The latest Brand Phishing Report from Check Point Research sees Microsoft as the number one impersonated brand by cybercriminals with the technology sector dominating the top ten.
Our latest Brand Phishing Report for Q4 2023 highlights the brands that were most frequently imitated by cybercriminals in their attempts to steal individuals' personal information or payment credentials during October, November and December 2023.
Last quarter, Microsoft claimed the top spot as the number one most impersonated brand, accounting for 33% of all brand phishing attempts.
The technology sector stood out as the most targeted industry overall, with Amazon securing second place with 9% and Google in third on 8%. Social networks and banking represented the other two most targeted industries.
Consumer spending associated with the festive period saw cybercriminals continue to target retailers and couriers in Q4 2023.
The widely recognized package delivery brand DHL moved into the top ten, possibly due to increased activity during the November shopping month, while Amazon's ranking can largely be attributed to the annual Amazon Fall Prime Day sale that was scheduled during the second week of October.
While we have said goodbye to 2023, one thing has followed us into the new year and that is the threat of phishing.
Even cybercriminals with limited IT expertise can accurately mimic legitimate brands to deceive unsuspecting customers and carry out social engineering attacks.
Following the widespread use of AI, we can expect to see a higher volume of phishing campaigns this year that are even more indistinguishable from genuine company communications.
As the biggest names in technology, social networking and banking continue to be imitated, end users need to be extra vigilant when engaging with emails claiming to be from a reputable brand.
This deceptive email, posing as the Microsoft account team, claimed to require email address verification and urged recipients to click a verification link.
The email requested recipients to verify their email address and may potentially lead to fraudulent activities.
The email urged recipients to address the storage issue by clicking inactive link, potentially leading to fraudulent activities.
This Cyber News was published on blog.checkpoint.com. Publication date: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 13:43:05 +0000