Spear Phishing
All it takes is one click to compromise our network.
As cyber attacks and data breaches continue to increase, it is important to be aware of the latest threats. We’ve all heard of the notorious Nigerian bank scam email that promises to gift you money in exchange for providing your bank information. Although it is easy to identify those types of attacks, spear phishing attacks are more challenging to spot.
What is Spear Phishing?
Spear phishing messages are targeted at small groups or individuals. Attackers personalize these messages to bypass technical controls like spam filters.
Spear phishing emails:
- Deliver file attachments that can infect your computer with malware
- Entice you to click on links that take you to websites that will infect your computer
- Trick you into handing over your login credentials so that they can gain access to your network or other sites
Just as you wouldn’t open the door and let a stranger in your house, don’t open emails from unknown senders.
People often confuse the terms spam, phishing, and spear phishing because they are all associated with unwanted emails. See the differences below:
Spam
Unsolicited emails that try to sell a product or service
Phishing
Emails sent to a large group of people designed to trick the recipient into sharing sensitive information
Spear Phishing
Targeted emails sent to key individuals in an organization. Designed to look like they are sent from a trusted source like a manager or credit card company