BotNet News

Phishing involves attackers posing as a trustworthy organization or individual (such as technical support or one’s bank) and attempting to gain sensitive information from unsuspecting users, such as login credentials or payment data. Attackers use a variety of methods to deliver phishing messages, including email, web, and mobile phone attacks.

Some attacks use a sense of urgency to trick victims into lowering their guard and clicking on malicious links. The links are usually aimed at harvesting credentials, stealing payments, or installing malware. Attackers sometimes target popular brands to increase their chances of getting a bite, and they often include legitimate logos in their messages.

Using a number-in-message trap, attackers send emails, texts, and voicemails that look like they come from your email provider, bank, or even Microsoft/Apple support, prompting victims to call a number to “restore access,”‘verify security credentials,’ or’remove malware.’ On the phone, attackers social-engineer users into providing their account credentials, one-time MFA codes, or remote-access tools and install malicious software on the user’s device.

While phishing attacks are growing more sophisticated, employees can help protect themselves by knowing the telltale signs of suspicious messages. For example, if an email appears to be missing information or contains grammatical errors, it is likely not legitimate. Additionally, it’s worth checking the URL and spelling of a website in an email to see if it matches the corresponding address on your company’s internal systems. Finally, if an employee receives a request to share sensitive information via email, it’s generally considered a red flag to do so. Legitimate organizations rarely ask for personal or financial information through unsecure channels, such as email.