5 Most Common Phishing Attacks
Phishing is a type of cyber attack that uses various forms of communication to trick the recipient in to giving up vital business information. Most common phishing attacks are run by cybercriminals who pose as professionals from reputable companies or even people known to the recipient in order to earn their trust. If the hacker is able to fool the individual and gain access to credentials, account numbers, or credit card information, the recipient’s private business information can be exploited leaving that company broke, with a damaged reputation, or worse.
Phishing attacks increased by 48% in the first half of 2022, with reports of 11,395 incidents costing businesses a total of $12.3 million.
Phishing scams rely on manipulation and malicious links to carry out their attacks. In the past, phishing attacks were done only through email and there were tell-tale signs that made the scams stick out, like misspellings and poor grammar. Now, common phishing attacks can be done through email, text, social media, websites, and even phone calls. Today, phishing scams account for nearly 80% of security incidents.
The 5 Most Common Phishing Attacks
1. Email Phishing
Email Phishing is the most common attack when hackers clone emails or pretend to be an agent with a professional company asking for personal information or login credentials. Advanced Cybercriminals can email clone domains so the email address will look legit to the recipient.
2. Angler Phishing
Angler Phishing usually comes through social media. Hackers will make fake profiles and reach out to business owners and employees trying to gain personal information. Links can be sent through private messages or be masquerading as a newsfeed post that lead you to fake sites that capture your credit card information and more.
3. Smishing
Smishing Attacks come through text messages. They can be cybercriminals pretending to be people you know or pretending to work at a company you do business with. They’ll most likely be urgent in nature and require information from you or want you to click on a link and enter your credentials.
4. Vishing
Vishing combines VoIP calls with common phishing attacks to call people pretending to need company details or credit card information. Some hackers even go so far as to mask their voice to sound like someone else.
5. Search Engine Phishing
Search Engine Phishing involves leading you to a fake website that mimics an official site that wants you to download malware or enter personal information that cybercriminals can use against you.
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