Phishing attacks account for more than 80% of reported security incidents. Phishing is sending emails to people posing as someone who you are not in hopes of obtaining information. $17,700 is lost every minute due to phishing attacks.
In our generation, phishing is one of the biggest tactics hackers use to obtain information. There are many different types of phishing emails; it is important to be made aware of what to look out for when trying to steer away from attackers. By being aware, you are much less likely to fall victim to a cyberattack.
Looking for Grammar Mistakes
Deceptive phishing is the most common type of phishing. Deceptive phishing uses threats as well as urgency to scare people into doing what they want. An example of this is PayPal scammers, sending out an attack email with a link. The link redirects people to a “fake PayPal” where if you put in your information, the scammers will obtain it. One way to tell if an email is a part of deceptive phishing is by looking at grammar mistakes as well as spelling errors. Additionally, if you were ever to get an email claiming for someone to be PayPal, email the corporate PayPal email as opposed to the one that sent you that. The following is an example of deceptive phishing.
Analyzing Emails
Spear Phishing is when the attacker makes their username something the victim would be familiar with. At WCSU, we see this all the time. Attackers will change their email to a professor’s name and email collogues and students, posing as the professor. It is important to analyze email addresses before replying. Emails from people inside the university will end in @wcsu.edu. Additionally, if an email is suspicious, it will say “this email has been sent to you outside of your organization.” Being aware of the existence of Spear Phishing will prevent further attacks.
Reporting Incidents
When falling victim to a malware attack through your WCSU email, it is important to follow the reporting procedure outlined in the link below.
https://support.wcsu.edu/?ht_kb=do-you-think-you-received-a-phishing-email