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When it comes to cyber-attacks, the most common method of gaining access to your passwords and information may surprise you- it is just by asking for it. Hackers use a method called Spear Phishing to trick users into giving up their data freely.
Spear phishing is an email communication or some other type of electronic communications scam that targets individuals, organizations or businesses through content that looks like it is coming from a legitimate source. Cybercriminals use these methods to steal data and information for malicious purposes sometimes by installing malware on computers, but often times tricking people into giving up the information freely as they believe it is coming from a trusted source.
They ensure the success of these emails by using social engineering to look like legitimate sources. Social engineering is an art of manipulating people by looking like their website, friends, company and other sources by using similar domains and content, such as logos, that over the years have become more difficult to decipher fake from real. It could be a malicious document or link to a fake login site used to steal passwords that are sometimes so accurate to the originals that even stakeholders and CEOs have fallen victim to fake emails.
Recently, FireEye, Inc., the intelligence-led security company, identified cyber attack efforts by two Russian hackers targeting European governments ahead of the upcoming European elections using spear phishing techniques.
FireEye believes the two groups behind this activity, APT28 and Sandworm Team, are both sponsored by the Russian state. In addition to targeting European government organizations, the groups have targeted media outlets in France and Germany, political opposition groups in Russia and LGBT organizations with links to Russia. Targets within European governments have been sent emails containing links which could appear to direct to real government websites. They also display a sender that appears to be genuine. These emails may entice targets to click a link to change their password, which would share their credentials with the attacker.
“The groups could be trying to gain access to the targeted networks in order to gather information that will allow Russia to make more informed political decisions, or it could be gearing up to leak data that would be damaging for a particular political party or candidate ahead of the European elections,” said Benjamin Read, Senior Manager of Cyber Espionage Analysis at FireEye. “The link between this activity and the European elections is yet to be confirmed, but the multiple voting systems and political parties involved in the elections creates a broad attack surface for hackers.”
Here are a few suggestions on how to avoid falling prey to phishing scams:
Be Cautious What You Open and Click –While it may look like a legitimate company email, be cautious of all emails asking for information. Most phishing emails will start with “Dear Customer” so you should be alert when you come across these emails. Instead, directly to the source rather than clicking a potentially dangerous link.
Never Give Out Personal Information – Never share personal or financially sensitive information over the Internet. Most of the phishing emails will direct you to pages where entries for financial or personal information are required. An Internet user should never make confidential entries through the links provided in the emails. Never send an email with sensitive information to anyone. Make it a habit to check the address of the website. A secure website always starts with “https”.
Use Antivirus Software – There are plenty of reasons to use antivirus software. Firewall protection prevents access to malicious files by blocking the attacks. Antivirus software scans every file which comes through the Internet to your computer. It helps to prevent damage to your system.