Phishing

• Phishing:

  • Attacker sends emails masquerading as a trusted entity (such as a bank) to a bulk of recipients to obtain sensitive information
  • Not targeted at any particular group, sent in bulk to cast a wide net and obtain information from whoever they can
• Spear Phishing:

  • Targeted phishing attack aimed at a specific group
  • Exploits a list of specific users and their email addresses to target those users
• In the instance of a bank, receiving a message from a bank not used may indicate a phishing email, but if it comes from the actual bank, individuals might be more susceptible to respond

  • Spear phishing significantly increases the success rate for the attacker
• Whaling:

  • Phishing attack targeting high-value individuals like a CEO
  • Custom-built attacks to increase the odds of success
• Vishing:

  • Phishing attempts using voice communication technologies
  • Attackers spoof calls from legitimate entities to gain useful information