There are four main types of phishing attack: Spear Phishing, Whaling, Smishing and Vishing. Though these may sound similar, they are all carried out in different ways and require a high-level security solution to combat attacks efficiently. This article will cover the most common phishing attacks and recommend the best security solutions to tackle these cyber threats.
What is a Phishing attack?
“Phishing” is a term used to describe the act of stealing or gaining access to sensitive information by luring in and scamming victims.
The most common phishing method is through email. However, attackers also favour text messages and a variety of other messaging formats. Often, attackers will disguise themselves as being a trustworthy and reputable source. The contents of the message will usually sound very urgent. This is why many victims fall prey to phishing, as the tactics that attackers employ are very believable.
The Different Types of Phishing Attacks
1. Spear Phishing: This type of phishing attack is one of the methods that utilises an urgent tone to specifically apply pressure on users. This is carried out mostly through fake emails. These emails contain malware which are disguised as attachments or links to fake webpages which are created to look legitimate. The term ‘Spear Phishing’ is used because it is directed towards specific individuals. Attackers use people’s personal information to make the email appear to be real.
2. Whaling: These attacks are similar to spear phishing but target senior members of organisations such as CEOs. Where spear phishing can harm a business, whaling has an even greater negative impact affecting everyone in an organisation along with its customers. This method puts businesses at great risk due to the information given or actions that result.
3. Smishing: This attack is similar to phishing but uses text messages to deceive victims into sharing information or clicking on harmful links instead. This social engineering attack can have secret malware hidden behind the links sent out and will encourage victims to send more or share private information.
The most common smishing attacks see cyber criminals posing as a loved one or a friend who have supposedly changed their phone number. They urge the victim to update their phone number. This gains the trust of the unsuspecting reader, lowering any suspicions for when the attacker demands for sensitive information or money.
4. Vishing: This attack type involves phone calls. Criminals will use this social engineering tactic to pretend to be from trusted organisations. This way, they are able to steal information instantly. This form of social engineering has been around for a while.
Often they will act as a member of the police, a bank, the government or tax authority. Here they are likely to try and convince a victim that they have an outstanding fine that needs to be paid. The goal for these attackers is to cause alarm swiftly so that those picking up the phone don’t have time to rationalise their actions, instead making snap decisions.
What to do if you’ve fallen for a phishing attack
Phishing attacks can be easy to fall for no matter your age or background, so you shouldn’t feel ashamed for making this mistake. Luckily, the National Cyber Security Centre have suggested some key action steps for individual phishing attack situations:
- You’ve provided your banking details – contact your bank immediately to let them know.
- You opened a link on your computer or installed software as requested – Open your antivirus software and run a full scan. Then let your antivirus software clean up any problems it encounters.
- You received the message on a work laptop or phone – contact your IT department and let them know.
- You’ve given out your password – Change the passwords immediately for any accounts which use the same password.
- You’ve lost money – Inform your bank of this as soon as possible and report it as a crime to Action Fraud (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland).
How can I prevent phishing attacks?
As scammers and phishing attacks become more advanced, you can avoid future fatal encounters with cyber criminals by safeguarding your organisation with full Hornet Security Protection.
We recommend security solutions like the Hornet Security 365 Total Backup and Recovery or the Hornet Security spam and malware protection.
Hornet Security 365 Total Backup and Recovery protection can:
- Automatically backup and restore Microsoft 365 mailboxes, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint & files
- Provide a user-friendly dashboard for an overview of all backup and restore activities
- The quick and easy restoration of any version of the file, conversation or mailbox that exists in the backup
- Custom retention reports which enable adherence with several frameworks and regulations such as ISO27001 and the GDPR
- Flexible granular recovery of files or email items: Microsoft 365 mailboxes, Teams Chats, OneDrive accounts and Sharepoint
Hornet Security spam and malware protection can:
- Carry out automatic Scanning for potentially malicious URLs
- Filter for unwanted file attachments like potential phishing attacks
- Conduct a 99.9% spam detection rate
- Guarantee a 99.99% virus detection
QiC Systems is an award-winning IT support company offering data protection security solutions, including Hornet cyber security. Situated near Winchester, we provide IT support across Hampshire.
We are passionate about ensuring that organisations are up-to-date with the latest anti-virus security solutions. For a free cyber security services quote or to arrange a visit from one of our technicians, call us on 01962 711000, send an email to sales@qicsystems.com or complete our contact form and a member of our team will be in touch.