Email

Malware & Threats, Network Security

Issued by: Help Net Security

Nearly 90 percent of global organizations were targeted with BEC and spear phishing attacks in 2019, reflecting cybercriminals’ continued focus on compromising individual end users, a Proofpoint survey reveals. Seventy-eight percent also reported that security awareness training activities resulted in measurable reductions in phishing susceptibility. The report examines global data from nearly 50 million simulated…

Malware & Threats

Issued by: Help Net Security

Attackers continue to leverage greater levels of social engineering and sophistication

Despite a nearly four-month absence, the return of Emotet within the last two weeks of September accounted for nearly 12 percent of all malicious email samples in Q3, delivering millions of messages with malicious URLs or attachments, Proofpoint found. Emotet returns, organizations need to react “Emotet’s return to the threat landscape and the latest sextortion…

Malware & Threats

Issued by: Help Net Security

The number of phishing attacks continued to rise into the autumn of 2019, according to APWG. The total number of phishing sites detected in July through September 2019 was 266,387. This was up 46 percent from the 182,465 seen in the second quarter of 2019, and almost double the 138,328 seen in Q4 2018. “This…

Malware & Threats

Issued by: Help Net Security

Phishing attacks up, especially against SaaS and webmail services

Phishing attacks continued to rise into the summer of 2019 with cybercrime gangs’ focus on branded webmail and SaaS providers remaining very keen, according to the APWG report. The report also documents how criminals are increasingly perpetrating business email compromise (BEC) attacks by using gift card cash-out schemes. The number of phishing attacks observed in…

Network Security

Issued by: Help Net Security

A casual approach to workplace communications presents major security risks

Workers are comfortable sharing personal, sensitive and confidential information over chat platforms. They practice risky digital habits, and don’t care if their communications are leaked. Symphony Communication Services Workplace Confidential Survey, which polled over 1,500 workers in the U.S. and U.K., examined the growth of new collaboration tools and platforms entering the workplace. The findings…

Malware & Threats

Issued by: Help Net Security

Latest tactics used by cybercriminals to bypass traditional email security

Cybercriminals are continuously using new strategies to get past email security gateways, with brand impersonation being used in 83 percent of spear-phishing attacks, while 1 in 3 business email compromise attacks are launched from Gmail accounts. Sextortion scams, a form of blackmail that makes up 10 percent of all spear-phishing attacks, continue to increase. Employees…