In the News
Emails continue to be a source of security concern. In One in 10 Reported Emails Verified as Malicious, Michael Hill at Infosecurity Magazine discusses a 2018 study by Cofense that analyzed phishing campaigns, emails, and simulations to identify email fraud trends. Hill explains that credential phishing was one of the key types of email attacks and that almost 10% of reported emails in the US alone contained malicious content. On a better note, Hill did report that so-called ‘phishing resiliency’ increased by a staggering 15%.
Our Take
Billions of individuals use one or more email accounts for both professional and personal communication. With such a highly used tool, security risks are bound to occur. However, the normative nature of opening an email and clicking on whatever content is inside has led to a high amount of successful phishing campaigns that threaten user privacy and finances. While the increase in awareness surrounding email fraud is beneficial for reducing the potential damage of such malicious attempts, the increase in technical ability of malicious individuals continues to put all email users at risk. It is important to be aware of key words imbedded in emails that may urge you to act first and think later. When it comes to emails prompting action in any way, verifying the sender and the content is the only way to ensure you will not fall prey to a malicious phishing attempt.
Recommendations
Follow Northwestern Information Security’s tips to keep your personal information secure:
- Know the signs of an email scam and know how to act if you are affected
- Avoid clicking directly on links, whether in email or social media – always search through your search engine to verify legitimacy and find the appropriate site
- Refrain from opening suspicious attachments
- Pay special attention to messages that threaten to cut off a service or promise unlikely rewards–these are intended to get you to act quickly without thinking
- Stay up to date on news regarding recent fraud and phishing attacks to see if you may have been affected