Following The Trends
Every year, IBM releases their annual X-Force Threat Intelligence Index which in layman’s terms is essentially an overview of the past years cybersecurity risks and trends. This year’s recent index for instance took a look at 2019’s most popular methods of attack used by hackers. These findings found that the most used plan of attack by hackers was phishing which constituted 31% of all attacks in 2019. However, we should not be too surprised since most of us at one point or another have probably received a fraudulent email claiming to come from a well known brand asking us to click a link. According to IBM, the top five most imitated brands in 2019 are Google, Youtube, Apple, Instagram, and Amazon in that order.
How Bad Can It Be?
Most people seem to discredit the dangers of phishing as they believe it is easily avoidable. However, this is not the correct mindset to have since it would not be the most used form of attack if it was not effective. The reality is that although some people will be able to avoid a phishing scam there may be just as many who fall victim. Hackers are getting smarter and their phishing scams are growing increasingly more intricate. These attackers are able to take advantage of the fact that technology and social media run most of our daily lives and use it against us. By impersonating big tech companies and social media platforms, they are able to hit more than 10 billion combined users. This means the chances of them stealing important personal data are becoming even higher than usual. Similarly, phishing may have contributed to the shocking number of operational technology attacks in 2019 which, according to the IBM index report, has reached an all time high. The report notes that there has been a shocking 2000% increase in attacks targeting the operation technology infrastructure in 2019 compared to the previous year. Phishing not only affects normal people checking their daily emails but also companies who hold highly sensitive data. This makes it all the more important to protect yourself and your business.
How We Fight Phishing
We know how much of a pest phishing can be and that is why we can provide phishing simulations for your business that will assess the strength of your security. These simulations are especially effective because they mimic real life targeted attacks rather than cookie cutter templates. That way you will be able to manage your risks and help your business stay protected. For more information on how we are able to be of assistance, call (424) 216-8476 or continue visiting our website for more information.