Phishing: Everything You Need to Know
If you know anything about cybersecurity, then you’ve probably heard of phishing. But, just to be clear, it is a type of cyber attack that gathers sensitive information; login credentials, bank account, and credit card numbers, and other financial information. The attack occurs when the hacker poses as a legitimate email or website.
All personal information such as phone numbers, social security numbers, and social media account information is targeted by identity thieves. Victims get caught in phishing scams thanks to social engineering and a fake sense of urgency by clicking on the email and the malicious link it contains.
The most common phishing attempts try to mimic financial institutions, emails from co-workers, social media sites, auction sites, and online payment processors. Even though phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the cybercriminal attack book, it remains an enormous threat for many. The attacks are widespread and get more sophisticated by the year as they adapt to cyber-attack protection systems.
The purpose of phishing?
Generally speaking, phishing is a type of attack that serves at least one of the following purposes, if not both:
- Attaining sensitive information: Tricking victims with suspicious emails and using them to reveal login credentials or uncover personal information. One of the phishing classics is sending millions of emails tailor-made to look like they’re coming from a bank. If the victim clicks on the website and logs into their account, the attacker, also known as the phisher, has access to their bank account and everything on it.
- Malware download: Phishers also have this technique they use frequently; they attach an infected file to a scam email and use it to install ransomware or malware on your devices.
Different types of phishing?
These are all of the types of phishing that can be found out there in the cybercriminal world:
- Whaling
- Clone phishing
- Spear phishing
- Smishing
- Vishing
- Link manipulation
- Website forgery
- Filter evasion
- Tabnabbing
- Cover redirect
- Pharming
A phishing kit?
A phishing kit represents a set of tools that allows the attacker to launch phishing attacks easily. The attacker doesn’t have to be technically skilled; in fact, a cyber phishing attack can be made by someone with limited tech knowledge.
Trending phishing kits mimic legitimate websites such as Google, Microsoft, AOL, Apple, and PayPal.
After the scammer installs the phishing kit onto a server, it allows them to send fake emails to potential victims. With the addition of email lists and fake email templates, these phishing kits are available for purchase on the dark web.
Third-party risks?
One of the most important things is to keep in mind that the biggest data breaches originate from outside of your organization. Phishing risks skyrocket if a third-party vendor has access to sensitive information. Staff education about all potential phishing risks should be carried out undoubtedly. Third and fourth-party risk and vendor risk should be a part of the framework related to third-party risk management and vendor risk management programs.
