Upon opening the link, the victim is directed to a website where they are asked to enter the current username and password. This email convinces the victim to click a link to reset a password. It will likely have all relevant logos and names attached. The email will look nearly identical to what the target is used to receiving from that person. One popular approach sees individuals receive emails from someone whom they trust, like a personal assistant or company IT manager.
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Learn how to help your team collaborate securely-from anywhere. Or for even more targeted attacks, the cybercriminal might study his or her target’s habits or environments. This inside information might be a company-wide email alias or other insider information that might help convince targets of the emails’ legitimacy. Spear phishers need something to start with. Spear phishing techniques are used in 91% of attacks. Whatever they seek out, they do it because it works. Or maybe you all use the same local bank. Maybe you’re all students at the same university. With spear phishing, thieves typically target select groups of people who have one thing in common. Spear phishing attacks are targeted at specific individuals, whereas general phishing attacks are usually sent to masses of emails simultaneously in the hopes that someone takes the bait. While there are a handful of classified phishing strategies, the most common type of phishing attack is what experts call spear phishing. Phishing is the broader term for any sort of social engineering scam attempt that tricks victims into sharing whatever it is the perpetrators are after - passwords, usernames, identification numbers, etc.
As its homophonous name implies, the thieves bait victims like a fisherman might bait his fish. Among the most popular scams is phishing, where thieves set what can be considered a virtual trap using email.
Whether you rely on email for business or simply use it on occasion for personal use, it is important to be wary of scams that cybercriminals use in attempts to steal something from you.