Phishing attacks are getting smarter (2024)

FAQs

Phishing attacks are getting smarter? ›

Artificial intelligence, and LLMs in particular, are significantly enhancing the severity of phishing attacks, and we can expect a sharp increase in both the quality and quantity of phishing in the years to come.

As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream, scammers are taking advantage. They're using AI to compose their emails and to send out a lot of them, hoping you will fall for one. One of the hallmarks of a scam is bad grammar. Another red flag is a greeting that is addressed to "user" or just your email address.

Phishing attacks surged by 58.2% in 2023 compared to the previous year, reflecting the growing sophistication and reach of threat actors. Voice phishing (vishing) and deepfake phishing attacks are on the rise as attackers harness generative AI tools to amplify their social engineering tactics.

Phishing is one of the main tools attackers use to obtain unauthorized access into organizations. In 2023, almost half (43%) of all successful attacks on organizations used social engineering, with 79% of these attacks carried out through email, SMS messages, social networks, and messaging apps.

Phishing is a type of cyberattack that uses fraudulent emails, text messages, phone calls or websites to trick people into sharing sensitive data, downloading malware or otherwise exposing themselves to cybercrime. Phishing attacks are a form of social engineering.

The problem isn't the lack of software designed to detect, prevent, and protect – it's that human response is a required part of every phishing attack that users seem to be happy to oblige.

Phishing may never go out of season, but with the right approach you can minimize the risk that your organization will ever get hooked.

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 Index, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, shows that a relatively small number of countries house the greatest cybercriminal threat. Russia tops the list, followed by Ukraine, China, the USA, Nigeria, and Romania. The UK comes in at number eight.

What is the root cause of phishing attacks? ›

These include: Email is widespread - users with little to no cyber security awareness will use email and they're easy to target. It's an easy and simple method of targeting - as it doesn't require technical skills, criminals don't need to hack into systems or work out a password to succeed.

Over 48% of emails sent in 2022 were spam. Over a fifth of phishing emails originate from Russia. Millennials and Gen-Z internet users are most likely to fall victim to phishing attacks.

Lack of awareness: Scammers employ sophisticated tactics to deceive their victims, and many people are simply unaware of the various scams. A lack of awareness regarding evolving scam techniques, such as those involving cryptocurrencies and blockchain, makes individuals more vulnerable.

While phishing is covered under various state laws, there is no single federal statute that directly criminalizes this type of activity. However, there are broader federal criminal laws that do apply to phishing and other identity theft crimes.

A whale phishing or whaling attack is a spear phishing attack that is aimed exclusively at a high-level executive or official. The attacker typically impersonates a peer within the target's organization, or an equal or higher-level colleague or associate from another organization.

Another classic example is a phishing email from Netflix that says “Your account has been suspended”. It asks you to click a link and give your details to reactivate your account. The attackers then harvest those details and either use them to commit fraud, or sell them on the dark web.

The root issue therefore is fairly basic; phishing is still a huge problem because businesses fail to keep pace with hackers. Businesses need to learn about new and emerging threats and then enhance their email security features and capabilities to help prevent phishing attacks. How do we prevent phishing attacks.

Starting in the '90s, phishing attackers targeted the AOL users (History of AOL). As the use of the internet and email grew in popularity, the number of phishing scams increased. Phishing attacks progressed into sending automated campaigns to people to steal their credentials.

Spear phishing is a sophisticated email phishing tactic designed to target a specific person. Spear phishing emails often contain personal or identifying information about the recipient to convince them that the email is coming from a legitimate source.