Beware! New Phishing Attacks Disguised as Replies to Previously Asked Questions

Cyber criminals have come up with yet another way to get you to open an email. This month’s Comodo Threat Intelligence Lab report has identified a new type of phishing email. According to Comodo, the new scam involves emails disguised as a reply to a previously asked request for information. The emails also appear to come from a legitimate contact or familiar brand, the report says.

A New Type of Phishing Email

The particular phishing email campaign mentioned in the report occurred over a seven hour period on July 6, 2017. And while it lasted less than a day, it was able to target 50 enterprise customers with thousands of users.

The perpetrators of the attack used 585 different servers with IP addresses in North America, Europe, Australia and Turkey. Comodo says the speed and coordination to develop and deploy the attack shows a considerble level of sophistication and advance in phishing evolution.

The emails have been designed to look authentic. And if you are busy, a quick glance might lead you to believe it is a legitimate request. But once you click on the link, you will be directed to a different site, which will deliver its remotely deployed malware payload.

This screenshot shows an example of the phishing attack.

Fatih Orhan, head of the Comodo Threat Intelligence Lab and Comodo Threat Research Labs (CTRL), explains:

“Phishing emails come in numerous types and formats. Cyber criminals always find new methods to trick users and convince them to click a “bait” link. This latest method is also an example of how they can be creative to attack enterprise business users.”

This phishing campaign attacked more than three thousand enterprise customer users from 585 IP addresses. Comodo identified the following countries, with the US making up the lion’s share of the IP addresses.

What is a Phishing Attack?

Finding The Right Solution

Comodo analyzes millions of potential pieces of malware, phishing, spam or other malicious/unwanted files and emails 24x7x365 in over 190 countries around the world. Whether you choose Comodo or another vendor, make sure it monitors and protects your digital assets at all times. This is critical in order to catch the latest attacks and prevent any harm to your small business.

Help From the FTC and SBA

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and he U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have launched a new website – ftc.gov/SmallBusiness – to address phishing and other digital threats to small businesses. The site has articles, videos, and other information to help owners identify, protect and avoid scams from cyberattacks and additional vulnerabilities.

Phishing Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Beware! New Phishing Attacks Disguised as Replies to Previously Asked Questions" was first published on Small Business Trends