How to Identify a Phishing Attempt

What is Phishing?
A phishing attack is an attempt by attackers to trick an individual into divulging sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and other personal information. 

Phishing attacks can come in many different forms. Some common tactics used by attackers include sending emails, SMS messages, and social media messages, which look like they come from legitimate sources such as banks, credit card companies, and other businesses. Phishing messages often contain links that lead to fake websites designed to look like the real ones. These fake sites can then collect the user's login credentials or other sensitive information.

Phishing attacks can be broadly categorized into two types: targeted phishing attacks and generic phishing attacks.

A targeted phishing attack, also known as spear phishing, is a type of attack where the attacker tailors the attack to a specific individual or organization. The attacker may use personal information about the target that they have gathered through research or social engineering to craft a convincing message that appears to be from a trusted source. For example, the attacker may send an email that appears to be from the target's boss or colleague, requesting that they provide login credentials or other sensitive information.

In contrast, a generic phishing attack, also known as a mass phishing attack, is a more widespread, automated attack where the attacker sends out a large number of identical or similar messages to a broad audience, such as all users of a particular email service or all customers of a specific bank. The messages may appear to be from a legitimate source, such as a bank or social media platform, and will typically ask the recipient to click on a link or download an attachment that contains malware or prompts the user to enter sensitive information.

Here are some tips on how to spot a phishing attempt:

1. Check the sender's email address: Check the email address of the sender to ensure that it matches the company's domain name. For example, if you receive an email from your bank, the sender's email address should end with the bank's domain name. If the email address doesn't look legitimate, it's probably a phishing attempt.

If the attack is targeted, you may find the display name of the sender is one of a co-worker or executive within your company, or in a company you are associated with, but the email address is one that is unfamiliar. This is why you should be cognizant of the originating email address regardless of the display name. You may also find such emails to contain your companies signature in the body and references other employees within the company. This information is often easily found on the corporate website or other sites like LinkedIn and takes minimal intelligence gathering to collect and use. 

Even if the message originates from a trusted source, but contains any type of unusual request or is in a writing style you know differs from the person who is supposedly sending it, it is quite possible their email has been compromised and is being used to send out further phishing attempts. If such an email is received, pick up the phone and give the sender a call to verify the legitimacy of the message. If you are unable to reach out by phone, contact your IT team for further guidance. They would much rather review a suspicious email than have to react to a compromised email account that could in turn cost the company a substantial amount of money (and potentially your job). 

Both targeted and generic phishing attacks can be very effective if the attacker is able to craft a convincing message and the victim falls for the trick. However, targeted phishing attacks are generally considered to be more sophisticated and more difficult to detect and defend against, as the attacker has taken the time to research the target and create a personalized message.

2. Check the spelling and grammar: Phishing emails often contain spelling and grammatical errors. Legitimate companies are unlikely to make such mistakes in official communications.

3. Be wary of urgent or threatening messages: Phishing emails often contain urgent or threatening messages that demand immediate action. This is an attempt to make the user panic and provide sensitive information without thinking twice.

4. Be cautious of unexpected requests: Legitimate companies won't ask you for sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers via email or social media. If you receive such requests, even if from a trusted source,  it very well could be a phishing attempt sent from a compromised email account. 

5. Keep your software up to date: Software updates often contain security patches that can protect you from phishing attacks. Keep your operating system, web browser, and other software up to date to reduce the risk of a successful phishing attempt.

6. Check the URL: Phishing emails often contain links that lead to fake websites. Frequently, they will contain a message requesting you follow the link in the body or an attachment to view or download an invoice or other important documentation and that link will lead to a fake but legitimate looking cloud storage site like Microsoft OneDrive, Sharepoint, or Dropbox. You will then be requested to enter your email address and password before you are able to access the documents. This is very often how unsuspecting victims get their credentials compromised.  Before clicking on any links, hover your mouse over the link to check the URL. If the URL looks suspicious, don't click on it.

In conclusion, spotting a phishing attempt is critical to protecting your personal information and preventing identity theft. By following the tips above, you can reduce the risk of falling victim to a phishing attack. Remember to always be cautious when receiving unexpected emails or social media messages, and always double-check the sender's email address, URL, and message content before taking any action.