What is Spear Phishing?
Spear phishing is a type of cyber attack that is derived from traditional phishing attacks and has extremely malicious intent. In a traditional phishing attack, the target individuals are drawn at random into the attacker’s grid. In a spear phishing attack, the victim is spied on over a period of weeks or months. Habits and preferences are formed during this time. This is used to put together a personal dossier. Customized email or phishing attacks are launched based on this carefully gathered data. These are always subjective.
Cyber criminals pose as online retailers, banking institutions, family members, acquaintances, or even partners in this type of attack. E-mails are typically designed in such a way that the sender’s address and content appear to be genuine at first glance. The focus here is on the attacker’s attempt to outwit the potentially gullible target person. After all, the cybercriminal is after sensitive personal information, so he can be extremely targeted in this type of attack. Such spying is not uncommon in stealing access data for bank accounts or online accounts.
Spear phishing attacks pose a particular risk for businesses that are increasingly vulnerable to corporate or industrial espionage. Professional hackers carefully select an employee in this case. When gathering information, not only are general phishing techniques used, but also an individualised attack that is tailored to the specific victim.
Spear Phishing Attacks: A familiar form of attack in a new disguise
These attacks are dangerous because they rely on intimate knowledge of the targeted victim’s personality. In contrast to traditional phishing email attacks, people who are skeptical of fake emails are specifically targeted.
As a result, spear phishing e-mails are far more effective at establishing trust. Above all, the recipient’s good faith is abused because they are led to believe they are safe, for example, because of apparently known sender addresses or the reputation of the company named in the email.
The attacker has made the first move. With this successful deception, the cybercriminal can now move on to the next level of the spear phishing attack. The unwitting victim will usually discover the ruse much later, when it is too late to react.
This is how a spear phishing attack works in practice
Following the victim’s receipt of a deceptive e-mail, attempts are made to persuade them to click on a link, for example, that installs carefully concealed malware. Alternatively, the victim may be directed via a link to a bogus website where their personal information is collected via a form.
In recent years, it has become clear that spear phishing is no longer limited to communicating via e-mail. This type of attack is also carried out through social media channels. The cybercriminal can simply sit back and wait once the link or malware has been planted on the potential victim’s computer.
The Targets of Spear Phishing
But that isn’t all. Attackers look for reviews on travel portal pages as well. Online hotel guest books can also provide a wealth of information about a person’s financial situation. As a result, specific conclusions about the interrelationships between business and private sectors can be reached quickly. However, this is just a digital information search.
The spear phishing attack, in general, is based on a variety of attacks. They are often similar to social engineering attacks, or “social hacking,” in the preparation phase, because the attacker uses information gathered about the target person to tailor the spear phishing attack and increase its effectiveness.
Employees who freely disclose personal information increase their chances of being targeted by a spear phishing attack. Spear phishers specifically look for employees with such vulnerabilities because those in the company who handle their data carelessly are ideal targets.
The Immediate Environment of the Spear Phishing Victim
Cyber criminals are always clever when it comes to finding ever more detailed information. As a result, spear phishing attacks frequently target the potential victim’s immediate surroundings. As a result, it is not uncommon for sensitive documents to be intercepted directly from company paper waste or even from employees’ homes.
Once the attacker has gathered all of the necessary information, the spear phishing attack is launched. In the following phase, an individual or a group of employees receive emails in which they are asked to confirm certain information, for example. This stage also includes a blurring of the line towards CEO fraud, as the e-mails are typically falsified with official sender addresses.
Attached files in everyday company e-mails frequently serve as a gateway here. A Word, Excel, or PDF document could be the key to the entire company network. The majority of people who open these file attachments are unaware of the potential danger.
The Bait in a Spear Phishing Attack
When it comes to deceiving the target in a spear phishing attack, the design and camouflage of the bait are critical. The more convincingly an attacker disguises the bait, the more likely he or she will succeed.
Previously, spear phishing attacks were often limited to e-mails; however, today’s focus is increasingly on social media. Again, company employees may unknowingly interact on a personal level with spear phishers, allowing the victim to communicate directly with the attacker. This is another way for victims to be spied on.
Spear phishing attacks by professionals are difficult to detect. In terms of content, they are typically prepared in such a targeted manner that laypeople find it difficult to detect them. This is where spear phishing differs from standard phishing, in which a large number of e-mails are sent indiscriminately in a so-called “shotgun tactic.”
How can companies protect themselves from a Spear Phishing attack?
Spear phishing attacks are difficult to detect, especially for IT security officers in businesses. Because, in the end, the individual employee is the central weak point. Links and file attachments are clicked on without regard for the sender. The same is true for bogus friend requests received through social media. The recipient’s psyche is used as a portal, and their natural scepticism is avoided. Because spear phishing is so effective, the number of spear phishing attacks increases year after year, making it critical to educate and sensitise employees about the dangers of spear phishing.
- Unmask Spear Phishing Attack
In order to protect yourself against spear phishing, e-mail notifications that request the disclosure of sensitive data should be ignored.
Neither a financial institution nor a service provider would ever ask their customers to reveal personal information via email.
The same applies to questionable messages or allegedly harmless links from alleged social media acquaintances—and in particular to cryptic addresses or URLs. But be aware that links that appear trustworthy can also be problematic.
- Use Social Media With Caution
Perhaps you have seen a post on a pinboard on Twitter or Facebook that contained personal data. There are the strangest cases—from publishing a driver’s license to disclosing a bank statement, everything is out there. Even people presenting credit cards! Such people are just begging for a spear phishing attack.
Under certain circumstances, data can also be tapped using image recordings. This is especially true when sensitive documents are on a desk and end up as a photo on social media. Such cases must result from an employee who thoughtlessly posts a picture of his workplace. This scenario can often be found in practice.
- Professional Protective Measures
The aforementioned protective measures are related in principle to human vulnerability, which of course serves as a primary gateway for a successful spear phishing attack. From a technical point of view, however, it also makes sense to introduce an IT security measure that offers companies extensive protection against spear phishing attacks.
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