In the News
Automated voice messages may become more dangerous. In Vishing Attacks to Become Commonplace in 2020, Sarah Coble at InfoSecurity Magazine discusses the emergence of phishing attacks over voicemail as a primary attack vector in the coming year. Coble explains that these phishing attacks are likely to occur every day with a level of sophistication that can end up costing victims severe financial loses. Coble details that automated messages, not even individual humans, can communicate messages that manipulate unsuspecting individuals into infecting their devices or handing over their private information.
Our Take
Phishing attacks and online scams are becoming more and more complex and difficult to identify. The concerning aspect of automated messages and emails becoming common is that individuals are less likely to suspect that such an email, call, or voice message is malicious. Individuals are often desensitized to things that they witness on such a frequent basis. This can then make individuals more likely to act out of instinct and emotion handing over their information or clicking on infected links. Automated calls are a particularly tricky attacks vector. Spam calls have been plaguing individua’s at an increasing rate for years, yet there is something about receiving a voice mail that causes individuals to pay more attention…most likely because leaving a voicemail often means the message is important. It is therefore critical that individuals refrain from acting (or clicking) out of emotion in response to a voicemail. Unless you were expecting an important call, be mindful of the potential that the voicemail is a phishing attempt.
Recommendations
How can you better protect yourself against phishing attacks?
- Refrain from sharing highly sensitive information over the phone, a speaker, or a messaging service
- Learn how to spot a phishing attack
- Don’t reuse your account passwords, and take advantage of multi-factor authentication whenever possible
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities
- Stay up to date on the news regarding recent fraud and phishing attacks to see if you may have been affected