What Is Spear Phishing?
These days, people are increasingly worried about becoming the victim of cybercrime. However most people don't have a clue how to protect themselves. There are many different types of cybercrime, but spear phishing fraud is one of the most common.
While a generic phishing attack is meant for anyone who falls for it, spear phishing is meant to target a specific individual or group of individuals.
What Is Spear Phishing?
A simplified spear phishing definition: an attack that occurs when cyber criminals attempt to gain access to unauthorized information by sending fraudulent messages to the intended victim. For example, the attackers may send a spear phishing email targeted directly at you or a group of people pretending to be a popular streaming service in an attempt to gain access to your login information and, subsequently, payment information.
Spear phishing campaigns often appeal to emotions that get the victim to respond. For example, they might try to convince you that you're helping someone by handing over information, or they might invoke fear by threatening consequences if you don't comply.
Let's use the streaming service example above. In this case, the attackers might tell you that you need to change your password because your account has been hacked. Because you're afraid of someone accessing your information, you might click on malicious links in an attempt to protect your account.
Similarly, whaling is a concept that uses spear phishing to attack high-value targets. A whaling spear attack might have many of the same spear phishing characteristics, but they are meant to target people like CEOs and executives of large companies.
How Does Spear Phishing Work?
Spear phishing works by getting the intended victim to either directly hand over information, or run malware that can obtain the information. Phish messages may seek to obtain usernames, passwords, addresses, phone numbers, payment information or access to a computer system.
These scams can be particularly dangerous because the attacker may do extensive research beforehand to learn about your lifestyle, purchases, job and other aspects of your life in order to gain your confidence.
When you receive these emails, they will typically include links or attachments. If you click on a link, it may provide a way for you to enter information, such as a simple form. However, some links may also download malware directly to your computer that will give the attacker access to your network and data. Attachments can also run malware without your knowledge.
Common Spear Phishing Tactics That Scammers Use
There are a few different types of spear phishing attacks. Attackers may choose spear phishing types and methods based on the information they want to access and the people they are targeting.
Email Spoofing And Impersonation
To be successful with this tactic, phishers need to do their research. It's easy to figure out that you're being targeted if you receive emails from someone you obviously don't know. So in this scam attackers will choose a familiar company, or impersonate a friend or family member.
Email spoofing is when the message sender slightly changes an email address, URL, sender name or other identifying information to make you believe that the email is coming from a trustworthy source.
For example, the attacker might send out a mass email to customers from a specific company and create a fake website that mimics the real one. The only difference might be that they switched two characters in the URL, such as sending it from yuorfavoritebusiness.com instead of yourfavoritebusiness.com. It could be pretty easy to miss, especially if you're quickly scanning your emails.
Pretexting And Social Engineering Techniques
Pretexting is similar to impersonation: The attacker takes on the role of another person or organization and creates a fake scenario that lures you into giving them your information or money. Social engineering phishing relies on emotions in the same way that sales tactics often do.
The scenarios that pretexters use are typically designed to gain your trust, making you more likely to give them access to the information they want. For example, a pretexter might either impersonate someone that you already know and trust, or they might create a backstory that is believable, such as being a coworker that you simply haven't met yet.
Malicious Attachments And Links
Spear phishing messages will likely include attachments and links. Many times, the messages and malicious emails are coming from a sender that you might not immediately suspect of any wrongdoing. They could be impersonating someone that you know or pretending to be a service that you use, which makes it more likely that you'll click on the attachments or links.
These attachments and links may contain viruses or software that are downloaded onto your device without your knowledge. The attackers can then use this software to access your computer and data, monitor your activities or extract information.
Watering Hole Attacks
A watering hole attack is a more indirect method of group phishing. These spear phishing attempts aren't conducted by contacting the targets. Instead, the attacker will infect a website that a target group is likely to visit in order to gain access to the group's computers. Think: lions lurking around an actual watering hole for their prey.
For example, if the attacker wants to target a specific business, they might infect the employee communications website. When an employee inevitably visits the website, the website automatically downloads software or malware that gives the attacker access to your organization.
Baiting And Quizzes
Most of us have stopped while scrolling through social media to read the headline of some flashy article from a questionable source. And many of us have killed a few minutes to take a fun online quiz (yes, I want to know what emoji I am based on my favorite snacks).
But scammers are now using these links to infect computers with internet phishing. Similar to spear phishing emails, these clickbait articles and online quizzes can be dangerous to click on.
Some of these links may automatically download software that gives the attackers access to your computer. In other cases, the website may pose as a paid quiz or survey. However, the survey or quiz could simply be a ploy to get your email address, phone number or date of birth.
How To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Spear Phishing Scams
Spear phishing protection can come in many different forms, but one of the best ways to protect yourself is to understand the tactics the attackers will use. Use the tips below to learn how to prevent spear phishing.
Be Skeptical Of Emails From Unknown Senders
Many attackers will do their research in order to disguise themselves. Others rely on you being so overwhelmed with emails you're not vigilant enough to realize you are communicating with an untrustworthy source.
It's important that you check the sender's name and email address. If they don't match up, there's a good chance the person isn't who they say they are. For example, you could receive an email with your supervisor's name as the sender, but when you check the email address, it's not the one you usually receive your supervisor's emails from.
If you even suspect an impersonator, don't click on anything. You can report the email as spam and block the sender from sending you any more.
Verify The Identity Of The Sender
If you receive an email asking for personal information, don't share it right away. Take a few minutes to research the sender and make sure that the communication is legit. You might start with a quick online search for the sender or company's name.
However, if the email is disguised as a business that you purchase from or a service that you use, you might look up the company's contact information on their website and contact them directly.
Avoid Clicking Links And Opening Attachments
We've probably gotten our point across by now, but let's review it one more time. Clicking on links and attachments from unknown sources can lead to downloading dangerous software on your device. Before following any links, hover over the link to see if it is actually going to the stated destination. And watch out for fake URLs where one or two characters differ from a company's real website. Instead of following a link, you may also choose to search for the website yourself so you know you're accessing the real one.
Beware Of Urgency
A sense of urgency is one of the most common indicators of spear phishing. The attacker doesn't want you to take a lot of time to deliberate your reaction. For example, an email might want you to "claim a prize before time runs out." But there is no prize — they simply want you to click the link and enter your personal information. If you receive a message that seems like it's intended to scare you into taking action, stop for a second and think about whether it makes sense and how you can verify that it's real.
Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) can be helpful in preventing hackers from accessing your accounts. For example, if the hacker gets access to your username and password, they still won't be able to retrieve the code that is sent to your phone or email address to complete the login.
Businesses may also take advantage of phishing-resistant MFA, which uses physical devices that plug into your computer. This helps avoid scenarios where a hacker may pose as IT to bypass traditional MFA.
Create Strong Passwords
Strong passwords make it more difficult for attackers to guess your login information. Many people opt to use simple passwords because they're afraid they'll forget them. However, this makes your accounts more vulnerable to attack. Instead, choose a password that has a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. If you struggle to remember your passwords, find a password manager that uses two-step verification that will store your passwords for you.
Use An Email Security Software That Blocks Suspicious Emails
Many email providers will have spam filters that can offer a basic way to avoid seeing phishing emails. However, some may still make it through the filter. Therefore, more robust security software can offer additional protection to enhance your spear phishing cybersecurity measures. Additionally, antivirus software can detect viruses if you do click on a malicious link or attachment.
Avoid Sharing Personal Information
If you receive a message stating that the sender needs your personal information, it's best not to share it. Always take the time to double-check the sender's information and verify their identity. You should also have a complete understanding of why they need access to your personal information. If you've worked with a business in the past, they likely have all of the personal information they need, so always question whether the communication is real.
How Many Businesses Are Targeted By Spear Phishing Attacks Each Day?
Spear phishing is a common problem. Some studies have been done to understand its prevalence and raise spear phishing awareness. In 2022, the FBI's most-reported internet crime was computer phishing with over 300,000 complaints filed. Verizon's 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report found that phishing is one of the top causes of data breaches.
Summary Of Digg's What Is Spear Phishing
Targeted attacks like spear phishing are designed to get you to share your information or give the attacker access to your electronic devices. Spear phishing social engineering attacks rely on evoking emotions like excitement or fear. One of the most common spear phishing tools is fake emails or messages that impersonate someone that you trust. However, you might also become a victim of spear phishing by clicking on malicious links or simply handing over information without taking the time to research the person who is asking for it.
If you suspect you're being targeted, don't click on any links or give out any personal information. Try to verify the identity of the attacker. You can also report spear phishing examples to authorities or use identity theft protection services to ensure your personal information is safe.
