threat actors. Threat actors continue to expand their net and compromise systems worldwide in today's evolving cyber threat landscape. Follow this article for the latest phishing and breach-related updates this week. It is crucial to watch out for potential problems and take necessary phishing protection measures with regard to your company. Hackers Using New Tactics Like Coercion To Extort Payments GuidePoint Security recently published its Q1 2023 GRIT Ransomware Report , in which researchers say that prominent ransomware groups are increasingly adopting innovative coercive strategies like double extortion modus operandi. Furthermore, they observed Medusa and AlphV leaking sensitive information and pressuring victims to pay. - In 2023 beginning, the LockBit ransomware group released negotiation chat logs with one of its victims, Royal Mail, which had failed. - Although it is not an entirely new method, the ransomware groups probably use it to deter aggressive negotiation tactics and strengthen the effectiveness of their shaming strategies. - Other coercive measures that ransomware groups deploy include launching DDoS attacks and leaking selective data to the public to gain media attention and cause reputational damage to targeted organizations. Israel: Cybercriminals Leak Personal Details As Netanyahu's Facebook Account Targeted Cybercriminals targeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Facebook... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-16-of-2023/ Description: In this week's cybersecurity news picks, a leading bank exposed confidential client data, and ChatGPT remained a concern for security experts. In this week's cybersecurity news picks, a leading bank exposed confidential client data, and ChatGPT remained a concern for security experts. Follow this article to learn more about the latest phishing-related news and be sure to take all necessary phishing protection measures in the future. Google: Ukraine Becomes A Target Of 60% Russia-Backed Phishing Attacks In 2023 Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) is monitoring and disrupting Russian state-backed actors targeting Ukraine's critical infrastructure in 2023. It reported that from January to March 2023, Ukraine became the most prominent target of Russia-backed phishing attacks, receiving roughly 60% of cyber attacks . In most cases, the campaign goals were operational disruptions, intelligence collection, and leaking sensitive information through Telegram channels focused on causing information damage to Ukraine. Google's report also highlighted cases of misinformation on its platforms, YouTube and Blogger. "In the first 2023 quarter, TAG observed a coordinated campaign from Internet Research Agency (IRA) linked actors creating content on Google products like YouTube. They were commenting and upvoting each other's videos ," the Google TAG report read. Multinational ICICI Bank Leaks Passports And Financial Data ICICI Bank, an Indian multinational valued at over $76 billion, recently leaked millions of records with... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 15 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-15-of-2023/ Description: In this week’s bulletin, we will look at how hackers burst the iPhone's \"unhackable\" bubble, a global automaker suffered a data breach. In this week’s bulletin, we will look at how hackers burst the iPhone's "unhackable" bubble, a global automaker suffered a data breach, and how ChatGPT remained in the news for the wrong reasons. Stay informed to maintain your phishing protection measures consistent. Forensics Confirm Involvement of North Korean Hackers in 3CX Supply Chain Attack VoIP IPBX software development firm 3CX recently reported a supply chain attack where cybercriminals had targeted and infected its desktop apps’ macOS and Windows versions. Now, the forensic analysis has revealed additional details of a new malware family and threat actor attribution. - Mandiant published a report based on the forensic analysis revealing that the UNC4736 group had targeted 3CX systems with multiple malware strains, accompanying Gopuram and AppleJeus malware. - For targeting Windows devices, attackers used Taxhaul (or TxRLoader), which they used to deploy a second-stage payload called Coldcat. - The experts named the backdoor used for targeting macOS machines SIMPLESEA. Mandiant did not confirm if it is a new malware or overlaps with any existing malware family. Cybercriminals Hack iPhones to Drop QuaDream’s KingsPawn Spyware An Israeli firm QuaDream has developed a new commercial spyware KingsPawn which cybercriminals are using to target the iPhones... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2023/ Description: This week in the cybersecurity world, we saw fake ransomware threats, hacktivists targeting Russian wives, and growing concerns regarding ChatGPT. This week in the cybersecurity world, we saw fake ransomware threats, hacktivists targeting Russian wives, and growing concerns regarding ChatGPT. All of these events prompted the need for enhanced phishing protection solutions among all organizations . Read on to know more. Service NSW Suffers A Data Breach, Exposes Personal Data Impacting Thousands Of Customers Service NSW said that the personal information of its customers got exposed to other logged-in customers in a privacy breach. It released an update to the “ My Services ” dashboard on March 20, which caused the data breach, Greg Wells, the Service NSW CEO, told the impacted customers in an e-mail. Personal information that might be exposed includes vehicle registration, driver’s license details, children's names, and contact information. The agency believes that the affected customers logged in to the MyServiceNSW Account between 1.20 pm and 2.54 pm . It added that hackers could not search the sensitive personal information, which was isolated to the website. Wells said he believes it was an isolated incident, and only the affected customers logged in at the time. "I can confirm that it wasn't a cyberattack, and Service NSW believes any risk presented by the incident is very low,”... --- #### Sensitive Information at Risk as a Security Breach Hits US Marshals Service URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/sensitive-information-at-risk-as-a-security-breach-hits-us-marshals-service/ Description: A major security breach has recently hit the US Marshals Service, putting sensitive information at risk, according to senior law enforcement officials. A major security breach has recently hit the US Marshals Service, putting sensitive information at risk, according to senior law enforcement officials. Learn more about the details of the breach, how it happened, the data at risk, and the steps being taken to address it. The US Marshals Service was hit by a major security breach this month, with hackers breaking into and stealing data from a computer system that contained personal information about investigative targets and agency employees, as confirmed by a spokesman for the service on Monday. The Justice Department division is responsible for protecting judges, transporting federal prisoners, and operating the federal witness protection program, though the latter's database was not breached. Nonetheless, hackers accessed information about some fugitives sought by federal authorities. This text shares a look into the incident and will detail how and when it happened. The US Marshals Service Ransomware Attack The breach, which occurred on February 17th , involved ransomware and has been classified by Justice Department officials as "a major incident," according to the Marshals Service spokesman, Drew J. Wade. The latest security breach highlights the government's ongoing struggles to safeguard sensitive information as ransomware attacks' frequency, scale, and sophistication continue... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 13 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-13-of-2023/ Description: Phishing attacks and data breaches continue to impact organizations and individuals alike. Here are this week’s most notable updates. Phishing attacks and data breaches continue to impact organizations and individuals alike. Here are this week’s most notable updates. McDonald's, Samsung and BAT Fined For Privacy Breach The renowned brands Samsung and McDonald's were recently fined by South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission for privacy breaches. With phishing scams increasing world-over, organizations are expected to maintain cybersecurity standards. However, McDonald's was found storing backup data on a Server Message Block (SMB) with sharing enabled . This helped adversaries steal over 4 million users' information . Further, the company was found storing over 766,846 customers' data beyond the normed retention period, and this data, too, was compromised owing to the security loophole. Both these incidents cost McDonald's a fine of about $530,000 and $7,700, respectively. On the other hand, Samsung was found exposing the data of 48,122 users for over a month owing to incompetent web server security. In another incident, the cigarette company British American Tobacco (BAT) was found exposing the personal details of over 1500 customers. The Personal Information Protection Commission of South Korea fined both these organizations ₩100 million and ₩40 million, respectively, for their lack of phishing awareness. In this much-needed security check, the commission also fined... --- #### TELUS Launches Investigation After Potential Data Breach Leaks Source Code and Employee Info URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/telus-launches-investigation-into-potential-data-breach/ Description: TELUS, the Canadian telecom giant, is investigating a potential data breach after a threat actor leaked what appears to be employee data and source code. TELUS, the Canadian telecom giant, is investigating a potential data breach after a threat actor leaked what appears to be employee data and source code. TELUS has initiated an investigation in response to the breach to assess the scope of the incident and safeguard its customers and staff from any potential risks. Stay updated with the latest developments on this incident with this article as we share what happened, how it happened, and what TELUS is doing. TELUS, Canada's second-largest telecommunications organization , is currently investigating a potential data breach after a hacker claimed to have stolen employee data and shared samples online. The individual or group responsible for the threat later shared images purporting to display confidential source code repositories and payroll records owned by TELUS. Although TELUS has not found evidence of stolen customer data, the organization is taking the incident seriously and actively monitoring the situation. The text will dive deeper into the details of the potential data breach and the steps TELUS is taking to address the problem. The TELUS Data Breach at a Glance TELUS, one of the most prominent telecommunications enterprises in Canada, is investigating a possible data breach after a threat actor shared... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-12-of-2023/ Description: In today's constantly evolving threat landscape, attackers are always on the lookout for the next opportunity to obtain valuable personal data. In today's constantly evolving threat landscape, attackers are always on the lookout for the next opportunity to obtain valuable personal data, making everyone vulnerable to phishing attacks regardless of their industry or sector. In this week's update, we bring you the latest news stories related to phishing and data breaches. Saks Fifth Avenue Claims Mock Datannousmentsa Stolen in Clopannousments Ransomware Attack Saks Fifth Avenue, a well-known Luxury retail brand, was the target of the notorious ransomware gang Clop Ransomware. Clop ransomware added Saks Fifth Avenue as a victim on its dark web leak site as a part of its ongoing Clop campaign targeting organizations and businesses vulnerable to GoAnywhere MFT servers. Saks has clarified that the data breach impacted no actual customer data but has not clarified employee or corporate data details. The organization was founded by Andrew Saks in 1867 and is headquartered in New York. Saks is considered one of the top luxury brand retailers in Canada, the Middle East, and the US, which makes this attack a significant one that could affect thousands. The Clop ransomware gang exploited the CVE-2023-0669 , which allowed them to gain server access using RCE (Remote Code Execution) on unpatched organizational systems.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-11-of-2023/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2023: This week saw cybercriminals target famous car brand BMW and data protection vendor Acronis among others. This week saw cybercriminals target famous car brand BMW and data protection vendor Acronis among others, hinting at the need for more effective phishing protection services. Here are this week's phishing and data breach-related updates to help you stay informed and take proactive measures to secure your information assets. Hospital In Brussels Becomes The Latest Victim of Cyber Attack Amidst Growing Attacks on European Healthcare A university hospital in Brussels became the latest institution targeted by cybercriminals in growing cyberattacks against European hospitals . The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Saint-Pierre diverted the ambulances following a cyberattack in the wee hours of Friday. Pierre Leroy, CHU Saint-Pierre's chief executive, said the hospital followed an emergency plan "particularly designed for such a situation" following the earlier attacks on other Belgian hospitals. While the staff had to start working with paper records, the hospital disconnected its servers and restarted them by Saturday afternoon, said Leroy. He further added that the servers remain offline . "We are hopeful that it will continue like this, but we can now see the benefits of an emergency plan against such cyberattacks," he added. He added that 100% of the hospital's IT applications were operational again, although "emergency... --- #### GoDaddy Customers Beware: Hackers Have Been Stealing Source Code for Years URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/godaddy-customers-beware-hackers-have-been-stealing-source-code-for-years/ Description: In the latest cybersecurity breach news, web hosting giant GoDaddy has revealed that malicious actors have been stealing its source code for several years. In the latest cybersecurity breach news, web hosting giant GoDaddy has revealed that malicious actors have been stealing its source code for several years. This article shares a look at the multi-year data breach campaign and describes how you can protect yourself if you use a hosting service. Web hosting giant GoDaddy has reported that it was a victim of a cyber-attack where the hackers stole source code and placed malware on its servers. The threat actors breached its cPanel shared hosting environment in a multi-year attack. The organization discovered the security breach in early December 2022 after customers reported that their sites were being maliciously used to redirect users to random domains. However, the attackers had multiple years of access to the organization's network. What Does GoDaddy Have to Say about the Multi-Year Breach? GoDaddy released a statement highlighting all the details of the data breach that went on for years. In December 2022, GoDaddy received complaints from customers about their websites being intermittently redirected. Upon investigation, an unauthorized third party had gained access to servers in the organization's cPanel shared hosting environment and installed malware, causing the intermittent redirection of customer websites. After confirming the intrusion, GoDaddy has... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-10-of-2023/ Description: From the Maritime to Gun and video-making industry, nobody is safe in today's landscape where attackers constantly look for the new gold, \"personal data. From the Maritime to Gun and video-making industry, nobody is safe in today's growing threat landscape where attackers constantly look for the new gold, "personal data." As more and more sensitive information is stored online, the consequences of a cyber attack can be catastrophic for individuals and businesses alike so the introduction of phishing protection is of vital importance. Here are this week's phishing and data breach-related news stories. Multi-Year Spear Phishing Campaign Targeting The Maritime Industry A sophisticated spear phishing campaign managed to sneak past the maritime industry's security solutions and deliver Formbook and Agent Tesla. The attackers maintained persistence in the network for over a year , the crew unaware. Security experts observed the campaign in October 2020 when the attackers were distributing Agent Tesla and, in mid-2022, switched to Formbook. W hat Researchers found: ElecticIQ Intelligence assessed the campaign and attributed it to a single threat cluster . The emails pretended to inform the recipients that the ship was docking at a port and asked the victim to click on the malicious attachment for further details. The spear phishing emails contain a CAB file with a maritime vessel's name, enclosing the Agent Tesla malware. Researchers found over... --- #### Threat Actors use NameCheap’s Email to Execute Metamask and DHL Phishing Attacks. URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-use-namecheaps-email-to-execute-metamask-and-dhl-phishing-attacks/ Description: Threat Actors use NameCheap’s Email to Execute Metamask and DHL Phishing Attacks.: The recent security breach and phishing campaign that occurred at. The recent security breach and phishing campaign that occurred at Namecheap, a domain registrar, serves as a stark reminder of the persistent and evolving threats posed by cybercriminals. In this post, we will delve into the details of the breach and the phishing campaign and offer some essential tips to help protect against phishing scams. The web hosting company and domain registrar Namecheap recently suffered a security breach when its email account was hacked. This breach resulted in a phishing campaign that targeted the cryptocurrency wallet MetaMask and the logistics company DHL, intending to obtain personal and cryptocurrency wallet information from susceptible users. The phishing emails were sent out around 4:30 PM ET and originated from SendGrid, an email platform that Namecheap had used in the past for marketing emails and renewal notices. Phishing Emails The phishing emails used in the campaign impersonated DHL and MetaMask. The DHL phishing email appeared to be a bill for a delivery fee needed to complete the package delivery. The embedded links in the email directed users to a fake phishing page where the attackers aimed to steal the targets' information. Meanwhile, the MetaMask phishing email was designed to appear as a required KYC... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-9-of-2023/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2023: Cyber threats are on the rise, and no organization is immune to their impact, regardless of their industry or. Cyber threats are on the rise, and no organization is immune to their impact, regardless of their industry or size. In light of the ever-growing volume of sensitive information stored online, the repercussions of a cyber attack can be grave for both individuals and businesses. To counter the threat of phishing attacks, companies can implement robust phishing protection measures that leverage advanced technologies. Here are this week's most important phishing and data breach-related headlines to ensure that you stay current on the latest security incidents and data breaches. Digital Smoke' Launches An Investment Scam Network Impersonating Fortune 100 Corporations Resecurity recently identified large investment fraud networks by volume and size targeting Internet users from the U.S., Canada, Australia, China, Colombia, the European Union, Singapore, Malaysia, India, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico regions. The threat actors operate as an organized crime syndicate with massive infrastructure. They impersonate Fortune 100 corporations from the UK and the US, using their market reputation and brand value to defraud consumers. After collecting victims' payments, they erase the previously created resources and set up the next campaign, hence the investigators naming the group " Digital Smoke ." The security researchers identified that most fraudulent... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 8 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-8-of-2023/ Description: Organizations across various industries and sizes are facing an uptick in cyber threats that can have severe consequences for both individuals and businesses. Organizations across various industries and sizes are facing an uptick in cyber threats that can have severe consequences for both individuals and businesses due to the increasing amount of sensitive information stored online. Here are this week's top headlines to keep you informed of the latest security incidents and data breaches. Cyberattack Cripples Ticket Sales at the Philadelphia Orchestra And Kimmel Center The threat actors targeted the websites of the Philadelphia Orchestra, including its home venue, which remained down days after they issued a notice saying they suffered a cyberattack. Recently, the Kimmel Center said ticket sales were affected by the cyberattack without providing further details. Philadelphia Orchestra's spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. "As we work to resolve the issue, we assure patrons that all Campus [at the Kimmel Center] performances will proceed as planned, and our security personnel are working as intended to safeguard sensitive data," the organizations wrote. The Orchestra created a temporary portal to facilitate ticket sales, and people confirmed that tickets were available in person. Arts venues like the Kimmel Center also hold the Philadelphia Ballet and the Broadway shows and are ripe targets for cybercriminals eager to hold critical systems like ticketing... --- #### Find Out About the Latest Case of Threat Actors Utilizing Phishing-as-a-Service to Steal $120,000 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/find-out-about-the-latest-case-of-threat-actors-utilizing-phishing-as-a-service-to-steal-120000/ Description: Threat actors made away with $120,000 from an innocent victim by duping them with a sophisticated phishing-as-a-service scam. Threat actors made away $120,000 from an innocent victim by duping them with a sophisticated scam. This text shares the details of the cyberattack and shows how you can protect yourself. As technology advances at a dizzying pace, so does the cunning of those seeking to exploit it for their nefarious purposes. One such example of this unfortunate reality can be seen in the recent surge of Phishing-as-a-service kits, which provide a turnkey solution for would-be thieves to engage in digital fraud and easily steal sensitive information. This malign development is fueling an alarming uptick in incidents of theft, with victims ranging from individuals to large corporations. One of the latest cases is of Cody Mullenaux, an innocent small business owner who fell victim to threat actors utilizing technology and made away with the man's funds in a sophisticated wire transfer scam. Let us see what happened and how you can protect against similar threats. Phishing as a Service scam on Cody Mullenaux, The Man Who Lost $120,000 Despite banks investing heavily in cybersecurity and fraud detection measures, some criminal tactics remain sophisticated enough to even deceive bank employees, as evident from the case of California-based small business owner Cody... --- #### How Passwordless Authentication Helps You be Phish-Free And Secured URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-passwordless-authentication-helps-you-be-phish-free-and-secured/ Description: How Passwordless Authentication Helps You be Phish-Free And Secured: We're all looking to be as secure as possible. This is as true with our homes as it is. We’re all looking to be as secure as possible. This is as true with our homes as it is with our data, and although we take great lengths to secure our physical property, we can sometimes be a little too casual with our electronic property. But let’s face it, passwords can be a real drag, and having to remember too many of them while satisfying various security protocols and keeping them updated can be near impossible. This is why any effective security practice that doesn’t involve passwords has to be worth investigating. We’ll look at what’s involved in passwordless authentication and see what it can do to enhance security while not testing your patience. What is passwordless authentication? Passwordless authentication is a means of ensuring cybersecurity without asking the user to present a piece of confidential information. How does it work? It’s often based on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), i.e., a process by which more than one technique is employed to establish identity. There are three common methods that might be used. Possession of device When somebody attemps to gain access to an account, the account organisation will send a message containing a random sequence of letters or numbers to a... --- #### Microsoft Disables Verified Microsoft Partner Network Accounts Used In Malicious Third-Party OAuth App Campaign URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/microsoft-partner-network-accounts-used-oath-app-campaign/ Description: Microsoft Disables Verified Microsoft Partner Network Accounts Used In Malicious Third-Party OAuth App Campaign: The latest online status symbol is getting. The latest online status symbol is getting verified on popular platforms like Instagram, Apple AppStore, or Twitter. Users trust verified accounts more; similarly, third-party OAuth app publishers get verified by Microsoft. However, researchers recently discovered the latest malicious third-party OAuth app campaign abusing Microsoft's "verified publisher" status. Read on to learn more about the story. Microsoft recently disabled many fraudulent, verified MPN (Microsoft Partner Network) accounts for designing malicious OAuth apps that breached business cloud environments to steal emails. Microsoft and Proofpoint issued a joint statement in which Microsoft said the cybercriminals posed as legitimate organizations to enroll and successfully get verified in the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCCP). The threat actors then used these accounts to register verified OAuth apps in Azure AD and launched consent phishing attacks targeting UK and Ireland's corporate users. Microsoft added that threat actors used malicious OAuth apps to steal customers' emails. Additionally, Proofpoint warned that owing to the app's permissions, cybercriminals might have accessed calendars and meeting details and modified user permissions. They can use the information for BEC (business email compromise) attacks, cyber espionage, or for gaining further access to internal networks. Taking Proactive Steps: Microsoft Proofpoint discovered the malicious campaign on... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-7-of-2023/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2023: Cyber threats are becoming more prevalent and are affecting organizations of all sizes and industries. With the. Cyber threats are becoming more prevalent and are affecting organizations of all sizes and industries. With the ever-increasing amount of sensitive information being stored online, the consequences of a cyber attack can be severe for both individuals and businesses. Here are this week's top headlines to keep you informed about the latest security incidents and data breaches. Eurostar Forces Its Users To Do Password Resets' - Fails And Locks Them Out Eurostar , the International high-speed rail operator, e-mailed its users this week and insisted they reset their account passwords to "upgrade" security. But users who clicked on the password reset link encountered "technical problems," making it impossible to log in or reset their accounts. Eurostar is famous for connecting the United Kingdom to Belgium, Netherlands, and France, with most trains passing through the Channel Tunnel. Eurostar password reset bug locks passengers out. Eurostar e-mailed all its customers this week and forced them to reset their account passwords as the railway operator claimed it was "busy" upgrading account security for all users. "You must reset your password to continue using your Eurostar account," reads the e-mail. "You must update your Eurostar mobile app to the latest version ." However, following... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-6-of-2023/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2023: Threat actors are not leaving any industry behind when it comes to stealing users' digital assets . Here are. Threat actors are not leaving any industry behind when it comes to stealing users' digital assets. Here are this week's phishing and breach-related stories to keep you updated on the latest cyber developments. Zurich University Targeted in a Professional' Cyberattack The university said it is battling to keep cyber criminals out of critical zones by isolating its IT system's parts. While the university's move has restricted access to its systems, it has prevented attackers from extracting or encrypting data. The university alerted the Swiss authorities, students, and employees, advising them to change their passwords . "The perpetrators are acting in a very professional manner, and the attack appears to be a part of a wider accumulation of attacks targeting educational and health institutions," the University of Zurich stated. "Hackers have recently carried out several attacks on universities in German-speaking countries, leading to suspension of their IT services for extended periods." Last year, attackers used malicious software to hack the University of Neuchâtel in a cyberattack, forcing a temporary shutdown of its IT systems. Other global educational establishments targeted by cybercriminals in recent years include Universities in Germany and Austria. In 2021, cybercriminals hacked the Swiss town of Rolle, resulting in... --- #### 7 Commonly Overlooked But Crucial Security Threats That You Might be Ignoring URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/7-commonly-overlooked-but-crucial-security-threats-that-you-might-be-ignoring/ Description: 7 Commonly Overlooked But Crucial Security Threats That You Might be Ignoring as Well Most businesses will have the cyber security basics down. Page metadata Page Title 7 Commonly Overlooked But Crucial Security Threats That You Might be Ignoring as Well Meta Description Most businesses will have the cyber security basics down, but there's many overlooked cybersecurity threats that business leaders mightn't even be aware of. Cyber-crime is a lucrative business and is becoming more prevalent year-on-year, with estimates suggesting that cybersecurity breaches could cost the global economy over $10.5 trillion by 2025. It’s safe to say that protecting your organization against cyber-crime should be a top priority. However, many businesses struggle to treat cyber security like the business-ending threat it can all too easily become. Most businesses will enforce the use of some form of malware protection and the use of two-factor authentication, but there are several commonly overlooked, but crucial, cyber security threats that many business leaders aren’t using, or might not even be aware of. 1. Not acknowledging that you’re a potential target If there’s one thing you take away from this article, it should be that any business, regardless of its size, industry or turnover, is a potential security target. Startups and SMEs are often most susceptible to this line of thinking; they may feel like they’re less attractive... --- #### Threat Actors Using Malicious OneNote Attachments to Spread Malware via Phishing Emails URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/threat-actors-using-malicious-onenote-attachments-to-spread-malware-via-phishing-emails/ Description: Threat Actors Using Malicious OneNote Attachments to Spread Malware via Phishing Emails: Threat actors have switched to a new type of file for their. Threat actors have switched to a new type of file for their malicious purposes, this time in the form of Microsoft OneNote attachments in emails to deploy information-stealing malware. Join us as we provide an in-depth view into the new attack campaign and how to protect against it. The growing cybercriminal wave and headlines of novel attack campaigns have a new addition, this time in the form of OneNote attachments. Threat actors have evolved their phishing campaigns and are using OneNote attachments that infect the victim systems with malware to gain remote access to gain access for malicious purposes. Word and Excel attachments have been leveraged in phishing emails in the past, but the new wave of OneNote attachments should have individuals and organizations attentive. Let us see how threat actors are doing this and show you how to protect yourself. Why are Threat Actors Using OneNote Attachments to Drop Malware? Microsoft disabled default macros that were used in Office documents to thwart the attack campaigns where cybercriminals leveraged Word and Excel. Following the disabling, threat actors have been utilizing various file formats to drop malware using phishing emails. From ISO (International Organization for Standardization) images, password-protected ZIP (Term used... --- #### PayPal Credential Stuffing Attack: Data of nearly 35,000 Accounts at Risk URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/paypal-credential-stuffing-attack-data-of-nearly-35000-accounts-at-risk/ Description: Nearly 35,000 PayPal customers were the victim of a credential stuffing attack where threat actors got access to their personal and financial information. Nearly 35,000 PayPal customers were the victim of a credential stuffing attack where threat actors got access to their personal and financial information. This text shares details about the attack, what actually happened, how PayPal handled the case, what the organization is doing for the affected customers, and how you can protect your PayPal accounts and data. PayPal has sent out a recent data breach notification to thousands worldwide, informing them of a credential stuffing attack the enterprise suffered where the threat actors were able to conduct large-scale credential stuffing attacks that have exposed the personal data of nearly 35,000 PayPal customers . Here’s a comprehensive look into the incident covering how and when the cyberattack occurred and what customers can do to protect their accounts. The PayPal Credential Stuffing Attack at a Glance PayPal confirmed that threat actors were able to access PayPal customer accounts on 20 December of last year by utilizing legitimate login credentials. PayPal initially outlined that the organization had no information that suggested the misuse of personal information due to the cyberattack and stated, “There is also no evidence that your login credentials were obtained from any PayPal systems.” However, based on the investigation that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 5 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-5-of-2023/ Description: Data security incidents are on the rise and are impacting organizations across various sectors, regardless of their size. Data security incidents are on the rise and are impacting organizations across various sectors, regardless of their size. With vast amounts of personal and sensitive information being stored online, the ramifications of a data breach can be detrimental to both individuals and businesses. Here are this week's headlines to keep you updated on the latest data breaches and security incidents highlighting the importance of phishing protection. Researchers Discover Multiple Vulnerabilities IN Healthcare Software OpenEMR Security experts found three vulnerabilities in OpenEMR, the open-source software for medical practice management and electronic health records. Sonar clean code experts published an advisory about the flaws discovered by security researcher Dennis Brinkrolf. Brinkrolf wrote, "During our research of popular web applications, we recently discovered several code vulnerabilities in OpenEMR." These vulnerabilities allow remote hackers to execute arbitrary system commands on OpenEMR servers and steal sensitive patient data . In the worst-case scenario, they can compromise the entire critical infrastructure. The security expert added that Sonar's static application security testing (SAST) engine found that two combined vulnerabilities can cause unauthenticated remote code execution (RCE). Latest Database Injection Attacks Compromise WordPress Sites A massive campaign leveraged hacked WordPress sites and redirected victims to tech support scams,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 4 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-4-of-2023-2/ Description: From hackers targeting government services to crippling popular restaurant chains, this week was no different in cyberspace, which sees new threats every day. From hackers targeting government services to crippling popular restaurant chains, this week was no different in cyberspace, which sees new threats every day. Following is the weekly phishing and breach-related news roundup from this past week. This highlights the need for greater phishing protection. Roaming Mantis Campaign: Cybercriminals Target DNS Settings In Wi-Fi Routers, Infecting Victims With Mobile Malware Researchers recently observed that the Roaming Mantis Campaign ’s threat actors are back with an updated version of Wroba. They are deploying their patent mobile malware’s newest version to infiltrate Wi-Fi routers and execute Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking. Kaspersky analyzed the ongoing malware strain and said cybercriminals tweaked the older version to target specific Wi-Fi routers in South Korea. Roaming Mantis, also called Shaoye, is an ongoing financially motivated operation targeting Android smartphone users with malware. It steals bank account credentials and harvests other sensitive information. Initially, it was targeting Asian countries from 2018, but from early 2022, the hacking crew camouflaged the malware as a Google Chrome application and expanded its victim range to France and Germany. The recent attacks install malicious APK or redirect victims to phishing websites depending on which OS they are running on their mobile... --- #### BitRAT Malware Threat Actors Leveraging Stolen Columbian Cooperative Bank Data in Phishing Campaign URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/bitrat-malware-threat-actors-leveraging-stolen-columbian-cooperative-bank-data-in-phishing-campaign/ Description: The BitRAT malware was used to target the Columbian Cooperative Bank, where the threat actors made away with records of over 400,000 individuals. The BitRAT malware was used to target the Columbian Cooperative Bank, where the threat actors made away with records of over 400,000 individuals. The threat actors are using the information from these records for a massive spear phishing campaign. This text sheds light on the event, shares what BitRAT is, the BitRAT Columbian Cooperative Bank breach, an analysis of the latest BitRAT sample, why BitRAT is a grave threat, and shares how organizations can protect against BitRAT malware. It is common for malware campaigns to use phishing techniques to trick people into installing malware on their devices. But using stolen information for spear-phishing campaigns is a relatively novel approach implemented by threat actors behind the BitRAT malware campaign. The BitRAT malware has been used in attacks against government and private sector organizations, especially the financial sector. Threat actors are now employing the stolen banking credentials of individuals as phishing lures. Let us see what is happening in detail. What is BitRAT? BitRAT is a remote access trojan (RAT) that gives attackers complete control over the infected device. It is typically spread through phishing emails containing links to download the malware. Once the link is clicked, and the malware is downloaded,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-3-of-2023/ Description: Technology has become so intertwined with our lives that we often overlook that cybercriminals are constantly looking to gain unauthorized access to our lives. Technology has become so intertwined with our lives that we often overlook that cybercriminals are constantly looking to gain unauthorized access to our lives. This week was no different and saw threat actors target tech giants like Zoom and Telegram. Read on to learn all phishing-related stories for the week. Hackers Leak San Francisco Transit Police's Sensitive Files Cybercriminals allegedly posted numerous sensitive files online after targeting the San Francisco BART ( Bay Area Rapid Transit System ) Police Department. NBC News states that the leaked information included 120,000 files , mainly containing allegations of child abuse. It includes names and birthdates of victims and adult descriptions, including alleged abuse information. The leak also contains the contractors' names and driver's license numbers who worked on BART projects and hiring documents for the prospective officers. Furthermore, the leak contains police reports investigating suspects for various crimes. While the attack did not disrupt the transit system's services, it raises questions regarding data privacy and security, SafeBreach CISO Avishai Avivi says. "Unfortunately, public sector enterprises remain at a higher data breach risk. They face challenges when attracting cybersecurity talent and coupled with constrained budgets, and it results in a lagging cybersecurity program." Ed... --- #### The Role of Employees in Your Company’s Cybersecurity Breach URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-role-of-employees-in-your-companys-cybersecurity-breach/ Description: The Role of Employees in Your Company’s Cybersecurity Breach: Cybersecurity is no longer something for 'other' companies to worry about. Nowadays, it. Cybersecurity is no longer something for ‘other’ companies to worry about. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter how big you are or how much capital you have to spend: if you’re any kind of business, you need to have it in place. But pre-installed firewalls and anti-malware aren’t enough, you also need to consider the role your employees have in the event of a breach. The reality is that common sense and the assumption that people will do the right thing will only go so far. Breaches occur more frequently than most would like to admit, but what’s even more worrying is that the majority are caused inadvertently by negligent staff. This could happen by way of accidentally emailing sensitive data to the wrong recipients or even misconfiguring assets for unwanted access. So whether you already have some of the following things in place or are completely new to the concept of cybersecurity, let’s take a look at the role your employees have and how you can have them working with you rather than against you in the cybersecurity war. As shown below, the statistics are showing an exponential rise in data breaches, so let’s not waste any time here! Use password... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-2-of-2023/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2023: The phishing threat landscape is constantly evolving, with threat actors likely to continue their actions in. The phishing threat landscape is constantly evolving, with threat actors likely to continue their actions in 2023. Here are this week's headlines to inform you of the latest tactics being adopted by threat actors to dupe individuals and organizations alike. Hackers Hold Database of Romanian Hospital for Ransom Botoşani (northeastern Romania) based Saint Gheorghe Recovery Hospital became the latest target of a ransomware attack, impacting its medical activity. Cybercriminals demanded 3 Bitcoin to decrypt the servers' data. The attack resembles the one that occurred in 2019 summer when four Romanian hospitals became the target. The attackers accessed a remote connection used by one of the maintenance companies to break into the network. They entered the network and encrypted the December database. Afterward, they left a message in English, asking the hospital authorities for a 3 Bitcoin ransom. The recent attack was complex, and computer scientists from DIICOT and BitDefender (a Romanian antivirus company) could not decrypt the files. The manager of the Recovery Hospital, doctor Cătălin Dascălescu said, "We have notified DIICOT and the National Directorate of Cyber Security . An investigation is underway, and we are waiting for its findings. I cannot offer further details at the moment. We... --- #### The Latest Iran-aligned Hacker Phishing Campaign Targeting Middle Eastern Countries URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-iran-aligned-hacker-phishing-campaign-targeting-middle-eastern-countries/ Description: Iran-aligned hacker group, MuddyWater’s latest phishing campaign deploying the new Syncro remote administration tool is causing all kinds of trouble. Iran-aligned hacker group, MuddyWater’s latest phishing campaign deploying the new Syncro remote administration tool is causing all kinds of trouble. This text shares details about the phishing campaign, who MuddyWater is, the hacker group’s previous attacks, the latest changes, Syncro’s capabilities, how the attack campaign works, and how to protect against it. There is a novel phishing campaign utilizing legitimate corporate accounts for phishing emails. MuddyWater, a hacking group associated with Iran’s MOIS (Ministry of Intelligence and Security), has been using compromised email accounts from genuine organizations for a large-scale phishing campaign that is paired with a remote administration tool. The group has used similar tools in the past but has changed its tactics multiple times, coming to its most severe one. Here is everything you need to know about the MuddyWater phishing campaign and its RAT, Syncro. Who is MuddyWater? Also known as Boggy Serpens, Earth Vetala, Seedworm, and Cobalt Ulster, MuddyWater is a hacker group that primarily targets the Middle East and surrounding nations like India. The hacker group has been causing trouble since 2017, and its threat actors are known for their slowly evolving PowerShell-based backdoor that is continually incremented in its capability from time to time.... --- #### The Password Manager Giant LastPass Says Hackers Stole Customer Vault Data in a Cloud Storage Breach URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/password-manager-giant-lastpass-hackers-stole-customer-vault-data-cloud-storage-breach/ Description: If you have a LastPass account, which you use to store login information and passwords, or you previously had one that you did not delete. If you have a LastPass account, which you use to store login information and passwords, or you previously had one that you did not delete, your password vault might be in hackers' hands. Read on to learn more about the story. LastPass recently revealed that cybercriminals stole customer vault data after gaining unauthorized access to its cloud storage earlier this year through stolen information during an August 2022 incident. The story followed a previous update when Karim Toubba, the company's CEO, announced that the threat actors accessed "certain elements" of the customer information. Toubba recently added that LastPass used the cloud service to store production data's archived backups. How the Attack Took Place The attackers stole the "dual storage container decryption keys and cloud storage access key" from its developer environment and gained access to Lastpass' cloud storage. "The hackers copied information from the backup containing basic customer account information. Then, they linked metadata including end-user names, company names, billing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and the IP addresses the customers used for accessing the LastPass service," Toubba said. The attackers also copied a customer vault data backup from the encrypted storage container. Lastpass stored it in a proprietary binary... --- #### Notable Phishing Attacks of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/notable-phishing-attacks-2022/ Description: As we enter into 2023, cybercriminals are continuing to evolve their tactics and techniques to carry out phishing attacks. As we enter into 2023, cybercriminals are continuing to evolve their tactics and techniques to carry out phishing attacks. With the rise of remote working, the attack surface for phishing attacks has broadened significantly, which means it's more important than ever for organizations to stay ahead of the curve. In this blog post, we'll look at the top phishing attacks of 2022 that can help you better prepare for your protection from phishing in 2023. Valley View Hospital (January 2022) In January 2022, Valley View Hospital was a sophisticated phishing attack victim and one of the top phishing attacks of 2022. This attack utilized a technique known as "spear phishing," in which individuals are targeted with malicious emails designed to appear legitimate to gain access to sensitive data. In this case, the attackers sent emails to members of the hospital's staff that appeared to be from a trusted source, asking them to provide login credentials. Once these credentials were provided, the attackers could access the hospital's computer networks and sensitive patient data. On March 29, 2022 , an investigation concluded that the security of 21,000 individuals' patient and employee information was compromised in Valley View Hospital's email accounts. Valley View... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2023 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-1-of-2023/ Description: The ability of cybercriminals to operate from anywhere around the world and the increasing linkages between physical systems and cyberspace have led to rising. The ability of cybercriminals to operate from anywhere around the world and the increasing linkages between physical systems and cyberspace have led to rising cybersecurity incidents. Here are this week's headlines to give you an idea about how threat actors continue to target individuals and organizations to infiltrate their information assets. Hackers Deploy Malware Disguised as YouTube Bot to Steal Sensitive Data Cybercriminals are distributing YouTube bot malware that artificially boosts the rankings of YouTube videos and steals users' sensitive information. The malicious bot receives commands from the command and control (C2) server for other malicious activities. About the malware Cyble researchers discovered that the threat actors distributed the YouTube bot malware as a .NET compiled 32-bit executable file . The executable file requires four argument strings, including the video duration, video ID, like, and comment. Modus Operandi - After execution, the malware runs an AntiVM check and prevents malware detection and analysis in a virtual environment. - If it determines that it is executed in a controlled environment, it terminates. Otherwise, it proceeds to perform the tasks defined in the argument strings. - Furthermore, the malware creates copies of itself in the %appdata% folder with the name AvastSecurity.exe and... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-50-of-2022/ Description: Cybercriminals keep updating their techniques and do not relent in targeting big organizations every day. This week was no different in cyberspace. Cybercriminals keep updating their techniques and do not relent in targeting big organizations every day. This week was no different in cyberspace. Here are this week's phishing and data breach headlines. BetMGM: A Famous Sports Betting Operator Hit by Data Breach Sports betting service BetMGM recently said that cybercriminals obtained the personal information of its customers in an unauthorized manner but refrained from specifying the number of users affected. According to Reuters, the incident impacted customer information like name, contact information, hashed Social Security number, date of birth, account identifiers, and transaction information with BetMGM. BetMGM did not respond when asked how many customers were impacted by the breach, which occurred in May this year. The sports betting operator said it became aware of the matter on November 28 and has no evidence that threat actors accessed account funds or patron passwords. BetMGM further added that its online operations did not get compromised. Last month, another sports-betting firm DraftKings Inc (DKNG.O), reported a security breach where the login information of its customers got compromised. One way to reduce the risk of a security breach due to phishing attacks is to use a phishing protection security solution, such as an email... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 49 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-49-of-2022/ Description: The past week saw cybercriminals targeting multinational organizations and governments to steal personal data and impact their work. The past week saw cybercriminals targeting multinational organizations and governments to steal personal data and impact their work. Here are this week's headlines to keep you updated on recent phishing and data breach updates worldwide. Two Swedish Municipalities Declare Crisis Situation' After Getting Hit By Cyberattack The Borgholm and Mörbylånga Swedish municipalities declared a crisis situation' after getting targeted by a cyberattack. They confirmed an intrusion into the joint IT system the two municipalities use, making up the Öland island with a total population of 25,000 . Borgholm's municipal manager Jens Odevall said that the staff worked overnight, disconnected the districts' official systems from the internet, and roped in experts for the councils' incident management response. While Borgholm's website, hosted by an external provider, is still accessible, Mörbylånga's website is unavailable. However, various citizen services provided by both municipalities were unavailable, including email and healthcare services. Consequently, Healthcare providers in the area started using pen and paper. Jens Odevall did not disclose the incident's nature, but it follows the various ransomware attacks that hit European municipalities recently, including the Belgian city of Antwerp . When asked if it was sabotage or an extortion attempt, he said: "It's too early to... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 48 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-48-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 48 of 2022: Threat actors continue to compromise organizations' information assets through new and innovative ways of. Threat actors continue to compromise organizations' information assets through new and innovative ways of phishing. Here are this week's headlines to help you stay better prepared. Amnesty International Canada Alleges a Hack by Beijing Amnesty International's Canadian branch said it became the target of a China-sponsored cyberattack. The human rights organization discovered the breach on October 5 and hired cybersecurity experts and forensic investigators to investigate it. Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General at Amnesty International Canada , said investigators linked the searches in their systems to China and Hong Kong, including a few prominent Chinese activists. The attack took Amnesty's systems offline for nearly three weeks. According to the US cybersecurity firm Secureworks, attackers did not attempt to monetize the access, and it was the job of a threat group tasked or sponsored by the Chinese state. They could establish the role of the Chinese state because of the nature of the searches, the use of specific tools, and the level of sophistication distinctive of China-sponsored actors. "As an organization dedicated to human rights globally, we know we can become the target of state-sponsored attacks to disrupt or surveil our work. Such incidents will not intimidate us, and the privacy and... --- #### New Schoolyard Bully Trojan Targeting Global Android Devices, Steals Facebook Logins URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/schoolyard-bully-trojan-targeting-global-android-devices-steals-facebook-logins/ Description: The Schoolyard Bully Trojan is a malware campaign that targets to get into victims' devices and steal their Facebook logins. The Schoolyard Bully Trojan is a malware campaign that targets Android applications to get into victims' devices and steal their Facebook logins. This article shares the Schoolyard Bully Trojan, how it works, its capabilities, and how you can stay protected against it. A novel Android threat campaign is affecting over 300,000 individuals in over 70 countries. Dubbed the "Schoolyard Bully Trojan," this threat targets the Facebook login credentials of its victims by impersonating educational applications on the official Google Play Store. With a huge victim base and potential to harm millions, this shares the details of the Schoolyard Bully Trojan, whether it is connected to the FlyTrap Trojan, and how you can protect yourself. Schoolyard Bully Trojan at a Glance The Trojan was analyzed and discovered by Zimperium zLabs, who revealed that the cyber threat had been found in numerous applications on the Google Play Store since 2018. Also present on third-party app stores, the Schoolyard Bully Trojan appears as an educational application offering study materials, books, and topics for individuals to read and has hidden malicious code designed to steal its victims' Facebook credentials and exfiltrate them to the threat actor-controlled C2 (Command and Control) server on Firebase. This... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-47-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 of 2022: Not a week passes by when we don't hear about cybercriminals targeting various organizations worldwide. From. Not a week passes by when we don't hear about cybercriminals targeting various organizations worldwide. From compromising government websites to crippling large healthcare organizations, the following are the recent phishing and breach-related updates of this week. Indiana Health Entity Reports a Data Breach Involving Tracking Code An Indiana healthcare network became the latest medical entity to classify the usage of online tracking code as a data breach, reporting it to federal regulators. Community Health Network recently reported an unauthorized access/disclosure breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that affected 1.5 million individuals involving the website tracking code. The nonprofit health system , having over 200 sites and affiliates across Central Indiana, said it recently learned about a few third-party tracking technologies on its websites, including from Google and Facebook, transmitting patient information to the tracking technology vendors. From August to November, the Community Health Network began investigating, removing, or disabling the "problematic technologies" from its website. "We are in the process of better understanding the extent and nature of patient information that got transmitted," the statement says. The health system started using tracking technologies on April 6, 2017 . It said that any user scheduling an appointment... --- #### IT Support: Why you Need it, What it Does, And How to Optimize it URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/it-support-why-you-need-it-what-it-does-and-how-to-optimize-it/ Description: IT Support: Why you Need it, What it Does, And How to Optimize it: For most of us, the use of technology has become a critical and embedded part of our. For most of us, the use of technology has become a critical and embedded part of our working lives. A well implemented and supported IT infrastructure is absolutely integral to employees fulfilling their roles and for businesses to achieve their goals. Why you need IT support First let’s set the scene and consider the complex and constantly evolving demands placed upon a business’s IT infrastructure. It is this complexity and change that makes effective IT support so critical. The demands on IT are complex The list of tasks relying on IT that an employee might undertake each day is considerable: e.g. logging on to a network, accessing files from a drive, printing, organizing conference calls, using remote working tools, or helping on-board new colleagues. There are a myriad of more possibilities. And now multiply those everyday tasks by all the employees in an organization! Moreover, each business department will have its own bespoke equipment, systems, or software supporting its operations. Those components involve their own complexities, offering benefits for the team when all is well. But if something goes wrong, or if an employee struggles with a particular aspect, potential benefits can morph into challenges. The demands on IT are... --- #### GDPR Non-Compliance: Meta Fined $277m For Exposing Over 500 Million Users’ Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/gdpr-non-compliance-meta-fined-277m-exposing-500-million-users-data/ Description: Businesses take all sorts of measures to remain competitive in the marketplace, but it should not happen at the expense of violating data privacy laws. Businesses take all sorts of measures to remain competitive in the marketplace, but it should not happen at the expense of violating data privacy laws. Following is the latest incident when the regulators fined Meta for not protecting the privacy of its users. Recently, the Irish data watchdog Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined Facebook's owner about $277 million after it discovered a breach that led to details of over 500 million users getting published online. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) mentioned that Meta infringed upon two articles of the EU's data privacy laws after malicious actors scraped details of Facebook users worldwide from their public profiles in 2018 and 2019. The DPC that regulates Meta across the EU discovered the data on a hacking website last year and thus launched an investigation into the incident. DPC says that a large number of the affected users were from the EU. Not Just A Fine Additionally, the Privacy watchdog imposed a "reprimand and order" on Meta, requiring it to take particular remedial actions within a specified timeframe and bring its data processing into compliance. In a statement, Meta explained: "We made certain changes to our systems during the mentioned time, including removing... --- #### Phishing Campaign Spreading Evolved IceXLoader Malware To Exfiltrate Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-campaign-spreading-evolved-icexloader-malware-exfiltrate-data/ Description: The IceXLoader malware has evolved and is striking via a phishing email, dropping the malware payload capable of advanced, evasive. The IceXLoader malware has evolved and is striking via a phishing email, dropping the malware payload capable of advanced, evasive, and persistent system presence to exfiltrate data. This text shares IceXLoader’s history, how IceXLoader works, new features, IceXLoader attack pattern, how the IceXLoader malware can harm organizations, and what organizations need to do to stay protected. The IceXLoader malware is back with new capabilities and a multi-chained approach and infects home and corporate systems worldwide. The latest version, 3.3.3, is an advanced malware with unique features and attracts many threat actors. With the phishing campaign for the deployment of the IceXLoader malware spreading like fire and underground cybercriminal forums applauding the malware, here is everything you need to know about the IceXLoader malware. IceXLoader Discovery in June Security researchers at FortiGuard Labs of Fortinet encountered the malware in June 2022 , which was then dubbed as IceXLoader and was significantly promoted in cybercriminal forums. The latest version of the malware was written in Nim and was a part of the ICEX project, known as its v3.0. The malware loader downloaded and executed payloads on victim machines and was a part of a wide variety of malware and malicious service available... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-46-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 of 2022: Over the past years, phishing attacks have evolved in number and intensity. Organizations can stay resilient. Over the past years, phishing attacks have evolved in number and intensity. Organizations can stay resilient against threats by staying updated about the latest episodes. Here are this week's phishing and data breach headlines. Middle Eastern Countries See a Spike in World Cup Phishing Emails In the last month leading up to the FIFA World Cup, phishing attempts targeting Middle Eastern users rose 100 percent, according to security shop Trellix . The researchers witnessed a spike in e-mail-based attacks from September to October, with doubled malicious email volume. Threat actors used FIFA and related lures to target the victims, and security researchers showed several malicious email samples. In one email, the cybercriminals faked the FIFA TMS (transfer matching system) helpdesk with a fake alert saying the victim's two-factor authentication got deactivated. The user had to visit an attacker-controlled website that allowed the crooks to steal the user's credentials. Another email impersonated the Auckland City FC team manager, David Firisua, and requested confirmation for a FIFA payment. Trellix's phishing net also caught emails impersonating Snoonu, the World Cup's official food delivery partner, that offered free match tickets. "It is a common practice for cybercriminals to utilize popular events as social engineering... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-45-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 of 2022: You may hardly find an industry today that is not impacted by phishing attacks . Threat actors don't spare. You may hardly find an industry today that is not impacted by phishing attacks. Threat actors don't spare anyone, be it a typical internet user or an organization with thousands of employees. This is why it is crucial to keep yourself updated about how these attacks happen to ensure you or your organization does not end up being a victim of such cyber threats. Here are threat week headlines that cover how threat actors exploit vulnerabilities and target your information assets. Malicious Actors Exploit Aiphone Intercom System Vulnerability to Open Doors Aiphone is the world's largest intercom systems manufacturer and also makes video and audio entry systems for corporate and residential buildings. Last week, researchers at Promon , a Norwegian application security firm, published a report that suggests an Aiphone intercom products vulnerability that potentially allows hackers to breach the system using an NFC tag and access the buildings. They tracked the security bug as CVE-2022-40903, describing it as an information disclosure vulnerability. Promon suggests that the bug allows threat actors to "use a mobile with NFC capability to execute a brute-force attack on the entry system to find the admin password. The system allows attackers with network access to... --- #### Robin Banks Phishing Service Back with Cookie Stealer and Russian Server URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/robin-banks-phishing-service-cookie-stealer-russian-server/ Description: The Robin Banks PhaaS platform is back with a new Russian server and a cookie stealer to bypass 2FA and compromise organizational accounts. The Robin Banks PhaaS platform is back with a new Russian server and a cookie stealer to bypass 2FA and compromise organizational accounts. This article shares the history of Robin Banks, attack patterns, how Robin Banks evolved, the Robin Banks cookie stealer and Russian server, how Robin Banks's phishing kit works, and how organizations can stay protected against Robin Banks's phishing. Robin Banks, a popular PhaaS (Phishing as a Service) platform, has relocated its attack infrastructure after Cloudflare dissociated all threat activity by Robin Banks. The platform has relocated its infrastructure following a multi-day disruption to its services and switched to a Russian provider. Robin Banks also appears to be developing advanced evasive features into the platform and enhancing its phishing offerings . Here is everything about Robin Banks and how the PhaaS platform has enabled threat actors to rob banks and financial intermediaries. Robin Banks History: The First Wave of Robin Banks The PhaaS platform appeared in March 2022 and offered phishing kits to threat actors allowing them to access financial information and carry out malicious activities in the United States, Canada, Australia, and United Kingdom. The platform was discovered by IronNet's researchers, who outlined how simple it was... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-44-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 of 2022: Threat actors continue to target organizations worldwide to get access to their information assets. It may be. Threat actors continue to target organizations worldwide to get access to their information assets. It may be challenging to anticipate a phishing attack, but one can surely learn from the attacks that have taken place to understand how these malicious actors operate and adopt anti-phishing measures accordingly. To that end, here are the phishing and breach-related updates for the week. Newly Discovered Crimson Kingsnake Threat Group Impersonates Law Firms in BEC Attacks Researchers discovered a new business email compromise (BEC) group called Crimson Kingsnake,' which impersonates famous international law firms to trick users into approving overdue invoice payments. The cybercriminals impersonate lawyers sending invoices for payment of services they supposedly provided to the target firms a year ago. The approach creates a solid attack vector for the BEC attack, as recipients get intimidated when receiving emails from reputed law firms like the ones threat actors impersonated in the scams. Analysts at Abnormal Security first discovered the Crimson Kingsnake campaign in March 2022 and reported they identified 92 domains linked to the group, all impersonating genuine law firm sites. The typosquatting approach allows the BEC actors to send emails to victims through an address appearing authentic at first glance. The emails... --- #### As Twitter Plans To Charge Verified Users $8 Fee, Threat Actors Start Launching Phishing Campaigns Exploiting The Situation URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/twitter-plans-charge-verified-users-8-fee-threat-actors-start-launching-phishing-campaigns-exploiting-situation/ Description: Scammers and hackers are exploiting the confusion regarding Twitter's new CEO, Elon Musk's plans for paid blue ticks on the platform. Scammers and hackers are exploiting the confusion regarding Twitter's new CEO, Elon Musk's plans for paid blue ticks on the platform. They are sending phishing emails disguised as official Twitter notices and luring users into sharing their details. This post covers the details regarding such phishing schemes. Elon Musk recently appointed himself as Twitter's CEO and announced his plans to revamp Twitter's verification process. Twitter initially proposed charging verified users a $20 monthly fee to retain their verified status. However, Musk later said the fee would be $8 and vary according to the country. According to a tweet, Musk said that after successful verification, paid users will receive a blue tick and get priority in searches, mentions, and replies. Additionally, they will get fewer ads and can post longer multimedia content. Musk asked his team to develop a feature to monetize the blue badge by November 7, and hackers joined the party by launching phishing campaigns targeting verified accounts. Like most phishing emails, they conveyed a false sense of urgency , asking the user to sign in to their Twitter account or their account will get suspended. Analysts at BleepingComputer examined the emails and said they originated from hacked websites'... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-43-of-2022/ Description: Traditional cybersecurity measures cannot protect organizations against today's phishing attacks as they are getting increasingly sophisticated. Traditional cybersecurity measures cannot protect organizations against today's phishing attacks as they are getting increasingly sophisticated. Thus, enterprises must take a layered approach to prevent cyber-attacks and lessen their impact when they occur. Additionally, they can learn from the latest trends in the cyber threat landscape. Here are this week's phishing and data breach-related headlines. Twilio Blames Voice Phishing For Another Hack From June Cloud communications provider Twilio disclosed another data breach stemming from a security incident in June 2022 , where the same cybercriminals behind the August hack accessed their customers' information. Twilio, referring to it as a " brief security incident " on June 29, said the threat actor used social engineering to lure employees into sharing their credentials through a voice phishing attack. The attackers used the stolen credentials "to access contact information for a few customers." Twilio recently revealed that they identified and eradicated the threat actor within 12 hours. Furthermore, they notified the customers whose information got impacted by the June incident on July 2, 2022 . Twilio added that attackers behind the August breach accessed the personal data of over 209 customers and 93 Authy end users. "They breached an internal non-production system using... --- #### Social Engineering Attack on Twilio Compromises Employee Accounts and Customer Data URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/social-engineering-attack-twilio-compromises-employee-accounts-customer-data/ Description: Twilio has suffered a second attack, leading to the compromise of its former and current employee accounts and the loss of sensitive customer information. Twilio has suffered a second attack, leading to the compromise of its former and current employee accounts and the loss of sensitive customer information. This text shares the details of the attack, how it happened, whether it is over, whether customers are safe, how Twilio is dealing with it, and what organizations could learn from the cyberattack. Twilio, one of the most popular messaging giants in the US was hit by a data breach for a second time, compromising multiple employee and customer accounts. Twilio suffered a data breach in June by 0ktapus hackers, leading an innocent employee into a trap using social engineering tactics to dupe the employee with voice phishing. Twilio has released an incident report highlighting the details of the second 0ktapus social engineering attack using SMS phishing. Here is everything about the cyberattack on Twilio and how you can avoid such attacks. Twilio's Social Engineering Attack in a Glance Twilio recognized an unauthorized actor in its systems on 4 August 2022. The threat actor carried out a broad attack against Twilio's employees and duped some employees into providing their login credentials. The threat actor then utilized the stolen credentials to gain access to the organization's internal... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 42 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-42-of-2022/ Description: While there are various types of data breaches, one can always attribute them to a vulnerability or a security posture gap that cybercriminals exploit to gain. While there are various types of data breaches, one can always attribute them to a vulnerability or a security posture gap that cybercriminals exploit to gain access to the organization's systems. Here are this week's phishing-related news headlines, so you can plug the vulnerabilities and prevent cybersecurity breaches. A New Clicker Android Malware Infects over 20 Million Devices A newly discovered Android malware might have infected over 20 million users . Hackers sneaked the malware, called Clicker, into the Google Play Store through 16 different malicious applications. Researchers from McAfee said that the malware was masquerading as legitimate utility tools to target Android mobile users. The tools include QR readers, Flashlight (Torch), Camera, Task Managers and Unit Converters. At first look, the apps look like genuine Android software. However, they contain ad fraud features, equipped with Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and remote configuration techniques. Once the victims download and open the malicious applications, they send an HTTP request to launch remote configurations, and the Clicker Android malware gets downloaded. Researchers opine that Android malware disrupts the mobile advertising ecosystem and enables threat actors to generate revenue by showing fraudulent ads on victims' devices. Installing security software on mobiles helps prevent... --- #### Introduction to OpenAPI: 3 Important Security Facts You Need to Know URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/introduction-openapi-3-important-security-facts/ Description: The OpenAPI specification has grown popular in the past few years especially when it comes to documenting and describing APIs. The OpenAPI specification has grown popular in the past few years especially when it comes to documenting and describing APIs. This is fueled by the many benefits the specification offers to organizations. Some of the notable benefits include the support the specification gets from different API management tools and the fact that organizations can generate specifications and documentation from the client side easily. Instead of using XML elements in OpenAPI, developers are required to use JSON objects. This comes with a schema used for contents, order, and naming. The JSON file is used to describe all the parts of the API in a standard format. What is OpenAPI Specification? Formally known as the Swagger Specification, the OpenAPI specification can be described as an API description format used for REST APIs. With an OpenAPI file, organizations can describe their APIs. The description includes things such as; - All authentication methods used. - The output and input methods for all endpoints. - All the available methods such as POST and GET, and endpoints such as URLs. Apart from using the specification to document their APIs, organizations can also use it to generate client code and the required documentation. The good news is... --- #### Toyota Discloses Accidental Source Code Publication – Customer Data Might Be Compromised URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/toyota-discloses-accidental-source-code-publication-customer-data-compromised/ Description: In today's evolving threat landscape, attackers are strengthening their social engineering efforts using human-centric activities. In today's evolving threat landscape, attackers are strengthening their social engineering efforts using human-centric activities. Follow this article to know how negligent actions led cybercriminals to one of the biggest automakers worldwide, Toyota's server. Through a notification, Toyota Motor Corporation recently warned its customers that their personal information might have gotten exposed after finding out about a publicly available access key on GitHub, which has been available for almost five years. Toyota T-Connect, the global giant's official connectivity app, allows Toyota car owners to connect their smartphone to the car's infotainment system for music, navigation, phone calls, notifications integration, engine status, fuel consumption, driving data, etc. Toyota recently discovered that the T-Connect site source code portion was mistakenly published on GitHub, containing an access key to a data server that stored customers' e-mail addresses and management data. The notification states that the published source code enabled unauthorized third-party access to the details of 296,019 customers from December 2017 to September 15, 2022. The notification further reads that a development subcontractor may have caused the error, but Toyota accepted the responsibility for the mishandling of data and apologized for the inconvenience. The Japanese automaker notes that it cannot rule out the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-news-21-oct-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2022: Taking cybercriminals lightly is no longer an option with the evolving threat landscape. One needs to be aware. Taking cybercriminals lightly is no longer an option with the evolving threat landscape. One needs to be aware of what they are up to, to avoid becoming their victim. To that end, here are this week's phishing and data breach headlines. Budworm Espionage Group Returns And Targets The US Organizations The Budworm group is famous for mounting attacks against high-value targets. While there were standard reports of Budworm targeting US enterprises six to eight years ago, recent years saw the group's activity primarily focused on Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. However, it is the second time in recent months that Budworm made news for a malicious campaign against a U.S-based target. A CISA report on multiple APT groups targeting a defense sector organization included Budworm's toolset. Resuming attacks against US based targets can signal to change in focus for the group. According to the report, Budworm compromised the Apache Tomcat service on the servers by leveraging Log4j vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-44228 and CVE-2021-45105) and installing web shells. The threat actors used Virtual Private Servers (VPS) hosted on Telstra and Vultr as command-and-control (C&C) servers. Budworm continues to use the HyperBro malware family as a payload, often loaded using the dynamic-link library... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-40-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40 of 2022: As threat actors continue evolving their methods to lure their next targets, one needs to be aware of these. As threat actors continue evolving their methods to lure their next targets, one needs to be aware of these methods to thwart malicious actors' intrusion attempts successfully. Here are this week's headlines to help you plan your cyber hygiene measures. Over 80 Organizations Worldwide were Impacted by a Backdoored Version of a Popular Network Admin Tool According to research by Kaspersky, a malicious version of a popular network administrators' tool used to manage LANs (local area networks) provided backdoor access to the attacker and impacted at least 80 organizations globally . Although software supply chain attacks are becoming common among cybercriminals, the AdvancedIPSpyware case is unique because researchers say they encountered a signed backdoored binary. It is possible attackers used a stolen certificate to sign the malware-laced version. Kaspersky's Jornt van der Wiel noted that large organizations use the Advanced IP Scanner to provide system administrators with an overview of the network and insight into device operations in their home network to security enthusiasts. "Since it is anonymous, we cannot detect organizations having the tool's backdoored version installed," he said. However, the report states that the tool's malicious version has infected over 80 entities globally, including Western Europe, Africa, South... --- #### Weekly Cyber News Updates, week 39 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-39-2022/ Description: Not a day goes by when one does not read a headline about an organization suffering a data breach, putting the business, customers, and partners at risk. Not a day goes by when one does not read a headline about an organization suffering a data breach, putting the business, customers, and partners at risk. Staying updated about the latest data breaches and using phishing protection can help prevent such incidents.. Here is a summary of the latest phishing and breach-related news this week. SEO Poisoning Campaign Redirects Search Engine Visitors To Javascript Malware Security researchers recently discovered a high-effort SEO poisoning campaign targeting employees from government sectors and multiple industries when they search for specific terms relevant to their work. When they click on the malicious search results (artificially pushed higher in ranking), the visitors get redirected to a JavaScript malware downloader. According to a report by security firm Deepwatch , the campaign may be influenced by a foreign intelligence service. The researchers discovered that the threat actors created blog post titles that foreign intelligence services may be interested in, for example, "Confidentiality Agreement for Interpreters." How SEO poisoning works Deepwatch researchers discovered the campaign while investigating an incident in which - An employee Google searched "transition services agreement" and got redirected to a website that appeared to be a forum thread. - A user shared a... --- #### United Kingdom Phishing Campaign Targets 700,000 British Residents, Employs Emails, Texts, and Whatsapp URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/united-kingdom-phishing-campaign-targets-700000-british-residents-employs-emails-texts-whatsapp/ Description: Individuals in the United Kingdom are targeted by sophisticated phishing campaigns to target finances and personal details. Individuals in the United Kingdom are targeted by sophisticated phishing campaigns to target finances and personal details, taking advantage of the rising cost of living and post-COVID changes. This article delves deep into the latest UK phishing campaign, shares key statistics, how fraudsters target brits, and how to do phishing protection. Fraudsters and cybercriminals are causing trouble in the UK, targeting brits each month with advanced phishing campaigns. The latest report by UK’s ONS (Office for National Statistics) shares how fraudsters have adapted their phishing method post-COVID-19 to take advantage of the cost-of-living crisis by offering council tax and energy bill rebates. With the phishing campaign growing exponentially and causing financial troubles for innocent victims in a time of crisis, here is everything the report entails and how you can stay safe from the menace. Key Statistics from the ONS Phishing Report - Smishing, i.e., phishing via text messages, is just as common as its counterpart. - 32% of victims receive smishing messages via text or instant messaging, and 34% receive phishing emails. - 54% of phishing emails impersonate delivery services and take advantage of WFH (Work from Home) and e-commerce. - Nearly 700,000 individuals across Wales and England click... --- #### American Airlines Suffers Employee Email Data Breach, Personal Information at Risk URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/american-airlines-suffers-employee-email-data-breach-personal-information-risk/ Description: Airline giant, American Airlines released a data breach notification, informing about a data breach compromising the accounts of its employees. Airline giant, American Airlines released a data breach notification, informing about a data breach compromising the accounts of its employees. This article shares details of the data breach, the information that was leaked, how American Airlines is dealing with it, and what employees can do to protect themselves. tates' major airlines, with its headquarters in Texas. American Airlines is the world's largest airline, with over $165.7 million passengers carried, a $161.5 billion revenue, and over 1300 mainline aircraft . According to Statista , American Airlines had 123,400 employees in 2021, meaning the threat actors could have accessed a significant number of employee email accounts in the data breach. What Is American Airlines Data Breach? American Airlines uncovered a threat actor in July 2022. The threat actor had compromised the email accounts of limited American Airlines employees. American Airlines secured the email accounts and promptly hired a third-party cybersecurity organization to define the nature and scope of the data breach via a full-scale forensic investigation. American Airlines says that the investigation supplied facts that the compromised email accounts included the personal information of its employees and further conducted an eDiscovery exercise. (An electronic discovery approach to gathering, investigating, and exchanging information... --- #### Weekly Cyber News Updates, week 38 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-38-2022/ Description: Weekly Cyber News Updates, week 38 of 2022: Governments, Businesses, and individuals can experience huge complications if they suffer a data breach. A small. Governments, Businesses, and individuals can experience huge complications if they suffer a data breach. A small vulnerability can expose sensitive information if they don't pay attention to detail. Implementing effective phishing protection measures can help mitigate different types of cyber attacks and the associated risks. Following is a summary of the latest breach-related news of this week. Netflix Threat Actors Stage a Credential Harvesting Heist Over the past years, Netflix customers have been warned about various phishing threats, sharing a common theme, credential harvesting. Cybercriminals send phishing emails to convince users that their Netflix account is in jeopardy and must update their credit card details to rectify the situation. INKY recently detected Netflix getting impersonated in a PII data harvesting campaign using compressed HTML attachments in zip files. The HTML attachments give the attackers a strategic advantage because they host the malicious website on the victim's machine, not the Internet. Thus, they can avoid standard URL reputation checks, and the phishing content does not get detected. How the attack happens - In the campaign, the attackers spoofed all sender email addresses to look like they came from Netflix's domain. They sent phishing emails from a malicious mail server controlled by... --- #### Weekly Cyber News Updates, week 37 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-37-2022/ Description: The potential for a data breach is a key emerging threat that organizations must carefully consider when they plan a post-pandemic operating environment. The potential for a data breach is a key emerging threat that organizations must carefully consider when they plan a post-pandemic operating environment. Staying updated about the latest phishing-related news is their first step towards ensuring a cyber-safe environment. Here are the latest data breach and phishing-related updates of this week. Research Find that Attackers Can Infiltrate Systems, Achieve Persistence Using Notepad++ Plugins New research from Cybereason states that threat actors can abuse Notepad++ plugins to bypass security mechanisms and achieve persistence on the targets' machines. The security firm issued an advisory recently, which contains a demonstration by a security researcher, "RastaMouse." The researcher used Notepad++ Plugin Pack (an open-source project) to design a malicious plugin that hackers can use as a persistence mechanism. The plugin pack is a .NET package for Visual Studio, providing a basic template for creating plugins. However, the APT (advanced persistent threat) groups have previously leveraged it for malicious purposes. The advisory adds that APT group StrongPity leveraged a legitimate Notepad++ installer in the past, accompanied by malicious executables, giving it persistence after a machine reboot. "This threat actor uses the backdoor to install a keylogger on the compromised system and communicate with a Command... --- #### Weekly Cyber News Updates – week 36 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cyber-news-updates-week-36-2022/ Description: Today, our personal lives, work lives, and finances are gravitating towards the world of electronic media, mobile computing, and the internet. Today, our personal lives, work lives, and finances are gravitating towards the world of electronic media, mobile computing, and the internet. However, the widespread phenomenon poses a greater risk of fraud, malicious attacks, and privacy invasions. Hence staying abreast of the latest phishing and breach-related news is the first step toward ensuring strong protection from phishing. Here are this week's updates. Researchers Warn Iranian Hackers Are Spying On Journalists And Government Officials Cybersecurity researchers recently discovered an Iranian state-sponsored hacking group that has been actively targeting journalists, government officials, academics, and opposition leaders worldwide for the last seven years. Cybersecurity firm Mandiant published research that states that APT42, the advanced persistent threat group, has links to Iranian intelligence services. Researchers confirmed about 30 cyber operations by APT42 since 2015 (the exact number can be higher). In one of the operations, the hacking group targeted the pharmaceutical sector during the onset of COVID-19. At the same time, it pursued foreign and domestic opposition groups before the recent Iranian presidential elections. While researchers cannot ascertain the size of the gang, they confirmed that it is well-sourced because there is evidence of APT32 actors procuring new infrastructure frequently and carrying out surveillance and... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-35-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2022: The interplay between victim and attacker is like a cat-and-mouse game in which both perpetually learn and. The interplay between victim and attacker is like a cat-and-mouse game in which both perpetually learn and adapt, leveraging knowledge and creativity of the other's motives to develop new effective phishing protection strategies and practices. Individuals and organizations can create a dynamic, intelligence-driven approach to cybersecurity by following the latest trends in the threat landscape. Here are this week's phishing and data breach updates. The 0ktapus' Threat Group Launches a Phishing Campaign Targeting 130 Firms Over 130 organizations were entangled in a sophisticated phishing campaign that spoofed multi-factor authentication systems. The phishing attacks that targeted Cloudflare and Twilio employees are related to a sophisticated campaign that compromised 9,931 accounts at over 130 enterprises. The campaigns targeted Okta, the identity and access management firm, getting the threat actors title 0ktapus.' The threat actors sent text messages to victims containing links to phishing sites that resembled the Okta authentication page. Their primary goal was to obtain the victims' multi-factor authentication (MFA) codes and Okta identity credentials . 114 US-based firms were impacted by the breach, with additional victims from 68 countries. The threat actors started targeting telecommunications companies and mobile operators earlier and might have collected the victim's mobile numbers. Chinese Hackers... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-34-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 of 2022: Staying updated on cybersecurity news means not just knowing about the latest data breaches. It also requires. Staying updated on cybersecurity news means not just knowing about the latest data breaches. It also requires understanding the steps organizations take to minimize the effects of a data breach. Furthermore, it helps s ecurity managers and CISOs ensure their teams are aware and well-informed of emerging threats. Following are the latest trends in the cybersecurity threat landscape covering phishing, data breaches and other cyber threats. France: Cyberattack on a Hospital Center, its Services Severely Disrupted The Corbeil-Essonnes located South Francilien Hospital Center (CHSF) became the victim of a cyberattack seriously disrupting its activity, a press release from the establishment said. The Center shifted some patients to public hospitals in Île-de-France. The attack made most of the hospital's business software inaccessible, including the information system and the storage systems (medical imaging) related to patient admissions. According to sources, threat actors demanded a ransom of 10 million dollars from the hospital center. The hospital quickly seized the National Authority for the Security and Defense of Information Systems (ANSSI) about the crisis and the measures it had taken to take charge of the patients. - Patients requesting access to the technical platform were redirected to the public hospitals in Ile-de-France. - Those... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-security-news-update-week-33-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2022: Cyberattacks are a persistent problem in the online world. Since a lot of our work, today involves online. Cyberattacks are a persistent problem in the online world. Since a lot of our work, today involves online operations, staying abreast of the latest hacking patterns is important to take necessary phishing prevention measures. The following are this week's major phishing news headlines to help you stay updated: Cyberattack Hits Finland Parliament Website A cyberattack targeted Finland's parliament website. The attack comes at a time when Finland and Sweden have applied for NATO membership. Owing to the sensitive and unstable state of national security in Ukraine caused by the Putin-led Russian wars, Finland found security for its nation in NATO membership. The country had foreseen cyberattacks from Russia because of its decision to join NATO. As US President Biden approved Finland's admittance to NATO, the nation was attacked with DoS attacks on its external servers. While the parliament, security service providers, and the Cybersecurity Center had taken phishing protection measures to limit the attack's spread, there was still an expected move of retaliation, aggression, or disapproval from the threat actors towards the NATO membership. Biden's approval made the US the 23rd nation to approve Finland and Sweden's acceptance as NATO countries . The US president opined that this move was... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 32 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-32-2022/ Description: Phishing news updates are not here to stop, primarily because of the constant win of adversaries against our cybersecurity measures. Phishing news updates are not here to stop, primarily because of the constant win of adversaries against our cybersecurity measures. But, the good news is that this can be changed if we all keep informed of the latest hacking news and safeguard our organizations from such incidents. To help you in this process of staying abreast of the newest phishing news, here are the top headlines from this week: Ransomware Hits UAE Retailer Spinneys A ransomware attack recently targeted the UAE retailer Spinneys and accessed customer data from its internal server on July 16th, 2022 . The company reported that the adversaries sent anonymous emails to its employees from unidentified sources. As part of its phishing protection measures, Spinneys is working in close association with Dubai Police's E-Crime department and keeping its customers updated on the investigation. The compromised internal server included customers' names, email addresses, contact numbers, previous order details, and delivery addresses. Spinneys has assured customers that their personal banking information was not affected by this incident, as the company doesn't store banking details on its servers. The company has urged its customers to remain vigilant and watch out for online predators. Spinneys has apologized for the unfortunate... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 31 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-31-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 31 of 2022: Phishing attack prevention is a global problem, and together we can outsmart the adversaries. The first step. Phishing attack prevention is a global problem, and together we can outsmart the adversaries. The first step to winning this battle against cyber attackers is to keep abreast of the latest techniques and methods they use to lure the end users. The following are this week's major phishing headlines to help you stay updated: Data Breach Hits OneTouchPoint A data breach recently targeted the mailing and printing services vendor OneTouchPoint. Consequently, over 30 health insurance carriers and healthcare providers were affected. With its headquarters in Hartland, OneTouchPoint provides supply chain management, print, and marketing execution services to various healthcare-based organizations. A ransomware attack had targeted OneTouchPoint, exposing all the personally identifiable information (PII) stored on its servers. OneTouchPoint first discovered some encrypted files on its systems on 28th April 2022 . Soon after detecting the suspicious activity, the company took anti-phishing protection measures. The initial investigation revealed that the exposed customer details contained their names, DOBs, addresses, description of service, date of service, diagnosis codes, etc. Further, customers' social security numbers were also compromised in the incident. So far, the exact number of affected individuals or the type of ransomware involved is unknown. But OneTouchPoint is sending out breach notifications... --- #### The Infamous Smishing Campaign Roaming Mantis Hits Users in France URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/infamous-smishing-campaign-roaming-mantis-hits-users-france/ Description: The Infamous Smishing Campaign Roaming Mantis Hits Users in France: After hitting South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, the US, and the UK, the Roaming Mantis. After hitting South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, the US, and the UK, the Roaming Mantis campaign recently moved to target iOS and Android users in France and likely compromised numerous devices. Here is a look at the Roaming Mantis malware and how such smishing campaigns affect individuals and organizations. In March 2018, the Japanese media reported hackers targeting the DNS settings of routers located in Japan. The Roaming Mantis got introduced when the hijackers redirected the victims to malicious IP addresses, leading them to install applications infected with trojans. These applications contained an Android banking trojan, and what started as a banking trojan evolved quickly into a more dangerous malware. Roaming Mantis appears to be a financially-motivated threat actor which targeted many European users in February. Tactics & Techniques The Roaming Mantis malware sends an SMS message to the victim and infects their device. The language inside the text message tricks the user into thinking that they have received a shipped package confirmation. Then, they are asked to open a URL that redirects them to a malicious page designed to steal the victim's credentials. For iOS users, the malware doesn't download an application. Instead, the phishing website displays a malicious... --- #### Beware Of RDP Attacks: A Popular Way Cybercriminals Are Spreading Ransomware URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/beware-rdp-attacks-popular-cybercriminals-spreading-ransomware/ Description: The threat from RDP attacks that spread ransomware has always been present. RDP is a popular MO for cybercriminals because it allows easy access to a device. The threat from RDP attacks that spread ransomware has always been present. RDP is a popular MO for cybercriminals because it allows easy access to a device. The last 5 years have seen a vast increase in RDP attacks, with cybercriminals taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic and even the Ukrainian conflict to attack both vulnerable businesses and individuals, holding their systems and files to ransom. Many remain uninformed about the risks associated with using RDP and how it leaves their systems and devices vulnerable to attack. If you’re one of them, we’ve put together all the information you need to help protect your devices and networks from the threat of cybercriminals. What is RDP? RDP stands for Remote Device Protocols. RDP is an integral part of computer operating systems that allow users to connect to their devices remotely. It’s a very useful feature. RDP allows those who work from home to access the computer in their office, and IT experts can fix a device from anywhere in the world, just like docusign alternatives free you up from having to be physically present to sign digital documents . To log into a computer using RDP you find your device by... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-30-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2022: Phishing attacks are a common form of social engineering, frequently targeting global organizations. To ensure. Phishing attacks are a common form of social engineering, frequently targeting global organizations. To ensure anti-phishing protection for your systems, follow this week's major hacking news and stay a step ahead of the adversaries. Cyberattack Hits Ukrainian Radio Operator TAVR Media A cyberattack recently targeted the Ukrainian radio operator TAVR Media which led to the circulation of a fake broadcast message that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was ill. The attackers spread the news that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is unwell and in intensive care and that his duties are currently being performed by Ruslan Stefanchuk (the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada). TAVR Media regulates nine radio stations, including Hit FM, KISS FM, Radio ROKS, Radio RELAX, Nashe Radio, Melody FM, Radio JAZZ, Radio Bayraktar, and Classic Radio. The operator informed people via Facebook that the attack brought down its networks and servers. Further, it clarified that none of the information about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's health problems is true. TAVR Media is now taking phishing attack prevention measures to stop the attack's spread. This fake broadcast also prompted the President to use Instagram and let everyone know he is feeling healthy. Cyberattack Hits Knauf Group A cyberattack recently targeted the Knauf Group, which... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 29 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-29-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 29 of 2022: Phishing attacks globally are far from taking a dip. Therefore, it is always advised to have robust phishing. Phishing attacks globally are far from taking a dip. Therefore, it is always advised to have robust phishing protection measures in place. Here are the top phishing headlines this week to help you better plan your organization's next cybersecurity strategies: Sparrow Takes Ownership of Attacks on Iranian Steel Facilities The predatory Sparrow, or Gonjeshke Darande, has finally claimed the many attacks on the Iranian steel facilities. The threat actor not only took responsibility for the attacks but also released some top-secret documents from these cyberattacks on its Twitter handle. Sparrow released a cache of around 20 gigabytes of data that exposed the Iranian steel facilities' ties with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Sparrow mentioned that this cache was just a part of the data stolen. While the steel company maintains that the breach wasn't something its phishing attack prevention measures couldn't withstand, sources mention that it did hinder the factory's operations . Sparrow claims that this attack was in the interest of all those innocent individuals affected by the Islamic Republic's aggression. Data Breach Targets the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System The Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCU) recently underwent a data breach that affected over 4500 transplant participants .... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 28 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-28-2022/ Description: Several phishing attempts have been recorded over the last week, each forming or adding to an existing pattern of attacks. Several phishing attempts have been recorded over the last week, each forming or adding to an existing pattern of attacks. It is important to understand these phishing types so we can take anti-phishing protection measures for our organizations. To this end, the following are the major phishing news headlines this week: Cyberattacks Target British Army's YouTube and Twitter Accounts The UK Ministry of Defense recently announced that the British Army's YouTube and Twitter accounts were hacked by unknown threat actors. The compromised accounts were then used to promote cryptocurrency scams. Details of when the accounts were attacked are unclear, but they seem to be restored now. The MoD has launched an investigation into the breach and mentioned that the Army takes cybersecurity and security, in general, very seriously and is striving to get to the roots of the attack. The adversaries targeted the British Army's Twitter page and changed the profile picture, cover picture, and bio to associate it with The Possessed NFT collection. The hacked account sent out several retweets for NFT giveaways and directed users to a fake NFT minting website. As for the YouTube channel, the attackers deleted all of its videos and changed the account name... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 27 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-27-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 27 of 2022: Phishing attack prevention is a daily struggle for us netizens because attackers are always looking for. Phishing attack prevention is a daily struggle for us netizens because attackers are always looking for opportunities to breach our systems. Here are the latest phishing headlines so that you can plan your cybersecurity measures better. Cyberattack Hits Norwegian Websites A cyberattack recently targeted the private and public websites in Norway, which caused a temporary breakdown of the websites. The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, claimed that the attack had not caused much damage. A DDoS attack on the national data network brought down the national data network for several hours. As per reports, a pro-Russian attack group is responsible for the attacks. Norway, though not a member of the European Union, mirrors its stand on several topics and has disrupted the transit of Russian supplies via Norway to Arctic Russia, just as the EU has placed sanctions on its goods. This attack on Norwegian systems came after the country's resistance. Despite taking phishing prevention measures, countries standing against Russia have been constantly targeted by cyberattacks. This attack on Norway's websites comes just days after a similar attack on Lithuanian public and private websites was launched by a pro-Moscow hacker group. In this case, too, Lithuania had resisted the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 26 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-26-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 26 of 2022: Phishing attacks continue to target global institutions. The following are this week's news headlines to help. Phishing attacks continue to target global institutions. The following are this week's news headlines to help you stay abreast of the latest threat vectors so you can take appropriate measures to keep your and your organization's information assets safe. Hackers Target The Health Vendor MCG Cyberattackers recently attacked a Seattle-based health vendor called MCG, which has exposed the protected health information and other sensitive details of over 1 million hospital patients in the US. As a result, patients from Indiana University Health were also impacted. The breach notification released by MCG mentioned that the adversaries could access their personal information, such as names, postal addresses, email addresses, contact numbers, DOBs, medical codes, and social security numbers. As part of its phishing attack prevention measures, MCG is coordinating with the FBI. The attack occurred in March 2022, but it was only recently that MCG and IU. Health contacted the affected individuals. Further, the breach notification contained too few details, making victims perplexed and unsure of their next move. The hospital and healthcare facility are yet to share the attackers' details and the attack's nature . However, they have asked patients to keep monitoring their account statements and credit reports. Reportedly, the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 25 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-25-2022/ Description: becomes difficult when threat actors are continually evolving their modus operandi to plan more sophisticated cyberattacks and get their hands on our. Ensuring anti-phishing protection becomes difficult when threat actors are continually evolving their modus operandi to plan more sophisticated cyberattacks and get their hands on our information assets. To help you better plan your organizational cybersecurity, here are this week's most significant hacking news headlines: Ransomware Hits YRMC, Arizona Arizona-based Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) recently underwent a security breach that affected over 700,000 patients . The hospital is now sending out breach notifications to affected individuals. As per reports, a ransomware attack has targeted YRMC, which was detected on 25th April 2022. Soon after noticing the attack vector, the hospital adopted phishing protection measures and hired external cybersecurity experts. Law enforcement was also brought into the loop. The adversaries deleted some YRMC files, including patients' names, health insurance details, Social Security numbers, and other medical details related to their treatment at YRMC. The hospital is now providing free identity theft protection and a credit monitoring facility to the victims of the breach. So far, no ransomware group has claimed credit for the attack, but more details are expected after the initial investigation Data Breach Hits Kaiser Permanente The US healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente recently underwent a data breach that exposed... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 23 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-23-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 23 of 2022: The past week saw many cyberattacks disrupting organizational systems across the globe. Without adequate. The past week saw many cyberattacks disrupting organizational systems across the globe. Without adequate anti-phishing protection in place today, it isn't easy to ensure that such an incident does not happen at your organization. The following are this week's major cyberattack headlines to help plan your cybersecurity moves better: Data Breach Hits Icare In a recent data breach at the state insurer Icare, the personal details of over 200,000 injured workers were shared with 587 insurance brokers and employers. Reportedly, a database containing the details of 193,000 employees was sent as an email attachment to the wrong employers. Mary Maini (workers' compensation group executive) apologized on behalf of Icare for this human error, and the company is now notifying victims. As part of its phishing attack prevention measures, Icare informed the Information and Privacy Commission of NSW and the State Insurance Regulatory Authority about the breach. Furthermore, it asked the employers who received the unintentional email to delete it. The data leaked in this incident include workers' names, DOBs, claims history, and injury categories. Fortunately, no contact or banking details were involved. Other reports indicate that the exposed database also contained workers' policy numbers, claim costs, a breakdown of weekly... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 24 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-24-2022/ Description: Phishing and ransomware attacks target global enterprises daily, and to prevent your organization from being affected by such attacks. Phishing and ransomware attacks target global enterprises daily, and to prevent your organization from being affected by such attacks, it is important to stay abreast of the latest phishing headlines. Here are this week's major hack updates to help plan your phishing prevention measures: Misconfigured Database Causes Data Breach at ACY Securities Leading Australian company ACY Securities (acy.com) was recently found exposing sensitive and confidential information belonging to its users and businesses. Cybersecurity researcher Anurag Sen notified the company of its misconfigured database published online, but the company refused to acknowledge the breach and said that the exposed database was an insignificant one. The exposed database contained 60GB of data , comprising logs from February 2020 and real-time updates happening at the moment. Consequently, anybody with a functional knowledge of platforms like Shodan (used to find unsecured databases) could have easily accessed and downloaded this database. The compromised user data includes their names, addresses, DOBs, email addresses, postcodes, genders, hashed passwords, phone numbers, and other trading details. The affected ACY users and businesses are located in India, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Romania, the UK, UAE, and the US. Reportedly, the researcher had approached ACY with relevant evidence,... --- #### Everything You Need to Know About the Follina Vulnerability and the Latest Advice by Microsoft URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/follina-vulnerability-latest-advice-microsoft/ Description: The recently discovered Follina vulnerability in Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool has been causing all kinds of harm by employing word documents to do their. The recently discovered Follina vulnerability in Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool has been causing all kinds of harm by employing word documents to do their dirty work. The vulnerability was found in May but has been reportedly exploited for nearly a month and has been making headlines in the cybersecurity world and creating all kinds of doubts regarding the safety of one of the most widely used software, MS Word. Microsoft has responded against the zero-day vulnerability and shared the latest mitigation advice that you can use to block attacks before the official patch. What is Follina? Follina vulnerability is a cybersecurity vulnerability discovered at the end of May 2022. Officially tracked as CVE-2022-30190, Follina is a zero-day vulnerability, i.e., a vulnerability that was not discovered before. Follina affects the MSDT (Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool) via remotely executable code that allows cybercriminals to exploit Follina to assume control of a system or device, influencing user rights to install programs and manipulate data or create additional accounts. Does Follina Originate in MS Word? "Microsoft's built-in phishing protection in Office 365 catches the obvious attacks, but it consistently misses targeted spear phishing and zero-day threats. We see this every day - customers... --- #### A Company’s Guide to Email Policies: What to Include in Your Policy And How to Implement it URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/companys-guide-email-policies-include-policy-implement/ Description: A Company’s Guide to Email Policies: What to Include in Your Policy And How to Implement it: Email policies are necessary for businesses old and new. Email policies are necessary for businesses old and new, big and small. They protect you from legal liability and establish firm guidelines for employee conduct. Let’s dive into why you need an email policy, what you should include in its contents, and how to implement best practices for privacy and data security . What is an email policy? An email policy is a document which outlines your company’s basic rules and regulations regarding employee email. It gives employees a better idea of how they should use their email accounts. Email policies make it clear who is entitled to access office email accounts, who owns those emails, and which kinds of communications are deemed appropriate. It lays out the degree to which personal use is allowed on office email accounts, alongside restrictions on any other kinds of business. Possible prohibitions could include: - Using the account for shopping or online services. - Using the account for inappropriate or illegal activities. - Sharing offensive content. - Using the account to conduct other kinds of business. - Sharing access to the work account with people outside of the office. An email policy may even detail the protocol for disciplinary action when any of... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 22 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-22-of-2022/ Description: These days, ransomware attacks and data breaches target organizations even when they have anti-phishing solutions in place. These days, ransomware attacks and data breaches target organizations even when they have anti-phishing solutions in place. That is why it is essential to be abreast of the latest cyber updates and think critically to predict and mitigate cyberattacks before they can cause damage. Here are the newest cyber attack headlines from the bygone week: Regina Public Schools Confirm Cyberattack Regina Public Schools recently reported a network-wide incident,' which they later confirmed was, in fact, a cyberattack. Although the school district has not disclosed the nature of the attack, it mentioned that several of its computer systems were affected. As a consequence of the attack, all internet-based systems like education tools and emails were unavailable. Soon after detecting the attack, the district brought down its systems to ensure phishing protection. The school notified later that all affected systems had been restored and secured. Regina Public Schools has hired external cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and help restore their systems. Since the website is down, the school district is using its social media accounts to convey official communications. The district mentioned that parents and guardians of students would be notified of the incident soon. So far, it's not certain whether... --- #### Account Pre-Hijacking: A New Cyber Threat on the Rise URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/account-pre-hijacking-cyber-threat-rise/ Description: The MRSC’s (Microsoft Security Response Center) Identity Project Research Grants started in 2020 to support external researchers and strengthen protocol and. The MRSC’s (Microsoft Security Response Center) Identity Project Research Grants started in 2020 to support external researchers and strengthen protocol and system security. One of the two grants provided to Avinash Sudhodanan has borne fruit, and Microsoft has revealed a new class of a cyberattack, Account Pre-Hijacking. Account hijacking involves malicious actors gaining access to an innocent user’s account. However, suppose the malicious actor already has access to the victim’s email. In that case, they can create an online account using that address before the victim and put it into a pre-hijacked state, allowing them to regain access to accounts even if a victim recovers it. Account Pre-Hijacking Rise: Challenges to Account Creation Today, many websites and online services require people to create an account, and account hijacking is already a significant threat that can help threat actors steal personal information and card details and carry out other malicious activities using the hijacked account. There are plenty of protocols in place to protect accounts from hijacking. However, there is not much when it comes to account creation. The legacy method of using a username or password or the federated identity by using an IdP (Identity Provider) allowing various services to... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 21 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-21-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 21 of 2022: Global cybersecurity headlines constantly report on the latest ransomware and other social engineering. Global cybersecurity headlines constantly report on the latest ransomware and other social engineering attacks. This week is no different; here are the most significant news headlines from the past week: Cyberattacks Hit K-12 School Districts, New Mexico Cyberattackers recently targeted the Fort Sumner Municipal Schools, New Mexico, and Washington Local Schools. The data stolen from Fort Sumner was up on the Cl0p ransomware's leak site soon enough. This data dump included sensitive and confidential data (such as drivers' licenses) belonging to students, parents, and faculty members. As part of its measures for protection against phishing, Fort Sumner hired external cyber-counterintelligence experts to investigate the breach and contain the malware spread. Around the same time, a cyberattack brought down the Washington Local Schools' telephone, email, WiFi, internet, and Google Classroom systems. While the school refrained from commenting on the incident, it mentioned that external cyber forensic teams had been hired to investigate the breach. The Washington district apologized for its unreachability owing to the disruption in the calling and email networks. The school will assign an emergency phone number for each school and provide the same to the parents via a letter. The district officials have assured the parents of seniors... --- #### 9+ Cybersecurity Software Solutions For Businesses To Use URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/9-cybersecurity-software-solutions-businesses/ Description: 9+ Cybersecurity Software Solutions For Businesses To Use: In the past few years, cybersecurity threats have become more and more common. Attacks left and. In the past few years, cybersecurity threats have become more and more common. Attacks left and right are happening to businesses of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to tech startups that are just getting on their feet. These attacks can range from data breaches through software vulnerabilities to social engineering attacks in the form of phishing. This ever-increasing danger of cyberattacks has got everyone mostly spooked when it comes to keeping their security infrastructure well-maintained. Ransomware has especially become increasingly common and has resulted in large losses amounting to around $16.8 million for businesses. But, you’d think that these attacks are mainly targeted at software companies that hold large amounts of valuable data on tech development projects or financial companies and their accounting records, but in truth, all businesses are prone to be targeted. As an example, 3Wishes is an online lingerie store that you wouldn’t even suspect as a target of a cyberattack. Supposedly, it doesn’t have anything of value as compared to, let’s say, a custom software development project made by a tech startup. But, that’s quite far from the truth, as online eCommerce stores have something valuable that some attackers would want, customer data. Whether it... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-20-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2022: Phishing attacks and cyber-attacks based on social engineering tactics are not going to stop any time soon. Phishing attacks and cyber-attacks based on social engineering tactics are not going to stop any time soon, and therefore it is recommended to adopt phishing prevention measures. The following are this week's major phishing news headlines: Beware of FluBot Attacks: Says NCSC-FI Owing to the growing spread of the FluBot Android malware via SMS and MMS, Finland's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC-FI) recently posted a security warning. The NCSC-FI reported that several malicious messages were sent during a recent SMS campaign. These messages were mainly to lure users using the bait of incoming money from a random financial transaction. The campaign used missed call notifications, voicemail, and alerts to send the links to users, redirecting them to a website hosting FluBot APK upon clicking. The users would then be urged to download and install the malware to get more details about the so-called transaction. Typically, the malware application asks for risky permissions on Android devices, like reading the user's address book, managing phone calls, and accessing SMS data. Once a device is compromised, the adversaries launch the second wave of SMS targeting those on the contact list of the compromised device. The second wave of the campaign has more chances... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 19 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-19-of-2022/ Description: Cyberattacks and data thefts are such a major problem today that there will be at least a few phishing attempts by the time you finish reading this post. Cyberattacks and data thefts are such a major problem today that there will be at least a few phishing attempts by the time you finish reading this post. The importance of phishing prevention measures cannot be stressed enough. Here are the major headlines from the past week to help you better plan your organizational security. 1. Data Breach Hits ARcare US-based healthcare provider, ARcare recently underwent a data breach that compromised the personal information of 345,000 individuals across its facilities in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kentucky. The data breach alert published by the provider noted that it underwent a security incident on 24th February, which affected its computer systems and disrupted its services. Soon after detecting the incident, ARcare took anti-phishing protection measures and investigated the breach. After the investigation concluded on 14th March 2022, the hospital realized that the malicious actor had been accessing its network for five weeks between 18th January and 24th February 2022. The information exposed to this breach could include an individual's name, DOB, state identification number, social security number, financial account details, driver's license, medical treatment, and diagnosis details, prescription information, and health insurance information. So far, the provider has no reason to believe that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 18 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-18-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 18 of 2022: Phishing attack prevention is a challenge for all internet users. What a typical internet user can do to avoid. Phishing attack prevention is a challenge for all internet users. What a typical internet user can do to avoid such attacks is to stay abreast of the latest phishing headlines, other than adopting adequate anti-phishing measures. Following are this week's security updates: 1. Data Breach Hits Illinois Gastroenterology Group Gurnee-based Illinois Gastroenterology Group (IGG) recently underwent a data breach that exposed its patients' financial and personal information. IGG made the data breach announcement last week and mentioned that the suspicious activity on its computer network was first detected on 22nd October 2021. An investigation into the breach was launched soon after, revealing that unauthorized third parties had accessed specific company systems. While there is no evidence of the misuse of any information, it is quite possible that adversaries viewed and stole the information contained in the compromised systems. The exposed patient information could include their names, DOBs, addresses, social security numbers, passport details, driver's license numbers, payment card information, financial account details, medical information, employer-assigned identification number, biometric data, etc. IGG reassured stakeholders that it takes the security of personal information very seriously and is doing everything in its capacity to investigate and respond to the security incident. The company... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-17-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2022: Cyberattacks are never stopping, and our awareness of the latest attack trends should not stop either. Cyberattacks are never stopping, and our awareness of the latest attack trends should not stop either. Following are this week's major cyber news headlines to help you better plan your organizational anti-phishing measures: Unpatched Vulnerability Detected in RainLoop The open-source RainLoop web-based email client has recently discovered a high-severity vulnerability in its application that can be exploited to access victims' mailboxes. All the adversaries need to do is send a malicious email to any RainLoop user. Opening the email allows attackers to gain complete access to the victim's session and steal all the emails, including sensitive information like passwords, password reset links, documents, etc. Tracked as CVE-2022-29360, the RainLoop vulnerability affects its latest version RainLoop v1.16.0, released on 7th May, 2021. The flaw is reportedly related to a stored cross-site-scripting (XSS) vulnerability in RainLoop. These stored XSS flaws occur when adversaries inject a malicious script into a target web application's server via user input. The security researchers who identified the RainLoop flaw had notified the RainLoop operators of the vulnerability back in November. Still, the company failed to patch the bug until after four months. Until a patch is launched, RainLoop users are advised to switch to the RainLoop fork... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-16-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2022: Phishing attacks are a recurring problem that individuals and organizations face worldwide. While there may be. Phishing attacks are a recurring problem that individuals and organizations face worldwide. While there may be no end to these social engineering attacks, phishing attack prevention measures can be adopted, and these start with being abreast of the latest attack patterns. Here are the vital phishing news headlines from the bygone week: Data Breach Hits Snap-on The American automotive tools manufacturer Snap-on recently underwent a data breach that exposed its associate and franchisee data. The breach was an after-effect of a ransomware attack by Conti in March. Snap-on is a renowned designer and manufacturer of diagnostic services, tools, and software for the transportation industry and serves various brands like Blue-Point, Williams, Mitchell1, Blackhawk, and Norbar. Soon after detecting the data breach in some areas of its IT environment, Snap-on shut down all its systems to contain the attack's spread. An internal investigation and analysis by an external forensics firm revealed the nature of the attack. Snap-on was quick to adopt phishing prevention measures and notified law enforcement immediately. The investigation findings revealed that the adversaries stole employee data between 1st March and 3rd March 2022. The compromised employee data included their names, DOBs, social security numbers, and employee identification numbers.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 15 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-15-of-2022/ Description: Account compromises and data theft are common attack vectors, and adversaries keep evolving their techniques to gain access to organization networks. Account compromises and data theft are common attack vectors, and adversaries keep evolving their techniques to gain access to organization networks. Here are this week's phishing, data breach and ransomware headlines. Cyberattack Hits Cryptocurrency Play-to-Earn Game WonderHero Popular cryptocurrency play-to-earn gaming platform WonderHero recently underwent a cyberattack where the adversaries were able to steal $320,000 in cryptocurrency. Over $320,000 worth of Binance Coin (BNB) was stolen from the gaming platform, which has over 11,000 active users. Consequently, the price of its native coin, WND reduced by over 90%. The blockchain analysis firm PeckShield was the first to inform WonderHero of the breach. Soon after detecting the breach, WonderHero disabled its website and game, a measure meant to protect users from adversaries. The public breach notification came later and informed users that WonderHear knew about the sudden WND price drop. They ensured users that the company was taking necessary measures in response to the breach. Reportedly, the adversaries minted 80 million WND and stole 750 BNB. The 750 BNB were then sent to a cryptocurrency mixer called PancakeSwap. The initial investigation by WonderHear revealed that the platform's cross-chain bridging withdrawal system was what led the adversaries in. Cross-chain bridges are a... --- #### Email Security in Remote Working: Protecting Sensitive Data from Cyber Threats URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/email-security-remote-working-protecting-sensitive-data-cyber-threats/ Description: Remote work comes with a list of benefits, both for employees and employers. Ever dialled into a Zoom meeting from the beach? Remote work comes with a list of benefits, both for employees and employers. Ever dialled into a Zoom meeting from the beach? The looks on your colleagues' faces make you briefly forget about the sand in your spacebar and the glare of the sun on your screen. Those who are still against it, are often using the increased risk of cyber threats as an argument to not work from wherever, but rather stay safe and sound in an office. While there's certainly an increased risk, and cyber security is harder to manage if your employees are scattered around the world, using all kinds of devices and networks, it's certainly not impossible to keep everything in check. It all starts with understanding what types of threats you should be on the lookout for, what healthy cyber security habits are and how to educate your employees on them. All of that will be covered in this article. If you're an employer who is planning to go fully remote, first of all: good on you! If you've already been doing this for a while but are looking to step up your security game, then this one's for you, too. What are you protecting?... --- #### What Will Happen if You Breach Data Privacy Laws? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-will-happen-if-you-breach-data-privacy-laws/ Description: What Will Happen if You Breach Data Privacy Laws?: We all value our privacy and when that privacy gets compromised, it's not an enjoyable experience. A lot. We all value our privacy and when that privacy gets compromised, it’s not an enjoyable experience. A lot of what you share data-wise with companies is handed over willingly but with the hope that it’s going to be looked after. However, that doesn’t always happen due to some businesses not being careful enough with their data collection and storage. That’s why data privacy laws have come into place to not only protect the customers who share their data with businesses but the businesses themselves too. Staying data secure online can be difficult with the increase in cybercrime too. What are data privacy laws and what happens if you breach them? What data privacy laws are currently in place? In this article, you’ll understand how to protect your business from breaching data laws and what preventative measures you can take. What are data privacy laws? Privacy laws are a body of law that helps with the regulation of data storage and how that data is used. This data can be anything from personal healthcare, financial information, or identifiable information. These privacy laws are put in place to help both parties, rather than it penalizing the individual or organization storing said data.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2022: Cyberattacks keep targeting organizations globally, and there is no escape from the notorious threat actors . Cyberattacks keep targeting organizations globally, and there is no escape from the notorious threat actors. However, one can secure their networks to a great extent merely by using phishing prevention measures. Here is a glimpse of the significant cyberattacks this week to help you plan with security moves better: Ransomware Hits Law Enforcement Health Benefits Last year, a ransomware attack targeted the Philadelphia-based health and welfare fund, Law Enforcement Health Benefits (LEHB). The LEHB provides services to police officers, county detectives, and sheriffs, and the recent attack reportedly affected 85,000 members. The adversaries claimed to have begun the encryption process on 14th September 2021. An investigation conducted after that revealed that specific files containing members' personal details were probably removed from the network by the attackers. LEHB reported the breach to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), informing that 85,000 members may have been affected by the incident. The compromised information includes their names, social security numbers, drivers' license numbers, DOBs, health insurance details, financial account numbers, and medical information. However, LEHB mentioned that not all members had their data compromised, and not all the above information was compromised for the victims. So far, there is no... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 13 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-13-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 13 of 2022: Phishing attacks and social engineering tactics are only the first steps involved in a threat actor's modus. Phishing attacks and social engineering tactics are only the first steps involved in a threat actor's modus operandi, which are deployed to lure the end-user into divulging a crucial piece of information, which malicious actors can misuse for nefarious purposes. Thus, if only you stay abreast of the latest phishing hacks and adopt measures for protection against phishing, you would be able to thwart a significant portion of cyberattacks on your business. To this end, here are the top phishing headlines this week. Data Breach Hits Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics, Texas Over a million Texans may have their data exposed owing to a breach at Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics, one of Texas's largest dental care providers. Jefferson Dental has around 72 offices across Texas, and the latest breach has reportedly compromised the details belonging to 1,026,820 Texans. As part of its measures for phishing attack prevention, the dental care provider reported the incident to the Texas Attorney General's Office. The episode also made it to the state's website. This breach is significant because it is the largest cyber-attack reported to the Texas Attorney General since the new notification law was implemented in September 2021. The new law mandates organizations to... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-12-of-2022/ Description: Social engineering attacks are an ever-present problem, and organizations worldwide are struggling to secure their systems against phishing attacks. Social engineering attacks are an ever-present problem, and organizations worldwide are struggling to secure their systems against phishing attacks. Following are some of the most recent phishing headlines to help accelerate the process of ensuring phishing attack prevention for your organization. Data Breach Hits South Denver Cardiology Associates On New Year's Day, South Denver Cardiology Associates (SDCA) was targeted by a cyberattack that was discovered only on 4th January 2022. The initial investigation revealed that adversaries accessed the SDCA network between 2nd January and 5th January. Consequently, patients' protected health information (PHI) was compromised. These included patients' names, social security numbers, DOBs, drivers' license numbers, health insurance information, patient account numbers, and other clinical details. In the breach notification posted on its website, SDCA announced that the patient portal remained unaffected by the breach along with patient medical records. SDCA believes that there has been no misuse of patient information so far. However, it has notified all the 287,652 affected patients of the unfortunate incident and extended them free credit and identity services. It is unknown whether current or former patients' data was exposed as the notice doesn't specify these details. Further, details of ransom demand have not been disclosed... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-11-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2022: It is essential to be abreast of the latest phishing news headlines to plan anti-phishing strategies better. It is essential to be abreast of the latest phishing news headlines to plan anti-phishing strategies better. Here are this week's most significant phishing updates for your perusal. Cyberattack Hits Japanese Animation Studio, Toei The Japanese Anime giant Toei recently underwent a cyberattack that delayed the airing of new episodes of its popular anime series (including Delicious Party Precure and ONE PIECE). The hack brought in major disappointment for ONE PIECE viewers who were eagerly waiting for the release of the series' chapter 1000. Toei first detected suspicious activities in its systems on 6th March 2022 and immediately issued an internal notice demanding the shut down of all internal systems to ensure protection from phishing attacks. Toei also launched an investigation into the breach to determine whether the adversaries stole data from its systems. Further, Toei hired a third-party cybersecurity firm to confirm if any data was stolen in the incident. In addition, it also informed law enforcement about the attack. After launching its investigation, Toei published a notification pose informing its fanbase of the delay in the airing of new episodes of "ONE PIECE," "Dragon Quest Dai no Daibouken," "Digimon Ghost Game," and "Delicious Party Precure" until further notice.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-10-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2022: Threat actors are leveraging the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian tensions to launch cyberattacks worldwide. Threat actors are leveraging the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian tensions to launch cyberattacks worldwide. Organizations need to be more vigilant than ever to keep their information assets from falling into the hands of cyber adversaries. Here are this week's phishing and data breach updates from around the world. Avast Release Free Decrypter For Files Encrypted By The HermeticRansom Avast has finally released a decryptor for the HermeticRansom, which recently launched several attacks on Ukraine. The free decryptor released by Avast is one of the many attempts security firms make to help Ukrainians recover their files from these attacks for free. The HermeticRansomware attacks involved the HermeticWiper, HermeticWizard, and the HermeticRansom. However, the ransomware creators didn't do a thorough job as experts at Crowdstrike could locate a logic flaw in its encryption which could easily be broken. This was probably because their primary intention behind ransomware creation was not encryption. While reporting the findings of Crowdstrike's Intelligence Team, Avast mentioned that HermeticRansom's crypto schema could be decrypted for free. Avast is helping people with the free decryptor on its websites. As part of its phishing attack prevention measures, Avast urges victims of HermeticRansom to use the same facility to recover their files. Data... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-9-of-2022/ Description: As a small business owner, one should be aware of the latest attack vectors targeting SMBs and SMEs to prevent phishing attacks. As a small business owner, one should be aware of the latest attack vectors targeting SMBs and SMEs to prevent phishing attacks. To that end, here are the latest updates on the most notable phishing updates of this past week. Russian DDoS Attacks Repeatedly Target Ukrainian Institutions Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are targeting the websites of many Ukrainian government agencies and state-owned banks. Ukraine's largest banks, Privatbank and State Savings Bank were among the affected institutions. Consequently, some of the affected systems remain temporarily unavailable. The Ukrainian SSSCIP and other national cybersecurity agencies are trying to ensure protection against phishing by collecting and analyzing information available on the attacks. These attacks are on the same lines as the DDoS attacks that affected the Ukrainian banks and government websites last week. The Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber Anne Neuberger pointed out that the investigation suggests the role of Russian intelligence in these recent attacks on Ukraine-based IP addresses. Neuberger noted that the recent attacks might have had little impact, but they are laying the groundwork for more severe attacks that might be targeted at Ukraine's territory. New Wiper Attack Targets Ukraine, Latvia, And Lithuania A new wiper malware is targeting... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 8 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-8-of-2022/ Description: While breaches and attacks are very common, not many people are aware of the impact these have on organizational networks and the information stored and shared. While breaches and attacks are very common, not many people are aware of the impact these have on organizational networks and the information stored and shared therein. Here are the most significant phishing news headlines this week to help plan your anti-phishing measures. Data Breach Hits Extend Fertility New York City (NYC) based fertility clinic, Extend Fertility recently underwent a cyberattack. Now it is notifying patients of the probability of the compromise of their data. Specializing in IVF and freezing embryos and eggs, Extend Fertility was attacked on 15th December 2021, and the clinic had hired external forensic experts to investigate the nature of the attack then. Its servers and networks containing patients' personal and protected health information (PHI) were affected. However, Extend Fertility quickly adopted phishing prevention measures and conducted a month-long investigation into the breach. The information compromised in the attack includes patients' full names, DoBs, contact numbers, genders, email addresses, diagnosis and treatment details, medical history, lab test results, dates of service, prescription details, medical account numbers, provider name, financial details, etc. While the full extent of the attack remains to be figured out, the clinic has started notifying patients about the threat to their data. Extend... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-7-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2022: Cyberattacks can be curbed significantly by adopting effective phishing prevention measures. This week's news. Cyberattacks can be curbed significantly by adopting effective phishing prevention measures. This week's news headlines demonstrate the importance of effective cybersecurity measures and re-emphasize the need for organizations to incorporate them to safeguard their information assets. Ransomware Hits Swissport International The aviation services company, Swissport International Ltd. recently underwent a ransomware attack that disrupted its operations across its 307 locations in 50 countries. Though the ransomware operator's name has not been disclosed, Swissport International said that the attack caused a delay in operations and flight departures. Reportedly, limited sections of the company's IT system were affected, and Swissport's Twitter post confirms that most of the attack has been contained already. A spokesperson from the Zurich airport mentioned the attack on Swissport caused 22 flights to be delayed by 3-20 minutes. While ground services continue to be provided, flight delays are bound to happen. No ransomware gang has owned the Swissport attack so far. Despite the attack affecting many Swissport locations, it did not have the desired impact on the aviation services company, primarily because of the robust phishing attack prevention measures adopted by Swissport International. Cyberattack Hits Washington State Department of Licensing The Washington State Department of Licensing recently detected... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-6-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2022: Phishing continues to be a primary contributor to cyber news headlines. Following are the most significant. Phishing continues to be a primary contributor to cyber news headlines. Following are the most significant phishing news headlines this week to help you plan your phishing prevention measures. Ransomware Hits Swissport A ransomware attack recently targeted Swissport, the Swiss airport management service that affected its IT infrastructure. In its statement, Swissport said that most of the attack had been contained and mentioned that it is taking necessary anti-phishing measures to restore systems, particularly its delivery system. Switzerland's National Cyber Security Center has been trying to establish contact with Swissport, but its website is currently down. Around 22 flights were delayed by about 20 minutes because of this incident. The company informed that its ground services at 307 locations, including Zurich Airport, remain unaffected by the attack. The NCSC reported that this attack on Swissport could be a part of a coordinated attack on European transportation and gas services. Data Breach Hits Morley Companies Inc. After Ransomware Attack The U.S-based business services provider Morley Companies Inc. underwent a ransomware attack on 1st August 2021, and now it has detected a data breach in its systems. The company provides business services to Global 100 and Fortune 500 firms and believes that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 5 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-5-of-2022/ Description: Being abreast of the latest phishing tactics and updates is pivotal to establishing effective anti-phishing solutions to safeguard critical organizational. Being abreast of the latest phishing tactics and updates is pivotal to establishing effective anti-phishing solutions to safeguard critical organizational information. Here are the phishing news headlines in the limelight this week. Cyberattack Targeting Global Energy Firms A cybersecurity expert recently discovered a cyber-espionage campaign that has been active since 2019 and has targeted over 15 industrial technology and renewable energy entities so far. The researcher further revealed that the adversaries used a custom Mailbox toolkit for the attacks. The campaign steals the login credentials of employees of renewable energy and industrial technology firms and environmental protection organizations. Its victims include Huawei, Schneider Electric, HiSilicon, Honeywell, Telekom Romania, CEZ Electro, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Sorema etc. Investigations traced most compromised sites back to [.]com[.]br (Brazil) and the phishing pages were primarily hosted on domains like [.]eu5[.]net, [.]eu3[.]org and [.]eu3[.]biz. While no sample phishing emails have come to light, the emails believably used a subject line similar to Your Mail Box storage is full.' No hacker group has owned up to the attack, but evidence points fingers at North Korean Actors, Konni and the APT28 group. The researcher could gather samples of activities used in a series of attacks on Bulgarian... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 4 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-4-of-2022/ Description: Phishing attack prevention can never be an absolute target; there will always be the presence of notorious threat actors in the cyberworld. Phishing attack prevention can never be an absolute target; there will always be the presence of notorious threat actors in the cyberworld. Hence, one must focus on learning to live in coexistence without letting the adversaries get their hands on confidential information. To this end, here are the major hacks and cyberattacks this week. Data Breach Hits ShopGoodwill.com The e-commerce auction platform, ShopGoodwill.com, owned by the American non-profit Goodwill, recently underwent a data breach that compromised customer accounts. As part of its phishing prevention measures, ShopGoodwill Vice President, Ryan Smith sent out breach notifications to customers citing that some of their personal contact details may have been affected as part of the breach. Fortunately, the incident did not affect customers' payment card details and only leaked buyer contact information. ShopGoodwill has now fixed the vulnerability causing the breach and apologized to all customers for the inconvenience caused. Investigations into the breach continue, and customers with queries on the same have been instructed to contact Goodwill via email. Data Breach Hits Aditya Birla Fashion A data breach recently hit Indian fashion brand, Aditya Birla Fashion, where adversaries accessed one of its databases and made it public. The initial reports revealed that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-3-of-2022/ Description: Imagine returning to the office after the Christmas and New Year holidays and finding your systems locked by notorious ransomware. Imagine returning to the office after the Christmas and New Year holidays and finding your systems locked by notorious ransomware. Many organizations across the globe have endured a similar fate, and here are the updates of those attacks to help you plan your phishing prevention strategies. State Officials Confirm Ransomware Attack on Maryland The attack vector which disrupted Maryland Health Department's reporting of COVID-19 data last month has been confirmed to be a ransomware attack. The attack began on 4th December 2021, and as per the state's CISO- Chip Stewart, extortion demands have been resisted so far. Stewart confirmed the attack in a statement recently where he said that investigations into the breach accompany the restoration efforts and that it's undoubtedly a ransomware attack. While confirming the breach, Stewart refused to talk about the adversaries' motive behind attacking the state health department. Fortunately, MDH quickly implemented its phishing attack prevention measures and isolated the infected systems within the initial hours of detecting the attack. Because of this containment measure, some MDH services may remain offline or unavailable for some time. Stewart assured that the state and CISO are doing everything in their capacity to eliminate the risk of reinfection in... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-2-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2022: The new year means a fresh start for adversaries and us, and they have begun working on new targets. Following. The new year means a fresh start for adversaries and us, and they have begun working on new targets. Following are this week's top phishing news headlines to help you stay ahead of scammers and plan your anti-phishing protection measures. Data Breach Hit Singaporean Department Store OG A data breach recently hit the Singaporean department store OG, which compromised customers' personal data. In its statement to members, OG specified only the members in the basic or gold tiers have been affected by the breach. OG has asked its service provider to secure the database to stop the attack vector from spreading, as part of its phishing prevention measures. It is also working with external cybersecurity experts and relevant authorities to investigate the breach and ensure customers' safety. The investigations revealed that the attackers compromised an OG database managed by an external membership portal service provider. While the notification did not mention how many members were affected by the breach, it does warn them to take necessary measures to protect themselves from phishing. The compromised member details include their names, contact numbers, email addresses, DOBs, mailing addresses and genders. Passwords and NRIC numbers may have also been stolen, but nothing substantiates... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-1-of-2022/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2022: Anti-phishing measures do not ensure 100% protection against ransomware and other social engineering attacks . Anti-phishing measures do not ensure 100% protection against ransomware and other social engineering attacks, but they do create additional protective shields and notification systems which gives the incident response teams enough time to detect and tackle the attack vector. Here are the major ransomware attack news headlines this week to help you protect your organization better. Head to HIBP to Check Whether Your Email Was Affected by Recent RedLine Attack The RedLine malware, which is known for its destructive ways of getting into IT systems and stealing their information, recently stole the account details of 441,657 users. Cybersecurity researcher Bob Diachenko recently found a server used by the threat actors spreading RedLine and recovered 6 million RedLine logs which were collected between August and September 2021. Although some of the email addresses in these logs were repeated, the data is still valuable as any threat actor in possession of this can launch targeted phishing and financial theft attacks on the victims. Diachenko further reported that the server is still accessible, but it's unlikely that RedLine is still using it as the number of logs has not increased. To ensure protection against phishing, Diachenko shared a copy of the 441,657 unique... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 52 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-52-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 52 of 2021: Ensuring phishing attack prevention is challenging when some form of cyberattack happens every minute. The. Ensuring phishing attack prevention is challenging when some form of cyberattack happens every minute. The global cybersecurity landscape is changing with more people becoming aware of cyber threats and doing their bit to ensure protection. But with every positive phishing protection measure that emerges, there is a similar (if not greater) growth in cyberattack vectors. Therefore, one must never stop looking up the latest attack schemes and upgrading their safety measures accordingly. In that capacity, here are the headlines of this week. Ransomware Hits Inetum Group One week ahead of the Christmas holiday, French IT services organization Inetum Group underwent a ransomware attack. As per the editor-in-chief of the French publication LeMagIt, the BlackCat ransomware gang is responsible for this attack. With branches in over 26 countries, Inetum serves companies across sectors like defense, aerospace, energy, banking, healthcare, automotive, retail, transportation, insurance, media, telecom and public sector. Though limited in intensity, the attack disrupted Inetum services across industries and regions. Fortunately, the attack affected Inetum operations in a few locations in France and did not impact any large infrastructure, delivery services or collaboration tools used by the customers. Inetum's incident response team quickly took phishing prevention measures such as isolating... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51-2 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-51-2-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51-2 of 2021: The Christmas holidays are one of the longest periods of the year when the majority of the employees are on. The Christmas holidays are one of the longest periods of the year when the majority of the employees are on leave. This is usually a peak time for cyberattacks wherein threat actors remain active from the onset of December. As we step into yet another holiday season, more and more ransomware attacks are getting reported. To make this process of protection from phishing attacks easier, here are the top phishing news this week. Desjardins Provides Settlement to Over 10 Million Customers Post 2019 Breach The Canadian financial services organization Desjardins had undergone a massive data breach in 2019 when a malicious employee was found exposing the personal information of over 9.7 million customers. A class-action lawsuit was filed against Dejardins, which has been settled for CAD 201 million (about $156 million) compensation to all the involved customers. The organization recently confirmed the settlement figure via a press release and specified that the amount compensates for identity theft and time loss. In addition, all members are entitled to five years of no-cost credit monitoring from Equifax, which can then be extended to at least another five years of availing Desjardins' phishing protection services. While the Superior Court of Québec has yet... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-51-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51 of 2021: There is no end to cyberattacks as the world continues to shift towards an online environment. The best. There is no end to cyberattacks as the world continues to shift towards an online environment. The best preventive measure against online threat actors is to keep yourself updated on how they plan their attacks and target their next victims. Here are this week's top phishing, ransomware, and data breach headlines. BSI Warns Citizens of Increased Cyberthreats Ahead of Christmas The German cybersecurity authority BSI is sending out warnings of ransomware threats to organizations as Christmas and end-of-year holidays approach. They suspect a return of the Emotet botnet and subsequent attacks on Microsoft Exchange servers. Because all employees are at home during the holidays, threat actors have greater chances of surpassing office firewalls and security systems. BSI advises all German organizations to patch their systems and have backup files. The revival of Emotet coincides with Conti recruiting more and more affiliates through its ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations. BSI has joined CISA and FBI in releasing warning notifications to prepare organizations for ransomware attacks in the holiday season. While none of these security bodies have evidence of an oncoming threat, they make this speculation based on experience and current attack trends where attackers wait for holidays and weekends to compromise networks. Adopting... --- #### Learn About the Latest Office 365 Phishing Attack Scheme URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-office-365-phishing-attack-scheme/ Description: Phishing is a sort of attack in which you are tricked into supplying sensitive information in response to a fake message containing malicious links. Phishing is a sort of attack in which you are tricked into supplying sensitive information in response to a fake message containing malicious links. Phishing is when a fraudster convinces you to do anything that provides them access to your devices, accounts, funds, or confidential information. Microsoft revealed that there had been a growth in recent phishing email campaigns that use redirecting links combined with CAPTCHA and legitimate appearances, targeting Office 365 accounts. As Office 365 is one of the most widely used cloud business services, threat actors target Office 365 users to extract sensitive information to penetrate business organizations and access their information systems. Modus Operandi of The Latest Office 365 Attack(s) The latest attacks are designed to trick users by appearing to have come from Microsoft's official sources. For instance, some ask you to review spam messages along with a link. The link, once clicked, redirects you to another page that looks like Microsoft's Security Center and asks you to enter your login credentials. Subsequently, the site sends your login information to the mastermind of the phishing attack. Latest Attacks Sophisticated And Dangerous: Says Microsoft "Microsoft's built-in phishing protection in Office 365 catches the obvious attacks, but it... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-50-of-2021/ Description: Threat actors just need one opportunity to infiltrate your device and accounts online and get access to all your PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Threat actors just need one opportunity to infiltrate your device and accounts online and get access to all your PII (Personally Identifiable Information). And phishing is one of the primary ways they use to set their malicious plans in motion, such as for data breaches, identity thefts, etc. This is why it is crucial to adopt basic cyber hygiene, so you can easily identify signs of phishing. Here are this week's news headlines to keep you abreast of the latest phishing happenings. Data Breach at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles The reproductive healthcare provider Planned Parenthood Los Angeles recently informed over 400,000 patients of a data breach where adversaries accessed their personal information. The unauthorized access of its system was first noticed on 17th October, and the hospital immediately informed law enforcement and took phishing prevention measures. So far, it has no evidence of patient data being used for fraudulent purposes, but the investigations suggest that it was a ransomware attack. Planned Parenthood is yet to announce the name of the ransomware gang and whether it paid a ransom. The hospital solely focuses on informing and supporting the patients whose data was compromised in the incident. The compromised patient data includes... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 49 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-49-of-2021/ Description: Data is one of the most valuable information assets in the world today, and therefore data breaches are such a big deal. Data is one of the most valuable information assets in the world today, and therefore data breaches are such a big deal. This week, the cyber news headlines highlight the significant instances of millions of people losing their data and funds to malicious cyber adversaries. Implementation of robust phishing protection measures is the need of the hour and here is why we need to rethink our digital security decisions. Data Breach Hits Conti Ransomware Group Popular cybercriminal group Conti was recently affected by a data breach which may seem ironic. A Swiss cybersecurity enterprise called Prodaft exploited a vulnerability in Conti's recovery servers to access one of its most sensitive servers used for negotiating and receiving payments from victims. Using this server, the researchers could track down the actual IP addresses of Conti's recovery website. The server is said to be hosted on ITL LLC-owned IP address 217.12.204.135. The Prodaft team used its privileged access to one of the most notorious ransomware operators internal servers to monitor its network traffic for weeks before being vocal about the achievement. However, limited information could be gathered about Conti as all the SSH IP addresses were owned by Tor exit nodes and didn't... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 48 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-48-of-2021/ Description: This week's news headlines highlight why phishing prevention should be a part of every organization's cyber risk management strategy. This week's news headlines highlight why phishing prevention should be a part of every organization's cyber risk management strategy. Here are the major phishing and data breach headlines from this past week. Data Breach Hits Costco Costco customers are receiving breach notifications warning them of unauthorized payments. The security incident was brought to light by several customers of Costco who took to social media to speak about fraudulent charges associated with their Costco accounts. Investigations into the breach revealed that adversaries had compromised users' payment card information through a card skimming device at some Costco warehouses. Anyone who shopped at Costco using their card was vulnerable to the attack at this unfortunate time of hackers being in its systems. While executives from Costco can't say for sure whether all customers were affected, it says in its breach notification that in the interim of hackers intruding its systems and the intrusion being discovered, the threat actors could have acquired the magnetic stripe of users' payment cards. This would mean a compromise of their names, card number, CVV, and card expiry date. Costco advises customers to check with their bank once and keep an eye on their credit card statements. As part... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-47-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 of 2021: Every week we see the adversaries successfully stealing information through various social engineering tactics. Every week we see the adversaries successfully stealing information through various social engineering tactics. This cycle of malicious actors accessing one's personal and organizational networks needs to be stopped. The first step towards that is keeping yourself up-to-date with how these threat actors operate. Here are the phishing news headlines of this week. Data Breach at Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Newspaper reporter Josh Renaud first discovered a vulnerability in the DESE certification database. As a result of this vulnerability, the sensitive information of over 620,000 present and former teachers, including their social security numbers, was compromised. Renaud first informed the DESE and waited for them to patch the vulnerability, but he published his story when the Missouri Governor accused him of hacking into the database. The controversy aside, DESE is apologetic for this security negligence. As part of its phishing attack prevention measures, the DESE and the Office of Administration Information Technology Services Division (OA-ITSD) will send out breach notification letters to all teachers whose PII (Personally Identifiable Information) was compromised in the incident. The department realizes that teachers and educators have a lot to handle because of the pandemic and regret having caused them the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-46-of-2021/ Description: Ransomware gangs continue to target organizations worldwide, leaking users' personal information only, which could be used to launch further phishing attacks. Ransomware gangs continue to target organizations worldwide, leaking users' personal information only, which could be used to launch further phishing attacks, identity thefts, and other cyber attacks. Here is this week's phishing news to help you learn how threat actors operate and the importance of adopting anti-phishing measures. Data Breach Hits Electronic Warfare Associates The popular US defense contractor Electronic Warfare Associates (EWA) recently notified clients of a data breach that exposed a database containing users' personally identifiable information (PII). The adversaries accessed the email system of the company and stole the files containing sensitive information. EWA first discovered the breach on 2nd August 2021 and notified the Montana Attorney General's office soon after. The attack came to the notice of EWA when the adversaries attempted wire fraud. Therefore the company believes that stealing PII was perhaps not the attackers' intention, but they ended up doing that anyway. Since EWA makes products for highly sensitive customers like the Department of Justice, and Homeland Security (DHS), this breach is bad news. The compromised user information includes names, driver's license numbers, and social security numbers. Details about the nature of the attack and whether it affects only EWA employees are yet to... --- #### How to Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/send-follow-up-email-response/ Description: How to Send a Follow-Up Email After No Response?: No matter if you operate in B2C or B2B, email outreach is a tall order . Even if you use an opt-in verified. No matter if you operate in B2C or B2B, email outreach is a tall order. Even if you use an opt-in verified contact database and have a trustworthy sender domain, your messages may be cluttered by dozens of incoming emails in leads' inboxes. Email marketers shouldn’t, hence, neglect sending a follow-up email . Not unless they care about the ROIs of their outreach efforts. Thus, the response ratio to the very first follow-up is usually 40% higher , than the response ratio to the very first email. Say, you receive 1 response on every 10 emails sent. If you follow up on original messages at least once, the average number of responses will be around 4 per 10 delivered messages. Sounds like the trick is worth the hustle, doesn’t it? How Many Follow-ups Should one Send Before Giving Up? There's no one best opinion: some suggest sending 5 follow-ups and more, while others say 3 are the limit. To find the middle ground, consider mailing goals and the audience you target. Less than 2 follow-ups aren’t enough to get through to people, but a dozen, is neither a good course of action, because of the risk of getting spam complaints.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-45-of-2021/ Description: Social engineering has become one of the most common means of launching cyberattacks today, and there can never be infallible protection against these attacks. Social engineering has become one of the most common means of launching cyberattacks today, and there can never be infallible protection against these attacks. However, being abreast of the latest attack vectors in various sectors can help you keep ahead of threat actors and ensure phishing protection for your organization. Here are the top headlines this week to help you in this endeavor of creating a safe cyberspace for everyone: SCUF Gaming Discloses Cyberattacks Renowned manufacturer of high-performance custom PCs and console controllers, SCUF Gaming International underwent a data breach in February 2021. However, it's only now that the organization thought of sharing the news with customers via notifications on its website. A web skimming or e-skimming (Magecart) attack was launched on SCUF Gaming, affecting over 32,645 SCUF customers. In such attacks, the adversaries inject JavaScript-based scripts (credit card skimmers) to the compromised website, which allows them to overlook and harvest the personal information and payment details of customers making payments on the compromised site. The data stolen from such attacks is later sold to third-party threat actors on carding forums who, in turn, use this information to launch targeted phishing and identity theft attacks. The adversaries initially hacked into... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-44-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 of 2021: Threat actors continue to target organizations worldwide to get their hands on sensitive organizational data . Threat actors continue to target organizations worldwide to get their hands on sensitive organizational data, using which they can extort some money or use it for other nefarious purposes. Here are this week's headlines that continue to highlight the importance of adopting phishing prevention measures, especially for SMBs. Cyberattack Hits MCH Group Apart from a series of attacks on Switzerland's Easygov federal portal, municipality website of Montreux and Stadler Rail, and the price comparison website Comparis, the next Swiss enterprise to be targeted by the adversaries is the MCH Group. The Swiss marketing and events organizer enterprise MCH Group was recently hit by a malware attack that brought down its systems. With over 700 employees and 90 exhibitions, MCH Group is fairly occupied this time of the year. It is in charge of the Art Basel shows in Basel, Hong Kong, Miami Beach, and the watch and jewelry show Baselworld. MCH Group has clarified that the attack won't affect the ongoing and immediate events and exhibitions. The organization took immediate measures to ensure protection from phishing and engaged external experts to get to the roots of the attack. The federal authorities were also brought into the loop. Further details about... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-43-of-2021/ Description: One cannot have their guards down in today's cyber world, where cyber adversaries are on the rise and improving their methods and methodologies of launching. One cannot have their guards down in today's cyber world, where cyber adversaries are on the rise and improving their methods and methodologies of launching cyber attacks by the day. However, a pertinent goal can be to ensure maximum security and efficient risk management for yourself and the business you run or work for if such an attack targets your systems. To this end, here are the top security hacks, data breaches, and phishing attacks from the last week, so you keep yourself abreast, learn from the mistakes of others and take robust anti-phishing measures in advance. Data Breach Hits Harvard-Westlake The Los Angeles-based elite private school Harvard-Westlake underwent a cyberattack recently where adversaries illegally accessed the account of a senior administrator. Consequently, students' personal information was leaked, including their psychological portraits and critical assessments mentioned in their college recommendation letters. Among the notable alumni of Harvard-Westlake school are Dorothy Arzner, Jason Segel, Ben Platt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Myrna Loy, Jason Reitman, Shirley Temple, Dean Zanuck, etc. In the recent attack, the confidential academic data from the last decade was compromised, which affected around 150 alumni. These include children of influential people ranging from political donors to billionaires, celebrities, to... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 42 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-42-of-2021/ Description: Here are the latest updates on the major hacks and attacks this week that will keep you abreast of the recent threat factors and help plan your phishing. Here are the latest updates on the major hacks and attacks this week that will keep you abreast of the recent threat factors and help plan your phishing prevention strategies. Conti Ransomware Gang Attacks Sandhills Global US-based information processing firm Sandhills Global recently underwent a ransomware attack that disrupted its business operations and brought down all hosted websites. Its trade magazines include Truck Paper, TractorHouse, RentalYard, Machinery Trader, AuctionTime, Machinery Trader Auction Results, Charter Hub, Controller, and Executive Controller. Users who visited the Sandhills website during this downtime received a Cloudflare Origin DNS error page. In the interim, Sandhills Global's phones were un-operational as well. It is suspected that the Conti ransomware gang is responsible for the attack. To protect against phishing and prevent the malware from spreading, the firm had to bring down its IT systems. The Conti gang operators usually steal files before encrypting systems; however, its approach in the Sandhills attack remains undisclosed. Sandhills shared its data breach notification to customers where it mentioned that it had employed cybersecurity experts to look into the matter and help restore operations at the earliest. Further, the company apologizes for any delay in responses and reassures customers that their safety... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-41-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2021: Ransomware attacks have increased ominously over the last couple of years , and you would be surprised to know. Ransomware attacks have increased ominously over the last couple of years, and you would be surprised to know how innovative cyber adversaries have become in their modus operandi. Ensuring phishing protection becomes problematic when the attackers don't stick to one strategy or name, and that is where the role of keeping abreast of the latest data breaches comes in. Following are the major data breaches in the past week. Colossus Ransomware Gang Seems Very Active In The US Security researchers at ZeroFox have identified that the Colossus ransomware gang has frequently attacked US citizens in the last week. The adversaries are primarily targeting Windows systems, and in one attack, they threatened to leak the 200 GB data stolen from a US-based automotive group of dealerships. Colossus had demanded a ransom of $400,000 for the decryption key and asked the victim organization to contact them on the support page of a custom domain. It is suspected that Colossus is linked to one of the existing ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups as its ransom note is quite similar to those from REvil and EpsilonRed. This also hints at the possibility of the same cybercrime group functioning under different names from time to time, appearing,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-40-of-2021/ Description: Threat actors continue to launch phishing campaigns and ransomware attacks to lure netizens into giving away PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and. Threat actors continue to launch phishing campaigns and ransomware attacks to lure netizens into giving away PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and other critical information. The best prevention against such threats is keeping oneself abreast of the latest methods that they adopt to launch cyber attacks. To that end, here are the major phishing and data breach events of this week. Ransomware Attack At Debt-IN Impacts African Bank Customers The African Bank recently confirmed an attack on one of its professional debt recovery partners, Debt-IN. The ransomware attack on Debt-IN took place in early April 2021. While the initial investigation suggested that no user data was compromised, it was later found that the personal data of several customers were exposed and among these victims were also some African Bank loan applicants. However, Debt-IN assured that no data shared after 1st April was affected in the breach. Debt-IN was quick to take measures for protection against phishing, and the African Bank also collaborated with the recovery partner to address the incident. The concerned regulatory authorities were notified, and the affected customers shall soon receive breach alerts via SMS or email. In addition to all these phishing prevention measures, the African Bank has... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 39 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-39-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 39 of 2021: Phishing is a recurrent problem in the cyber world, and if you are connected to the internet, then chances are. Phishing is a recurrent problem in the cyber world, and if you are connected to the internet, then chances are you have witnessed or undergone some form of a phishing attack; whether you fell for it or thwarted it is another story. Here are the phishing headlines in the spotlight this week to help you plan your phishing prevention strategies and maintain robust cyber hygiene: Data Breach Hits Texas Cancer Centres The Austin (Texas) Cancer Centers recently notified the Maine attorney general's office of a data breach that brought down its IT systems and affected the data of 36,503 patients. The malware deployed by adversaries was first discovered on 4th August 2021 and revealed to the public on 27th August. Soon after the attack disclosure, the cancer centers shut down their IT network as a phishing attack prevention measure. The investigations into the breach suggested that the adversaries got into the network of the Austin Cancer Centres on 21st July 2021, a fortnight before the unauthorized access was finally detected and removed. Maine's attorney general's office was informed about the security incident only recently. The cancer centers were working offline in the interim. Whether it was a ransomware attack remains... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-38-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38 of 2021: Threat actors continue with their nefarious activities to target organizations around the world . The. Threat actors continue with their nefarious activities to target organizations around the world. The following news headlines highlight the major phishing attacks in the past week and the mitigation measures adopted by concerned authorities. AVOS Locker Ransomware Attacks Pacific City Bank The Pacific City Bank is a leading American bank providing commercial banking services to Korean-Americans based in California. The Bank recently underwent a ransomware attack, and the AVOS Locker Ransomware gang was behind the attack. Several sensitive files were stolen from the organization's servers, and threat actors warn of leaking them. AVOS Locker added the Pacific City Bank to its data leak site and uploaded a ZIP folder containing some screenshots of data stolen as proof. In the message posted on the data leak site, the adversaries say that Pacific City provides outstanding financial services but has terrible phishing protection measures. The attackers have threatened to leak the data stolen if the Pacific City Bank does not come forward for negotiation. Further Details on The Accellion-Linked Beaumont Health Breach Nine months after the Accellion data breach, a victim was detected. Beaumont Health is a healthcare service that uses Accellion's services. An unnamed adversary had exploited zero-day vulnerabilities in Accellion's... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 37 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-37-of-2021/ Description: Phishing attack prevention is a global struggle, and cyber security experts strive to reduce the attack ratio every day. Phishing attack prevention is a global struggle, and cyber security experts strive to reduce the attack ratio every day. However, some adversaries continue to seem to be a step ahead. Here are phishing headlines of this week that lay down the importance of adopting adequate anti-phishing measures. Dallas Independent School District Announces Data Breach The Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) discovered a data breach in its systems on 8th August 2021 and disclosed it in a data breach notice on 2nd September 2021. As per the details revealed, the data breach affected the records of employees and students associated with Dallas ISD since 2010. The adversaries gained access to the school district's network, stole files, and stored them on an encrypted cloud site. Dallas ISD did everything in its capacity to ensure anti-phishing protection and address the vulnerabilities. The adversaries eventually informed them that the stolen data had been taken down from the cloud storage site and has not been shared or sold to anyone so far. The compromised data includes the names, DOBs, social security numbers, addresses, salary details, phone numbers, etc., for employees and names, parents' contact details, DOBs, grades, and social security numbers for students. In... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-36-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36 of 2021: Ransomware and phishing scams together account for a majority of the cyberattacks that happen every year . Ransomware and phishing scams together account for a majority of the cyberattacks that happen every year. This week's news headlines cover the major phishing scams from the past few days and re-emphasize the importance of anti-phishing measures for individuals and organizations. Ransomware Hits Lojas Renner Brazil's largest clothing department store chain with over 600 stores across three countries, Lojas Renner recently underwent a ransomware attack that affected its online shopping portal. As per reports, the RansomExx gang is responsible for this attack on Renner, which brought down its IT infrastructure. Some chaos and misinformation were being spread when Renner first disclosed the breach on the Brazilian stock market on 26th August 2021. However, the enterprise confirmed that none of its offline stores were impacted by the breach and that outlets were still open for shoppers. Though this remains confirmed, some researchers believe that RansomExx compromised the Renner servers by first attacking its IT and digital services provider, Tivit. When asked, Tivit denied having undergone any attacks. Renner, too, was found downplaying the severity of the incident, and it remains uncertain whether the threat actors stole files from its servers. Yet another unconfirmed update about the Renner attack is that the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-35-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2021: Ransomware and phishing continue to remain some of the major causes of concern for global organizations . This. Ransomware and phishing continue to remain some of the major causes of concern for global organizations. This week's phishing headlines highlight the most significant data breaches and other cyber attacks that you need to read about to keep yourself updated so you can learn to thwart such attacks. Ransomware Hits ForHousing and Liberty The Salford-based social housing group ForHousing and Liberty recently underwent a ransomware attack in which attackers stole some of its data. While no staff or tenant data was affected, a small portion of data from the enterprise's systems was stolen. The group had to bring down its systems for some time to ensure protection against phishing. The investigations by the Liberty group have confirmed that it was only a small dataset that was affected in the incident. ForHousing and Liberty have reassured associates that their priorities always include the safety of tenant and staff data. The group is currently working in collaboration with the relevant authorities and partners affected by the incident. Cyberattack Hits AT&T Just Days After Attack on T-Mobile The notorious attacking group ShinyHunters has put up a database with records of T-Mobile users for sale recently. Within days, the group is targeting yet another... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 of 2021: There can never be an assurance of complete phishing attack prevention attached to any cybersecurity solution. There can never be an assurance of complete phishing attack prevention attached to any cybersecurity solution. Cyber adversaries are getting sophisticated and innovative by the day, and a mere click on a link received in a spam email is enough to jeopardize your information assets today. However, it does not mean that organizations must not take any measures. One of these crucial measures includes studying recent cyberattacks that can help you devise a comprehensive phishing attack prevention strategy. Here are the top phishing headlines from last week. Data Breach Affects 3,200 Children From Daycares at the Durham Region Around 3200 children from some 80 Toronto-based daycares have their vaccination records exposed online since March 2021. The information was stolen from cyberattacks on the daycares of Durham Region and posted on a data leak site owned by a Ukrainian group. When the parent of a two-year-old received a notification that some of his information was leaked, he was clueless about the nature of the compromised data and could take no specific measures to prevent phishing attacks. Some daycares have been instructed to stop sending out vaccination details to ensure that no vaccination details get leaked further. Kindertots Child Care Centre in... --- #### O365 Phishing Attack: Why Your Organization Needs To Pay Attention To What Microsoft Has To Say URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/o365-phishing-attack-organization-pay-attention-to-microsoft/ Description: O365 Phishing Attack: Why Your Organization Needs To Pay Attention To What Microsoft Has To Say: As per a 2019 Verizon Report, 94% of malware in all. As per a 2019 Verizon Report, 94% of malware in all cybercrimes gets delivered via email. Thus, using emails to spread malware is a common cyber-attack strategy. Phishing emails aim to steal sensitive user information under the pretense of seeking identity verification, subscription confirmation, payment, etc. Phishing emails are used to launch various attacks, but the most common ones are BEC scams, spear phishing, whaling, and ransomware attacks. According to a study by Sophos, 58% of all emails exchanged globally are spam emails and 77% of them contain a malicious file. Office 365 is a popular office suite software from Microsoft used extensively by millions of global enterprises and institutions. Over 731k organizations in the United States alone use the applications provided by O365, which include Word, Outlook, Excel, OneDrive, OneNote, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams. With the increased dependency on these applications comes the added risk of phishing attacks. The ever-evolving phishing schemes that target organizations today demand the installation of effective anti-phishing measures. Recent O365 Phishing Attack In the latest posts from August 2021, Microsoft asks its Office 365 users to look out for phishing emails with spoofed email addresses. It is a recent phishing trick where the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-33-of-2021/ Description: While an enterprise may agree to pay the demanded ransom, there remains the risk of attackers putting up the organization's sensitive data for sale on the dark. While an enterprise may agree to pay the demanded ransom, there remains the risk of attackers putting up the organization's sensitive data for sale on the dark web. Therefore, it is necessary to stop ransomware and phishing attacks at their root. The easiest way to do that is by keeping abreast of the latest phishing news and adopting phishing protection measures beforehand. Here are the top phishing and ransomware headlines of this week. Data Stolen From Electronic Arts Leaked Last month, Electronic Arts (EA) underwent a ransomware attack. The cyber adversaries stole a significant portion of data stored on their systems, including the source code of the FIFA 21 soccer game and EA's server-side services. The adversaries had first demanded a ransom from Electronic Arts (before 10th June). Still, after the company refused to comply with these demands, the data was dumped on an underground forum on 26th July 2021. The adversaries were initially selling this EA database for $28 million, but since they could not find any buyers for these source codes (with no personal or financial data of users), they released a cache of the FIFA source codes (1.3 GB in size) for free on 14th July. Two... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 32 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-32-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 32 of 2021: Data breaches are a typical news headline in most cybersecurity updates today . There is no guarantee that. Data breaches are a typical news headline in most cybersecurity updates today. There is no guarantee that ransomware attackers won't steal data from a system before giving away the decryption key. As such, organizations must adopt phishing attack prevention measures from the beginning so that the adversaries are left with any vulnerabilities or loopholes to exploit. The following cyber headlines throw light on the significant data breaches and phishing attacks that have occurred over the week Data Breach At Calgary Parking Authority The Calgary Parking Authority, which provides paid parking facilities to vehicle owners, left one of its logging servers unprotected online, leaving it available for public access. Consequently, the vehicle owners' names, DOBs, email addresses, phone numbers, postal addresses, license plate details, vehicle descriptions, parking offenses, location data, and parking ticket details were exposed. In some cases, even the payment card details and expiry dates were compromised. The exact number of people affected by the breach is not known, but it is estimated that thousands of people may have been impacted. Soon after being notified of the security vulnerability, CPA secured the server. It was later confirmed that the server was public since 13th May. The CPS is investigating... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 31 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-31-of-2021/ Description: Phishing prevention is one of the most significant challenges businesses face today; the worrying part for business owners is that threat actors do not just. Phishing prevention is one of the most significant challenges businesses face today; the worrying part for business owners is that threat actors do not just target large conglomerates anymore. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are as lucrative a target for them as the larger organizations, given SMEs have limited budgets, and they can allocate only so much to robust anti-phishing measures. Hence, one of the easiest and most effective ways to thwart phishing attacks is to keep oneself updated and educated on the latest phishing and cyber trends. Here is how the past week in the cyber world looked like. Misconfigured Amazon S3 Bucket At Artwork Archive Colorado-based artwork software solutions Artwork Archive recently left one of its private databases misconfigured, leading to a data breach. The open S3 bucket notified the platform on 25th May, and it took immediate phishing attack prevention measures to secure the database. It further reported no unauthorized access of data then. But recently, researchers at the WizCase team found that Artwork Archive's misconfigured Amazon S3 bucket exposed over 200,000 files (421 GB of data). In its defense, Artwork Archive said that there is no evidence to prove that anyone outside the third-party cybersecurity company... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-30-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2021: Phishing headlines are unlikely to leave the cybersecurity news any time soon . This week's cybersecurity. Phishing headlines are unlikely to leave the cybersecurity news any time soon. This week's cybersecurity updates indicate the surge in ransomware attacks, data thefts, and financial fraud, throwing light on the importance of adopting the right anti-phishing solutions to keep your and your organization's critical information assets secure. WooCommerce Patches Critical Vulnerability The WooCommerce administrators urge all users of the e-commerce plugin for the WordPress content management system to update their plugins to version 5.5.51. This is because over 90 versions of the 5.5.0 plugin were vulnerable to a severe bug that adversaries could exploit without authentication. Though the bug hasn't yet received a tracking number, it is considered a critical one with a severity score of 8.2 out of 10 (Patchstack). It also affects the WooCommerce Blocks plugin that shows products on posts and pages. All WooCommerce plugin versions from 3.3 to 5.5 and WooCommerce Blocks from 2.5 to 5.5 have received an update to 5.5.1. The patches are being rolled out automatically for all affected WooCommerce installations. To ensure protection from phishing attacks, WooCommerce has also sent out notification emails to all users. If unpatched, the vulnerability would enable the adversaries to access all administrative details, store-related information,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 29 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-29-of-2021/ Description: This week's phishing news headlines cover a wide range of cyberattacks on organizations and institutes that highlight the significance of adopting phishing. This week's phishing news headlines cover a wide range of cyberattacks on organizations and institutes that highlight the significance of adopting phishing prevention best practices to ensure safety from the latest cyber attacks in today's times. Ransomware Hits Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) Arthur J. Gallagher (AJG) is a Fortune 500 firm providing risk management and global insurance brokerage services. An unidentified ransomware gang accessed its network between 3rd June 2020 and 26th September 2020, and this exposed the personal information of around 7,376 individuals. AJG is now informing all affected individuals of the incident via breach notification letters. The firm has also informed the data regulatory authorities and is currently working with cybersecurity and forensic specialists to investigate the attack. The compromised information includes individuals' username, password, DOB, government identification number, tax identification number, employee identification number, license, credit card information, medical information, electronic signature, health insurance information, and biometric information. AJG will be providing two years of free credit monitoring to all victims and urged them to take necessary phishing attack prevention measures. Kaseya Attack Impacts 800 Coop Stores In Sweden While just 50 of Kaseya's clients were affected in the recent REvil ransomware attack, most of these customers... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 28 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-28-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 28 of 2021: The need to adopt robust phishing protection solutions is more than ever before, as threat actors continue to. The need to adopt robust phishing protection solutions is more than ever before, as threat actors continue to invent new ways to lure users into divulging their critical information. The following phishing headlines from the world over indicate that anti-phishing protection involves a lot more than just email spam filters or cybersecurity awareness and why it is important to keep yourself abreast of the latest modus operandi malicious actors adopt to steal off your credentials. Dragonforce Attacks Israeli Recruitment Network AcadeME The Malaysian hacker group DragonForce recently attacked the Israeli student recruitment company AcadeME and stole the personally identifiable information (PII) of around 280,000 Israeli students. AcadeME is used by hundreds of thousands of college and university students to find jobs. The hacker group announced the attack with a Telegram message on 20th June. The compromised details include the full names, email addresses, passwords, addresses and contact numbers of students using AcadeME since 2014. As part of their phishing prevention measures, AcadeME brought down their website with a notice stating that the website will be operational soon. DragonForce claimed to be against the terrorist activities of Israel and had leaked a large batch of Israeli passports on the same day.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 27 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-27-of-2021/ Description: There is not much one can do when threat actors have infiltrated their information assets and robbed them of their identity by stealing their Personally. There is not much one can do when threat actors have infiltrated their information assets and robbed them of their identity by stealing their Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This is why it is crucial to keep oneself abreast of the latest tricks and techniques malicious actors employ to attack users. Incorporating robust strategies from each cyber incident you may come across can go a long way in helping you in phishing awareness, ensuring protection from multiple threat actors. The following weekly phishing headlines have been written to help you with the same. DreamHost Leaves Cloud Database Unprotected: 814 M Records Exposed Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler recently discovered a misconfigured cloud database belonging to US hosting provider DreamHost. The database was left without a password online and contained 814 million records (86 GB) of WordPress users. The records in the database dated back to 2018 and included user information such as full names, usernames, email addresses, WordPress login location URLs, security information, timestamps, host IP addresses, etc. DreamHost was quick to secure the database after being informed, but it remains uncertain how long this database was public before Fowler discovered it. If the threat actors could access this database, then they... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 26 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-26-of-2021/ Description: Phishing is one of the most effective entry points for threats to inject malware into users' systems. This week's headlines are all about them. Phishing is one of the most effective entry points for threats to inject malware into users' systems. This week's headlines are all about them. Read on to know why it is essential to pay heed to phishing prevention tips. Ransomware Hits Stillwater Medical Center The Stillwater Medical Center in Oklahoma serves several Oklahoma hospitals, clinics, care sites, and specialist offices. In an unfortunate ransomware attack targeting Stillwater on 13th June, all of its operations were brought down. However, as the medical center undergoes an electronic health record downtime, its IT team has proactively accessed the affected systems and informed law enforcement. To ensure protection against phishing, Stillwater has also hired a computer forensic firm to help restore its systems. Disruptions were observed in Stillwater's application, phone system, online patient portal, and email system. In case of emergency, patients were asked to dial 911. However, patient care was provided just the same, with only a few appointment cancellations. Gateley Reports Cyber Attack UK-based Legal and professional services group Gateley underwent a cybersecurity breach recently. While the attack affected a small portion of Gateley's data, its operations were brought down to contain the attack. The company traced where the impacted data (0.2%)... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 25 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-25-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 25 of 2021: In today's times, it has become necessary to keep yourself abreast of the latest cyber-attacks , and various. In today's times, it has become necessary to keep yourself abreast of the latest cyber-attacks, and various ways threat actors adopt to attack users and rob them of their monetary or digital assets. For instance, a mere click on the wrong link is enough for the threat to access your credentials and other critical information. Simply keeping yourself updated is one of the best phishing attack prevention strategies and can help you avoid the majority of phishing attacks. Here are the latest headlines from this past week. Age Is No Bar To Be A Cybercriminal When a forty-something-year-old lady with a degree in applied mathematics expresses her interest in computers and contemplates a career as a computer programmer, people don't view it as a threat factor. However, federal prosecutors suspect a Latvian citizen called Alla Witte to be an active member of the Trickbot gang. Witte, now 55, began her career as a computer programmer at 40, with the intent of helping clients. Instead, within six years, she evolved from an amateur developer to a furious cybercriminal under the Trickbot gang. She has been working under the pseudonym of Max ever since. Max (alias Witte) is now in Cleveland with... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 24 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-24-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 24 of 2021: Cyber adversaries who launch phishing attacks leverage the mindset of the unaware users; for instance, they. Cyber adversaries who launch phishing attacks leverage the mindset of the unaware users; for instance, they assume the phishing email to be coming from a legitimate source and end up disclosing their critical information to the threat actor. The bad news is that there is no one-hundred-percent full-proof phishing prevention strategy, but the good news is that the majority of phishing scams can be avoided if users keep themselves abreast of the latest techniques and modus operandi of threat actors, which is why we bring you the top phishing headlines this week Nobelium Attacks Constant Contact The hacker group Nobelium is using the cloud email marketing service Constant Contact to launch a phishing campaign. This same group was responsible for the SolarWinds attack, and now it has reached around 3000 email addresses across 150 organizations. The entry point is believed to be the Constant Contact account of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Constant Contact is a mass mailing service that essentially means an enormous infected population when a cyberattack strikes. Fortunately, most of the emails were blocked and marked as spam by the automated systems. It was a high-volume campaign leading to the auto-rejection of most of... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 23 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-23-of-2021/ Description: Cyberattacks and data breaches have rapidly increased over the past year. Hundreds of thousands of users lose their data to phishing attacks even today. Cyberattacks and data breaches have rapidly increased over the past year. Hundreds of thousands of users lose their data to phishing attacks even today. Here are the top phishing headlines from the last week to enable an organization to accept and incorporate the best phishing prevention tips. Scattered Canary Plots Against Texas Unemployment System Defying all phishing prevention measures, a Nigerian cybercrime group named Scattered Canary is sharing detailed instructions on committing unemployment identity fraud on the Texas Workforce Commission website. The threat actors have formed a WhatsApp group where a 13-page guide to defrauding the Texas Workforce Commission has been shared. The cybersecurity firm Agari, led by former FBI agent Crane Hassold was the first to get access to this document circulated among Scattered Canary members. The document contained everything to know about applying for unemployment benefits and introduced some red flags triggered by erroneous answers. The Texas Workforce Commission has lost over $893 million to fraudulent unemployment benefits in the past, and this Scattered Canary endeavour is definitely not good for the Commission. The adversaries exploit a Gmail flaw caused by Google's spam detection system, which ignored the position of periods in an email address. A joe.doe@gmail.com can... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 22 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-22-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 22 of 2021: Phishing attacks have targeted organizations worldwide in the bygone week, and the headlines roar out to. Phishing attacks have targeted organizations worldwide in the bygone week, and the headlines roar out to netizens to adopt the best phishing prevention practices. Here are the latest phishing headlines from across the world to keep you abreast of the latest modus operandi of threat actors, so you are better equipped to keep your information assets secure. Avaddon Ransomware Hits Acer Finance Acer Finance is a French financial consultancy firm offering financial planning, risk management, advisory, mutual funds, and analysis services. The Avaddon ransomware gang, which has been making the headlines frequently, recently attacked Acer Finance and stole a vast expanse of its sensitive data. The adversaries have given Acer Finance 240 hours to comply with the ransom demands before they leak all of Acer's valuable records. Avaddon has posted personal documents, ID cards, and screenshots of folders with stolen data as proof of the attack. Avaddon claims to have stolen confidential data belonging to Acer Finance's employees and clients. It also posted a note on its leak site informing the firm of the attack and the types of records it has in its possession. These include employees' information, agreements, data from the secretariat, personal correspondence, payment forms, licenses, etc.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 21 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-21-of-2021/ Description: Phishing attack prevention is a distant goal for enterprises and can never be fully attainable in the presence of malicious cyber attackers. Phishing attack prevention is a distant goal for enterprises and can never be fully attainable in the presence of malicious cyber attackers. The bygone week in the cyber realm was full of data breaches and millions of dollars lost to cyberattackers. This serves as a lesson for enterprises to be more watchful of their anti-phishing solutions. Misconfigured Database Reveals Major Amazon Review Scam Researchers at SafetyDetectives recently discovered an unencrypted Elasticsearch server online, which revealed a major fake review scam ongoing among Amazon vendors. The misconfigured database contained 7 GB (13 million records) of data belonging to counterfeit reviewers. These details included their email addresses, surnames, PayPal details, linked Amazon review profile details, and the Whatsapp and Telegram numbers of the concerned vendor. These scams begin with the vendor sending their product list to the fake reviewers. Once the reviewers leave a five-star review, they send a link (proof) to the vendor to receive the payment in their PayPal accounts. Often, they can keep the product itself as payment for their review. Over 200,000 fake reviewers had their data compromised because of the misconfigured database. The database owner remains unknown, but the database itself has been secured. It is assumed... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-20-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2021: Phishing attacks continue to create havoc in the cyber world . This week's cyber headlines are all about data. Phishing attacks continue to create havoc in the cyber world. This week’s cyber headlines are all about data breaches and the phishing prevention measures adopted by the victim organizations. Reading such news sure gives some perspective into what should go into the business continuity plan we have for our organization, and that is why we bring you the top cybersecurity headlines East London Council Forgets To BCC Email Recipients, Exposes Thousands Of Addresses In a recent technical blunder, a local authority at East London sent out an email to thousands of residents without using the BCC field. Thus, all residents of Tower Hamlets could see the email addresses of the fellow email recipients. One of the Register readers by the name of Patrick questions why the council couldn't use some email marketing platform like Mailchimp. Patrick received an email with 400 other addresses in the To field. There wasn’t much the council could do after the email was sent. However, it apologized to all affected email recipients in a follow-up email that was BCC’d correctly. The council assured recipients that such blunders wouldn't be repeated, and they'll take all anti-phishing measures from now on. Data Breach At Third Party Vendor... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 19 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-19-of-2021/ Description: Phishing news this week includes updates on the latest modus operandi adopted by cyber adversaries to lure users into divulging their sensitive information. Phishing news this week includes updates on the latest modus operandi adopted by cyber adversaries to lure users into divulging their sensitive information. Being aware of the latest attack patterns is an essential aspect of ensuring protection against phishing, and therefore we bring you the newest phishing headlines from this past week. Ransomware Hits UK's Merseyrail UK's rail network Merseyrail recently underwent a ransomware attack in which the adversaries used the victim's email system to notify all employees and journalists about the attack. The Lockbit ransomware gang is behind this attack on Merseyrail that took over its Director's email account (@merseyrail.org). As part of its phishing protection program, Merseyrail has initiated an investigation and informed the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). They have refrained from commenting further into the incident till investigations continue. After attacking the rail network, the attackers used its Director Andy Heath's email account to inform employees about the incident and the stolen data. The adversaries also attached samples of the stolen employee and customer data. Wyoming's Department Of Health Leaves Database Online Wyoming's Department of Health (WDH) accidentally published a database containing the personal health information of around 164,021 Wyoming residents private and public repositories on... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 18 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-18-of-2021/ Description: Phishing prevention best practices can be identified when studying the recent attack trends and creating or looking for anti-phishing solutions accordingly. Phishing prevention best practices can be identified when studying the recent attack trends and creating or looking for anti-phishing solutions accordingly. This week's phishing headlines serve the purpose of identifying security measures by highlighting the most significant cyber incidents throughout the week Cyber Incident At Matthew Clark Bibendum Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks distributor Matthew Clark Bibendum (MCB) recently underwent a cybersecurity incident that brought down its IT systems. The two constituent businesses Matthew Clark and Bibendum said that they are handling all customers and suppliers manually for all UK and Ireland customers. The Dublin-headquartered C&C Group owns MCB, and its IT systems haven't been affected by this incident. MCB, on the other hand, was quick to implement its cybersecurity response plan and shut its system to contain the attack. MCB is taking phishing prevention measures now and has extended its call-center capability to complete orders manually. It also informed law enforcement and the Information Commissioner's Office. The company is also informing customers and suppliers of the breach. MCB has, however, refrained from commenting further on the incident. Data Breach At Eversource Leaks 11k Customers’ Data New England's latest and largest energy delivery company, Eversource, underwent a data breach recently,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-17-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2021: A phishing attack at an organization can push all associated customers, business partners, and employees. A phishing attack at an organization can push all associated customers, business partners, and employees towards cyber threats that can have long-lasting and life-altering implications. Hence, it is the responsibility of business owners to ensure phishing attack prevention at all times. The following headlines are about the latest cyberattacks that have compromised the personal information of millions: Cyber Attack Hits Swinburne University Of Technology The Swinburne University of Technology in Australia recently discovered one of its databases online. The database contained event registration information for multiple events from 2013 to the present day. The exposed data included the names, email addresses, phone numbers of approximately 5,200 Swinburne staff and a hundred Swinburne students, and some 200 external parties and individuals who registered for the events. As part of its phishing protection measures, the university has informed the Victorian Education Department, the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC), the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). Further, it has brought down the web page and is investigating other similar university sites for breaches. The university apologized and extended support to those affected by the breach and reached out to the 200 individuals outside Swinburne... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-16-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2021: Phishing continues to be a significant security threat for individuals and enterprises alike . This week's. Phishing continues to be a significant security threat for individuals and enterprises alike. This week's cyber news is no different, but one can ensure that the same mistakes aren't repeated for their organization with the proper phishing prevention measures and keeping abreast of the latest modus operandi adopted by threat actors. Therefore, we bring you the most recent phishing news REvil Ransomware Hits Asteelflash French electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company Asteelflash recently underwent a REvil ransomware attack. The threat actors are now demanding a $24 million ransom. Their initial demand was $12 million, but it was doubled because Asteelflash missed the ransom deadline. A Tor negotiation page containing the conversation between Revil and Asteelflash reveals that the adversaries had shared a sample file containing the stolen Asteelflash records. The EMS Company has shared not much except the fact that their investigations are ongoing. Whether the attack was successful is still a mystery, but as long as Asteelflash adopts anti-phishing solutions, there is some assurance of security. Major Linkedin Leak Exposes 500 Million User Records An adversary has recently posted a data archive containing profile details of around 500 million LinkedIn users on a popular hacker forum. This data includes the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 15 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-15-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 15 of 2021: Phishing prevention and ransomware protection are crucial to cybersecurity. However, to know the latest. Phishing prevention and ransomware protection are crucial to cybersecurity. However, to know the latest threats, one needs to be thorough with the news headlines as malicious actors are getting smarter by the day and adopting even innovative tactics to lure the typical netizen into disclosing their credentials. Following are the top phishing headlines from the last week: Ransomware Hits 200 Networks, LLC An unprotected database belonging to the Reno-based company 200 Networks, LLC was recently found online. The unencrypted database contained around 1,481,280 phone call records and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) data. What makes it a risky revelation is that the database was online for around 24 hours and kept registering more real-time call records. While some were call-backs, most of the registered calls were outgoing. Upon discovering the security flaw, 200 Networks, LLC quickly took anti-phishing measures and made the database private. While it was up and publicly available, any attacker could have easily accessed, edited, deleted, downloaded, and compromised the user records. This exposed stakeholders to a plethora of attacks because of their leaked PII (personally identifiable information), caller ID, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), IP addresses, etc. Researchers suggest that this could have been a ransomware attack... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2021: Phishing prevention is a distant goal in a digital world where hundreds of attacks get launched every minute. Phishing prevention is a distant goal in a digital world where hundreds of attacks get launched every minute. However, being abreast of the latest attack trends helps us secure our systems a little better. This week's cyber headlines are oriented towards that goal of phishing attack prevention. Clop Ransomware Leaks Data Stolen From University Of Colorado & Miami Clop ransomware which had previously attacked the Accellion FTA servers and compromised the data stored on them, is now leaking victim organizations' data online. The most recent victims on the list to have their data exposed online are the University of Colorado and the University of Miami. While grades and social security numbers of Colorado university students have leaked, some of the patient data from Miami University's health system have been posted online. The adversaries are now demanding $10 million in bitcoin from the universities in exchange for not publishing their stolen data. The University of Colorado (CU) had posted about the breach and taken anti-phishing measures back in February. But the University of Miami had concealed the attack until recently when they notified that their file sharing service SecureSend (associated with Accellion FTA server) was temporarily unavailable. Study and research data,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 13 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-13-of-2021/ Description: Phishing is once again at the top of all cyber news, and there is nothing we can do to change that except taking phishing attack prevention measures. Phishing is once again at the top of all cyber news, and there is nothing we can do to change that except taking phishing attack prevention measures. The following top headlines from the cyber world prove just how crucial cyber hygiene is to keep your digital assets from falling into the hands of threat actors. Premier Diagnostics In Utah Leaks Sensitive Patient Data Premier Diagnostics, a Utah-based COVID-19 testing facility, has been handling patients' information carelessly. The testing service has exposed the sensitive information of over 52,000 people by leaving it publicly available on two unprotected Amazon S3 buckets. The compromised data includes the passports, medical insurance cards, driver's licenses, etc., of patients and their names, addresses, age, photos, ID number, gender, etc. The affected people are likely to be from Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. The breach, however, did not leak any COVID-19 test reports. Those who are associated with Premier Diagnostics are advised to take measures to protect themselves from phishing, especially when it comes to unsolicited emails or emails from the testing service. Ransomware Hits Buffalo Public Schools A ransomware attack on the Buffalo Public Schools has brought down its systems and delayed its plan for beginning remote... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-12-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2021: Phishing incidents never stop making it to the news headlines, and this week is no exception. Phishing. Phishing incidents never stop making it to the news headlines, and this week is no exception. Phishing prevention isn't a tangible goal, but it can be avoided to some extent with an awareness of the latest phishing schemes. The following are the top cyber news headlines from the past week Cyberattack Hits University Of Central Lancashire University of Central Lancashire, Preston becomes the third university in the UK to be hit by a cyberattack in just one week. The incident caused a short downtime with the university system, making it difficult for students to submit assignments. The other two universities with similar incidents are Queen's University, Belfast, and the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland. It is uncertain whether all three attacks are linked, but the National Cyber Security Centre investigates the Central Lancashire University breach. A university spokesperson said that the university was quick to contain and rectify the error and has taken necessary phishing attack prevention measures. The university informed the police and shut down many of its systems, ensuring no data was lost. 210,000 More Americans Lose Data To The Netgain Ransomware Attack The St. Cloud, Minnesota-based cloud hosting and IT services provider Netgain Technologies LLC,... --- #### Phishing Attacks On Logistics Companies: Learnings From The Latest Phishing Scheme URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-logistics-companies-learnings-latest-phishing-scheme/ Description: Phishing is a social engineering exercise that plays on the psyche of the victim with the sole purpose of extracting as much critical information as possible. Phishing is a social engineering exercise that plays on the psyche of the victim with the sole purpose of extracting as much critical information as possible. With this information, the con artists can manipulate data, take over networks, or steal financial credentials and identities. Organizations have to be aware of the menace at all times and keep their systems upgraded to counter the challenge. Phishing attacks on logistic companies are not a recent phenomenon. It has been around for a while. Among other organizations, it is a threat for logistic establishments too the world over. The above statistics show the industrial sectors phishing attackers have most targeted. As per the graph, in the fourth quarter of 2020, logistics organizations have had a share of 6.4% of the total phishing attacks on various industries. Given the way the logistics establishments have grown and expanded, especially during the Pandemic, the rate of phishing attacks on them is likely to increase in the future. Effects Of Phishing On Companies And Individuals The phishing attempts and attacks on logistics organizations can negatively impact the business and its end-users in multiple ways. The Impact On Business It has been estimated that 93% of the UK... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-11-of-2021/ Description: Online phishing attacks are never going to stop, and their success rate will only increase if netizens continue to avoid basic cyber hygiene. Online phishing attacks are never going to stop, and their success rate will only increase if netizens continue to avoid basic cyber hygiene. Hence it is essential to be abreast of the global phishing patterns so that suitable phishing attack prevention measures can be adopted before a malicious actor could wreak havoc on your digital assets. Here are the top phishing headlines from the bygone week: Three Android VPNs Leak 21M User Records Three popular Android VPN services, namely, SuperVPN, GeckoVPN, and ChatVPN, were recently involved in a security incident leading to a leak of 21 million user records. The compromised details include users' full names, usernames, email addresses, nationality, random password strings, payment details, etc. The seller also provides a country-wise categorization of data and suggests that the random password strings can lead to the victims' Google Play Store accounts. A closer look at the data put up for sale indicates that the exposed data can be used to extract user device information such as Phone types and manufacturers, Device serial numbers, Device IDs, and Device IMSI numbers. The adversaries claim that they exfiltrated the data from publicly available unprotected databases maintained by the three VPN providers. If such... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-10-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2021: Phishing schemes continue to be highly effective as netizens continue to ignore basic cyber-hygiene practices. Phishing schemes continue to be highly effective as netizens continue to ignore basic cyber-hygiene practices. Today, it has become essential to stay abreast of the latest modus operandi adopted by malicious actors to lure users into disclosing their crucial information such as financial details, PII (Personally Identifiable Information), etc. The following top phishing headlines from the past week tell us that phishing protection is indeed a necessity for the cyber world. Data Breach Hits The Kroger Co. On 23rd January, the Cincinnati-based grocery and pharmacy chain, Kroger Co. was notified of its involvement in a data breach from the December Accellion attack. Kroger used Accellion's services to share corpus data and email attachments but stopped the association soon after the breach discovery. It is now advising customers of its grocery retail stores and pharmacy to take anti-phishing protection measures to minimize data loss damage. The exposed information included the patients' names, addresses, DOBs, Social Security Numbers, email addresses, insurance-related info, prescription details, medical history, etc. While Kroger claims that only 1% of its customer data was lost in the breach, some current and former employees' details were also compromised. Impacts of the breach are also seen on beneficiaries of The... --- #### Phishing Scams Revolving Around Covid-19 Vaccines: How To Remain Secure Against Such Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-scams-revolving-covid-19-vaccines-remain-secure-attacks/ Description: Attempts by malicious actors to infiltrate organizations and individuals’ personal space through a wide variety of phishing exercises are widespread. Attempts by malicious actors to infiltrate organizations and individuals’ personal space through a wide variety of phishing exercises are widespread. From crude attempts at garnering the unwitting user’s confidence to overcoming large organizations’ anti-phishing filters, malicious actors have been at the top of their game. There has been a surge in data breach attempts, as pointed out by numerous cyber intelligence units worldwide. Most of these have been through social engineering, wherein the phishing agent tries to gain the user’s attention and gather information about them or their organization. With several Covid-19 Vaccines already in distribution and the scope of its reproduction in large numbers, phishing attempts’ severity and sophistication have risen too. Types Of Covid-19 Phishing Attempts Malicious actors have been deploying all sorts of phishing methods in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic to unleash attacks on unsuspecting users. Here are some of them. Fraudulent Vaccine Advertisements The FBI has been warning people from falling prey to fraudulent ads, which have suddenly popped up across the digital and virtual space. There were indications that a whole lot of ad space was being bought in bulk. The ads talked about vaccines as well as other cures like snakeskin oil.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-9-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2021: Phishing scams are all over the place, from big enterprises to small governments, hospitals to universities . Phishing scams are all over the place, from big enterprises to small governments, hospitals to universities. Hence, it is essential to discuss these phishing scams and observe the common vulnerabilities that help adversaries surpass anti-phishing protection measures. Here are the top phishing scams from the past week Adorcam Exposes 124 Million Rows Of User Data Adorcam is a webcam app providing a P2P connection for the IP camera series, which has over 10,000 installs on Google Play Store. Cybersecurity researchers have recently found an unprotected Adorcam database online containing around 124 million rows of data with thousands of users' details. The exposed details include users' live location, Wifi network name, email address, hashed password, images captured using the webcam, details of whether the microphone was active, among other crucial information. With these many details, an attacker can quickly launch social engineering attacks targeting the victim with content specific to his/her region and interests. Adorcam users must consider changing their Wifi and email passwords and adopt phishing prevention measures at the earliest. Darkside Targets Discount Car And Truck Rentals This month, the Canadian car rental company, Discount Car and Truck Rentals was recently attacked by the DarkSide ransomware gang. Their website... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 8 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-8-of-2021/ Description: Phishing attack prevention is a perennial struggle for internet users, and oblivion to recent attack trends makes the process even harder. Phishing attack prevention is a perennial struggle for internet users, and oblivion to recent attack trends makes the process even harder, which is why it is recommended to stay updated on the top cyberattack news. Below, we bring you the latest phishing scams from the bygone week: Massive Data Leak At Two U.S. Hospitals The adversaries have leaked the patients and employees from 11 U.S. hospitals recently. These include Leon Medical Centers' eight facilities in Florida and three Nocona General Hospital facilities in Texas. The leaked data includes the names, DOBs, addresses, medical diagnoses and letters to patients' insurers and background checks on hospital employees. Usually, adversaries do not post such massive corpora of stolen data at one go, but this one-time dumping of tens of thousands of records is a suspicious and mysterious move. The incident seems more intriguing because a Nocona General Hospital attorney claims that they didn't experience any ransomware intrusion. However, the Leon Medical Centers announced last month that it underwent a data breach in November 2020. While we await more details about the breach, patients and employees of these two hospital chains are advised to adopt phishing prevention best practices and regularly monitor their bank... --- #### The Latest MS Office 365 Phishing Scams To Be Aware Of! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/latest-ms-office-365-phishing-scams-to-be-aware-of/ Description: The Latest MS Office 365 Phishing Scams To Be Aware Of!: MS Office 365 is one of the tools used by almost every business organization , regardless of whether. MS Office 365 is one of the tools used by almost every business organization, regardless of whether it is big or small. It is a multi-system platform that combines functions like email, data storage, collaboration, and seamless integration of productivity applications such as OneDrive and SharePoint. All these tools are, without doubt, valuable to the users and organizations as it smoothens the functioning of the business. However, such a bulk of user data online at one place makes MS Office 365 a mouthwatering target for phishing scams too. Phishing Scams Targeting MS Office 365 Accounts Phishing attacks have become much more sophisticated than in the past. The attackers have become more innovative and relentless. Today, they initiate more dynamic phishing attacks than ever. Therefore, it has become necessary to keep oneself updated about the latest scams. By learning about phishing scams, one can employ phishing prevention best practices and anti-phishing solutions to avoid becoming a victim. Here are some recently detected Office 365 phishing scams. Attack Using A Voice Message In this attack, the user receives a notification of MS Outlook indicating they have received an email. The subject line will look legitimate, saying, "Incoming: You received a voice message... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-7-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2021: The distinctive form of cyberattack that continues to jeopardize world organizations is phishing , and this. The distinctive form of cyberattack that continues to jeopardize world organizations is phishing, and this week too, we can mention at least a hundred phishing attacks capable of shutting down institutions. The following are the latest phishing news bits from across the world. Let us consider effective phishing prevention solutions as we read through these attacks: 3.2B Emails And Passwords Leaked In The Largest COMB Till Date The Compilation of Many Breaches (COMB) attack from 2017, which exposed the emails and passwords of 1.4 billion users, is now overtaken by the latest breach. Threat actors have made a database with over 3.2 billion unique passwords and emails publicly available for free on a hacker forum. The exposed details belong to multiple breaches of sites like Bitcoin, LinkedIn, Netflix, Exploit.in, etc. As researchers add the leaked data to software like Personal Data Leak Checker, it is advised that users change their passwords as early as possible. Phishing prevention tips by experts always recommend the use of unique passwords for all online accounts. If users have the habit of using the same password for their Gmail, LinkedIn, and Netflix account, then a breach of just one of these websites is enough to... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-6-of-2021/ Description: The headlines are crowded again with instances of cyberattacks on organizations, and the loss of information is immense, yet again. The headlines are crowded again with instances of cyberattacks on organizations, and the loss of information is immense, yet again. The following are the latest phishing updates that might convince you to renew that anti-phishing service bill you had been deferring! Pakistani Company Bykea Exposes Over 400million User Records In a recently reported security incident, the Pakistan based parcel delivery and vehicle-for-hire company Bykea was found exposing the details of over 400 million users. The exposed details include the names, addresses, and other PII of users. The 200 GB database was left unprotected and unencrypted online, thereby exposing its production server information. Consequently, anyone in possession of the server's IP address could access and make changes to the database. Further details revealed that Bykea was involved in a security incident back in September 2020, but it can't be said for sure whether these two breaches are connected. Byker customers can only hope that phishing protection services can save them from targeted phishing attacks! Woodland Trust, UK Discloses Major Cyberattack The UK's largest charity for wildlife conservation, the Woodland Trust, recently disclosed a security incident, which it described as high level and sophisticated. The charity was attacked on the evening of... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 5 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-5-of-2021/ Description: Phishing continues to be the most commonly used and effective form of cyberattack. The last week too, was a tough one for cybersecurity. Phishing continues to be the most commonly used and effective form of cyberattack. The last week too, was a tough one for cybersecurity. The following headlines prove just how important it is to ensure phishing protection for your organization. Data Breach Hits Bonobos Men's Clothing Store ShinyHunters recently attacked the men's clothing store Bonobos and stole a 70 GB SQL database. The adversaries downloaded a cloud backup of Bonobos' database and shared it for free on a hacker forum. Although Bonobos' corporate systems remain unaffected, a lot of sensitive customer information was exposed in the breach. These include the addresses, credit card numbers, order details, passwords, and phone numbers of customers. Bonobos says that phishing attack prevention was ensured from their end, and it's a backup file hosted on the cloud that got compromised. They have approached the hosting provider to get the issue fixed. While Bonobos is doing everything in its capacity to contain the breach, customers are advised to change their passwords immediately, mainly if they used the same password for other accounts. Furthermore, customers should look out for seemingly genuine phishing emails that seek to extract their personal information. Clop Ransomware Exposes Ad Agency 7stars' Data A... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 4 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-4-of-2021/ Description: Several organizations and institutions became the target of cyberattacks over the week, and there doesn’t seem to be an ideal phishing prevention scheme. Several organizations and institutions became the target of cyberattacks over the week, and there doesn't seem to be an ideal phishing prevention scheme. However, cybersecurity is all about protection from phishing attacks since eradicating them is a near-impossible task. Here are the major phishing headlines from the bygone week Hacker Group Thallium Targets Private Stock Investment Messenger The North Korea based hacker group Thallium has found its latest victim in stock investors. The group is using supply chain attacks to inject malicious codes into a private stock investment messaging application. Stock investors are attacked with malicious Office documents and Windows installers, which then take on investors' systems. Intensifying its attacks further, Thallium has used the Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) to develop a Windows executable with malicious code and launching spear-phishing attacks with the XSL Script Processing technique. Its ultimate objective is to infect devices with a RAT. Such sophisticated attacks are a hint for organizations to strengthen their anti-phishing protection plans. Data Breach Hits The Reserve Bank Of New Zealand An unknown hacker has compromised one of the data systems of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. The breach has exposed some personally and commercially sensitive information of customers... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-3-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2021: Phishing is one of the most common and cyberattacks used by adversaries . As such, ensuring phishing prevention. Phishing is one of the most common and cyberattacks used by adversaries. As such, ensuring phishing prevention is not only wise but also necessary in today's times. The following headlines from the first week in the digital world give a glimpse of the year ahead for phishing and related cyberattacks Netwalker Leaks Stolen Namesouth Data Upon Refusal To Pay Ransom The NetWalker ransomware strain (which surfaced in 2019) is terrorizing the cyberworld by leaking stolen data when victims refuse to pay the ransom. The latest victim of this brutal policy is the US-based auto parts shop to NameSouth. It appears that NameSouth was attacked on 26th November, and just days after that, when they missed the ransom payment deadline, the data archive was leaked. The compromised data contained 3GB worth of documents comprising financial and accounting data, customer details (names and addresses), credit card statements (dating back to 2010), personally identifiable information (PII) of at least 12 employees, etc. The breach barely impacted the company customers and partners as the leaked data mostly belonged to NameSouth and its employees. Hence, the organization needs to adopt the phishing prevention best practices to avoid being targeted by serious impersonation schemes. In extreme... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-2-of-2021/ Description: Festivals for cyber adversaries come in the form of new and improved cyberattacks on individuals, organizations, and systems. Festivals for cyber adversaries come in the form of new and improved cyberattacks on individuals, organizations, and systems. This time of the year witnesses the highest number of data breaches, and that's why it is advised to adopt the phishing prevention best practices. Following are the top headlines from the cyber world. Ransomware Hits City Of Cornelia The day after Christmas saw the systems of Cornelia city being taken down by a ransomware attack. Donald Dee Anderson, the City Manager, says that they were prepared for such an attack since cyberattacks are so common during the holiday season. Emergency phone lines, utility work, garbage pickup, emails, and telephones of the city are working without interruption. However, the city's administrative software was brought down by the attack. The city employees are unable to check balances or accept card payments. The city is taking necessary anti-phishing protection measures and temporarily taken down its network. They have informed law enforcement and are investigating the breach. Anderson says the city was probably attacked with a motive of extracting a hefty ransom instead of selling the stolen data on employees and citizens. But further details about the breach are yet to be disclosed with the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2021 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-1-of-2021/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2021: The holiday season has begun, and most organizations are operating with less than half their employees. The. The holiday season has begun, and most organizations are operating with less than half their employees. The time is perfect for cyber adversaries to launch cyberattacks and target organizations or individuals through various phishing scams. Read on to learn about the latest security incidents and ponder about the efficacy of your phishing prevention measures Emotet Returns In Time For Christmas The banking trojan Emotet is back in time for Christmas. Although, this time around, the lures involve Christmas and COVID-19 vaccine-themed lures. The phishing emails started surfacing in mid-December, and over 100k messages in English, Italian, Spanish, German, and other languages have been traced so far. The threat actors use thread hijacking with PW-protected zips and malicious Word files and URLs to infect users' devices. The trojan tricks victims into disabling a Microsoft 365 feature that blocks malicious documents to launch the attacks. Emotet is known for its ability to weave relevant matters into its malicious loop. As such, being extra cautious this festive season and taking phishing attack prevention measures is recommended. Jerusalem Municipality Website Hit By Data Breach A programmer named Hezkiyahu Raful was helping his uncle file an appeal for a parking ticket on the Jerusalem Municipality's... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 52 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-52-of-2020/ Description: Experts estimate that COVID 19 related cyberattacks would escalate in 2021, and there is no effective phishing prevention measure to help evade those attacks. Experts estimate that COVID 19 related cyberattacks would escalate in 2021, and there is no effective phishing prevention measure to help evade those attacks. Hence, it becomes pivotal for us to be responsible netizens and stay abreast of the latest hacks and cyber incidents. Cybelangel Discovers 2k Unprotected Servers Online Digital Risk Protection Platform CybelAngel recently found 2,000 unprotected servers online. These servers contained over 45 million images related to patients and medical records from an array of healthcare providers. It was concluded that the data was lying out in the open, without security protection for a year now. CybelAngel didn't have to use any hacking tools to access the files, and there has been evidence of cyber adversaries accessing and infecting the servers with malware. While the discovered data belongs to healthcare providers worldwide, 23k images of data belong to UK patients. CybelAngel believes that the use of DICOM medical data transmission protocol (infamous for its security limitations) and unsecured NAS storage resulted in this massive data breach, which exposed the PII (Personally Identifiable Information) of patients. Hence, CybelAngel advises healthcare providers to take measures for protection from phishing, lest the attackers compromise and misuse their data. Ransomware Hits... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-51-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51 of 2020: Even if all patches are updated, and phishing prevention measures are taken, a cyber adversary manages to. Even if all patches are updated, and phishing prevention measures are taken, a cyber adversary manages to access online networks and steal sensitive personal data; such is the supremacy of cyber adversaries in today's cyber world. Read on to find more instances of data breaches in organizations of repute that have taken place over the week Severe Data Breach Hits Panasonic India A group of attackers have compromised two internal Microsoft domains of Panasonic India and are now selling the stolen data and company network access to fellow attackers for $40,000 in bitcoin. They have demanded a ransom of $500,000 from Panasonic India, which needs to be paid in seven days. The compromised information includes the bank account details of suppliers, passwords for software systems, email IDs, details of customers, employees, etc. Panasonic has acknowledged the breach and assured stakeholders that the attack on Panasonic India doesn't affect the global Panasonic fraternity. Several revelations have come forth from this breach, which may be listed as: - The adversaries behind the Panasonic breach are also responsible for the recent attack on Foxconn. - Hold Security CISO, Alex Holden opines that Panasonic India portrays the damage to be minimal when it is... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-50-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50 of 2020: The world has undergone hundreds of cyber attacks in the last few days, and we cannot keep up with them all. The world has undergone hundreds of cyber attacks in the last few days, and we cannot keep up with them all. But one can learn from the security mistakes of others and improve the overall cybersecurity posture for their organization. The following list of significant cybersecurity headlines is just the right thing for that Blackshadow Attack On Israel's Shirbit Insurance Company Cybercrime group BlackShadow recently launched an attack on the Israeli insurance company Shirbit which has exposed the personal information of customers such as their drivers' licenses, ID numbers, and registration forms. While Shirbit has collaborated with the National Cyber Directorate to investigate the attack, BlackShadow has taken to Twitter and announced the attack. The adversaries have also publicly posted photos of the stolen documents, emails, and forms, which have leaked the names, addresses, and other sensitive client information. However, Shirbit CEO Zvi Leibushor has assured people of their robust phishing prevention measures and said that the leaked information could not be used against the clients. They have brought down their website temporarily and are doing everything possible to restore operations at the earliest. Ransomware Hits Brazilian Airplane Maker The Brazilian airplane maker Embraer recently became the victim of a... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 49 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-49-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 49 of 2020: Another week in the cyber world has passed, and there have been hundreds of phishing attacks and data. Another week in the cyber world has passed, and there have been hundreds of phishing attacks and data breaches. The following news headlines testify to the growing need to adopt anti-phishing protection for home and office systems Hackers Use Credential Stuffing To Compromise Spotify Accounts In recent research by vpnMentor, a database with more than 380 million Spotify users records has been discovered. It is believed that the adversaries have used credential stuffing to decrypt weak or recycled passwords. Research further revealed that the leaked database belonged to a third-party who stored Spotify login credentials. The exposed details include the PII and login credentials of Spotify users. All those who think they might have been victims of this breach must immediately change their passwords to something substantial and unique. Healthy password habits are one of the most effective measures to prevent phishing attacks. Data Breach At Peatix Popular event organizing platform Peatix recently underwent a data breach which has exposed the personal information of over 4.2 million Peatix users. The adversaries used Instagram and Telegram ads and hacking forums to leak this multitude of user data stored on the systems of Peatix. The compromised data included the names, usernames, email... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 48 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-48-of-2020/ Description: The struggle to ensure phishing protection is tedious because phishing emails never cease to lure people into clicking on malicious links or downloading. The struggle to ensure phishing protection is tedious because phishing emails never cease to lure people into clicking on malicious links or downloading corrupt files. The following news headlines testify to the enormous financial loss and data theft caused by phishing attacks. The North Face Undergoes Cyberattack Popular U.S shopping website the North Face underwent a credential stuffing attack on 8-9 October, which has caused account details compromise for some of its customers. To ensure phishing prevention, the North Face has reset the passwords of affected customers. In the notification forwarded to affected customers, the North Face informed them that the attacker probably gained access to their email address and password from a previously hacked application or website. As such, customers were encouraged to change their passwords to something unique and abstain from using the same password for more than one account. The compromised details include the customers' email address, password, purchase history at the North Face, billing and shipping address, loyalty points, name, birthday, contact number, etc. However, no payment card information has been accessed by third parties. Another anti-phishing solution adopted by the North Face is disabling passwords from affected accounts and erasing the payment-card tokens stored on... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-47-of-2020/ Description: Security experts insist on employing phishing prevention best practices as countless phishing attacks are launched by cyber adversaries every day. Security experts insist on employing phishing prevention best practices as countless phishing attacks are launched by cyber adversaries every day. Lack of preparedness among unsuspecting users is what makes hacker groups more confident in launching more and more cyber attacks. Hence, here are the top data breaches from the bygone week to help you make smarter choices when it comes to avoiding phishing campaigns and other such attacks. Luxottica Discloses Data Breach To Customers In September, World's largest eyewear company Luxottica underwent a Nefilim ransomware attack that compromised data belonging to its finance departments and personnel office. Now Luxottica has disclosed another data breach that happened sometime in August. They discovered the security breach in their appointment scheduling application on 25th August, which compromised some patient information. The exposed information includes patients' personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI). In some cases, it also included the credit card numbers and social security numbers of patients. As part of its phishing prevention scheme, Luxottica has extended a free two-year identity monitoring service to victims. They also advise patients to adopt anti-phishing measures and watch out for suspicious activities in their accounts. Prestige Software Leaks Data Of Global Hotel Bookers... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-46-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 of 2020: The world of phishing is an ever-evolving one . There are measures and countermeasures that keep coming back. The world of phishing is an ever-evolving one. There are measures and countermeasures that keep coming back and forth. Cybersecurity specialists are always on the lookout for newer methods to create a firewall against such malicious events; anti-phishing is one of the major drives that cyber specialists undertake to safeguard their systems. However, the regular consumers of the technology can't always take up those sophisticated measures to keep their information systems safe, which is why it is crucial to stay abreast of the latest modus operandi undertaken by these malicious actors. Here are the weekly news headlines to keep you informed of the same. Phishing Hits Office 365: Inverts Images, Evades Detection Phishers have adopted a new technique to lure Microsoft Office 365 users. This Office 365 phishing campaign has a unique way of avoiding getting flagged using inverted images as backgrounds, disrupting the flagging mechanism. This way, those threat actors evade the internal process of identification. The inverted method is a usual way to clone legitimate login pages. It is done to capture the login credentials of bona fide users by tricking them into thinking it to be the real website. Users are advised to be careful while using... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-45-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 of 2020: The world has been a busy place in the past week. There have been many activities in the cybersecurity domain. The world has been a busy place in the past week. There have been many activities in the cybersecurity domain, with newer methods being deployed to counter old schemes. The virtual world is rife with exploits and counter exploits; Let's look at some of the cybersecurity headlines from this past week. Maze Keeps It Going: Old Tactics In A New Bottle The ransomware Maze has been around for a long time now. However, what technology could not do, a lowly virus did. There has been news that Maze ransomware would be shutting its operations down for at least six weeks. It is currently trying to squeeze in the last penny from its existing ransomware victim, but the future looks uncertain. According to an associated threat actor involved in the earlier maze ransomware attacks, Maze is shutting its operations down. This has come as a relief to every cybersecurity unit around the world. However, Maze has been hitting parting shots. It recently dumped 9GB of confidential data of Toledo Public Schools, hacked Fairfax County Public schools' systems, and took off with employee data and other confidential information. The shutting down of Maze may be a relief to cybersecurity specialists, but it... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-44-of-2020/ Description: The world of cybersecurity has been ripe with newer claims and counterclaims. From the past week, the fight against phishing remains relentless. The world of cybersecurity has been ripe with newer claims and counterclaims. From the past week, the fight against phishing remains relentless. However, being ahead in the race remains the priority of every Information Security specialist. Let's look at some of the headlines that gave us a glimpse into the mayhem called cybersecurity. Leaking Of Businessman's Emails Leads To A Lawsuit Against Indian Hackers Farhad Azima, an Iranian-American businessman, has levied accusations against a couple of Indian companies to steal his email credentials and publish it on the internet. The two companies that have been accused of doing so are CyberRoot Risk Advisory, an Indian Security company, and BellTrox Infotech Services, a New Delhi based IT Services Company. These companies were working on behalf of an American company named Vital Management Services. The individual was a victim of an active phishing operation, which later came to light through anti-phishing protection operations. Seven Mobile Browsers Report Vulnerability That Enables Adversaries To Spoof Their Address Bar For those unfamiliar with the term, an address bar spoofing is a shortcoming on the part of the web browser, allowing a malicious website to convert its original URL and display a fake one, mimicking a... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-43-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43 of 2020: Spam and phishing emails , Trojan, and ransomware, the cyber world is roaring with incidents of cyber. Spam and phishing emails, Trojan, and ransomware, the cyber world is roaring with incidents of cyber breaches. The digital workspace has become a battlefield, and to become a better cyber warrior, an organization or individual needs to be abreast of the latest security updates across the globe. Here are the top headlines from the last week in cybersecurity Fairfax County Public Schools Data Leaked Post Attack The Fairfax County Public Schools of Virginia, which underwent a Maze attack last month, has now notified parents and employees of a data leak. The adversaries have uploaded all stolen files on the dark web, and there is nothing the district can do about it. The school district has not specified the nature or volume of data affected, but spokesperson Lucy Caldwell says that only a subset of students' data was affected. The district is taking necessary measures for protection against phishing. It is continuously working with the Virginia State Police and the FBI to investigate the attack and forward the findings to those affected. It shall also extend free credit-monitoring services to all affected district employees. 3 TB Home Camera Recordings Leaked Home cameras used to monitor kids and the elderly are now... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 42 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-42-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 42 of 2020: Cybersecurity can be ensured when netizens act proactively and take anti-phishing protection measures well in. Cybersecurity can be ensured when netizens act proactively and take anti-phishing protection measures well in advance. The following headlines from the world of cybersecurity shall enable the reader to plan their phishing prevention measures better. Data Breach at Edureka Bangalore-based Indian ed-tech platform Edureka recently underwent a data breach that has publicly exposed over two million users' details. The breach was due to an unprotected US-based Elasticsearch server left online for over a week. Security researchers from the SafetyDetectives first discovered the vulnerability on 1st August and approached Edureka regarding the same on 6th August. Upon receiving no response from the company, they approached the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), who then adopted anti-phishing solutions and secured the server on 13th August. Among the exposed information were the usernames, addresses, and phone numbers of the company's customers, mostly based in India. However, Eureka has denied the possibility of any personal information of users being compromised. Data Breach at Gulf Coast State College The Gulf Coast State College underwent a data breach recently, which has exposed several employee email accounts to the adversaries. Resultantly, some students' and employees' records may have been compromised. As a part of its anti-phishing measures,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-41-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 of 2020: Phishing prevention tips can be best utilized when you are abreast of the latest cyber headlines. Here are the. Phishing prevention tips can be best utilized when you are abreast of the latest cyber headlines. Here are the latest cyber attacks from this past week Armenia-Azerbaijan War Exposes Navy Details The recent warfare between Armenia and Azerbaijan for the Nagorno-Karabakh region has led to the leak of 18,872 entries belonging to over 10,000 Azerbaijan Navy personnel. The leaked database contained the full names and surnames, dates of birth, passport numbers, and expiry dates of Azeri navy sailors. Luckily, some of these passports have already expired, but others remain valid up to 2025. In addition to the personal details, headshots of the sailors were also available in the leaked database. Although the file was small (2GB), it was protected with an obvious war-related password. Cyberattack on Universal Health Services The Universal Health Services underwent a significant cyberattack on the morning of 27th September 2020. The hospital system has been trying to re-establish its network and operations since then. Although some services have recovered, a lot still needs to be figured out. Meanwhile, the hospital has reverted to the offline mode of operation and relying on backups to keep functioning. No patient or employee data was breached in the attack. The... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-40-of-2020/ Description: Adopting the phishing prevention best practices can ascertain a significant level of protection from the cyber adversaries who are always trying to infiltrate. Adopting the phishing prevention best practices can ascertain a significant level of protection from the cyber adversaries who are always trying to infiltrate into the systems of businesses, organizations, and even government offices. The following headlines from the bygone week prove why enterprises must take phishing prevention seriously Belarusian Police Officers Become Victims Of Protest-Inspired Hacker The adversaries have recently leaked the personal details of 1,003 Belarusian police officers through a Google Spreadsheet. Most of these officers were lieutenants, majors, captains, and the compromised details included their names, dates of birth, and the officers' departments and job titles. The data breach comes as retaliation to the inhuman police actions during anti-government demonstrations. The data was published by the news agency Nexta who encouraged the public to come forward and reveal (if they know) other details of these officials such as their addresses, phone and car numbers, habits, among other information. Undoubtedly, protection against phishing has taken a backseat in Belarus amidst all the chaos. Tasmania University Accidently Leaks Students' Data In yet another incident of the negligence of phishing protection measures, the University of Tasmania has publicly released the personal details of 19,900 students. The good thing is that the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 39 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-39-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 39 of 2020: Hundreds of data breaches manage to steal confidential information from companies every day . The adversaries. Hundreds of data breaches manage to steal confidential information from companies every day. The adversaries seem to be a step ahead of even the phishing prevention best practices. Hence, learning from past security incidents and improving one's cyber defense is the key to a safe digital environment. The following are this week's top cyber headlines Data Breach At Razer Exposes 100,000 Customers Records A recent data breach at Razer exposed the records of an estimated 100,000 of its customers. The breach was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Bob Diachenko who said that the data was publicly available on Razer's Elasticsearch cluster since 18th August 2020. The exposed details included the full name, email, phone number, internal customer ID, order number, order details, and billing and shipping address. It was after three weeks of Diachenko's notification that Razer had fixed the server misconfiguration. They said that no credit card information, passwords, or other sensitive data were exposed. Razer claims to have taken measures for protection against phishing and soon reviewed its IT security and systems. Ransomware Hits Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) One of the largest school districts of the US, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), recently underwent a ransomware attack that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-38-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38 of 2020: Cybersecurity continues to be the most critical aspect of the digital revolution . Every day, thousands of. Cybersecurity continues to be the most critical aspect of the digital revolution. Every day, thousands of cyber-attacks are launched and assuring that one's organization is not a victim of one such episode, it is imperative to take effective phishing protection measures. Here are the top data breaches in the last seven days to better understand recent attack trends China Wants International Rules For Global Digital Governance In a recent Beijing seminar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi opposed the United Nations' "Clean Network" Program, which discourages nations from using Chinese technology. The U.S plans to ban the use of Bytedance's TikTok among its citizens lest it finds an American buyer for the app, and security concerns from Tencent's messaging app WeChat are in the discussion too. Countering this, Wang Yi says in his speech that this is nothing but a move by the U.S to eliminate competition from the IT market, citing security as an issue. These are groundless accusations,' and Wang Yi says that China won't be bullied. He stresses the importance of developing international rules on digital security that highlight all nations' interests and preferences. Over 30 countries and territories, including Australia and Britain, support the U.S Clean Network... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 37 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-37-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 37 of 2020: The cyber-world faces constant attacks from the bad actors . These breaches reveal companies' and individuals'. The cyber-world faces constant attacks from the bad actors. These breaches reveal companies' and individuals' private information and expose them to many online threats while also causing them financial losses. Hence, ensuring phishing attack prevention is a necessity in current times. The following updates of cyberattacks from the past week prove why having anti-phishing solutions is pivotal for an organization's smooth functioning Data Breach At American Payroll Association (APA) Skimming malware exploited a vulnerability in the content management system of the American Payroll Association (APA). The APA noticed unusual activity on their login and checkout pages of their online store, which has existed since May 2020. In the breach, the adversaries could steal the names, email addresses, job titles and roles, gender, DOB, card details, address, and company name of customers, among other sensitive information. The APA is now adopting the phishing prevention best practices. It has installed additional antivirus software on its servers, updated the required security patches, and is offering free credit monitoring for a year to all victims along with identity theft insurance worth $1,000,000. Pioneer Kitten Expands Domain To Corporate VPNs The Iranian APT group linked with the Iranian government's intelligence team, Pioneer Kitten, has been... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-36-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36 of 2020: The cybersecurity industry continues to be the most volatile sector of the 21st century . Every day, hundreds. The cybersecurity industry continues to be the most volatile sector of the 21st century. Every day, hundreds of individuals and organizations become victims of cyber-attacks globally, resulting in substantial financial and data losses. The only way to reduce the intensity of these attacks is by adopting apposite anti-phishing solutions. However, knowledge of recent cyberattacks is essential to know which phishing prevention measure is suitable. Here are the recent cyber headlines from this past week New Ransomware Darkside Targets Brookfield Residential DarkSide is a ransomware that emerged recently, and one of its first victims is the North American land developer and homebuilder Brookfield Residential which is owned by Brookfield Asset Management. DarkSide breaks into a network and eventually spreads into other connected devices, while also stealing unencrypted data. DarkSide creates an entry for each victim on their data leak site and publicly accessible stolen data. However, DarkSide operators confused the names and listed the data of Brookfield Residential as that of Brookfield Asset Management. The silver lining is that the Brookfield Residential took immediate phishing protection measures after discovering the breach and restored all affected systems. They have also notified affected individuals (mostly their employees) and are implementing additional security measures.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-35-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 35 of 2020: 2020 has witnessed the most significant number of cyber attacks in history, and this trend is not ending. 2020 has witnessed the most significant number of cyber attacks in history, and this trend is not ending anytime soon. With more people losing their jobs and work-from-home turning into a normal phenomenon, the vulnerability to online threats has manifolded. Hence, it is recommended to stay abreast of recent hacks and take phishing prevention measures in advance. Following are some of the main headlines from the past week Data Breach At Walgreens Renowned American pharmaceutical chain Walgreens recently notified its customers of a data breach that exposed the personal health information (PHI) of over 72,000 people. The attack happened as looters broke into 180 Walgreens stores and stole prescriptions. Although no financial information or Social Security Numbers were compromised in the breach, the attackers could access patient information at some of the Walgreens stores. The attack took place sometime between 26th May and 5th June 2020. The exposed details include health-related information - such as filled prescriptions, full name, address, date of birth/age, phone number, email address, balance rewards numbers, and photo ID numbers. Customers need not worry as Walgreens is taking required phishing attack prevention measures and coordinated with local law enforcement to probe into the matter. They have... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34-of-2020/ Description: With the revival of the Anonymous group and a lack of awareness about phishing prevention and its importance among modern-day firms. With the revival of the Anonymous group and a lack of awareness about phishing prevention and its importance among modern-day firms, cyber attacks have become more rampant and unavoidable. The following are some of the most recent headlines from cybersecurity to give readers an insight into the vulnerability that the cyber world is facing. 20 GB Data Lost At Intel In a recent data breach, Intel lost over 20 GB of its proprietary data and source code to an online cyber attack. The attack is speculated to have happened earlier this year. A researcher first found the leaked database on BitTorrent feeds. Although no personal details of clients were exposed, the database contained data that Intel makes available to partners and customers under NDA. Intel is now taking proper phishing attack prevention measures and investigating the attack, as previously, they barely made robust security measures in place as they were using passwords as primary as Intel123 and intel123. Data Breach At ProctorU ProctorU has been facilitating online exams for several universities in this pandemic. But in an unfortunate data breach on Jul. 27, one of their databases was breached, compromising the details of around 444,267 users. The affected users come... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-33-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 33 of 2020: Cybersecurity is an integral part of the online work set up that has taken over all sectors of the present. Cybersecurity is an integral part of the online work set up that has taken over all sectors of the present world. Countless data breaches, phishing attacks, and scams happen every day, causing losses amounting to millions of dollars. Hence, taking necessary anti-phishing solutions is of utmost importance. Here is a list of the recent data breaches to enlighten on the level of phishing prevention needed today Maze Ransomware Hits Aged Care Operator Regis The ASX-listed aged care operator Regis is struggling internally with the COVID pandemic in its Brighton facility at Melbourne. So far, three deaths have occurred, and 19 residents and 23 staff have tested COVID positive. To add to their woes, the maze ransomware recently brought down their systems, compromising the residents' sensitive information. Although Regis has denied commenting on the nature of the attack or type of PII that was leaked, they notified that the breach hadn't hindered their services. They are now adapting the phishing prevention best practices and are telling all affected people about the breach. Kentucky's Unemployment System Attacked For The Second Time For the second time in four months, the Office of Unemployment Insurance (OUI), Kentucky, has undergone a cyberattack. The breach was... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 32 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-32-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 32 of 2020: The world is facing an endless wave of cyberattacks, and nothing seems like a healthy security habit today . The world is facing an endless wave of cyberattacks, and nothing seems like a healthy security habit today. However, a close examination of the recent cyber attacks enables an individual or organization to access the probable cyber threats and make their security investments and phishing protection plan accordingly. Here are last week's cyber-attacks across the globe Data Breach Hits Drizly Leading online alcohol delivery startup Drizly of the U.S. and Canada disclosed to its customers that they had undergone a data breach. Although they claim that no financial details have been affected by the breach, a database posted on the dark web by adversaries claims otherwise. The compromised details include the email addresses, date-of-birth, passwords, delivery address, phone numbers, I.P. addresses, and geolocation data of customers. Approximately 2.5 million Drizly accounts are affected by the breach. To protect yourself from phishing, Drizly customers must change their passwords and use strong and unique passwords for all their accounts. Hackers Compromise 9.5K Ledger Account Details In two consecutive cyber attacks, adversaries compromised over a million email addresses and 9500 names, addresses, phone numbers, and order details from Ledger's database. The first attack was identified on 14 July 2020, and though immediately patched,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 31 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-31-of-2020/ Description: Cyberattacks are unavoidable till cyber adversaries continue to exist. Hence ensuring phishing attack prevention is a strenuous task. Cyberattacks are unavoidable till cyber adversaries continue to exist. Hence ensuring phishing attack prevention is a strenuous task. However, awareness about the recent cyber threats can help organizations handle their security concerns better. With this interest, we bring you the top security news updates from the previous week: MyCastingFile Leaves Database With 1GB Data Unprotected Online US website MyCastingFile that has provided extras for productions like True Detective, Pitch Perfect, and Terminator Genisys was recently found to have left a database unprotected online. The database contained the details of over 260,000 of its users and employees, some of whom were also minors. The compromised details include the names, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, work histories, dates of birth, height and weight, ethnicity, and physical features (hair color and length, etc.) of its subscribers and aspiring actors. Also, the database included the vehicle ownership information (model, color, year of manufacture, etc.) of users. However, MyCastingFile has adopted the phishing prevention best practices and secured and brought down the database as soon as security researchers notified them of the same. Customized Zoom URLs: A Threat Factor The Zoom feature that enables organizations to set customized vanity URLs with their company name... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-30-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 30 of 2020: The pandemic has increased cybersecurity concerns globally, with data breaches getting reported every other. The pandemic has increased cybersecurity concerns globally, with data breaches getting reported every other day. Now is the time, more than ever before, that a person needs to stay abreast of phishing prevention measures and keep oneself safe from the malicious attacks of adversaries. Here are the latest cybersecurity updates from this past week. Details Of 40K U.S. Citizens Put Up For Sale On Dark Web Personal details of around 40,000 U.S. Citizens are up for sale on the dark web and found security researchers at Cyble. These details included the names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, and Dates of Birth of the victims. Adopting phishing prevention best practices, Cyble procured the database from the concerned threat actor and indexed it on AmiBreached.com, their data breach monitoring and notification platform. To protect yourself from phishing attacks, you should refrain from sharing your details on email or SMS, use strong passwords and timely update your system software. Jackpotting Hits Argenta Bank, Belgium The first of Belgium's jackpotting attacks happened recently, with the Antwerp-based savings bank Argenta as its victim. The attack compelled the bank to shut down 143 of its cash machines with no certainty about installing new devices. Belgium's federal police... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 29 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-29-of-2020/ Description: Ensuring phishing protection is an important security measure. But that cannot be guaranteed without a minute study of the recent trends of cyberattacks. Ensuring phishing protection is an important security measure. But that cannot be guaranteed without a minute study of the recent trends of cyberattacks. Here are the latest updates from the world of digital security for this past week: Ransomware Hits Cooke County Sheriff's Office In a recent attack, the adversaries have encrypted and stolen the confidential files of the Sheriff's Office for Cooke County, Texas. Although the Sheriff's Office hasn't disclosed anything about the ransom's data theft or nature, it is speculated that the attack was from the REvil ransomware group. This anti-phishing protection failure of Cooke County is the most recent one among other such attacks by REvil. The adversaries have threatened to sell all stolen data within a week if their financial demands aren't met. The compromised details include data related to past and present police cases. Dating Apps Not Protecting User Data Security researchers have identified five apps that have not been following the phishing prevention best practices lately. Some of the dating apps used predominantly in the United States and East Asia have been letting out customers' details, including their names, billing addresses, phone numbers, profiles, private/direct messages, and other sensitive information. These leaked details are... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 28 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-28-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 28 of 2020: Anti-phishing protection has become a primary concern for all organizations working online . Every individual. Anti-phishing protection has become a primary concern for all organizations working online. Every individual uses the internet, and hence vulnerability to cybercrime is the same for all. However, proper knowledge of the kinds of attacks happening around can help bring significant progress to an individual or organization's digital security. Here are this week's top cybersecurity headlines Maze Attacks LG Defying all phishing prevention measures, the Maze ransomware continues to terrorize the digital world with attacks and warnings. Maze warns its victims against trying to decrypt the locked files, failing which would mean an online auction of their company files. The newest victim of Maze is the electronic giant LG, and the ransomware operators have released three screenshots of the stolen data. While one screenshot contains source code files of LG products, the other two include the official firmware or software update of their products. Maze's most frequently targeted organizations are located in the US, South Korea, Thailand, Canada, Latin America, and Brazil. Infraud Members Plead Guilty Infraud is an organization that rules the carding market. Their slogan goes, "In Fraud We Trust," and they have caused financial losses to individuals exceeding $568 million. Infraud conducts a plethora of frauds such... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 27 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-27-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 27 of 2020: Protection from phishing attacks is never fully guaranteed. One may have the best measures in place, and yet a. Protection from phishing attacks is never fully guaranteed. One may have the best measures in place, and yet a malware still manages to make its way into our systems. Hence, keeping abreast of the latest news in cybersecurity is essential. Here is the list of the major headlines of this past week from the cyber world Data Breach At Frost & Sullivan The US-based business consulting firm, Frost & Sullivan, recently underwent a data breach that has affected over 12000 of its customers and employees. The breach happened through an unprotected backup folder on one of the firm's public servers. KelvinSecurity Team has now put up the breach records on a hacker forum for sale. More than 6,000 customer records and 6,146 records for companies are available online. The details up for auction include client name, email address, and company contact for customers. In contrast, it contains first and last names, login names, email addresses, and hashed passwords for employees. Frost & Sullivan is taking measures to ensure protection against phishing and have already secured the database. They believe that the threat factor no longer remains. DDoSecrets Leaks 296GB US US Police Data Last Friday, the hacker group Distributed Denial... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 26 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-26-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 26 of 2020: To protect yourself from phishing implies having a good knowledge of the kind of attacks launched by. To protect yourself from phishing implies having a good knowledge of the kind of attacks launched by adversaries daily. Here's the list of the top cyberspace news from the past week to help you enhance your phishing prevention measures Anonymous Hacks Atlanta Police Dept Website The Anonymous hacker group, which announced its comeback after the cruel killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, has now taken upon its shoulders for bringing down the Atlanta police department website. They confessed this via a tweet where they condemned the Atlanta police department for the fatal shooting of Rayshard Brooks. This is the second time that the police have outraged the Black Lives Matter activists by killing the 27-year-old black man Rayshard Brooks for resisting arrest. Anons posted the tweet on their handle (@AnonOpUSA) at 8:24 a.m. on 14th June. The police department needs to enhance its anti-phishing protection measures if it plans on continuing to use their website. Unprotected CIA Unit Pays Heavy Price A CIA unit specializing in the development of hacking tools and cyber weapons failed to protect its interests. Reports state that they barely had any measures to ensure protection against phishing attacks. This news comes after... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 25 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-25-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity is one of the most lucrative industries for both cyber experts and adversaries, often more so for the latter. Cybersecurity is one of the most lucrative industries for both cyber experts and adversaries, often more so for the latter. Phishing prevention tips and practice become most effective when learned and applied with a similar attack in mind. Hence, we bring these top headlines from the cyber world: 300,000 Nintendo Accounts Compromised The Japanese video game company Nintendo had notified on 24th April 2020 of a data breach that compromised about 160,000 of its user accounts. But in a recent post, the company revealed that over 140,000 more accounts had been exploited, comprising the total number of compromised accounts to 300,000. The information compromised includes a user's date of birth and email address. The company is taking email phishing prevention measures and has made it mandatory for all users to reset their password. They are also extra cautious to prevent such attacks in the future. Skimmer Steals Card Details Of Greenworks Customers A sophisticated self-cleaning and self-destructing skimmer is stealing the payment card details of the customers of Greenworks hardware tools. Security researchers from RapidSpike found the malicious code in Greenworks' website on 8th June 2020, and reports state that the skimmer is active even now. Information that can be... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 24 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-24-of-2020/ Description: The cyberspace withstands serious threats every instant. These cyber-attacks are manageable with the right phishing prevention measures. The cyberspace withstands serious threats every instant. These cyber-attacks are manageable with the right phishing prevention measures. However, along with an appropriate anti-phishing service, one must also have a profound knowledge of recent cyberattacks to have a better idea about what really is going on out there. Therefore we bring you the latest security headlines as nothing can be as informative as firsthand accounts of cyber attack survivors. Coincheck Email Hacked The domain of the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck underwent a hack recently, which has probably compromised the details of over 200 of its customers. The hack happened earlier this week, where the adversaries accessed the DNS records for the coincheck.com domain and changed the files to redirect incoming emails to the hackers' inbox. All emails received by Coincheck between 31st May and 1st June are vulnerable. The details compromised in the attack include the sender's email address, name, registered address, date of birth, phone number, ID Selfie, among other information. Coincheck is taking measures to prevent phishing attacks and has already changed the domain records since the attack. DopplePaymer breaches NASA files Defying phishing protection measures of even NASA, the notorious ransomware DopplePaymer recently announced that it had infected... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 23 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-23-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 23 of 2020: Govements across the world have declared cybersecurity to be a necessity and not an option . Phishing. Govements across the world have declared cybersecurity to be a necessity and not an option. Phishing prevention is no longer a choice; it's a need, and the following news headlines show exactly why protection against phishing is vital for an organization: Hackers Leak 2.9 Crore Indian Records Security firm Cyble recently reported that hackers have put up the details of 2.9 crore Indian job-seekers on the dark market for free. These records include the email addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, qualification and work experience of victims apart from several other details. It is suspected that the data was leaked from a resume aggregator, but nothing is certain as yet. All the victims are advised to take phishing attack prevention measures. Often crimes like identity thefts, scams, and corporate espionage originate from such data breaches. Details of 3.5 Million Zoomcar Users Compromised Cybersecurity consultant Rajshekhar Rajaharia found last Saturday that a hacker has put up the details of 3.5 million Zoomcar users for sale on the dark web. These personal details include the names, email ids, passwords, mobile numbers and IP addresses of victims. Rajaharia revealed that the details were compromised in an attack which took place in July 2018. The... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 22 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-22-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 22 of 2020: Ensuring protection against phishing becomes strenuous when over a billion phishing attacks get launched every. Ensuring protection against phishing becomes strenuous when over a billion phishing attacks get launched every year. The following headlines from cybersecurity indicate that preparedness alone can ensure phishing protection to a significant extent. Easyjet Customers To Stay On Guard In a recent hack, the British airline EasyJet had the email addresses and travel details of 9 million customers compromised. 2,208 customers among them had their credit card details stolen as well. While it's evident that the 9 million customers are on the radar of attackers, EasyJet is trying its best to adopt phishing prevention best practices. No personal information has been misused so far. But EasyJet is determined to personally intimate and warn all 9 million customers before May 26th. Data Breach Hits European Parliament The European Parliament underwent a significant data breach recently, which compromised the details of hundreds of officials. Several high-profile Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) were targeted in this attack. Data belonging to over 200 members of the European Parliament, European Council, European Commission, thousands of staff members, and 15000 users were stolen. Such attacks on government institutions aren't uncommon, but phishing attack prevention measures can help reduce such cyber ambushes significantly. Mikroceen Targets Asian... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 21 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-21-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 21 of 2020: Every second, 44 cyber attacks are being launched across the world . This terrorizing threat concerns all. Every second, 44 cyber attacks are being launched across the world. This terrorizing threat concerns all internet users, and hence keeping abreast of the latest happenings in cybersecurity is imperative for phishing prevention. Following are the top headlines from the past week Ransomware Hits Magellan Health Inc. The Fortune 500 Company Magellan Health Inc. detected a ransomware attack on one of its servers recently that compromised personal details of employees. The compromised data includes names, employee IDs, addresses, and W-2 or 1099 tax form details. To ensure protection against phishing, Magellan Health hired the cybersecurity firm Mandiant immediately. They are also working closely with the FBI. Magellan Health is offering identity theft protection to affected customers. However, no signs of unauthorized intrusion have been recorded since the ransomware attack. US Warns Of New Malware The US government has recently published details of three new malware strains that are allegedly used by state-sponsored North Korean hackers. These new ones come as an addition to Lazarus Group's other malware samples like Bistromath, Slickshoes, Hoplight, and Electricfish. To ensure anti-phishing protection, the US govt has released the following information about the three malware strains, namely, Copperhedge, Taintedscribe, and Pebbledash: Copperhedge is a Remote... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-20-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 20 of 2020: Ensuring protection against phishing is the greatest challenge to digital security . The attacks only seem to. Ensuring protection against phishing is the greatest challenge to digital security. The attacks only seem to be rising, and the following headlines are a hint to the unavoidable need for stringent security measures in organizations: HSA Removes Fake COVID Care Products E-commerce websites in Singapore have been listing bizarre products on platforms such as Lazada, Carousell, Shopee, and Facebook. These products include test kits, herbs, traditional medicines, health supplements and hand sanitizers. Over 1,700 such products with misleading claims have been identified in the last three months. To enhance anti-phishing protection, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is strictly monitoring local e-commerce platforms. The HSA has sent out over 1,600 warning letters to the sellers of fake Covid19 products. So far, 40+ COVID-19 test kit listings have been identified and removed. Sellers of these fake test kits may be liable for prosecution and would face imprisonment of up to a year or fine of SGD 20,000. Clop Leaks Data U.S. pharmaceutical company ExecuPharm underwent a Clop ransomware attack on March 13, 2020. The adversaries exfiltrated 163 GB of data, and after some failed ransom payment negotiations in April, the attackers have now leaked a batch of their data on the dark... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 19 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-19-of-2020/ Description: Ensuring protection from phishing attacks has become the most significant cybersecurity challenge in the twenty-first century. Ensuring protection from phishing attacks has become the most significant cybersecurity challenge in the twenty-first century. The ratio of attacks and preventive measures never seems to reach equilibrium. Hence, keeping abreast of the latest cyber news plays a vital role in the war against adversaries. The following headlines from the cyber world echo of the rising importance of investments in cybersecurity Chrome 81 Comes With Flaws Chrome 81, launched on April 7, 2020, has been found with two vulnerabilities, CVE-2020-6462 and CVE-2020-6461. These vulnerabilities allow an attacker to control and compromise any victim's system. However, Google has taken the required anti-phishing protection measures and released an updated version of Chrome 81-81.0.4044.129. U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advises all users to immediately do the update to protect yourself from phishing attacks. Healthcare Sector Attacks Rise The adversaries have been continuously targeting the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS), and now they have created a clone of the NHS website. This fraudulent website intends to steal user data by pretending to offer information on treating COVID 19. The site instructs users to download a file on their device, which is a trojan. This steals sensitive information like passwords, credit card data,... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 18 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-18-of-2020/ Description: Phishing prevention cannot be assured with a single security measure, especially in recent times, when hundreds of cyberattacks take place every day. Phishing prevention cannot be assured with a single security measure, especially in recent times, when hundreds of cyberattacks take place every day. The following headlines from the past week in cybersecurity prove precisely why you need to strengthen your organization's anti-phishing solutions. NCSC Develops Email Reporting Service The UK's National Cyber Security Centre launched a Cyber Aware Campaign called Suspicious Email Reporting Service on 22nd April, in which over 5,000 suspect emails were reported within a day. This reporting service was launched to ensure anti-phishing protection against fake coronavirus-related messages. Within just a day of its launch, the NCSC could suspend 83 web scams. Apart from ensuring email phishing prevention, the Reporting Service will also assist the UK policing with live time analysis of reports and identification of new patterns in cybercrime. It encourages people to report any suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Zoom Becomes The Attack Hotspot Off late, Zoom attacks have created serious security concerns. A recent Cisco Talos report states that attackers can attain a complete list of Zoom users within an organization. Although Zoom has now taken measures for protection against phishing, the server vulnerability allowed any user to find all Zoom users in a network. Based... --- #### Is COVID-19 Germinating More Cyber Attacks? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/is-covid-19-germinating-more-cyber-attacks/ Description: Is COVID-19 Germinating More Cyber Attacks?: In fact, according to cyber intelligence firm CYFIRMA, there has been a stunning 600% increase in threat. The short answer to that question is a definite yes. In fact, according to cyber intelligence firm CYFIRMA, there has been a stunning 600% increase in threat indicators between February and early March alone with hackers from all over the globe cooking up new schemes. Why Hackers are Upping their Game? Hackers know that fear and disruption equals opportunity and there is nothing quite like a global pandemic to create plenty of both. Cybercriminals are also well aware that many employees are now being forced to work from home and that puts poorly prepared businesses at risk of a wide variety of cyber-attacks, from home Wi-fi hacking and phishing to brutal DDoS assaults. Businesses directly connected with the pandemic should be doubly careful by using phishing protection services. The nastiest cybercriminals of all are targeting hospitals and medical labs. Some are motivated by money, looking to extort hospitals or steal and sell valuable research. Others have more political aims (e.g. subverting national governments). How do hackers gain entry? "Zero-day phishing URLs have an average lifespan of just 12 hours before they're added to blocklists. During that window, traditional signature-based filters are blind. Our real-time behavioral analysis catches these threats by... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-17-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 17 of 2020: Here are the most recent developments in phishing prevention across the globe. The attacks from the past week. Here are the most recent developments in phishing prevention across the globe. The attacks from the past week shall perhaps enable you to rectify all loose ends in your online networks. Hacker Impersonates White House Home Page In another COVID 19 cyber attack, the adversaries have sent out emails to American citizens from a "Valentina Robinson” impersonating the White House. The email comes with grammatical and spelling errors (“carantine” for quarantine and “pamdemic” for pandemic) and instructs users to download an attached document containing new guidelines related to the epidemic. Downloading the document installs malware into a user's system. Two emails are being circulated. One is titled "The White House Instruction for coronavirus", and the other is titled "President Guidance for coronavirus”. Users are advised to take email phishing prevention measures to ensure safety. Hacking Prank Targets Kremez And Malwarehunterteam The security researchers Kremez and Malwarehunterteam are now targeted by MBRLockers to tarnish their image by first making a backup of the original MBR of the computer to a safe location and then replacing it. The malware downloads itself from free software and cracks sites before people realize that they are getting locked out of their computer before Windows starts.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 16 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-16-of-2020/ Description: Yet another week has gone by with cyberattacks causing the world much trouble. Following are some of the most recent security news updates Email. Yet another week has gone by with cyberattacks causing the world much trouble. Following are some of the most recent security news updates Email.it Customer Data Selling Online The Email.it datacenter underwent a cyberattack two years back the repercussions of which have surfaced recently. The hackers had demanded a ransom, which the company refused to pay. They took a more reasonable way and adopted phishing prevention measures. Email.it also informed the Italian Postal Police (CNAIPIC) about the breach. But now, the hackers are selling data belonging to over 600,000 Email.it users on the dark web. The adversaries posted on Twitter about selling the company's data online under the name of NN (No Name) Hacking Group. This stolen data from Email. it is now selling for prices ranging from 0.5 and 3 bitcoin ($3,500 and $22,000). Beware of Statue of Unity related frauds As the world struggles with the deadly Coronavirus, hackers in India are creating fake pages under the name of "PM CARES Fund" or deploying other strategies like discounts on Netflix and Jio recharge for people during the lockdown to extract money from thousands of Indians. Yet another innovation in this list is the fake ad, branding the phony... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 15 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-15-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity in these tough times is essential to ensure phishing prevention and to keep the money in your bank accounts safe to survive the global economic. Cybersecurity in these tough times is essential to ensure phishing prevention and to keep the money in your bank accounts safe to survive the global economic fall that's ahead of us. The following headlines from the past week in cybersecurity shall help you strengthen your security measures: FIN7's Gift Card Trap The FBI has recently found the threat actor group FIN7 guilty of luring victims with fake gift cards to steal their personal information. This time, they are sending out emails informing victims that the retail chain Best Buy' is extending a $50 gift card to its loyal customers. To increase credibility, they also included a USB drive claiming to list the items purchasable through the gift card. To prevent phishing attacks, refrain from opening the USB drive because it silently steals information from a device by displaying a message of USB Malfunction on the screen. The information accessed via this method includes the username, hostname, user's system privilege, computer model, memory capacity, OS serial number, language code, number of users, OS build, OS version, free memory available, etc. Phishers Create Fake RBFCU Login Page The adversaries have created a phishing page impersonating the Texas-based financial institution Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 14 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-14-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity has never been a dormant field. With the global pandemic affecting nations, cyber-attacks are only rising. Cybersecurity has never been a dormant field. With the global pandemic affecting nations, cyber-attacks are only rising. While phishing prevention solutions are not 100% effective, they withstand these attacks to a great extent. The following headlines from the past week shall help you judge whether you can still go without good anti-phishing software. Data Breach Hits Norwegian Cruise Line Security experts from DynaRisk discovered a database belonging to the Norwegian Cruise Line on the dark web on March 13th. The exposed data included clear text passwords and email addresses of company agents. The breach exposed the details of 29,969 travel agents on the agents.ncl.eu website, and despite being notified, Norwegian Cruise Line didn't revert until the fifth day. The attack comes at a time when nations are struggling with Covid 19, and it only adds to the grievances of the affected agents. The Norwegian Cruise Lines informed that they are taking all measures to ensure protection from phishing attacks and are advising their travel partners to remain vigilant. Sextortion Scams Back Again Once again, Raccoon is back to cripple people's devices. People are advised to stay safe from scams claiming to have nude pictures of your friend's girlfriend. Once you... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 13 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-13-of-2020/ Description: It is of utmost importance for you to stay abreast of the latest hacking plots if you want to keep your devices safe from the latest attacks happening around. It is of utmost importance for you to stay abreast of the latest hacking plots if you want to keep your devices safe from the latest attacks happening around the world. The following headlines serve this purpose of providing phishing prevention tips: Nefilim Ransomware Proves A Threat Newly discovered ransomware Nefilim that uses a combination of AES-128 and RSA-2048 algorithms is causing much havoc by threatening to release stolen data. Spreading through exposed remote Desktop Services, Nefilim removes the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) component and depends on emails for payments rather than a Tor payment site. Like its counterparts, Nefilim is on to continue the Name and Shame' game of attackers, but with the right measures, protection against an attack of this kind can be achieved. New Vulnerability In Intel Processors A new variant of Snoop-assisted L1 Data Sampling with a CVSS score of 5.6 is posing a threat to Intel processors. The vulnerability can leak data from the CPU's internal memory by exploiting CPU mechanisms such as multiple cache levels, cache coherence, and bus snooping. Assigned CVE-2020-0550, the vulnerability is believed to be a variant of a domain-bypass transient execution attack However, security solutions have been deployed by the CPU maker.... --- #### Why Companies Need Cloud-based Phishing Protection Software Now More Than Ever URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/why-companies-need-cloud-based-phishing-protection-software-now-more-than-ever/ Description: Why Companies Need Cloud-based Phishing Protection Software Now More Than Ever: Coronavirus has changed our way of doing business, at least for the time. Coronavirus has changed our way of doing business, at least for the time being. And of all the changes it has brought about, the greatest impact is the dramatic increase in the number of remote workers. One of the least discussed consequences of this mass migration to remote work is how the workers, who used to be safely ensconced in the organization's network, are now left out there on their own. And home networks are rarely as well protected as corporate networks. Even though many organizations have not yet employed cloud-based phishing protection software, they still have many security features in place including firewalls, antivirus software, spam filters and other endpoint security. Home networks typically have only a fraction of this protection. What we expect to see from this spike in remote work is a spike in phishing scams targeting remote workers and that's exactly what is happening. From a CNBC article, "Phishing scams, spam spike as hackers use coronavirus to prey on remote workers." The article goes on to say, "More than one-third (36%) of executives on the CNBC Technology Executive Council say that cyberthreats have increased as a majority of their employees work from home, according to a... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-12-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 12 of 2020: The cyber-world remains dynamic because of the many attacks that are launched on companies and individuals. The cyber-world remains dynamic because of the many attacks that are launched on companies and individuals every day. The following news headlines from the past week in cybersecurity shall help you better plan your phishing prevention strategy: Phishing Scam Targets Linkedin Accounts The Security Incident Investigation and Response Department of Heimdal have discovered a new phishing scam that targets LinkedIn accounts. In this attack, a malicious link embedded in a Microsoft Word document is shared via OneDrive. If a victim falls for the trick and clicks on the OneDrive link, then he gets redirected to the fraudulent OneDrive page. This page asks you to log in to your Microsoft account even if you already are logged in. Another page appears after the victim enters his details in the credential-stealing form, which is an error page. To protect yourself from phishing attacks of this sort, you must incorporate specialized anti-phishing solutions such as DNS and HTTPS filtering. Although no cases have been reported so far, people are still advised to remain vigilant and prepared. Security Threat To NIH's Record System The Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General audit revealed that the phishing protection measures of the National Institutes of... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 11 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-11-of-2020/ Description: Here are the weekly news headlines from the cyber world that will leave you astounding and compel you to rethink your phishing attack prevention measures: Hong. Here are the weekly news headlines from the cyber world that will leave you astounding and compel you to rethink your phishing attack prevention measures: Cathay Pacific Pays Hefty Fine Hong Kong's flag carrier Cathay Pacific was recently fined $640,000 by the UK's data privacy watchdog. This comes after the airline's inability to protect customers' personal data from a 2018 security breach. This breach had exposed the details of over 9.4 million customers, 111,578 of whom were residents of the UK. On its part, the airlines said that it is now adopting phishing prevention measures to enhance its security in data governance, network security and access control, education and employee awareness, and incident response agility. They have spent extensively on security and have also extended their support to security watchdogs and authorities. Why Avoid Easy Passwords? The security company F-Secure tells why people must avoid using weak or default passwords. F-Secure witnessed a massive rise in threats to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices. As per their research, if the adversaries discover a vulnerable device, they immediately try and gain access to it. F-Secure informs that hackers usually begin their attempt by trying the obvious passwords such as admin,' 12345',... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-10-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 10 of 2020: The digital world struggles to ensure phishing prevention at every step. While some attacks get withstood. The digital world struggles to ensure phishing prevention at every step. While some attacks get withstood, most attacks are successful and rob organizations of their time, resources, and money. Following headlines describe such attacks from the past week: Saudi On Guard Against Cyber Attacks A good number of the CEOs from Saudi Arabia fear that cyber-attacks will pose a serious security threat for them shortly and hence are already taking anti-phishing protection measures. They are doing all that is within their capacity to evade such attacks and to strengthen their network and security infrastructure. The KPMG CEO Outlook survey marks a 16% increase in the number of businesses who view security as a vulnerable aspect in Saudi Arabia. Some of the measures taken by them include: - Hiring skilled people. - Collaborating with cybersecurity providers. - Training 800 youth via their program called CyberPro. - They also propose to introduce a cybersecurity scholarship in association with the Ministry of Education. Ransomware DoppelPaymer Up With A New Scheme Earlier attackers used to blackmail victims for ransom and sell their data on the dark web in retaliation. But the latest trick is called name-and-shame.' The masterminds behind DoppelPaymer ransomware are now keen... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-9-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 9 of 2020: Cybersecurity has become an issue of concern in recent years. Every day thousands of attacks are launched on. Cybersecurity has become an issue of concern in recent years. Every day thousands of attacks are launched on companies and organizations that cannot always be stopped via phishing prevention measures. Here’s a list of the major attacks that took place this week: Attackers Store Card Details In Barcodes The U.S. Secret Service recently found that attackers now use barcodes affixed to fake reward cards to hide the stolen credit card details. This was revealed when a fake club membership card in Texas was found with a barcode, card expiration date, and CVV printed below the barcode. This was immediately reported to law enforcement. This technique goes undetected by cashiers who believe it to be a new payment method to be used at specific stores. The adversaries can evade anti-phishing measures through these schemes because the transaction gets recorded under the card-not-present category. It was further revealed that these barcodes could also store the victim's cell phone number. Windows 7’s Vulnerability To Malware Increases The Webroot Threat Report for 2020 revealed some serious cybersecurity statistics based on a study of over 37 billion URLs, 4 billion I.P. addresses, 842 million domains, and 31 million active mobile apps. The report revealed that... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 8 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-8-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 8 of 2020: In past years, the frequency of successful cyber attacks has increased significantly. As such, it isn't. In past years, the frequency of successful cyber attacks has increased significantly. As such, it isn’t surprising that every day countless institutions get targeted by the adversaries. Here are the top cyber headlines from the previous week that might compel you to reconsider your phishing prevention measures. Data Breach Risks 36,000 Jail Inmates’ Data Recently, data belonging to 36,077 jail inmates at Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and West Virginia center were compromised because of the neglect of phishing protection by a cloud management platform for US correctional facilities. This happened because of a misconfigured Amazon S3 bucket of JailCore and even exposed confidential data related to a patient’s acceptance of the drug. Other compromised details include their names, mugshots, IDs, booking numbers, activity logs, and personal health information. The names of drug administrators and signatures of correctional officers too were exposed. Although phishing attack prevention measures have now been taken, the exact number of victims hasn’t been updated. Data Breach At Enrichment Systems, Inc The San Diego, California-based preschool education provider Enrichment Systems, Inc (EES) recently announced that they were a victim of a data breach, which led to the compromise of personal details of parents and students. Unauthorized access... --- #### Think Office 365 Will Protect You from Phishing? Think Again! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/think-office-365-will-protect-you-from-phishing-think-again/ Description: The time when you're most vulnerable is when you think you're not. Think about it. If you think you're vulnerable, you're likely to do something about it. The time when you're most vulnerable is when you think you're not. Think about it. If you think you're vulnerable, you're likely to do something about it. But if you think you're okay, you're likely to rely on the status quo. And that's the problem Office 365 users are facing right now. They don't think they're vulnerable, but they are. As a recent article on Help Net Security points out, "Malicious files and links regularly bypass email security products, leaving enterprises vulnerable to email-based attacks." And no one's worse at protecting their users than Office 365. Office 365 comes with Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), a security add-on that supposedly protects users from phishing emails. Since it costs users extra, they probably assume they're protected. Afterall, it's Microsoft. How frequently does ATP miss on malicious emails? Would you believe 23% of the time, on average. That's right, almost 1 in 4 malicious emails makes it through the ATP defenses. It’s almost like having no protection at all. And the worst part is, the time to detect the miss is 24-48 hours. By then the damage is done. The cause of this problem? "Increased use of automation allows attackers to create many... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 7 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-7-of-2020/ Description: is constant, but here are the top headlines from cybersecurity that shall brief you about the significant events from the past week: Impersonation Scam On Red. The struggle to prevent phishing attacks is constant, but here are the top headlines from cybersecurity that shall brief you about the significant events from the past week: Impersonation Scam On Red Kite Community Housing Scammers impersonated a genuine contractor’s email who was associated with the Britain based charity firm Red Kite Community Housing in August 2019 and sent misleading emails to Red Kite. The charity fell into the trap and lost over $1 million in the process. They disclosed this attack in a statement on 28 th January 2020. These spoofed emails appeared to be from associates who were in the good books of Red Kite. The charity confessed that the attack was induced by a faulty email phishing protection measure on their part and are now taking stringent measures to strengthen their security and train their staff. US & UK Beware Of Coronavirus Phishing Attacks While the Wuhan coronavirus terrorizes the world, the adversaries have used this global crisis to their benefit by circulating phishing emails that have been seen in the US and UK so far. These phishing emails claim to have advice for the recipient on ensuring protection from the Coronavirus. However, these are in reality... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 6 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-6-of-2020/ Description: With 1.5 million new phishing sites coming up every day, phishing prevention is not an objective that is going to be a success anytime soon. With 1.5 million new phishing sites coming up every day, phishing prevention is not an objective that is going to be a success anytime soon. Besides, the war against cybercriminals is not just about phishing. The adversaries launch various destructive cyber attacks each day, and there is no escape from these. You might be the next target of the attackers, and therefore exhibiting preparedness is very important. Here we have a compilation of the top news headlines from the past week in cybersecurity that shall help you enhance your knowledge on the subject: H&M Caught Spying On Its Employees The world talks of phishing attempts by outsiders, but here we have an instance of the employer spying on its employees. The Swedish clothing retailer H&M has recently been alleged to spying on its German customer service representatives. 60 GB worth of personal details of employees was found on a hard drive, which contained information as sensitive as the health records of employees. These records were accessible to all company managers. The fashion retailer kept a systematic track of the life of all its German employees by tracking a range of personal details, starting from whether they had bladder weakness or... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 5 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-5-of-2020/ Description: More than half of the emails you receive in a day are spam emails. The majority of the data breaches are channeled through phishing attacks. More than half of the emails you receive in a day are spam emails. The majority of the data breaches are channeled through phishing attacks. The frequency of cybercrimes is increasing, and they have become all the more sophisticated. Ensuring cyber protection has never been more challenging than in the present, and the worst part is that this isn’t the end! As we try to establish protection against phishing, let us look at some of the major attacks that took place in the past week, so that we can better analyze current trends of cyberattacks. Company Access Being Sold In Dark Market Earlier, networks were attacked for ransom, but now attackers have gone a step ahead and are targeting Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to gain access to client organizations. Once they manage to bring down an MSP, they gain access to several networks, and hence MSPs have become a lucrative target for the adversaries. These levels of access are sold in the dark market for huge amounts that range from $1000 to $4500 based on how deep the attackers could infiltrate. Reports indicate that MSPs have been a primary target of attackers in the past 3-4 years, and ransomware such... --- #### One More Reason Why Office 365 is so Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/one-more-reason-why-office-365-is-so-vulnerable-to-phishing-attacks/ Description: One More Reason Why Office 365 is so Vulnerable to Phishing Attacks: Office 365 comes with email security native to the application, but it must not be very. Office 365 comes with email security native to the application, but it must not be very good. How else can you explain the effort hackers put into exploiting Office 365 users AND the success they've had doing it? According to CPO Magazine, "A new phishing attack is being used to steal user credentials from Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive users. The attack method is reportedly designed to resemble an ordinary Office 365 permissions page [and] takes on the appearance of a credible Office 365 Add-In." With this approach, hackers can make requests look completely legitimate, which makes them almost impossible to detect by users, no matter how well trained they are. "Using this tactic, the hackers are able to use the official Office 365 login page, login.microsoftonline.com, as the staging ground for their phishing attack." This gets everyone to let their guard down. Once the add-in receives the requested permissions, "the hackers will then be able to fully access to the user’s Office 365 account." Interestingly, this same type of attack targeted over one million Google Docs users back in 2017, but Google's response was impressive. "The company managed to protect its users and halt the attack within the space of... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 4 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-4-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 4 of 2020: The war between attackers and phishing prevention services is a perennial one. None of the parties ever seem to. The war between attackers and phishing prevention services is a perennial one. None of the parties ever seem to be willing to settle for less, and hence the cyber-world is full of dynamism and vibrancy. Another week has passed, and with that, we have a hundred updates added to the list of activities in the cyber world. But to save you the hard work, here we have compiled the top headlines from the world of digital security. User Data Released By Maze Operators The operators of Maze ransomware have gone by their word and released the data belonging to victims who refused to pay the ransom. This vicious scheme was first adopted by the operators in December 2019 to publish a fragment of the 120 GB of data they had stolen from Southwire company. The other victim companies include RBC, THEONE, Vernay, Baker Wotring, BILTON, Grecco Auto, Groupe Igrec, Mitch Co International, Einhell, Continental NH3, and Groupe Europe Handling SAS. Besides, the city of Pensacola, American tax advisory firm BST & Co., and laboratory testing facility MDL, too, were victims of this ransomware attack. On its website, the maze ransomware lists these companies and says that their defiance in paying... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-3-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 3 of 2020: It seldom happens that the dynamic world around us witnesses a day without any activities. Particularly, in the. It seldom happens that the dynamic world around us witnesses a day without any activities. Particularly, in the world of cybersecurity, it is almost impossible for nothing significant to happen in a day. But how to keep abreast of all these anti-phishing solutions we must adopt against adversaries on a daily basis? As mind-boggling as this might seem, we are here to simplify things for you. The following is a list of the latest headlines from the world of cybersecurity, handpicked by our team to fit your interests. Ransomware Attack Hits Foreign Exchange Firm Travelex The foreign exchange firm Travelex recently got hit by a ransomware called Sodinokibi, which locked all its systems, compelling its employees to use pen and paper to serve its thousands of customers. It has caused a global blackout on its online currency exchange services. Travelex provides forex services for the customers of HSBC, Barclays, Virgin Money, and the banking arms of British retailers Tesco and Sainsbury. Although Travelex is now trying to restore the systems it lost to the ransomware attack on January 2nd this year, it has caused chaos in the lives of those who were on NewYear Holidays or business trips. While the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 2 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-2-of-2020/ Description: The cyber-world is the epitome of vibrancy and change. Some new technological advancement or out of the box hacking scheme always makes it to the headlines. The cyber-world is the epitome of vibrancy and change. Some new technological advancement or out of the box hacking scheme always makes it to the headlines. Just when we think that innovations are at the pinnacle of uniqueness, there appears another critically thought and unique technological development. Keeping abreast of these many updates isn’t humanly possible, and yet it is essential. Awareness of the technological boons and the progress of the cyberbullies are extremely important, not just for your general knowledge but also to utilize the knowledge in case you happen to be a victim of a cyber attack someday. To help a cyber geek update his knowledge on the most recent news bulletins from cybersecurity by absorbing the underlying phishing prevention tips, here are the top security news headlines from this past week: Are Indians Safe In Having Aadhaar? Initiated as a means of uniquely identifying every Indian citizen, the Aadhaar card issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) wasn’t made mandatory in India until recently. The apex court has also assured the people that their Aadhaar card information was completely secure and couldn’t be shared by even government authorities. However, a recent incident brought to light... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2020 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-1-of-2020/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 1 of 2020: In a shocking development, many people last week suffered from massive ransomware attacks all over the world . In a shocking development, many people last week suffered from massive ransomware attacks all over the world. Several precautions are taken by users these days as awareness about cybercrime grows, but there are always new ways discovered by attackers to steal more information. Although millions of dollars are being spent by government agencies to rectify the errors that allow such incidents to happen, these incidents continue to occur with alarming regularity. The K-12 schools in America are now protected with the K-12 cybersecurity Act. Many other governments and organizations all over the world are taking necessary actions, such as focusing more efforts on building anti-phishing software that will provide a strong defense against phishing, malware, ransomware, and other cyber-attacks. The news highlights given below include incidents that occurred last week and also the measures being taken by different agencies as well as officials to keep these attacks in check. Malware Attacks Through Windows Remote Desktop Services There has been a recent malware attack, which operated by breaching company networks over the RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). The unusual thing about the malware attack is that it doesn't leave any trace on target hosts, which implies that experts' investigation will not be... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 52 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-52/ Description: Yet another exciting time in cyberspace, last week was spent by most of the enterprises trying to fix some of the most common vulnerabilities and various. Yet another exciting time in cyberspace, last week was spent by most of the enterprises trying to fix some of the most common vulnerabilities and various sources of zero-day attack present in much of the software of some of the top organizations around the world. Microsoft was finally able to send a patch for the win32k zero-day attack, and the ransomware that affected Pensacola was eventually detected and stopped; however, even with all this progress, there are still millions of cybercrimes taking place every day in the world. The superior technical capabilities of cybercriminals are not the reason that these cyber-attacks happen so frequently. Instead most of the times such attacks are possible because of human negligence and lack of information among the users. Cybercrimes are often preventable with the help of easy to deploy safeguards and preventive steps. This reason is why almost all companies and governments are trying to make people aware of the necessity of training needed to prevent malware, phishing emails, and ransomware from affecting our systems. Such training can help us get protection from phishing and other attacks on our own. The latest news on cybercrimes makes us aware of the new type of attacks... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-51/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 51: Cybersecurity or Internet Security is of utmost importance in the digital world today . It is a body of technology. Cybersecurity or Internet Security is of utmost importance in the digital world today. It is a body of technology, expertise, norms, and processes designed to safeguard devices, data, programs, and networks from being attacked or accessed without authorization. Cybersecurity is essential to promote as all the important officialdoms, be it the government, military, defense, or medical organizations, store massive amounts of unprecedented data on various networks, computers, and such other devices. This virtual world of cyberspace has become an integral part of almost every aspect of our daily lives one way or the other, whether it is the idiot box providing entertainment or the internet, which provides a platform for social gatherings, book tickets, pay our bills and even close business deals. However, are you truly safe on the internet? To answer this question, here are the top cyber updates from this past week. Crypto Mining Malware Infects 400,000 Systems In Romania A Romanian cybergang has discovered the mining of cryptocurrency. They have designed malware that can decrypt cryptocurrency, hence can get access to the personal details of the users. A press release at the Northern District of Ohio by the US Attorney’s Office highlighted the issue. Bucharest, Romania, is... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-50/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 50: Yet another week passes by, and the number of attacks on innocent netizens only escalates. Hackers are undoubtedly on. Yet another week passes by, and the number of attacks on innocent netizens only escalates. Hackers are undoubtedly on an endless spree of infecting devices with malware and disrupting the daily activities of people. While many users indirectly encourage attackers by easily giving them the demanded ransom, others choose to stay firm and not do what the hacker wants even if they have to struggle because of this decision. People may adopt the best phishing prevention measures, and yet the attackers will manage to find some tiny crevice to enter and breakdown their entire system. The internet is flooded with news of such incidents that have happened over the week. But here we bring you the most important headlines from the world of cybersecurity: New Trojan Targets Facebook Ads Manager In the latest phishing scheme, attackers are spreading a PDF reader, which in reality is an information-stealing trojan that steals Facebook and Amazon session cookies as well as sensitive data from the Facebook Ads Manager. Many websites distributing this so-called PDFreader have been spotted recently. The trojan has been found to have resemblance with AdKoob and Stresspaint and has been detected as “Socelars”. There are chances that this trojan derives... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 49 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-49/ Description: The cyber-world is full of stories of technological innovations with newer and unthinkable horizons of progress being reached every day. The cyber-world is full of stories of technological innovations with newer and unthinkable horizons of progress being reached every day. However, development is not just happening for the masses; there is a community of people who are working against these innovations for their personal benefit, often at the price of privacy, property, identity, and money of the innocent users. These are the cybercriminals who come up with new and unusual methods of defying anti-phishing tools. Here is a list of the major attacks from the past week to help keep your guards up. Google Sends Out Phishing Alert To Users Google recently identified over 12,000 users, which, according to them, were targeted by the government-backed hackers. In its report published by the Threat Analysis Group (TAG), Google says that the prospective victims received credential phishing emails, which are nothing but emails trying to make users give out their Google account’s access. The Threat Analysis Group of Google spotted more than 270 government-backed hacking groups spread across more than 50 countries for being associated with crimes like unauthorized intelligence collection, spreading coordinated disinformation, stealing intellectual property, destructive cyber-attacks on dissidents, journalists, and activists. Google sent out these alert notifications to its... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 48 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-48/ Description: The cyber arena is an integral part of the life of millennials because of which nothing ever seems to take place offline. The cyber arena is an integral part of the life of millennials because of which nothing ever seems to take place offline. However, anti-phishing protection becomes necessary when we deal with new websites, new people, and new technological advancements every day as the times are difficult, and cybersecurity is at stake with the existence of countless malicious actors. There are innumerable instances of cyber-attacks being launched by the attackers, which have made individuals, companies, and governments suffer financially, socially, politically, and emotionally. Here is an account of the most recent cybercrimes to help you better analyze the dark reality of the digital world. Massive Increase In The Spread Of Shade Ransomware Recently, multiple groups of researchers have pointed out the sudden and drastic rise in the spread of Shade ransomware with 1100 instances of phishing emails being recorded in June 2019 and the figures rising to over 6000 in the next quarter. The targets predominantly target Mexico and Russia; however, potential victims were from the UK and Germany. The ransomware is continuously being updated by its developers, and now it can encrypt not only files but also mine cryptocurrencies and amplify traffic to generate revenue in particular websites. The Shade... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-47/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 47: Cybersecurity is an issue with growing concern among all netizens . There is barely any privacy on the internet today. Cybersecurity is an issue with growing concern among all netizens. There is barely any privacy on the internet today, and not taking the right security measures only adds on to make us all the more unsafe on the web. Hence, there are rising numbers of instances of cyber-attacks and it is because of this that ensuring phishing prevention has become mandatory for individual users as well as the organizations. Here are the top headlines from the cyber world to help to plan your security better. Adware Spread Through Android Apps As many as 49 apps spreading malware are in circulation and use among Android users. These apps can be downloaded from Google Play and have titles similar to Cut Out Studio Pro, Tattoo Maker, Bubble Effect, Clown Mask, Magazine Cover Studio, Music Video Maker, etc. Users who downloaded the apps complain that full-screen pop-up ads frequently appear, and the advertisements also pop up when users click or unlock the screen. What does the adware do? - It registers itself like a foreground service and operates continuously even if the user isn’t using the app at the moment. - It eats up a lot of memory on the phone and consumes... --- #### PhishProtection – 2020 Scholarships Program URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishprotection-scholarships-program/ Description: PhishProtection – 2020 Scholarships Program: Please find below details for the PhishProtection.com Scholarships program. PhishProtection offers. Please find below details for the PhishProtection.com Scholarships program. PhishProtection offers phishing prevention solutions for SMB, enterprise and universities at phishprotection.com We are a service of DuoCircle LLC, an email security company designed from the ground up to provide all the features that an enterprise would expect but priced for small and medium businesses. More than 90% of all cyber crimes start with a phishing attack Ready to Protect Your Organization From the Most Dangerous Email Threats? Ransomware, data breaches and CEO fraud have one thing in common. They are all preceded by one of your employees clicking on a link in an email they shouldn’t have. You can train your employees all you want, some of them will still fall for the most sophisticated phishing attacks. And all it takes is one click. You’re going to need some help. Get that help from PhishProtection.com - Keeps most phishing emails out of inboxes so employees can’t click on anything - Provides real-time link click protection for the emails that get through - Protects against domain name spoofing AND display name spoofing - Blocks and quarantines malicious attachments too We have a very security-focused approach to message handling and ensuring the... --- #### Using Microsoft’s OneDrive? Be Afraid, be Very Afraid. URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/using-microsofts-onedrive-be-afraid-be-very-afraid/ Description: Cloud-based storage is a wonderful thing. Being able to store your files and retrieve them from anywhere boosts productivity. Cloud-based storage is a wonderful thing. Being able to store your files and retrieve them from anywhere boosts productivity. It should come as no surprise then that Microsoft entered the cloud-based storage arena back in 2007. It should also come as no surprise that Microsoft's cloud-storage product, called OneDrive, is the target of and vehicle for, phishing attacks. Afterall, Microsoft is the second favorite target of phishing attacks. According to a recent article on Hoax-Slayer, the latest phishing scam is one that includes a "Secured OneDrive File. " From the article, " The emails are phishing scams designed to steal your Microsoft Account login credentials . The names of the supposed senders in the emails may vary. If you click the Download Document link you will be taken to a OneDrive for Business document sharing page. Because the landing page is on the genuine OneDrive website, you may be convinced that the document you are about to access is legitimate. It’s only when you click the Access Document link that the trouble starts. Clicking the link takes you to a phishing website that claims that you must enter your Microsoft Account email address and password before you can access the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 46 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-46/ Description: There is no denial of the fact that the advancement of technology has reached greater heights in the world of the attackers. There is no denial of the fact that the advancement of technology has reached greater heights in the world of the attackers. Now and then, the name of some new form of a cyber-attack can be heard or read. These attacks are so well planned and executed that as users of the internet, anything we do as an anti-phishing measure is barely ever enough to meet the standards of sophistication employed by the attacker. However, continually studying the recent trail of attacks helps gain at least some insight into the minds and functioning of the cyber adversaries, which enables us to exhibit some preparedness. That is why we have come up with a list of the significant cyber-attacks throughout the week to help you study the attackers better. Alexa And Siri Prone To ‘Light Commands’ Attack Researchers at the University of Michigan and the University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, have recently found that there exists a security flaw in the micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) microphones that convert voice commands into electrical signals. This loophole can be exploited by attackers to misguide a voice assistant and instruct it to unlock a door or make any other malicious operations. The attack technique makes use... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-45/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 45: Recent years have witnessed a significant upsurge in the rate of cybercrimes. Not only has the frequency of attacks. Recent years have witnessed a significant upsurge in the rate of cybercrimes. Not only has the frequency of attacks increased, but even the methods used for launching cyberattacks have also been evolving to include the most sophisticated and unique forms of phishing that phishing prevention almost becomes an unattainable goal for many. However, the least that can be done by us as spectators or apprehensive users of the internet is to stay updated about all the happenings in the cyber world so that we can at least have an inkling of the kind of things to expect while we are online. Here is the list of all the major events related to cybercrime throughout the past week to help you keep abreast of all changes. Cash App Vulnerable To Cyber Attacks Cash App is a payment service provider who often rewards customers with free coupons or prizes. It is facilitated on social media platforms such as Twitter or Instagram, under hashtags similar to #CashAppFriday and #SuperCashAppFriday. But in the most recent form of cyberattack, the hackers have constructed a scheme of impersonating this entire process utilizing similar hashtags and screenshots or pages supporting their claim. The attackers are luring customers... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-week-44/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 44: The rate at which cybercrimes are propagating is beyond the imagination of an ordinary mind. All we can say is that. The rate at which cybercrimes are propagating is beyond the imagination of an ordinary mind. All we can say is that the ill-motivated have begun to outnumber and outsmart the good actors in the cyberworld. This becomes evident in the endless stream of failed phishing prevention measures that lead to major cybercrimes such as identity theft, financial losses, and sextortion campaigns on a daily basis. Here are the most recent cyber attacks that have made it to the headlines in the past week. Data Breach At Montana Hospital In a sophisticated data breach that happened at a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, the health records of as many as 129,000 people were compromised, making patients vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. Further investigations reveal that the attack was a planned and coordinated one, and although the authorities of Kalispell Regional Healthcare found out about the breach in June, it was very much existent before that as well. The breach happened because of the hospital employees, who gave out their email login credentials unintentionally to the attackers who then used these to access and steal the details of the patients. Among the compromised details were the personal information of patients such as... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-43/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 43: Cybersecurity is a growing concern across the globe. But as more and more people are gaining awareness about the. Cybersecurity is a growing concern across the globe. But as more and more people are gaining awareness about the importance of anti-phishing solutions, there are all the more instances of cybercrimes recorded. There is little doubt that the increase in the adoption of cybersecurity measures is followed by a parallel and perhaps more significant increase in the intellectual and innovative abilities of the adversaries who manage to invent some new form of cyber forgery almost every other day. To help the cyber enthusiasts get a better idea of the recent updates from the incessant scuffle between the good actors and bad actors, we have presented the latest headlines from this past week in the cyber world. Malware ‘Cutlet Maker’ From 2017 Discovered, German ATMs Hacked Researchers have recently found the re-entry of a phishing technique (jackpotting) that was supposedly inactive hitherto. A malware called ‘Cutlet Maker’ was employed by attackers to steal around $1.5 million from ATMs in Germany between February and November 2017. This malware sells openly for $5000 online to help all aspiring ATM launderers give shape to their goal. Motherboard and the German broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) were responsible for bringing this to the line. How Does... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 42 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-42/ Description: Today's cyberspace includes computer resources, IT networks, and all the fixed and mobile devices which connect to the internet. Today's cyberspace includes computer resources, IT networks, and all the fixed and mobile devices which connect to the internet. Because of the borderless nature of the global internet, protection of critical infrastructure operations is emerging as a significant challenge. Hackers always look to exploit the vulnerability of an unsuspecting internet user. Hence, cybersecurity experts strive to combat these threats by inventing new anti-phishing solutions regularly. Here we present some of the latest news headlines from the cyber world. Russian Group Turla Tries Modifying Chrome And Firefox Russian hacking group Turla went ahead of contemporaries and attempted to achieve goals more significant than just exploiting the vulnerabilities in a web browser. It tried to fingerprint TLS-encrypted web traffic through modification of Chrome and Firefox. How Does Turla Execute Its Scheme? The Turla group initially infects systems with a remote access trojan (RAT) and then uses the same to make changes to the browsers. These modifications include installation of their certificates, (so that they can intercept TLS traffic from the host) and patching of the pseudo-random number generation that negotiates TLS connections. This scheme allows the hacking group to add a fingerprint to every TLS action and thereby, track encrypted traffic secretly.... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-41/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 41: Cybersecurity is a dynamic arena with some event or the other never ceasing to take place. While cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a dynamic arena with some event or the other never ceasing to take place. While cybersecurity measures reach unmatched levels of sophistication and ultra protection, cyber attacks make an equal stride. Thus the stifle between the good and the bad actors of the cyber world is never-ending. However, anyone interested in these affairs would want to keep track of all phishing prevention measures that have been possibly invented. Keep yourself updated about the latest activities from the cybersecurity world as we bring you the major events from the past week: Malware Attack On Rheinmetall Branches In Three Nations Rheinmetall AG, Düsseldorf based German corporation, was recently attacked by a malware that has caused much disruption and distress in the plants of the company in three countries. Rheinmetall is one of the biggest defense contractors in the world, manufacturing armored fighting vehicles, tanks, ammunition, and various electronic systems. The malware infected their plants in Brazil, Mexico, and the US. Although the specifics of the attack have not been disclosed by the company yet, Rheinmetall expects the malware to have a lasting impact in the long run. They are confident that they would be able to assure deliverability in short... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-40/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 40: Cybersecurity is the biggest challenge that confronts all netizens today. No matter how strong and secured a network. Cybersecurity is the biggest challenge that confronts all netizens today. No matter how strong and secured a network chain is attackers manage to exploit the loopholes, using it to their benefit and misguiding the users to extract personal details. Individuals and organizations deploy anti-phishing measures, but bad actors always look forward to outsmarting them. Here we have a list of the main headlines from the digital world for the cybersecurity enthusiasts: Cafepress Reveals Data Breach To Customers After Months T-shirt flogger CafePress recently intimated the customers about a data breach which took place way back in February. An e-mail from CafePress informed users that the breach led to a loss of customer names, e-mails, physical addresses, phone numbers, and unencrypted passwords. In some cases, attackers accessed even the last four digits of payment cards of customers, along with the expiry dates. Though the e-mail informs customers of the breach, yet it continues to uphold the sense of security that the firm otherwise promises. It is evident in its e-mail message where it says that diligent efforts were made to investigate the breach. Researcher Jim Scott later revealed that almost half of the 23 million compromised users had their passwords exposed... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 39 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-39/ Description: The recent updates from the world of cybersecurity touch many crucial areas and offer critical insights for individuals and businesses who are keen to improve. The recent updates from the world of cybersecurity touch many crucial areas and offer critical insights for individuals and businesses who are keen to improve their digital security. Hence, we compiled all major cybersecurity events and other developments which will enable them to take a step forward for establishing a robust cyber-security infrastructure. Lion Air’s Customer Records Go Viral Malindo Air and Thai Lion Air, the two airline companies, owned by Lion Air, have recently been the subject of a massive data compromise. Data belonging to approximately 14 million Malindo Air and 21 million Thai Lion Air customers was available in an open AWS storage bucket on the web. However, investigators cannot determine the exact time for which the databases have been there on the internet. Investigators speculate that the lost data includes names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, passport numbers, passport expiration dates, dates of birth, and passenger and reservation IDs. Additionally, it has been available on data exchange from August 10, implying that the data has probably been in circulation for over a month now. Investigations Under-Way: Says Malindo Air According to an official from Malindo Air, they shall only comment or present any advice to the... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-38/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 38: As the world goes online and transcends barriers that are not always physically surmountable, there is a parallel. As the world goes online and transcends barriers that are not always physically surmountable, there is a parallel force that makes an equal and often more significant leap. This is the progress made by the bad actors who are never tired of inventing new means and ways of getting into our networks and systems, stealing our data either to demand a ransom later or to use our credentials and rob us of our money and identity. Hence, protection from phishing attacks is what the cyber world now seeks to achieve. We have presented below a list of the most recent cyberattacks to help you better estimate the technologies used by the adversaries and thus keep you prepared for any cyber-attacks. Uighur Travelers Being Checked On By Chinese Hack China is of the view that passengers flying via Uighur might be going to Iraq and Syria to get involved in some militant activity. Hence, they felt the ‘need’ to keep an eye on the airlines that flies from Xinjiang and Turkey with operation in Asian nations like India, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Malaysia. China has hacked into the system of the telecom operators in these nations. This attack has been performed... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 37 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-37/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 37: As phishing attacks take a toll on the internet users, the losses caused thereof only seem to multiply . Phishing. As phishing attacks take a toll on the internet users, the losses caused thereof only seem to multiply. Phishing attack prevention is the biggest challenge that lies ahead for netizens. Cyber attacks are imminent and so keeping abreast with the newest technology employed by adversaries is vital for anyone who wishes to keep himself safe from any such attacks. Following are some of the most precarious cyberattacks that made the world jitter in the past week: Camscanner App Infused With Malware Kaspersky researchers recently found the document scanning app CamScanner to be inflicted with a malware which they call “AndroidOS.Necro.n”. The app which enables the users to use their mobile devices as document scanners has been downloaded by over 100 million users through the Google Playstore. The malware was hidden in the app and has now been discovered. This malware is a dropper, a type of attack code which first infects a computer or smartphone and upon installation, attempts to install a second Trojan. Installing these two Trojans would enable the adversaries to spread a malvertising campaign or sign up the smartphone users for services or websites they may not voluntarily want. Researchers noted that an advertisement SDK (Software Development... --- #### Data Breaches Are Going to Cost How Much by 2024? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/data-breaches-are-going-to-cost-how-much-by-2024/ Description: Data Breaches Are Going to Cost How Much by 2024?: Data breaches are big business. Everywhere you turn you hear about another organization getting hit by a. Data breaches are big business. Everywhere you turn you hear about another organization getting hit by a data breach. We also know from recent events that recovering from a data breach can be expensive. Whether you choose to pay the ransom like this South Korean web host or resolve it internally like the city of Baltimore did, the cost can run into the millions or tens of millions of dollars. Now a new report out by Juniper Research predicts the annual worldwide cost of data breaches will surpass $5 trillion by 2024 (just five years from now). That's an increase from the 3 trillion dollars it is today. According to an article on SC Magazine website, "The significant upswing will primarily be driven by increasing fines for data breaches as regulation tightens, as well as a greater proportion of business lost as enterprises become more dependent on the digital realm." Did you ever stop to think how big $5 trillion is? Today, the world economy is about $80 trillion in US dollars. If we assume a 3% GDP growth over the next five years, we expect the world economy to be about $96 trillion in 2024. That means the cost... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-36/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 36: Nowadays, phishing prevention has become the biggest challenge that the cyber world is facing . By taking advantage of. Nowadays, phishing prevention has become the biggest challenge that the cyber world is facing. By taking advantage of each progress in IT, and by sheer cunning and intelligence, adversaries make sure that they always remain ahead of the good actors. The good actors function, but often too slow, giving the attackers opening to hit them with new and innovative cyber attacks. Such events take place every day, and it can be challenging to keep track of the latest techniques used by hackers. But it is pertinent that to prepare ourselves to face these attacks, we are aware of the latest technologies used by cybercriminals. Here, we have a list of the most recent and biggest cybersecurity news to help you update yourself: London Witnesses 1 Million Cyber Attacks Each Month Talking about the rise in cybercrimes in recent times, London comes up as a perfect example. Compared to the 2018 statistics, the city has seen an upsurge of more than 90 percent in the number of cyberattacks in 2019. On average, London was hit by as many as a million cyberattacks every month in the first quarter of 2019. Some more astounding figures to add to this are: - A... --- #### Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-updates-for-the-week-34/ Description: Cybersecurity Updates For The Week 34: With rapid advancement globally, cyber-attacks on both individuals and enterprises are breaking new ground every day . With rapid advancement globally, cyber-attacks on both individuals and enterprises are breaking new ground every day. In 2019, threat vectors are rapidly growing, and cybercriminals are leveraging new hacking techniques. The icing on the cake is that cybersecurity is rising to the challenge and putting up a noble fight. Here are the cybersecurity news updates for the past week. Twenty-Three Texas Towns Hit By A Planned Cyber Attack In a recent coordinated ransomware attack, systems of as many as twenty-three Texas towns got paralyzed. The primary victims of the attack were the small local governments. This attack happened within days after similar attacks disturbed activities in New York, Louisiana, Maryland, and Florida. The Department of Information Resources, Texas, announced that the attack began on the morning of 16 August 2019. The Department refused to disclose the exact target areas, but it mentioned that the vast portion of affected areas were smaller local governments. Reportedly, no systems and networks of the State of Texas were affected by the attack. What Caused The Attack? A particular threat vector is certainly behind all the 23 attacks, but the culprit has not been identified yet. With the active assistance of federal and state agencies... --- #### Headlines From The World Of Cybersecurity URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/headlines-world-cybersecurity/ Description: Headlines From The World Of Cybersecurity: As phishing protection methods soar new heights, there is an equivalent if not more progress by adversaries. They. As phishing protection methods soar new heights, there is an equivalent (if not more) progress by adversaries. They continuously strive to attack weaker systems and networks via malware or phishing attempts. There are many cyber attacks taking place in every corner of the world, and their success rate is quite high. Being aware of the developments in the cyber arena is pivotal for everyone as it helps in staying aware, alert, and vigil. The following are some of the major news headlines from the past week in the world of cybersecurity. Phishing Scam Compromises Customer Details Of Air New Zealand Airpoints Members Details of some 70,000 Air New Zealand Airpoints’ members got compromised in a recent phishing scam. The compromised data doesn't include passwords and credit card details, but it involves information about membership profiles. Addressing the members in an e-mail, the Regional General Manager of the airlines, Jeremy O'Brien said that they regret that the scam happened because of which there was a compromise of the personal details of users. The attack affected two of the Air New Zealand staff accounts. The airline has taken the required steps to inform customers of the same and ensure phishing attack prevention... --- #### The Most Recent Cyber Updates of The Week For The Cybersecurity Enthusiasts URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-most-recent-cyber-updates-of-the-week-for-the-cybersecurity-enthusiasts/ Description: The Most Recent Cyber Updates of The Week For The Cybersecurity Enthusiasts: The domain of cybersecurity or information security is always abuzz with new. The domain of cybersecurity or information security is always abuzz with new activities all the time. Every moment, many attackers are brainstorming to conspire the next big attack to steal sensitive personal information or financial data and also to wreak havoc on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the enterprise's data. Cybersecurity is a growing concern, and enthusiasts find it intriguing to keep them abreast of every progress that takes place in the digital world. Hence here is a compilation of the most severe and recent cyber updates for all those who wish to know, learn something new, and keep themselves updated about the cyber world. Internet-Linked Cars Might Lead To Death In The Near Future As protection from phishing becomes a graver concern, and people become more vigil, we see a parallel ignorance towards cybersecurity in the world of automobiles. With car companies embracing the latest technology and incorporating the same in their vehicles, the consumers are now more vulnerable to fatal cyber-attacks. These technologies come with state-of-the-art provisions of accessing features of your car and controlling them. Internet-Connected cars surely make our lives easier. But, if you start the engine and air conditioning of your vehicle and update... --- #### Cybersecurity News For The Past Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-news-for-the-past-week/ Description: The world of technology is abuzz with activity every moment. The fast-paced twenty-first century has no room for stillness. The world of technology is abuzz with activity every moment. The fast-paced twenty-first century has no room for stillness. Similar is the case in the world of cybersecurity, where the good and bad actors are always engaged in outsmarting each other. The outcome of this relentless strive is reflected in the news headlines that make it to our mobile screens and newspapers. Here are the top picks for cybersecurity news for the past week: FBI Director Feels Getting Into Criminals’ Device Encryption Ensures Faster Resolution Of Cases While addressing the Law School at Fordham University, FBI Director Christopher Wray said on 2th July 2019, Thursday that he completely seconds the Attorney General William Barr’s assertion when he says that cooperation with the law enforcement agencies is essential for tech companies to ensure quick access into the encrypted phones and apps of criminals and suspects. He further spoke of his disappointment in people who claim that such intrusion into encrypted devices of criminals weakens cybersecurity because, in today's time when attackers are always a step ahead, it becomes incredibly crucial to implement this measure for the upkeep of national security. To prove his point, he gave examples of previous cases involving... --- #### Daily Cyber Security Updates For The Bygone Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/daily-cyber-security-updates-for-the-bygone-week/ Description: Daily Cyber Security Updates For The Bygone Week: Like always, much activity has been taking place in cyberspace, and naturally, all souls enthusiastic about. Like always, much activity has been taking place in cyberspace, and naturally, all souls enthusiastic about the updates must be scavenging through the internet for relevant news reports. The search concludes here as we bring you the most important news headlines from the world of cybersecurity, curated, and presented most originally: Israeli NSO Allegedly Spies On Cloud Data Of Apple, Google & Facebook Israeli Cyber Security Company, NSO group has been allegedly installing spyware capable of extracting data, into the servers of Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft products. Known as Pegasus, this malware not only attacks and extracts information stored on a smartphone but also data stored on the cloud, which might include a user's location data, archived messages, and photos. A company, which is supposed to provide protection against phishing, had previously been accused of installing the malware in Facebook's WhatsApp. However, the allegations were denied by the security company citing that cybercriminals impersonate reputable organizations these days, to give shape to their malicious intents. What does the malware do? - Once installed on a device, the malware copies authentication keys from services including Google Drive, Facebook Messenger, and iCloud. - A separate server then mimics the device,... --- #### Weekly Cybersecurity News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/weekly-cybersecurity-news/ Description: Weekly Cybersecurity News: A plethora of game-changing events has taken place in the digital world in the past few days. The cyber-world being mostly. A plethora of game-changing events has taken place in the digital world in the past few days. The cyber-world being mostly dynamic, it becomes humanly impossible to be abreast with all the critical events. Following is a list of the major headlines from the cyberspace: Phishing Scams Surround Amazon Prime Day Experts urged Amazon prime members to stay vigil as the Amazon Prime Day began on 15th July 2019, Monday morning for 48 hours with cost-efficient deals for millions of buyers who are Amazon Prime members. They warned buyers to ensure phishing protection, as hackers will continuously be on the hunt to steal any of their data and bank details whenever there is a chance. Members have been advised to consider the following, to protect themselves from phishing attempts: - Do not view Amazon from any external source such as an e-mail or link. Make sure to use only the app or your browser. - Have a two-factor authentication activated to make it difficult for prospective hackers to get into your account. - Prevent phishing attacks further by analyzing any e-mails you receive that claim to be from Amazon merchants. - Don’t fall for fake coupons which mimic the actual... --- #### Developments in Cyber Security for The Past Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/developments-in-cyber-security-for-the-past-week/ Description: Developments in Cyber Security for The Past Week: Another week goes by, and the world of cybersecurity is abuzz with a range of activity, as always. We know. Another week goes by, and the world of cybersecurity is abuzz with a range of activity, as always. We know that keeping abreast with all these happenings can be taxing if done one at a time, and hence, we have gathered the top headlines for you, to skim through and gain insight into the progress that took place in cybersecurity throughout the past week. Splinternet On The Cards Due To US-China Trade War Although the U.S-China trade dispute is likely to be resolved shortly, their competition against each other is unlikely ever to end. Both countries always strive to outsmart the other, in terms of tech dominance, and this can lead to the creation of two different tech worlds, which would then impact components like the internet. A split on the internet is on the cards if this enmity persists and if that happens, then splinternet (split internet) would be governed by different regulations in different jurisdictions. What awaits? - The presidents of both the nations have offered international observers reassurances that they are working on resolving their trade dispute after agreeing to a freeze on any further tariffs. - However, this does not ensure that the competition between them... --- #### The Week In Cybersecurity URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-week-in-cybersecurity/ Description: The past week has seen a range of activity in the world of cybersecurity with cyber-attacks taking place, anti-phishing solutions being deployed. The past week has seen a range of activity in the world of cybersecurity with cyber-attacks taking place, anti-phishing solutions being deployed, and a whole lot of other things happening. Below, there is a curated list of all significant headlines that you need to know about, to be at par with the progress in the cybersecurity world: Huawei Suspected Of Hiring Suspicious Personnel Recent research and scrutiny of the CVs of the staff employed by Huawei show that they have hired people who have been or continue to be associated with China’s military and intelligence bodies. Naturally, this revelation raises doubts in the minds of governments, who are analyzing claims that Huawei poses a national security risk and even makes individual nations ponder upon the probability of Huawei installing ‘backdoors' in its telecommunications networking equipment that would enable the Chinese government to access user data. While one CV revealed double timing of a person at Huawei and a military university, as a teacher and researcher through which, the Chinese People's Liberation Army hired the person, another CV revealed that a person who worked at Huawei was a representative of a government entity, which is responsible for espionage and counterintelligence. What... --- #### Cyber Security News Updates of The Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-security-news-updates-of-the-week/ Description: As another week passes by, the world of cybersecurity witnesses another round of developments and for the cybersecurity analysts, engineers and professionals. As another week passes by, the world of cybersecurity witnesses another round of developments and for the cybersecurity analysts, engineers and professionals, there are various updates that they need to catch up on. Realizing and acknowledging the importance of these critical updates for the cybersecurity enthusiasts, we bring forth the top headlines of the week: Hackers Steal NASA’s Information, Discovered After A Year The Inspector General of U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) published an audit report this week confirming an infiltration into its system and resulting illegal access of data related to Mars Missions that have been going on since April 2018. This cyber attack on the world's largest and most accomplished research department has remained undetected for over a year and has led to a loss of approximately 500 megabytes of data from 23 files, two files among which contained International Traffic in Arms Regulations information related to the Mars Science Laboratory mission. What led to the attack? Naturally, a loophole in the security measures results in a loss as significant as this and in this case, it has happened because of an unauthorized and poorly secured device connected to the I.T. network of the NASA Jet... --- #### News Updates from The Cyber World – June URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/news-updates-from-the-cyber-world-june/ Description: News Updates from The Cyber World – June: The world transforms overnight, tables turn in a minute. Everything is always on the verge of taking a new. The world transforms overnight, tables turn in a minute. Everything is always on the verge of taking a new form. Likewise, there are many developments taking place, daily, in the world of cybersecurity. As responsible adults, it is imperative that we keep ourselves updated on the happenings around the world, notably those about cybersecurity. Being aware helps us to be better prepared to tackle any threat in the cyberspace. So here is a list of all significant news updates from the past week: Evernote detects a severe security flaw in Chrome Extension Renowned organizational service provider Evernote was recently found a severe defect in its Chrome extension that leaves the floor open for hackers to attack, and steal sensitive information from any website accessed by a user. With a user base of over 4,610,000 users at the time when cybersecurity researchers identified the flaw, the vulnerability in Evernote’s Chrome extension could give hackers access to user data from accounts on other third-party websites which includes authentication, financials, private conversations on social media, personal e-mails, and more such vital and, sensitive information. What is the present situation? However, upon receiving the report about this loophole from the Guardio team, Evernote authorities... --- #### Cyber Security News Updates of the Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-security-news-june-updates-week/ Description: Nothing remains static forever; after all, change is the only constant in the world! Naturally, this applies to the world of cyber security as well. Nothing remains static forever; after all, change is the only constant in the world! Naturally, this applies to the world of cyber security as well. Many developments take place in the digital world, especially in the field of Cybersecurity, daily. Since it is humanly impossible to keep track of all these changes, the least we can do, as cyber security enthusiasts, is to stay updated on the most prominent news headlines about cyber and email security services, and all their aspects. To aid you better, here are the top updates on Cybersecurity for this week: The Eighth India Business & Resilience Summit 2019 Held in Mumbai on June 6th, 2019, the 8th India Business & Resilience Summit 2019 was organized for several nations to come together and discuss vital issues related to cybersecurity, such as BCM(Business Continuity Management), IT Disaster Recovery, Emergency Response & Crisis Management and Security. The finest brains from India, UK, US, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Middle East took part in this summit, which was organized by Continuity and Resilience (CORE), and supported by The BCI, UK. This summit was attended by well over 150 well-known people from the industry, who shared their knowledge and... --- #### Cyber Security News Updates – June URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cyber-security-news-updates-june/ Description: Cyber Security News Updates – June: Something as dynamic as the world of information or cyber security witnesses scores of activities every day. It is. Something as dynamic as the world of information or cyber security witnesses scores of activities every day. It is an ever raging battle between the attackers and the security providers. Keeping up with the numerous developments can be a daunting task, but for a cyber-security enthusiast, these updates become a necessity to be better prepared to tackle all the threats. Here are the top events of the past week in the world of cybersecurity. 1) US Cyber Command Appoints New Vice Admiral As A Security Measure The head of the US Cyber Command, Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, promoted serving Rear Admiral, Ross Myers of the US Naval Command, to the rank of Vice-Admiral to ensure a safe, secure and un-interrupted electoral process for the nation. They are keen on preventing any foreigner or outsider, intending to target and disturb the election process, from succeeding in their vicious attempts. Why Ross Myers as the new No. 2? - He holds good experience in the military. - He has served as the director of plans and policy, at the US Cyber Command, and has also been the assistant deputy director for global operations of the Joint Staff, and the executive assistant to... --- #### Top Cybersecurity News Of The Week URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/top-cybersecurity-news-of-the-week/ Description: Cybersecurity is a dynamic field of information and digital technology world and witnesses important events every single day of the year. Cybersecurity is a dynamic field of information and digital technology world and witnesses important events every single day of the year. These might either be the actions of hackers that are in the news or the anti-phishing or information security control measures adopted by the organizations trying to protect their information assets from those adversaries. To bring you up to speed, here are some of the most relevant cybersecurity-related news updates of this week: 1. Forescout Technologies, the torchbearer in device visibility and control, launches its SilentDefence4.0 Estimates indicate that this year shall witness a growth in connected devices by 900 million, of which 85% shall be IoT and OT devices. A device explosion of this sort expands the visibility gap between cybersecurity stakeholders and their network. However, cybersecurity stakeholders (CISOs and SOC managers) cannot consistently manage the resources required to audit their ever-growing network and cyber security infrastructure. What does SilentDefence4.0 do? With SilentDefence4.0, Forescout Technologies will provide Organizations with faster mitigation of threats and lower their risk profiles, thus enabling them to bridge the visibility gap. 2. The UK to invest 22 million pounds for new army cyber operations centers The United Kingdom is all set to invest... --- #### Cybersecurity News Updates Of The Week – May URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-news-updates-of-the-week-may/ Description: Digital Space is full of random activities which are taking place every day, new breaches, cyber-attacks, laws & regulations etc. Digital Space is full of random activities which are taking place every day, new breaches, cyber-attacks, laws & regulations etc. Everybody needs to be updated with all news related to anti phishing security and events taking place around them to protect their information systems, networks and organizations from external and internal threat vectors. Here are all the latest news updates, curated to provide information about everything that is happening in the cyberspace: 8 million People Suffer a Leak of Personal Information Through Unprotected Database Satyam Jain, a security researcher, found out that an Elasticsearch database, which was hosted by Amazon, was unprotected and publicly accessible. This resulted in a leak of personal information of about 8 million people in the US. Which information was leaked? The personal information of people like name, address, email Id, contact details, birth date, gender, and IP address was leaked. Who owns the database? After thorough researching, it was found that the database was owned by an online marketing company called PathEvolution, whose parent company is Ifficient, another online marketing firm. Amazon hosted the database. Remedial measures that are being undertaken Ifficient is notifying all the affected people. It is also providing free identity monitoring... --- #### The Week In The News: Top Cybersecurity News From Around The Globe URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/the-week-in-the-news-top-cybersecurity-news-from-around-the-globe/ Description: The Week In The News: Top Cybersecurity News From Around The Globe: Cybercriminals once again made headlines this week causing service interruption, hacking. Cybercriminals once again made headlines this week causing service interruption, hacking into user accounts, tricking users to clicking on a fraudulent link in an email, and many more data breaches. The news was all over the place about the on-going cyber trends, including newspapers, news websites, and blogs. Hence, it is imperative for cyber-security experts, researchers, analysts, information security managers, and even to people of the public to keep themselves aware and updated with what's going on in cyberspace. So, here is the latest news updates of the week highlighting Cybersecurity news around the globe. - ApexSMS Firm’s MongoDB Database Leaked A text SMS marketing company called ApexSMS Inc., which is also working under the name of Mobile Drip has suffered an enormous data leak because of an unprotected MongoDB database. Apex SMS undertook ‘SMS Bombing Campaigns’ to promote this type of cyber-warfare. The data leak has disclosed around 80,055,125 records in total, which belonged to ApexSMS Inc. Advertisements by Gland Slam Marketing, a small time advertising company of ApexSMS, also compromised users’ privacy by keeping a track on them. What kind of data was leaked? The leaked data from 80 million records consist of MD5-hashed emails, IP addresses, contact... --- #### Cybersecurity: The Week In The News URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/cybersecurity-the-week-in-the-news/ Description: Cybersecurity: The Week In The News: Cybersecurity is paramount for any business in the digital age. Organizations are trying hard and spending millions of. Cybersecurity is paramount for any business in the digital age. Organizations are trying hard and spending millions of dollars in keeping themselves secure from any cybersecurity breach in their information systems. The cyber incidents take place every day causing significant loss to not only the reputation of the enterprise but also results in financial losses and regulatory issues. Let’s have a look into some of the most widely discusses cyber security incidents and news in cyberspace in recent last week. Google Patches Critical Remote Code-Execution (RCE) Bugs In Its Latest Android Security Updates In its most recent Android security update, Google has updated some critical Remote Code-Execution (RCE) security vulnerabilities that might affect the Android devices including the one which could open the backdoor for an attacker on the Media framework of Android operating system. These vulnerabilities can result in enabling a malicious application to bypass users interaction requirements to escalate the access privileges. If you use an Android device, then you’re highly encouraged to update your android operating system with the latest update. Keep the option on to download updates automatically. QakBot(Or Also Known As Qbot): A Trojan Malware’s Reincarnation QakBot has been a famous malware for almost a... --- #### Mueller Report Unravels Politically Motivated Spear Phishing Cyber Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/mueller-report-unravels-politically-motivated-spear-phishing-cyber-attack/ Description: The Russian meddling in 2016 US Presidential election is well known and is an example of how a state-sponsored social media campaign can provoke or amplify. The Russian meddling in 2016 US Presidential election is well known and is an example of how a state-sponsored social media campaign can provoke or amplify social and political disruptions in a country, but the most crucial part which is often overlooked in the entire episode is the scale of ‘Spear Phishing Cyber Attack’. Have you ever received an e-mail claiming to be originating from government authorities (such as police, immigration or tax department) and asking to take immediate action and provide your personal or financial details to avoid any repercussions? While many of us may fall for the trick adopted by cyber adversaries, it is better not ever to open such emails or click the URL given in it. The easiest way to scam people of the public today is to send spear phishing emails to targeted individuals, which once opened can provide access to significant personal or financial information or data. Similar techniques were used by state-backed Russian hackers who meddled with a large amount of confidential data and information targeting Democratic Party aides. Fraudulent emails were sent to the identified democratic staff members to get hands-on to sensitive data related to the Clinton campaign during the 2016... --- #### How Is The Latest QakBot Variant QBot Infecting Electronic Devices? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-is-the-latest-qakbot-variant-qbot-infecting-electronic-devices/ Description: QBot -also referred to as QakBot- is a polymorphic Trojan that has been designed to steal financial information from the computer devices it infects. QBot -also referred to as QakBot- is a polymorphic Trojan that has been designed to steal financial information from the computer devices it infects. A Trojan malware is one which has capabilities to replicate itself, but QBot is exceptional in the sense that this Trojan can undergo sophisticated modification to provide attackers with enhanced capabilities and can then be spread through either networks or removable storage devices. The research activity carried out by Varonis recently exposed a global QBot Cyber Campaign. It was found that the C2 Server actively compromised thousands of victims around the globe. The primary targets of these attacks were US Corporations. However, it has also hit networks around the world with victims from Asia, South America, and Europe. The goal of these cyber-attacks was to steal financial information from the victim including bank account details. In the report, it is mentioned that threat actors used a new variant of QBot. How The New Variant Of QBot Works: In a typical attack by this new variant of QBot which exploits the vulnerabilities in targeted system stealthily. The victim receives an email containing a link to OneDrive that then delivers a file with .doc or .vbs extension upon... --- #### Phish Protection at CloudFest URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phish-protection-cloudfest/ Description: Phish Protection at CloudFest: It's happening in Rust, Germany, and we want you to be there! CloudFest 2019 is where cloud and hosting professionals to join. Meet the Phish Protection Team at CloudFest It’s happening in Rust, Germany, and we want you to be there! CloudFest 2019 is where cloud and hosting professionals to join together to explore and challenge the future of internet technology. Guaranteeing an electrifying experience for all, attendees can expect to hear compelling keynote speakers, attend cool breakout sessions and be provided loads of opportunities to network via the many, high-spirited after-parties taking place during the seven-day festival. March 25 through 29, 2019 - EuropaPark, Rust, Germany, Booth #R13 --- #### How Something Meant to Keep the Internet Safe Can Leave You Vulnerable URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-something-meant-to-keep-the-internet-safe-can-leave-you-vulnerable/ Description: How Something Meant to Keep the Internet Safe Can Leave You Vulnerable: You can tell hackers are clever when they start to use the things you trust the most. You can tell hackers are clever when they start to use the things you trust the most to exploit you. If you spend any time on the internet then surely you have encountered reCAPTCHA. reCAPTCHA, a system designed to establish that a computer user is human, was developed by engineers as Carnegie Mellon University and later acquired by Google. Today, reCAPTCHA uses image verification by asking users to click on specific checkboxes. The system then verifies whether the user is a human or not behind the scenes. And wouldn't you know it, hackers are now using reCAPTCHA to phish victims. According to an article on ThreatPost, the offending emails "asked victims for confirmation for a recent transaction, along with a link to a malicious PHP file. When the victims clicked on the link, the malicious PHP file would send them a fake 404 error page. The PHP code then loaded a fake Google reCAPTCHA using a combination of HTML elements and JavaScript. The fake reCAPTCHA looks real, and makes victims feel as though the landing page is legitimate." Luke Leal, from website security firm Sucuri, says there were some ways to identify the reCAPTCHA as fraudulent. “This page does a... --- #### How Keeping Up With The News Can Get You Hacked URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-keeping-up-with-the-news-can-get-you-hacked/ Description: How Keeping Up With The News Can Get You Hacked: One of the easiest ways to get hacked is through a phishing email. Phishing emails contain either a. One of the easiest ways to get hacked is through a phishing email. Phishing emails contain either a malicious attachment or include an embedded link to a malicious website. Of course, many people are getting wise to phishing emails and aren't so easily fooled. But what if you receive a phishing email from the last place you'd ever expected to receive one from? Would you still have your guard up? A recent study by news agency Axios discovered that only 6% of news organizations deploy DMARC on their email newsletters. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is a sophisticated but widely-available technology that ensures emails are authentic. The study found that of 98 news sites tested, only one had fully operational DMARC. "The list of sites not protected by DMARC includes influential news sources, from the New York Times and USA Today to Fox and NBC networks to Voice of America and major international outlets." Without DMARC deployed, hackers can compromise email newsletters to send out fake news and potentially compromise an election. Or worse. They could use the compromised newsletters to send phishing emails to all the recipients. Hackers are getting more sophisticated. They target emails they know... --- #### Protecting Against Phishing is Even Harder With Invisible Links URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/protecting-against-phishing-is-even-harder-with-invisible-links/ Description: Protecting Against Phishing is Even Harder With Invisible Links: Employees who have been trained to look out for phishing emails know not to click on links. Employees who have been trained to look out for phishing emails know not to click on links in suspicious emails. But what if the email tricks them into clicking on a link they didn’t intend to click on because it's invisible? According to a presentation by the security education firm KnowBe4, one of the newest forms of email compromise is a type of clickjacking which incorporates an invisible link (using the opacity setting in CSS). The link is instead replaced by a "bothersome" graphic element that's made to look like a small hair or a speck of dust just like this: This tricks the user into wiping the hair or dust off the screen, ostensibly on a mobile phone, which activates the link and launches a connection back to a rogue website. Or worse, releases some form of malware. These "rouge wiping elements" are a form of social engineering which is almost impossible to prevent with education alone. Afterall, it's human nature to want a touchscreen free of debris. The only way to protect users from these sophisticated phishing techniques is to use technology. Technology that doesn't get fooled so easily. To protect against this clever form of phishing actually... --- #### Recovering from a Phishing Attack URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/recovering-from-a-phishing-attack/ Description: Recovering from a Phishing Attack: So you tried your best to avoid a phishing attack but one day your laptop woke up with the flu bug. Criminals use phishing. So you tried your best to avoid a phishing attack but one day your laptop woke up with the flu bug. Criminals use phishing attacks to try to get at your personal information. You receive a legitimate-looking email with a link or attachment attached and you take the bait. After the initial shock wears off what do you do? First and foremost, disconnect your device immediately to get offline. The criminal could be in the process of installing ransomware on your computer. So if you have a wire connection, simply unplug the internet cable. If your device is wireless, disconnect it from the wifi network. This can prevent other attempts to infect other devices on your network AND it also stops someone from accessing your email contacts to send THEM phishing emails. Who would suspect an infected email coming from a friend or colleague? If the phishing email appeared to come from your - Financial Institution - Email Provider - Social Media Sites then, you should go to the real website by entering its URL instead of clicking a link. Just remember that a legitimate site will have a padlock or other icon to let you know it is secure.... --- #### Do I Need Third-Party Phishing Protection for Office 365? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/do-i-need-third-party-phishing-protection-for-office-365/ Description: Office 365’s security features won’t protect users from all cyber security threats. Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 user base is growing at a steady rate. Office 365’s security features won’t protect users from all cyber security threats. Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 user base is growing at a steady rate. Since the office platform first outperformed Google Apps in 2015, it’s seen a constant uptick in activity. Now, Microsoft reports it counts its Office 365 users in the hundreds of millions. However, enterprise usage does not always equal enterprise value - particularly when it comes to cybersecurity as it misses out providing office 365 advanced threat protection for users. Cloud-based technology like Office 365 is more secure than most on-premises solutions within the reach of small to mid-sized businesses. While the cloud platform adds security, there is a gap between the level of security Office 365 users need and the level of security that the natively provides on its own. This is particularly evident when it comes to advanced phishing protection. Cybersecurity professionals know that 91% of cyberattacks use email as a primary threat vector. A small attachment in an otherwise harmless email can be the opening that cybercriminals use to force their way into your entire organization. While Office 365 offers useful services through its Advanced Threat Protection add-on, users need a comprehensive third-party solution... --- ### Advanced #### Phishing Proxy Attacks On Microsoft 365: How Attackers Target Cloud Authentication Sessions URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-proxy-attacks-microsoft-365-cloud-authentication-session-security-protection/ Description: Phishing proxy attacks can bypass MFA and hijack Microsoft 365 authentication sessions. Learn how they work and how to strengthen cloud security. Phishing proxy attacks are an evolving approach that cybercriminals use to compromise cloud accounts. Rather than just stealing passwords, these attackers can intercept genuine authentication processes in real time to acquire credentials, multi-factor authentication (MFA) responses, and session cookies. For businesses that utilize Microsoft 365, this poses a significant threat, as gaining control over a single session can grant access to emails, documents, collaboration platforms, and integrated apps. It's crucial to comprehend the mechanics of these man-in-the-middle attacks, as well as strategies for detecting and thwarting session theft, to safeguard contemporary cloud identities and strengthen phishing protection. What Phishing Proxy Attacks Are and Why Microsoft 365 Is a Prime Target A phishing proxy attack is a modern credential theft technique in which attackers place a reverse proxy between the user and a legitimate identity provider such as Microsoft, Okta, Google, Apple, GitHub, DocuSign, or Adobe. Unlike a basic fake login page, a phishing proxy relays the real authentication experience to the victim in real time, making the interaction look authentic while capturing credentials, MFA responses, and session artifacts. This model is often described as an adversary-in-the-middle attack, or AiTM, because the attacker positions infrastructure between the user and the legitimate... --- #### How AI Detects Zero-Day Phishing Before Security Patches Are Released URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-ai-detects-zero-day-phishing-before-security-patches-released/ Description: Learn how AI detects zero-day phishing attacks in real time by identifying suspicious behavior before security patches are released, reducing cyber risk. Zero-day phishing is a phishing attack that exploits an unknown vulnerability, a newly registered lookalike domain, a fresh social engineering technique, or unpatched software before a software vendor, security team, or security software provider has released a fix. Unlike familiar spam or commodity malware, zero-day phishing is designed to appear novel: the malicious link may not be on a blacklist, the malicious attachment may not match any known malware signature, and the phishing email may use AI-crafted content that looks convincingly human. A zero-day phishing cyber attack often begins before defenders know what to search for. Attackers may exploit an unknown vulnerability in a document viewer, browser, authentication flow, or cloud application. They may also exploit unpatched software in collaboration platforms, email clients, or file-sharing tools. Because there is no established indicator of compromise, a legacy security system can miss the initial breach. Traditional defenses struggle because many are reactive. A signature-based filter, rule-based filter, antivirus engine, spam filter, or basic URL filter depends on known patterns. If the phishing campaign uses a new malicious link, a clean domain reputation, or a malicious attachment that has never been submitted to a malware scanner, those tools may allow the phishing email... --- #### Ghost Phishing: Why a Clean URL Scan No Longer Means a Clean Page URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ghost-phishing-when-a-clean-url-scan-doesnt-mean-a-clean-page/ Description: A new 'ghost phishing' wave hides the attack until the page decrypts inside the victim's browser, sailing past URL scanners and email gateways. Here is how it works and what actually catches it. A phishing link lands in an inbox. Your email gateway follows it, fetches the page, scans the response, and finds nothing worth blocking. No login form. No suspicious redirects. No known phishing template. The message is delivered. An hour later an employee clicks, and a convincing Microsoft sign-in prompt renders in their browser. The page that your tools called clean was never clean. It was just hiding. This is the pattern behind what researchers at ANY.RUN have started calling ghost phishing, uncovered while analyzing a campaign known as EvilTokens. It is not a new lure or a cleverer subject line. It is a change in where and when the attack becomes visible, and it targets a blind spot that sits in most email security stacks. The trick: encrypt the page, decrypt it in the victim's browser Traditional phishing pages carry their payload in the open. The fake login form, the branding, the credential-stealing script, all of it lives in the HTML that a server returns. That is exactly what a URL scanner or a secure email gateway is built to read. Fetch the page, look at the response, match it against patterns for credential forms and known kits, assign a... --- #### What Is Phishing-Resistant MFA And Why Password-Based Authentication Is No Longer Enough URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/what-is-phishing-resistant-mfa-why-passwords-are-not-enough/ Description: Learn how phishing-resistant MFA strengthens security by blocking credential theft and why passwords alone can no longer protect accounts. For a long time, passwords have served as the bedrock of online security; however, they fall short in combating today’s advanced phishing schemes, credential theft, and account takeovers. Even conventional multi-factor authentication (MFA) is at risk, as attackers can utilize advanced tactics to intercept codes, exploit push notifications, or navigate around authentication processes. Consequently, more organizations are turning to phishing-resistant MFA — an authentication method fortified by cryptographic measures that safeguard users from inadvertently giving access to cybercriminals. This guide will delve into the concept of phishing-resistant MFA, its distinctions from traditional MFA, the underlying technologies, and ways organizations can enhance identity security and phishing protection within Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 ecosystems. The Limits of Password-Based Authentication in Today’s Threat Landscape Password-based authentication was never designed for today’s cybersecurity reality. Passwords can be guessed, reused, leaked, sprayed, stolen through malware, or captured in adversary-in-the-middle phishing kits. Even when organizations enforce complexity rules, passwords remain a shared secret—and shared secrets are inherently vulnerable. This is especially risky in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Entra environments, where one compromised identity can expose email, SharePoint data, Teams conversations, cloud apps, and administrative controls. In Entra ID, formerly Azure AD, attackers often target... --- #### Measuring ROI From Phishing Simulation Training Programs URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/measuring-roi-from-phishing-simulation-training-programs/ Description: Measure the ROI of phishing simulation training by tracking reduced security incidents, lower breach costs, and improved employee threat awareness. Phishing simulation training is often treated as a compliance exercise, but its real value is as a measurable risk-reduction tool. A well-designed training program helps organizations understand how employees respond to a phishing attack, how quickly they report suspicious messages, and whether security awareness training is creating durable behavioral changes. ROI matters because executives need to see that employee training is not just “checking a box”—it is reducing phishing risk, improving detection, and strengthening the organization’s secure posture. When teams simulate a phishing attack, they create a controlled environment for measuring user behavior before a real attacker exploits it. This makes phishing simulation training especially valuable for phishing risk mitigation and risk management. Instead of relying only on technical controls, organizations can combine phishing protection, threat protection, and user awareness, giving security leaders a clearer view of human-layer exposure. ROI Turns Awareness Into Business Evidence A phishing attack can lead to credential theft, ransomware, data security incidents, unauthorized network access, regulatory compliance issues, and business interruption. Measuring ROI connects security awareness training to business outcomes such as avoided breach costs, reduced incident response time, and fewer high-risk user actions. For example, Microsoft Security tools such as Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel,... --- #### How Cloud-Based Anti-Phishing Architectures Actually Process Emails in Real Time URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/how-cloud-anti-phishing-architectures-process-emails-in-real-time/ Description: Learn how cloud-based anti-phishing architectures process emails in real time using AI, threat intelligence, and multi-layer security filtering. Modern cloud-based anti-phishing solutions process email as part of a live phishing-protection workflow, not as a simple filter. Every message is evaluated across identity signals, sender infrastructure, content patterns, attachments, URLs, user context, and global threat intelligence before a delivery decision is made. This is why cloud email security platforms such as Mimecast, SpamTitan, Proofpoint, Barracuda Essentials, Microsoft M365 security tools, and TitanHQ services are central to enterprise email protection against phishing attacks, malware, and broader cyber attacks. Ingestion and Routing: How Cloud Email Gateways Receive, Mirror, or API-Scan Messages Gateway-Based Mail Flow In a traditional cloud email security deployment, mail is routed through an email gateway before reaching Microsoft M365, Google Workspace, or another mailbox platform. MX records point inbound mail to the provider’s cloud platform, where inbound email scanning begins. Products such as Mimecast Secure Email Gateway, SpamTitan Plus, and Barracuda Essentials inspect messages before forwarding safe mail to the destination tenant. This gateway model gives anti-phishing software a strong enforcement point. It can reject malicious connections, apply spam detection, block malware, quarantine suspicious messages, and enforce threat protection policies before a user ever sees the email. API-Based and Journal-Based Scanning Many cloud-based anti-phishing solutions now supplement gateway... --- #### The Credential Stuffing Counter-Measure: How Proxies Help Detect Bot-Led Login Attacks URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/credential-stuffing-countermeasure-proxies-detect-bot-led-login-attacks-effectively/ Description: The Credential Stuffing Counter-Measure: How Proxies Help Detect Bot-Led Login Attacks: Credential stuffing is no longer a \"bad week\" event. For many teams. Credential stuffing is no longer a “bad week” event. For many teams, it is background noise that spikes without warning, blends into normal user behavior, and quietly drains time from higher-value security work. The hardest part is not knowing it exists, along with the awareness of phishing attacks . It is knowing it exists, and still having to decide, in milliseconds, whether a login attempt is a real customer returning or an automated run that will keep trying until something sticks. Turning traffic diversity into a detection signal Credential stuffing succeeds when each login attempt looks like it came from a different “someone,” even though the behavior is driven by the same automation. The defensive goal is to connect those dots without slowing down legitimate sign-ins. In this case, a proxy server becomes less of a networking detail and more of a measurement point (in this article, when we say “proxy,” we mean an edge/reverse proxy that can tidy up requests, record them, and add extra useful information before they reach your system). Placed in front of authentication, a proxy server can standardize what your login stack sees and records. That matters because detection is usually built from small signals,... --- #### Seamless Transactions: Payment Gateway Services for CRM Success URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/payment-gateway-services-for-crm/ Description: Online payment gateway integration with CRM turns your multipurpose platform allowing you to manage customers and receive payments from a centralized place. Online payment gateway integration with CRM turns your multipurpose platform allowing you to manage customers and receive payments from a centralized place. CRM systems are implemented into companies to enable them to generate leads, and revenue, and automate marketing workflows. Payment gateways are not designed only for transaction processing but also for workflow enhancement. Combining the two transforms business/customer relationships boosts sales and success. Companies may implement bank-integrated, self-hosted, hosted, or API-hosted CRM payment integration. Why companies require integrating CRM with payment processing Top-quality CRMs boost customer data management and accuracy by 42%. Reports show that companies that integrate CRM processing may achieve sales objectives by 86%. They close sales deals faster because customers complete the process on the same platform. Companies harness the power of these systems which help streamline operations and revenue flow. Traditionally, companies rely on reliable digital tools not only to manage data and payments. They also do this to maintain the performance and security of their systems. Just as businesses use CRM-integrated payment gateways to centralize processes, professionals also turn to utilities that help their devices function smoothly. For example, users often search for clean my Mac solutions to keep their Macs optimized and free... --- #### WhatsApp coming up with “strict security mode” to safeguard users against cyberattacks! URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/whatsapp-with-strict-security-mode-to-safeguard-users-against-cyberattacks/ Description: WhatsApp coming up with \"strict security mode\" to safeguard users against cyberattacks!: WhatsApp coming up with \"strict security mode\" to safeguard users. WhatsApp coming up with “strict security mode” to safeguard users against cyberattacks! by Phishing Protection https://media.mailhop.org/phishprotection/images/2025/11/WhatsApp-coming-up-with-strict-security-mode-to-safeguard-users-against-cyberattacks.mp3 Cybercrooks are getting smarter with one cyberattack at a time. So, WhatsApp, one of the most widely used messaging apps worldwide, has decided to ramp up its security to protect its users from cyber incidents. WhatsApp is all set to launch one of its biggest security updates ever - a “ strict security mode .” The feature is being developed to simplify digital safety for users who feel vulnerable to potential threat attacks. WABetaInfo, the widely used WhatsApp beta tracker , has revealed that the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS (version 24.33.10.70) will introduce this new security layer to users. Experts believe that this update will enable users to activate a bunch of advanced privacy settings simultaneously instead of toggling each setting manually. Meta-owned WhatsApp has decided to roll out the feature to beta users in phases in upcoming iOS updates. Once they have figured out the stability and performance analysis, a global release is expected. What is Strict Security Mode? WhatsApp already has several privacy control features. It allows users to hide their last-seen status and silence unknown callers . But users find... --- #### Ultimate Guide To Zero-Day Threat Prevention: Strategies & Best Practices URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-zero-day-threat-prevention-strategies/ Description: In the ever-evolving domain of cybersecurity, zero-day threats represent some of the most sophisticated and dangerous challenges facing organizations worldwide. In the ever-evolving domain of cybersecurity , zero-day threats represent some of the most sophisticated and dangerous challenges facing organizations worldwide. A zero-day vulnerability is a previously unknown software vulnerability that has not yet been patched or disclosed publicly. Cybercriminals exploit these zero-day vulnerabilities through a zero-day exploit, often before software vendors can issue security patches or mitigation measures. These exploits can trigger severe consequences, including data breaches, ransomware attacks, and infiltration by advanced persistent threats (APTs). Characteristically, zero-day threats leverage the fact that no defense mechanism is prepared to detect or block an exploit as it strikes for the first time. Unlike known threats mitigated by signature-based detection, zero-day attacks require more dynamic and adaptive methods such as behavior-based detection, machine learning security, and advanced heuristic analysis . Moreover, some exploits are fileless malware that reside in memory, evading traditional malware detection tools. This invisibility makes them highly perilous, necessitating a multi-layered approach to threat prevention . Common Attack Vectors and Exploitation Methods Zero-day exploits infiltrate networks and devices through various attack vectors, often integrating with exploit kits and other toolsets that automate vulnerability discovery and exploitation. The most common vectors include: - Application security flaws : Attackers exploit... --- #### How Organizations Can Use Advanced Threat Protection Solutions for Email Security, Such as Anti-phishing, Anti-spoofing, and Anti-malware Tools URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/secure-your-organizations-email-communication-with-advanced-threat-protection-solutions/ Description: How Organizations Can Use Advanced Threat Protection Solutions for Email Security, Such as Anti-phishing, Anti-spoofing, and Anti-malware Tools: Advanced. Advanced threat protection solutions, such as anti-phishing, anti-spoofing, and anti-malware tools, are vital for safeguarding organizations against email-based cyberattacks. This text will explore the benefits and considerations of implementing these solutions and provide practical guidance on leveraging them best to enhance email security. In recent years, the proliferation of digital communication channels has transformed how organizations operate, making email an essential tool for everyday communication . While email has undoubtedly streamlined communication and improved efficiency, it has become a prime target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. With cyberattacks becoming increasingly sophisticated, relying on legacy security measures like firewalls is no longer enough. By implementing advanced threat protection solutions, organizations can stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and ensure the safety of their operations and sensitive data. Why Is Advanced Threat Protection in Email Security Important? Organizations face the increasing risk of ransomware and other sophisticated threats that can compromise their resiliency and data integrity. Email systems, in particular, are highly vulnerable to such attacks, making advanced threat protection a critical aspect of cybersecurity. To minimize the cost and complexity of securing email, ensuring your organization has access to cutting-edge solutions for advanced... --- #### 4 Common Cyber Threats That Your Business May Face In 2022 URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/4-common-cyber-threats-business-face-2022/ Description: 4 Common Cyber Threats That Your Business May Face In 2022: The threats in the cyber world are looming over businesses of different sizes these days. The threats in the cyber world are looming over businesses of different sizes these days. Technology has facilitated the work of businesses tremendously, but new risks of cyber attacks appear simultaneously to the benefits they enjoy. Just as we research cyber threats and uncover new security measures to prevent them from happening, hackers find innovative ways to achieve their goals. They even have their ways to uncover vulnerable companies to hack and avoid the ones with fierce security measures in place. This is why businesses need to keep up with the ever-changing cyber threats consistently. The safety measures that protected your organization just last year might not work today. According to TechJury, 30,000 new pieces of malware are being created every single day . With this in mind, we’d like to present you with the 4 common cyber threats that you should know about in 2022 . We’ll accompany this information with some actionable tips on how to avoid and prevent them. 1. SQL injection attacks This type of cyber threat has found itself in the top ten list of security risks according to OWASP. In recent years, SQL injection attacks are one of the most common types of cyber... --- #### Phishing Attacks: The Greatest Risk to Your Company URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attacks-the-greatest-risk-to-you-company/ Description: Phishing Attacks: The Greatest Risk to Your Company: If you're in business, then you're worried about phishing attacks , or at least you should be. But, even. If you're in business, then you're worried about phishing attacks, or at least you should be. But, even if you are worried about phishing attacks, there's a pretty good chance you don't understand the greatest threat of all to your company. You probably think the worst thing that can happen from a phishing attack against your company is ransomware. Some hacker encrypts your data and you pay a ransom to get it back (or not). Or, maybe you think the worst thing that can happen is a data breach where your customers' data gets exposed and you have to pay some sort of fine. Those are all bad, and reason enough to avoid getting phished. Believe it or not, there's something much worse that can happen. What could be worse? How about losing customers? Some of them forever. And if you lose enough customers, it won't matter if you recover the encrypted data or pay the fine because you won't be in business any more. According to recent research conducted by PCI Pal, "In the US, 83% of consumers claim they will stop spending with a business for several months in the immediate aftermath of a security breach, and over... --- #### Can Phishing Awareness Training Cause More Harm Than Good? URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/can-phishing-awareness-training-cause-more-harm-than-good/ Description: Can Phishing Awareness Training Cause More Harm Than Good?: Filtering and time-of-click protection can produce results where training fails. First, the. Filtering and time-of-click protection can produce results where training fails. First, the facts: Employees who are unaware of the dangers of phishing are far more likely to become victims of phishing attempts than those who understand the process. The FBI estimates that organizations across the United States lose $1.2 billion every year due to email scams. Since phishing is by far the most popular way to get malicious code into an organization’s network, it follows that training employees to recognize phishing attempts is an effective strategy to prevent phishing attacks. But how good of a strategy is it really? Formal studies on the subject can be misleading. There are university-based studies that show promising results from sending mock-phishing emails to students and faculty, but it’s unclear how well these results translate to the world of business. It’s also unclear how phishing training can eliminate the threat of cyberattack on its own. It’s unreasonable to expect a 0% chance of falling victim to cyberattack solely through employee vigilance and training. Only a systematic, infrastructural approach can produce results of this caliber. What’s wrong with phishing with your own employees Phishing awareness training usually centers around creating mock phishing drills that target... --- #### Phishing Attack Mechanics: How Cybercrime Strategy Works URL: https://phishprotection.com/blog/phishing-attack-mechanics-how-cybercrime-strategy-works/ Description: Phishing attacks follow five key steps. Effective cybersecurity prevents them at each one. “They’re not interested in companies like ours. Phishing attacks follow five key steps. Effective cybersecurity prevents them at each one. “I’d never fall for that.” “It’ll never happen to me.” “They’re not interested in companies like ours.” Almost every cybercrime victim has said words like these at one time or another. Anyone who believes that they, their company, or their colleagues are too street-smart to be victimized by cyber attacks doesn’t know just how sophisticated these attacks can be. In the early days of the Internet, phishing and other email scams were easy to spot. Bad spelling, extraordinary promises, and obvious requests for sensitive information led many to a false sense of security, but cybercrime has become a $1.5 trillion industry and shows no signs of slowing down. The security landscape has become a full-on “arms race” between cybercriminals coming up with better, more creative exploits and cybersecurity professionals working tirelessly to patch vulnerabilities and inform users of best practices. Email phishing stands at the very center of the storm because it is still the number-one attack vector that cybercriminals use worldwide. But if you know how phishing attacks work, you can implement strategies for beating cybercriminals at their own game every step of the way. To... ---