Common Phishing Attacks | NCDIT (2024)

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Common Phishing Attacks | NCDIT? ›

Email phishing is the most popular type of phishing. Attackers send emails that appear to come from reputable sources, such as banks, social media platforms, or online services. These emails often contain a sense of urgency, prompting the recipient to click on a malicious link or download an attachment.

Email phishing is the most popular type of phishing. Attackers send emails that appear to come from reputable sources, such as banks, social media platforms, or online services. These emails often contain a sense of urgency, prompting the recipient to click on a malicious link or download an attachment.

Over 90% of Cyber-Attacks Begin with Phishing - How Can Attacks be Stopped? Phishing is now so common that almost all (96%) businesses suffer from its ill effects, including credential theft, Business Email Compromise, and ransomware infection.

The overall goal of a phishing attack is usually to gain sensitive data such as logins and passwords from their victims in order to access the targeted network or company . One of the main purposes of doing this is to get a foothold into the device/network to gather and find the information they want.

What is Phishing? Phishing is a type of attack carried out in order to steal information or money. Phishing attacks can occur through email, phone calls, texts, instant messaging, or social media. Attackers are after your personal information: usernames, passwords, credit card information, Social Security numbers.

Link Manipulation. The most common types of phishing attacks are designed to convince users to click on a malicious link in a fraudulent email. It may redirect the person to a rogue website that will urge the person to divulge a password, credit card number, or other pieces of identifying information.

Most phishing attacks are sent by email. The crook will register a fake domain that mimics a genuine organisation and sends thousands of generic requests. The fake domain often involves character substitution, like using 'r' and 'n' next to each other to create 'rn' instead of 'm'.

And in fact, impersonation scams are commonly used lures in social media phishing campaigns that often lead to stolen credentials. But even so, social media is unique in that some of its components can double as lures as well. Specifically, threat actors can leverage a promise of social media growth to draw in victims.

Attackers often set up fake websites, which appear to be owned by a trusted entity like the victim's bank, workplace, or university. Via these websites, attackers attempt to collect private information like usernames and passwords or payment information.

Generic signatures and a lack of contact information are also strong indicators of phishing emails. Legitimate organizations generally provide their contact information. If there is no phone number, email address, or social media links in the signature block, the email is almost always fake.

Who are the targets of phishing attacks? ›

Sometimes referred to as a “phishing scam,” attackers target users' login credentials, financial information (such as credit cards or bank accounts), company data, and anything that could potentially be of value.

“Phishing” refers to an attempt to steal sensitive information, typically in the form of usernames, passwords, credit card numbers, bank account information or other important data in order to utilize or sell the stolen information.

Requests for personal information: Legitimate companies won't ask for sensitive information like passwords or Social Security numbers through email. If an email tells you to verify your account by clicking a link and entering your login details, it's likely a phishing attempt.