Teck Genius: What are Phishing Attacks?
Ransomware, malware, anti-virus, hacking, phishing, social engineering are all terms that are fast becoming known to all across the CyberSecurity space, but for the wrong reasons.
Never has there been a time where the need for cyber threat protection and cybersecurity solutions have been more critical. Cybersecurity threats are at their all-time high across the globe and the situation is only getting worse.
Hackers are working 24/7 to see what they can disrupt and earn from and in the majority of the case, it is your data that they are after. Therefore cybersecurity protection should be a key concern and focus for your business.
Your business and its data are amongst the most valuable things in its existence. Data is the lifeblood of all activity within the business as it largely dictates and determines how you engage, operate and grow.
But how protected are you? When was the last time you had a cybersecurity audit? When was the last time your cybersecurity software was reviewed? When was the last time your entire cybersecurity strategy was updated? When was the last time your monitoring and alerting of cyber threats were analysed? When was the last time you reviewed your cybersecurity solutions? These are questions you should be asking yourself and your colleagues within the business to start shaping your overall cybersecurity posture.
As ransomware operations become more and more sophisticated, all companies should be asking themselves; are we prepared?
We are no longer seeing a few people sitting in a room trying to steal your money–ransomware operations are becoming more and more sophisticated with many ransomware organisations even running Bitcoin payment helplines.
This doesn’t mean ransomware companies are on the cutting edge of advanced technology. Most hackers advanced their encryption methods and worm capabilities but are still using old, well-known tricks to break into organisations.
One of the most common and simplistic methods for any hacker is running a phishing attack campaign. These attacks are the most common methods of spreading ransomware, and with the vast majority of us all working from home, attacks are on the rise. Hackers have realised that they no longer have to waste time trying to write scripts to break through security when they can just rely on a person to make a mistake, and let them in. So let’s talk a little about what these attacks are.
What is a Phishing attack?
We’d love to say it involves sitting beside a tranquil lake with a fishing rod waiting for a catch! However, that would be wishful thinking. Phishing attacks are the number one mechanism attackers use to get inside your network, system or application.
A phishing attack is a form of social engineering attack that hackers use to dupe the user into downloading or entering their user credentials. They often arrive in emails, texts or WhatsApp messages and rely on the user clicking on a link. By doing so, the user is normally presented with an option that can assist in compromising their access or system. Usually, the user’ device will download some kind of a file that has a hidden application which runs several commands on the device to then facilitate more access to the hacker.
Such an attack can have devastating consequences for an individual as it can then lead to fraudulent purchases, data access and even stealing from bank accounts.
The very act of phishing is often the first phase of an attack into the system and is usually then followed up by further reconnaissance on the device or network by the hackers. The eventual aim is to take something of value to either sell OR to blackmail.
Once ransomware is on a system, it isn’t doing anything that is already known: Most are exploiting well-known, and likely already patched, flaws. Several ransomware outbreaks have been perfect examples of this exploit– WannaCry and Petya are prime examples of companies lacking an essential security patch that Microsoft had released in March 2017.
Your organisation’s cybersecurity solution is the foundation of trust that protects your customers, users, and employees. Teck Genius can provide you with the tools and ability to move quickly and identify security problems before it’s too late.
If you have been a victim of an unfortunate phishing attack then you will understand just how serious this is and can be, and so it is likely you will have reviewed your cybersecurity software by reviewing your anti-virus / anti-malware solution.
If you want to review your current cyber threat protection and evaluate your current risk across your business then Teck Genius can help you. Please contact us here.
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