What is Spear Phishing: 5 keys to protect your business

Spear phishing is a highly targeted form of cyber-attack executed through personalised emails or messages to deceive specific individuals, characteristics that make it very dangerous and effective.

 

What is spear phishing?

Spear phishing is defined as a cyber attack technique that focuses on specific targets, as opposed to traditional phishing that targets a broad audience. In a spear phishing attack, cybercriminals research and collect information about their victims to create personalised and convincing messages. These messages often appear legitimate and may include details such as names, job titles, and professional relationships, which increases the likelihood that the victim will fall for the scam. The main goal of spear phishing is to trick the victim into revealing confidential information, such as passwords, banking details or sensitive corporate information. Attackers can use this information to commit fraud, steal identities or infiltrate corporate networks.

 

 

What is the difference between phishing and spear phishing?

Phishing and spear phishing are cyber-attack techniques that seek to trick victims into revealing sensitive information, but differ in their approach and execution.

Phishing is a massive and widespread attack. Cybercriminals send emails or messages to a large number of people, hoping that some will fall for it. These messages often look legitimate and may include links to fake websites that mimic real ones. The aim is to obtain information such as passwords, credit card numbers or personal data. Due to their mass nature, phishing messages are often less personalised and easier to detect. Spear phishing, on the other hand, is a targeted and personalised attack. Attackers research their victims and collect specific information about them, such as names, job titles, and professional relationships. They use this information to create highly personalised messages that appear to come from trusted sources. Because of their level of personalisation, spear phishing attacks are harder to detect and have a higher success rate. The goal is the same – to obtain sensitive information – but the approach is much more sophisticated and targeted. If you want to find out more about phishing techniques, click here→ Phishing: what it is and how many types there are.

 

How spear phishing attacks work

Due to their high level of customisation, spear phishing attacks take a long time to prepare and involve the attackers’ actions of recognising and searching for exposed sensitive information. The preparation and execution phases of a spear phishing attack typically include:

Choice of target

Targeting is the first step in this type of attack. Attackers carefully select their victims based on their position, access to sensitive information or influence within an organisation. To choose a target, attackers conduct extensive research using various sources of information, such as social networks, corporate websites and public databases. Depending on the attacker’s desired outcome, the target can be a senior manager of an organisation or a person with significant wealth, but also an employee with sufficient leverage to provide certain keys or carry out a specific action.

Target research

Once the target has been selected, the attackers then set about gathering detailed information about the victim in order to increase the likelihood of the attack’s success. This research phase involves the use of various techniques and sources of information. Attackers usually start by searching for publicly available information on social networks, corporate websites and public databases. They analyse profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to obtain data on the victim’s professional and personal life. They may also review press releases, news articles and blogs to obtain more context about the organisation and the victim’s role within it. Once this information is obtained, attackers enter the rest of the layers of the web, the deep web and the dark web, in search of leaked and exposed sensitive information about the victim or the organisation to which he or she belongs. This type of information, as it is not public and the victim is unaware of its exposure, is the most effective for the success of the attack. In addition, attackers can use social engineering techniques to obtain additional information. This includes sending test emails or making phone calls to collect specific data without arousing suspicion. This information obtained includes details about the victim’s contacts, communication habits, personal and professional interests and is used by attackers to personalise the attack.

Creating and sending the message

Creating and sending the message is the final step in a spear phishing attack. Once the attackers have selected and studied their target, they use the information gathered to craft a highly personalised and convincing message. This message is designed to appear legitimate and relevant to the victim, thus increasing the likelihood that they will fall for it. The message can take various forms, such as an email, text message or social media communication. Attackers mimic the communication style of a person or entity trusted by the victim, such as a colleague, a superior or a financial institution. The content of the message may include malicious links, infected attachments, or requests for confidential information or specific actions. To increase the credibility of the message, attackers may use spoofing techniques to make the sender appear legitimate. They also often use urgency or scare tactics to pressure the victim to act quickly without much thought or analysis. Once the message is ready, the attackers send it to the victim with the intention that the victim will open it and follow the instructions provided. If the victim falls into the trap, they may reveal sensitive information, such as login credentials, or download malware that compromises their device and the organisation’s network.

 

Keys to preventing spear phishing cyber attacks

To prevent a spear phishing cyber-attack, the keys cover a wide field ranging from the organisation’s strategy to the analytical attitude of the individual.

Avoid suspicious links and files

One of the main tactics used in spear phishing is sending emails with malicious links or attachments. These links may redirect to fake websites designed to steal login credentials, while the attachments may contain malware that infects the victim’s device. To protect yourself, it is crucial to be cautious when receiving unsolicited emails, especially those containing links or attachments. Before clicking on a link, it is advisable to verify the URL by hovering over the link to ensure that it leads to a legitimate website. In addition, it is important not to download or open attachments from unknown or suspicious senders.

Keeping software up to date

Cybercriminals often exploit vulnerabilities in software to carry out their attacks. These vulnerabilities are bugs or weaknesses in code that can be exploited to gain access to sensitive systems and data. When software developers discover these vulnerabilities, they often release updates or patches to fix them. If software is not updated regularly, these vulnerabilities remain open and can be exploited by attackers. Therefore, keeping software up to date is crucial to close these security gaps. Furthermore, software updates not only fix vulnerabilities, but also improve system functionality and performance, providing a more secure and efficient user experience. This includes operating systems, web browsers, applications and security software. To ensure that software is always up to date, it is advisable to enable automatic updates whenever possible. It is also important to watch for update notifications and apply them immediately.

 

 

Cybersecurity training

Spear phishing is based on social engineering, where attackers trick victims into revealing sensitive information. Cybersecurity education and awareness helps individuals and organisations to recognise and avoid these fraud attempts. Proper cybersecurity training teaches users how to identify suspicious emails, malicious links and dangerous attachments. It also provides them with the necessary tools to verify the authenticity of communications and avoid falling into common traps. In addition, cybersecurity training fosters a culture of security within organisations. Well-informed employees are more likely to follow security best practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication and regularly updating software. This significantly reduces the risk of a successful spear phishing attack.

Contact cyber-security and cyber-intelligence experts

Cybersecurity and cyber intelligence professionals have the knowledge and experience to identify and mitigate threats before they cause harm. By working with experts, organizations can benefit from a thorough assessment of their security systems and receive personalized recommendations to strengthen their defenses.
In addition, these professionals are aware of the latest cybersecurity trends and the tactics used by cybercriminals, allowing them to anticipate and neutralize potential attacks.
On the other hand, cyber intelligence experts specialize in data analysis and identifying suspicious patterns. They can monitor networks for unusual activity and provide early warnings about potential threats. Their ability to analyze large volumes of information and detect anomalous behavior and open security breaches is crucial to preventing spear phishing attacks.
You may be interested in→ Keys to preventing a data leak.

Establishing a proactive cyber security strategy

A proactive cyber security strategy involves anticipating threats and taking preventive measures before security incidents occur. This not only reduces the risk of successful attacks, but also minimises the impact of any intrusion attempts. The proactive security strategy starts with a comprehensive risk assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities in the organisation’s systems and processes. Based on this assessment, appropriate security measures can be implemented. In addition, it is essential to establish clear policies and procedures for information security management. Finally, it is essential to continuously monitor the attack surface, both internally and externally, for suspicious activities, open breaches and exposed vulnerabilities.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

 

Relevant examples of spear phishing

There are numerous examples of spear phishing attacks in Spain and the rest of the world, demonstrating the proliferation of the technique.

Some highlights include:

• Santander Bank (2020). Victims received emails that appeared to be from the bank, asking them to update their security information. This led several customers to reveal their banking credentials.
• UK universities (2020). The attackers sent emails to students and staff at several UK universities, posing as the university’s IT department and asking them to update their passwords. Several university accounts were compromised following the attack.
• Hillary Clinton presidential campaign (2016). John Podesta was Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager when he was the victim of a spear phishing attack. After receiving an email that appeared to come from Google, and following the procedure it instructed him to do, he changed his password on the platform. This allowed hackers to access his emails, which were then leaked.
• Technology companies in Germany (2019). Attackers sent a group of German technology companies emails that appeared to come from IT service providers. In these emails, employees were asked to download important software updates, which led to the installation of malware on the companies’ systems.

 

Enthec helps you to protect your organisation against spear phishing

Through its automated and continuous monitoring technology of the web, deep web, dark web, social networks and forums, Enthec helps organisations and individuals to locate leaked and exposed information within the reach of cybercriminals, to neutralise spear phishing attacks, implementing a proactive protection strategy. If you need to know more about how Enthec can help you protect your organisation and its employees against spear phishing, do not hesitate to contact us.