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How to Detect and Block Phishing Attack Software?

Sam Sharma562 03-Jul-2019

Phishing is a word we get to listen and read many times in the current scenario. Before we go into the complex details, let us start by knowing what phishing exactly is. It is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive personal information of people, including credit card details, bank account information, etc. by sending them emails or electronic messages impersonating a known brand or a company or a person.
The emails sent by scammers have links to suspicious websites which when the user visits asks for personal information. The information is stolen and misused by the scammers. Many phishing attacks go undetected by the email spam filters.

How to Detect and Block Phishing Attack Software?

The employees of an organization or a business enterprise are also at risk of falling prey to the phishing attack software. In fact, it has been seen that companies face losses in billions of dollars every year as the employee open phishing emails. Statistics state that 30% of the phishing emails are opened by the employees. This shows why it is important for the enterprises to ensure that their employees are aware of the phishing attacks and also have a strong email security system in place.
There are many types of phishing attacks followed by the scammers to befriend, lure, and dupe the unsuspecting employees. One of the latest and advanced attacks is known as Zero Day Attack. The email spam filters have not yet been updated and cannot detect this attack. That is because many of the anti phishing software depend on an existing database to match and compare the emails to check for phishing threats. Anything new, until it is updated into the database cannot be detected by the software.
It has been found that 1.5 million new phishing sites are created every month. And, it takes around 24-48 hours for a signature to be released depending on the complexity of the malware. But, the problem is it takes less than 82 seconds for the first victim to fall into the phishing trap.
This only emphasizes why it is crucial to opt for an advanced email security system that can detect all kinds of phishing attacks and warn the users. There are four ways in which the Zero Day Attack can happen.
•    Malicious Links
o    This is one of the most convenient ways to scam a person. The links lead the person to a malicious website created by the scammers.
o    Once the link is opened, the virus from the website enters the system, taking control and collecting all the information stored on the system.
•    Microsoft Office Macros
o    Macros are a great help to the employees when they have to perform repetitive tasks in a document.
o    Macros allow the users to automate repetitive tasks and reduce the time required to complete the work.
o    But, this can be a cause of trouble when scammers send Microsoft word documents to the employees with a virus.
o    Once opened, the virus will multiply and spread in the spread as the employees execute the macros.
•    Infected PDF
o    Adobe Reader is an easy weapon for the scammers. It can be exploited to run malicious code on the computer of the user and install malware.
o    The scammers send PDF attachments along with the emails asking the users to open the attachment. Once the user does it, the malware will take over their computer system.
•    Embedded Code
o    HTML emails offer more individuality to the emails by allowing the users to design the text, color, look of the email.
o    The scammers use this feature to add their malicious code and send it to the users.
o    When a person opens such an email, the code is run and executed, spreading the virus into the computer system.
The leading company that provides an email security system to enterprises uses advanced technology to detect the phishing attack software.
From providing an interactive dashboard to keep track of the reported emails to educating the users via banners that pop up with each email, the email security system does it all. It also works with any email client which is definitely an advantage for enterprises.


Updated 03-Jul-2019

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