Phishing

Phishing:

Phishing is a cyberattack where attackers pretend to be someone known to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, for example, credit card details, passwords, usernames or other personal details. These attacks often occur through deceptive emails, messages, or websites that appear legitimate.

Spear phishing : 

It is a phishing attack targeted to a specific person or group. Regular phishing casts to a broader range of targets, but this spear phishing attack is personalized to make it more convincing. Attackers usually spend time gathering information about their target, such as their name, job title, company, or even personal interests, to craft a believable message.

For example, you might receive an email that looks like it's from your manager, asking you to urgently share confidential data or click a link to approve a payment. Since it appears to come from someone you know and the message feels relevant, you're more likely to fall for it.

The goal is often to steal sensitive information, such as login credentials, or to trick the target into performing an action that benefits the attacker, like transferring money. Spear phishing is commonly used in cyber espionage and corporate attacks because of its high success rate.

How to Recognize and Avoid Spear Phishing

• Double-check the sender's email address for any Errors.
• Be cautious of requests that require any urgent action.
• Verify unusual requests through another communication channel.
• Look for subtle spelling or formatting errors in the message.

 

Whaling Attack :

It is a phishing attack that specifically targets high-level executives such as CEOs, CFOs, or directors. The term "whaling" comes from the idea that these high-value targets are like "big fish" in a company.

Attackers aim to exploit the authority and access these individuals have to steal sensitive information, such as financial data or intellectual property, or to trick them into approving fraudulent transactions. Because executives are often busy and may not scrutinize every email closely, they can be more vulnerable to well-crafted attacks.

Example of a Whaling Attack

Imagine a CFO receiving an email that appears to be from the company's CEO, urgently asking them to transfer a large sum of money to a specific account for a "critical business deal." The email might be personalized with the CEO's signature and other details to make it look genuine. If the CFO doesn't verify the request, they might unknowingly comply with the attacker's demands.

How to Prevent Whaling Attacks

1. Educate Employees: Train employees with phishing courses to identify phishing emails.
2. Implement Approval Processes: Setting up multiple levels of approval for sensitive actions, like wire transfers, which require multiple approvals.
3. Use Advanced Security Measures: Deploy email filtering tools like Barracuda Email Security Gateway and Proofpoint Essentials to detect spoofed addresses and malicious content.
4. Verify Requests: Always confirm high-stakes requests via a different communication channel, like a phone call.

 

How Attackers Perform Phishing:

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Email Spoofing:

Attackers craft fake emails that look like they are from legitimate sources (e.g., banks and social media platforms). These emails also might contain malicious links or attachments

Deceptive Emails:

Example: You receive an email from "support@paypa1.com" saying, "Unusual activity detected in your account. Log in to verify."

• The link directs you to a fake PayPal website where attackers steal your credentials.

Fake Websites:

·        Example: An email claims, "Claim your Amazon gift card now!" and links to "amaz0n-offers.com."

• The site looks like Amazon but is designed to capture your login details.

Malicious Links:

·        Example: A message says, "View your pending invoice here," with a link like "www.myinvoicetracker.xyz."

• Clicking downloads malware that steals personal data.

Infected Attachments:

·        Example: An email pretending to be from your HR team includes an attachment named "Salary_Slip_2024.docm."

• Opening it runs a malicious macro, compromising your system.

Fear-Based Messages:

·        Example: "Your bank account is locked. Click here to unlock it within 24 hours!"

• Victims act in panic, clicking links without verifying authenticity.

Too Good to Be True Offers (Exploiting Human Curiosity):

·        Example: "Congratulations! You've won $1,000,000. Claim now by clicking here!"

• These links usually lead to malware or phishing sites.

Social Media Exploitation:

·        Example: Attackers see you tweeted about your bank and send a fake customer support message, like:

·        "Hi Pranghi, we noticed your issue. Click here to resolve: bank-support-help.com."

 Vishing (Voice Phishing):

·        Example: A caller claims to be from your bank, saying: "We detected suspicious activity. Verify your card details now."

• They record your responses to steal your information.

Smishing (SMS Phishing):

·        Example: You get a text: "Your delivery is delayed. Update your address here: del-tracker.com/update."

• Clicking takes you to a fake login page.

Business Email Compromise (BEC):

·        Example: You get an email from your "CEO" saying: "Please transfer 1 lakh INR to this account urgently for a vendor payment."

• Attackers generally fake the email address to look like your boss or higher official.

Phishing succeeds by preying on human emotions like trust, fear, or curiosity, coupled with carefully designed methods to impersonate legitimate entities.

 

Analysis of Phishing Attacks

• Kindly perform Email Header Analysis: Examine the sender's email headers to detect any spoofed addresses or domains.
• Link Inspection: If the email has URLs / links, Analyze the URLs in emails using tools like VirusTotal or sandbox environments.
• Payload Examination: If an attachment is present, test it in a secure environment to identify malicious code.
• Victim Reporting: Check with the victim about the email because it can be spam. If it is identified as spam, mark it as spam on the email gateway. If not, inform the victim and collect details about the email or interaction to identify potential patterns.
• Log Analysis: Investigate login attempts, IP addresses, and session logs to identify unauthorized access.

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