BotNet News

Phishing is an attack that uses malicious links and/or malware to steal credentials, take over a device, or both. Attackers use a variety of tools, including email, instant messaging apps like Messenger and WhatsApp, and more to meet their ultimate goals of spreading malware or stealing information.

Attackers commonly send messages with a sense of urgency to trick victims into taking quick action without carefully considering the request or verifying its authenticity. If a message feels out of character or asks for urgent action, it is a good idea to call or text the individual directly (don’t use email) to validate their request.

Attacks often include an attachment that when clicked, downloads malware to the victim’s system. This malware can do anything from logging keystrokes to sending back data to the attacker, to taking over a computer and stealing confidential information or holding it for ransom. Attackers may also use gifs, images, and videos in emails to deliver malware.

In the early days of the Internet, phishing was a simple affair for attackers as people were naive about potential threats and email security best practices were not widely implemented. Since then, attackers have developed sophisticated techniques to fool even the most careful of users.

To reduce the risk of phishing, all employees should understand how to spot phishing attacks and follow email security best practices. This includes not clicking on suspicious links, never sending financial information (like credit card numbers or Social Security numbers) over email and ensuring all software is updated regularly to patch known vulnerabilities. Additionally, implementing multifactor authentication and requiring password changes reduces an attacker’s window of opportunity to compromise an account.