The Danger of Spoofing Attacks

As the pandemic continues to abate, the way many Atlanta businesses operate has significantly changed over the last 18 months. The unexpected restrictions preventing customers, employees, and vendors from directly interacting created unexpected operational challenges. New social distancing requirements forced organizations to make significant changes to achieve compliance. This meant some businesses (restaurants) had to move to a take-out-only format, and others had to limit production runs, while several companies transitioned to a virtual office environment. The ability to move to a virtual format allowed employees the opportunity to stay productive while working from home. This new operating format met regulations while serving customers in a whole new way.  Although it allowed companies to stay productive, a new series of issues were created including the increased exposure to spoofing attacks.

Unfortunately, these attacks have become a routine aspect of corporate life. In fact, according to a recent Check Point Research Study, 64% of organizations have experienced a spoofing attack in the last year. Given that October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Wilson Lewis has provided a summary of the key prevention steps below.

What is Spoofing?

These are attacks that use email addresses, sender names, phone numbers, and other contact information which appear to be legitimate and coming from a trusted source. It is common for cybercriminals to trick users by making small modifications to the name. The approach is used to fool users into believing the communication and any requests are coming from a trustable source. Unfortunately, this is not the case. These emails are used to get recipients to download ransomware, send money, or share personally identifiable information (PII).

Warning Signs of Spoofed Emails

• Sense of Urgency – It is common for spoofed emails to contain a false sense of urgency around some fictitious event. This method is used as a catalyst to get the recipient to act quickly without paying close attention to the details. Look for messaging about closed accounts, fines from the IRS, or similar statements as a warning sign.
• Generic Domain Name – One of the tell-tale signs of email spoofing can be found in the domain name of the sender’s email address. Financial institutions, credit card companies, and other established businesses have a name or brand-specific URLs. Be careful of emails requesting information that originate from generic domain names such as Yahoo and Gmail. Also, pay careful attention to the sender’s email address because it will appear legitimate, even including the name of the trusted business, but are often false.
• Poor Grammar – A common trait of spoofed emails is poor grammar or many misspellings. Any reputable company, including large financial institutions and credit card companies, does not send out emails with poor grammar. Beware of emails that have these issues as it is likely a spoofed email.
• Information Request – Often these emails will request information about the recipient or account information that the trusted business should already have. If the email is directing the recipient to a website where personally identifiable information (PII) is requested, it should be a red flag. Remember, spoofing attacks are designed to look authentic and often use well-designed websites to create a false sense of trust.
• Unusual Attachments – In the event an email with a strange attachment is received, it is better not to open it. These bizarre attachments are often executable files that can initiate an attack on an individual computer or target the corporate IT infrastructure. Most businesses have safeguards in place to prevent an email with unknown attachments from being delivered, but it is important to understand the danger these files pose.

Contact Us

While most Atlanta businesses have IT controls designed to curb these types of attacks, it is important to gain additional insights on prevention. Taking a few extra seconds to carefully review emails and websites will go a long way to protecting your PII and the company’s data. If you have questions about the information outlined above or need assistance with an audit or tax issue, Wilson Lewis can help. For additional information call us at 770-476-1004 or click here to contact us. We look forward to speaking with you soon.