Cybersecurity is a term used to refer to the protection of computers, phones, and other devices from subjectively and randomly driven cyber crimes or attacks. Probably one of the most common vectors through which information about the target victim(s) is stolen by bad actors is spear phishing. This post will help define what spear phishing is, how it has evolved over time, and the steps we take to protect ourselves from these attacks.
What Is Spear Phishing?
Spear phishing refers to an attack in which a con artist tricks a person into giving them private information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. While most phishing strategies utilize a fishing-net approach in their attempts to get victims to aim at large swathes of people, spear phishing narrows its technique. The attacker specifically selects a target and tailors the message to make it appear personal, often complicating the target’s ability to see through the ruse.
The Historical Background of Spear Phishing
Spear phishing is an age-old technique that, however, wasn’t so common in recent times. During its initial days, emailing was one of the few means of communication. The insecure messages used in spear phishing would originate from fictitious addresses masquerading as a credible entity such as a bank or well-known company. They attempted to solicit sensitive information such as usernames or passwords.
People initially knew very little about this kind of attack and found themselves unwittingly giving their information away to criminal elements. It eventually became apparent that as the world learned about cyber-attacks and information security, it became harder for simple emails to trick the unsuspecting. So far, criminal syndicates have had to become smarter.
Rise of Social Media
As social media grew, so did spear phishing. Nowadays, the majority of people use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share their lives. Such sites are rich sources of personal information. Hackers glean this information and use it to enhance the authenticity of their messages. For example, they look into where you have studied or worked, and based on this intelligence, they craft a message that appears to have come from one of your friends or an organization that you trust completely.
For instance, a bad person may send you a message that looks like it is from your friend. The message might say: “Hey, I found this wonderful link; you must check this out!” Because it looks like it’s from someone you know, you become attracted to it and click the link but the link might lead to a page that extracts personal information or installs malicious software on your device.
Spear Phishing Grows Smarter
Unfortunately, as the years went by, attackers have become ever more sophisticated. They are no longer content with the email and social networks when going after a particular person. Newer safe methods of targeting individuals have been developed by them. Nowadays, spear phishing occurs through SMS and phone calls or via voicemails. The messages are getting polished and the attackers have the patience and determination to learn their victim’s behavior.
Some criminals now spend weeks or months researching before attacking. They go through your social media, read through your emails, and see how you interact with family and friends. The moment they know a lot about you, they will shoot you a message that’s unbelievably identical. They will use the names of your co-workers or even your boss, pretending to be someone from the bank urging you to update your documents. Many might fall for it since they seem to sound real.
How Spear Phishing Works
Remember that this is an example of a spear-phishing attack:
- Gathering Phase: The bad person researches your social media accounts. They know your likes and dislikes, your family, and your job. They might figure out your birthday and other personal details about you.
- The Fake Message: The bad person then sends you a message that appears as if it came from someone you trust. The message might read like this, “Hey, please help me! Can you please look at this document?” You touch it since it seems relevant.
- Harmful Consequence: The link may take you to a phishing site. Upon clicking, you may be prompted to enter your personal details such as passwords, bank account number, etc. Once entered, that malicious person has your information and can cause money loss or other adverse effects.
Spear Phishing in Business
Spear phishing is not only directed at individuals; it is capable of hurting a business too. Either in functions of profit or the day-to-day affairs of that entity. An employee of the organization can be targeted by a hacker and coerced into revealing classified, secret information. For instance, a hacker can impersonate the CEO of a company and send a fake email. To an employee to request a transfer of a money amount or to share sensitive files.
Some hackers also target businesses because that allows them one big bang. If a business is caught off guard on spear-phishing, it stands to lose a lot in terms of scratched money, lost clientele, and reputation.
Changes to Spear Phishing
When there are new technologies, the tricks that pullers of evil can put into practice also evolve. Attackers are using new forms of deception to hoodwink their victims. For example, some use artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool that gives fake messages the atmosphere of realism. AI offers a process of examining how a certain person speaks, the words he would use, and even his writing style. It is from this that the evil-doer is able to compose a message that certainly resembles your way of speaking.
Other techniques involve the use of deepfake technologies that allow the statement of bad people. Through such weaponry as fake videos or audio recordings of someone. There arise people, more often than not, who find it darn near impossible to distinguish real video. From its counterpart, hence salvaging the sanity needed for spotting an online scam.
Tips to Avoid Getting Spear Phished
After gaining some insights into the working of spear phishing, it is worth noting that working in cybersecurity requires a deep understanding of such threats. It is worth taking hardly too long in discussing the tactics to stave off the unfortunate occurrence. Here are the simple steps to follow to stay safe:
- Don’t Trust Emails or Texts from Strangers: You have to be careful with an email or text from someone you don’t know. You should not click on links or download attachments from unknown senders.
- Check Email Source: If you receive an email from someone who claims to be from a company. Check the email address closely for credibility, ensuring it is real and not fake but similar in appearance.
- Don’t Share Too Much on Social Media: Do not give too much personal information online. Hackers can exploit this against you to get you to click a link.
- Use Strong Passwords: Try to use different passwords for different accounts so other people cannot guess them easily. The use of a password manager can be very helpful in this case.
- Do Not Click on Suspicious Links: If an offending message asks you to click on a dubious link, reflect for a moment. Was this something that you were expecting? If not, do not click on it.
- Ask for Help: If in doubt of an email or message, alert an older adult or another trusted individual before further actions.
- Update Software: Keep your phone, computer, and apps updated at all times. These updates fix security problems and also defend against the new ones.
Conclusion
Spear phishing is a dangerous attack that is gaining prevalence and sophistication. These tricks are used to steal personal information for causing harm. The evolution of technology gets better at bringing spear phishing along. However, we are not totally defenseless in front of them. If we remain vigilant while keeping ourselves informed, we can combat those attackers.
You know what, you should be careful about links clicked or messages opened from unknowns. Let us be wise and conscious of any other measures that will ultimately keep our security as we use the internet.
