by in
Source: https://www.cshub.com/attacks/articles/what-is-phishing
• Phishing is a social engineering tactic that sees hackers attempt to gain access to personal or confidential information by posing as a legitimate company
• Motives for phishing attacks include accessing passwords, financial details, or other personal data
• Phishing attacks soared in 2022, with over 3 million attacks recorded in the first three quarters
• Malicious actors typically use email, text messages and social media messages to target individuals and organizations
• Phishers often use channels typically deployed by companies to communicate with their customers to make them appear legitimate
• Spear phishing attacks target companies and their employees, with the aim of harvesting data belonging to the company or its customers
• In August 2022, Twilio’s customers experienced a data breach due to a targeted phishing attack
• In October 2022, Dropbox had its source code stolen by hackers after its employees were targeted by a phishing attack
• Malicious actors may also target cryptocurrency traders and wallets, with over $3.8bn in cryptocurrency stolen in 2022
• AI-powered bots like ChatGPT are helping hackers advance their phishing efforts
• Companies must use a layered security approach to prevent damage if and when attackers compromise credentials
• Individuals should be aware of the red flags of phishing attacks and take steps to protect themselves
