Spear Phishing: Getting Caught is a Drag
I’m a Spear Phisherman. I want to catch the big one and reel it in! But I’m not talking about tuna; I’m talking about landing your personal information. Here’s my secret: I impersonate your friends, your bank and the people you trust to gain access to your computer and your network.
I’m pretty good. I know that you can’t always tell the difference from the real messages and the fake ones that I dangle in front of you. It doesn’t take long for me to gather lots of personal information about you — what you like, who you follow, what you purchase online and which websites you visit.
I use the information I find through open sources and develop personalized messages designed to trick you into believing they are from trusted entities. Spear phishermen like me can design emails, tweets, phone texts and even Facebook updates that access your private information after just one click.
Once you open the message, I trick you into giving me your user names, passwords or other office information, which allow me to access your network undetected. Little did you know that you just gave me the ability to take all the company information I would like.
It’s easy to avoid my targeted attacks and protect yourself against “Spear Phishing:”
- Be stingy with your user name and password. Don’t share personal information with anyone. At all!
- Don’t surf the Web chasing popular stories, blog posts, videos, etc. I love to hide in these sites, learn about your likes and dislikes and then target you.
- Think before you click links from social media sites, emails or text messages. That’s the easiest way for me to catch your information.
- Verify any caller before providing names and email addresses of your coworkers. Be the first line of defense.
- Delete suspicious emails without opening them or responding to them. If it looks suspicious and you don’t know the sender, it could just be bait. Use caution!
It’s easy to protect your information against my traps and keep your personal and company information safe.
Protect — don’t neglect — your information against Spear Phishermen like Mal Ware. For more information, check out www.us-cert.gov.
Lisa Martin
CEO
LeapFrog Solutions, Inc.
LeapFrog Solutions (LFS) is a certified woman owned small business based in Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in 1996, we are a trusted source for commercial businesses and federal agencies seeking full spectrum creative solutions and exceptional program management. This blogpost is brought to you by GTSC in partnership with LeapFrog Solutions. For more information on cyber awareness campaigns contact Anjali Dighe at 703.539.6127 or [email protected].
