Find out how to defend yourself against the harmful spear phishing attack.
Phishing has emerged as a significant online threat in recent years, and nobody is truly safe from it. In essence, it is a tactic that typically poses as any organization—your bank, for instance—in order to trick victims into giving up information or, more often than not, cash.
But the popularity of this type of crime committed by cybercriminals is so great that specific variants have emerged. This is the case of the so-called “spear phishing," a more dangerous tactic, which experts themselves often warn against. We will tell you why this attack is so worrisome and what you need to know to be as prepared as possible.
- What is spearphishing, and how is it different from regular phishing?
Nowadays, spear phishing is arguably an advanced and personalized form of phishing, experts warn. While traditional phishing sends out emails almost at random, hoping that someone will “take the bait,” spear phishing directly targets a group of people or even a specific individual by first and last name.
Unfortunately, nowadays it is not difficult to find out a lot of personal details about someone. Virtually anyone with an internet connection can find out your name, what you do, or even your hobbies just by looking at social networks like LinkedIn or Facebook. There is enough data for cybercriminals to create what can be called “on-demand scams.”
It's true that spear phishing is, in general, less common for a practical reason: it reduces the scope of the hackers' work. However, when they do it, it's more dangerous, experts warn.
For example, you might receive an email that purports to be from a coworker or manager, containing real details that only someone close to you would know. This increases the likelihood that you will trust the message, consider it authentic, and take the action that attackers are looking for: open a file, click a link, or provide sensitive information of any kind.
How to avoid these types of scams
It’s important to keep in mind that even if an email appears to be from someone you know, it pays to carefully analyze the message. Ask yourself questions like: Does it make sense for this person to send you this email? Are the requests unusual? Attackers often use email addresses that look normal but may contain a wildcard character or a strange domain.
And if you fall into the trap too, don’t waste a second; change your passwords, especially if you have provided any kind of information, and if necessary, don’t hesitate to contact the authorities. As they say, prevention is better than cure.