I noticed an email in my inbox last week from “AT and T” …I didn’t open that one. We’ve all gotten them – we get them daily. From the classic Nigeria lottery scam to the slightly more clever, semi-official looking email from a bank, logo included, asking for your personal information.
Phishing scams are everywhere and have even moved from email to social media. I didn’t click the suspicious email from “AT and T” but, if they sent it to enough random email addresses, I am sure someone took the bait.[spacer]
Phishing is a Dangerous Crime
Phishing emails are bothersome. But, when they come into your corporate email systems or to an inbox sitting on a machine with access to your system or corporate network, it can be dangerous and, should one eventually be successful in obtaining information from the user, can come with serious consequences.
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) defines phishing as, “a criminal mechanism employing both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers’ personal identity data and financial account credentials.” In June, APWG reported a 10% jump in the number of phishing sites in the last quarter of 2013 and a record-setting start to 2014.
While Payment Services remains the industry most targeted, financial and retail sectors are appealing for cyber criminals eager to extract valuable information this way. With phishing schemes gaining in popularity targeting both individuals and businesses, everyone in your company needs to be aware of the risks.
