If you haven’t been socially engineered at least once, you might have been and just didn’t realize it.
Social Engineering is a manipulation tactic used to trick targets into performing specific actions or divulging sensitive information.
Rather than targeting technological vulnerabilities or using brute force attacks, this technique targets YOU – the human element.
A harmless click can lead to a digital disaster. That’s why we’re focusing on increasing awareness about social engineering, starting with its most common form: phishing.
Phishing is a tactic for stealing an individual’s personal information like IDs or passwords, or for installing malware which can be used for various purposes including ransomware attacks.
83% of organizations fall victim to at least one phishing attack yearly, with the human element contributing to 68% of these breaches.
The Multiverse of Phishing Variants
Phishing attacks often employ spoofing to appear credible and are easier to avoid when you know how to spot them.
Email Phishing
According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Incident Report, email is the method of choice for delivering 98% of malware. These emails make you want to take actions such as updating your logins or clicking on an attachment/link.
Sms Phishing (Smishing)
This is a sophisticated phishing tactic delivered via text messages. They seem to come from reputable businesses and could include a web link or prompt you to respond via a fraudulent email or phone number.
Voice Phishing (Vishing)
Scammers leave “urgent” messages in calls or voicemails to convince recipients that they stand to miss out on certain opportunities if they don’t respond immediately. This pressure tactic tricks the victim into disclosing personal details, such as passwords or account numbers.
Angler phishing
In angler phishing, cybercriminals create fake accounts or hijack legitimate ones to impersonate trusted entities. They use these fake profiles to engage with users, often on social media, to obtain personal information.
Pop-up Phishing
If you’ve ever browsed a site and encountered a pop-up window claiming to warn you about a security issue with your computer, you’ve experienced pop-up phishing. These deceptive pop-ups often prompt you to download what appears to be a legitimate tool, such as an antivirus application, which is actually malware.
Search Engine Phishing
They appear as either fake websites that rank high in search engine results or paid search ads leading users to phishing sites.
Evil Twin Hotspots
Free wi-fi lovers listen up. Hackers can create fake Wi-Fi access points that mimic legitimate networks to trick users into connecting to it. Once you connect to this spoofed network, all your data is routed through a server controlled by the attacker. This leaves your online activity, accounts, and personal information in the open.
Protecting Yourself From Phishing Scams
- Avoid unknown senders. Check names and email addresses before responding.
- Don’t trust links or attachments in unsolicited emails.
- Beware of messages with mistakes in spelling or grammar.
- Be wary of too good to be true “deals” or emails marked “urgent”.
- Track the latest phishing attacks with advanced phishing protection
- Never give out personal or financial information based on an email request.
- When receiving email from known institutions, go directly to the source instead of clicking on links in the email.
- Be wary of generic greetings, such as dear sir or ma’am.
- Protect your credentials
- Use Multi Factor Authentication or a password manager
