Billions of Gmail and Outlook users warned over ‘spear phishing attacks’ that ‘get personal’ before taking over device
CYBERSECURITY experts have warned that a certain type of email attack is responsible for 66 percent of all breaches.
That’s according to data collected from Barracuda Networks on a scam called spear phishing.
The cybercrime was highlighted by security experts at KnowBe4.
They explain on the KnowBe4 security blog: “Spear phishing is when a social engineering attacker uses personal or confidential information they have learned about a potential victim or organization in order to more readily fool the victim into performing a harmful action.”
The researchers used the Barracuda Networks data to explain that only 0.1% of all email-based attacks are considered to be spear phishing.
However, this scheme is said to be responsible for 66 percent of data breaches and can easily affect individuals at home as well as big companies.
In order to stay safe, you should watch out for phishing red flags in all emails.
You may feel safe responding to an email that addresses you personally and seems legitimate but scammers try to lure victims into a false sense of security.
This especially applies to emails from big brands or from loved ones.
Scammers try to learn a piece of personal information, insider knowledge, or internal names and relationships to trick you into revealing more.
They may be after data, passwords, or even your financial information.
The best thing to do is be wary of suspicious emails asking for personal information or money and double-check who you’re corresponding with.
If you think it’s a colleague or friend, reach out to them via a different method to check if their email has been hacked.
HOW TO AVOID A PHISHING SCAM
Firstly, you should be thorough when checking who the email is from.
Even if it looks official, double-check the email and check for any spelling mistakes or slight abnormalities in the sender’s email address.
Never feel pressurized into opening an attachment and avoid clicking the phrase enable content.
You should also be wary of links in emails.
If you’re certain an email you have received is a scam, report it to your email provider and delete it.