Ransomware and phishing are usually put in two separate categories when cyberattack methodologies are discussed. However, ransomware operators are increasingly leveraging phishing tactics to deploy their malicious payloads, and the potential for compromise is exponentiating as a result. Ransomware and Phishing - a match made in heaven Phishing is the number one delivery vehicle for ransomware,...

The demand for Digital Risk Protection (DRP) is on the rise as cybercriminals are increasingly targeting businesses on channels outside the corporate firewall. According to Frost & Sullivan’s 2022 Frost Radar Global DRP Report, the traditional security perimeter has changed, and unlike phishing attacks that can be managed and mitigated through internal controls, these threats live on spaces not...

Phishing sites impersonating reputable organizations continue to represent the top online threat to businesses and their brands. In Q4, Financial Institutions were targeted most by credential theft phish, experiencing the largest share of malicious sites recorded since 2021, according to Fortra’s PhishLabs. Within the group, criminals capitalized on the broad customer bases and recognizable names...

Cybercriminals are increasingly using steganography to hide malware in phishing attacks targeting businesses. Read Digital Journal’s interview with Alyn Hockey, Fortra’s VP of Product Management, to learn why this tactic is particularly difficult to detect, and what security teams can do to avoid falling victim. Check out the article here. if(window.strchfSettings === undefined) window...

“Whaling” phishing fraud attacks target the C-suite of a company which creates high risk of extremely sensitive, mission-critical data being stolen and exposed. Fortunately, protecting the organization from these attacks is possible. Whaling phishing is a type of phishing attack targeting larger, high-value targets, which is why it's called "Whaling." Attackers themselves often pretend to be C...

​Organizations face a growing danger from phishing and ransomware, which have been the most common forms of cybercrime in recent years. Most businesses have fallen victim to phishing or ransomware attacks at some point. Every business needs to act against the growing threat of phishing, the primary method through which ransomware and other malware are spread. On the bright side, organizations have...

Email fraud is on the rise. Phishing emails were the most often used attack type last year, according to numerous reports, including the ENISA Threat Landscape 2022 report. The highest financial losses are reportedly attributable to phishing and business email compromise (BEC) assaults, in which the attacker poses as a coworker or senior executive at a company via email. Email scams are so popular...

When it comes to email authentication standards, should you use DKIM, SPF, or both? We’re going to cover these terms, when you should use them, what they do—and how best to protect your email domains. Is it Either/Or—or Both? Should the battle really be SPF vs. DKIM? While not mandatory, it’s highly recommended to use both SPF and DKIM to protect your email domains from spoofing attacks and...

QBot was the most reported payload targeting employee inboxes in Q4, according to Fortra’s PhishLabs. This is the fourth consecutive month QBot has led malware activity as bad actors target organizations with a steady stream of high-volume attack campaigns. QBot previously represented the second most reported payload family, trailing behind RedLine Stealer in Q3. Email payloads remain the primary...

Sometimes when sending phishing simulations to our clients, we setup a reply-to address to see if people will reply to suspicious emails and many do. Many people interpret our simulations as scams and articulate that in colorful language. Others provide information that would be dangerous in the hands of a threat actor, such as contact information for the appropriate employee for us to connect...

In this DKIM setup guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to set up DKIM correctly, test it, avoid common pitfalls, and fix common mistakes. In case you’re new to DKIM, or DomainKeys Identified Mail, we’ll start with a high-level overview before getting to the step-by-step instructions, but you can first look up your DKIM record here. What is DKIM? A Brief Introduction DKIM is a...

In this post, we’ll briefly explain what a DMARC policy is, how to set up your DMARC email record, what the three types of DMARC policies are and when to implement each one, and how to diagnose and fix any issues associated with it. Basically, your DMARC policy tells email receivers what to do with illegitimate or possibly fraudulent emails—whether to reject, quarantine, or accept them. Overall,...

In 2022, geopolitical unrest and an expanding online attack surface contributed to the emergence of several themes across the cyber landscape. Infrastructures associated with opposing ideologies were highly targeted, with government agencies, supply chains, and IOT devices falling victim to high-profile campaigns. Cybercriminals launched increasingly advanced attacks on vulnerable entities, with...

In Q3, Redline Stealer represented nearly half of all malware attacks targeting corporate user inboxes. This is the first quarter Redline has led payload volume since PhishLabs began reporting on malware activity. Email payloads remain the primary delivery method of ransomware targeting organizations. PhishLabs continuously monitors payload families reported in corporate inboxes to help mitigate...

Hybrid vishing attacks have increased 500% year-over-year as cybercriminals find success using these techniques to steal sensitive information. Listen as Agari’s John Wilson discusses the latest research from Agari and PhishLabs by Fortra. Click here to listen to the podcast. if(window.strchfSettings === undefined) window.strchfSettings = {};window.strchfSettings.stats = {url: "https://phishlabs...

In Q2, Response-Based emails targeting corporate users reached the highest volume since 2020, according to the Agari and PhishLabs Quarterly Threat Trends & Intelligence Report. Malicious and potentially damaging emails targeting corporate inboxes have climbed to a three-quarter high, and include Response-Based scams, Credential Theft, and Malware. Every quarter, Agari and PhishLabs analyze...

Cyber attacks targeting retail brands have increased dramatically over the last year. Since Q3 2021, retail has experienced a nearly 500% increase in attacks on social media alone. Counterfeit websites and look-alike domains are also among the top threats to online retailers. Attackers incorporate stolen designs and trademarks to stand up counterfeit sites, outbid legitimate businesses with...

Courtesy of Expert Insights Billy Smith is the Managing Director at PhishLabs by Fortra. With a wealth of experience in the IT and cybersecurity industry, Smith is an expert in using curated threat intelligence to take down cyberthreats. In his role at PhishLabs, Smith enables organizations to proactively identify and remediate threats across their digital channels, including email, social media,...

Courtesy of Agari by Fortra. What is Email Spoofing? Email spoofing is one of the most common forms of cybercriminal activity, specifically a form of identity deception that’s widely used in phishing and spam attacks. It underpins the mechanism required to conduct hacking activities, and it can take many forms. Unfortunately, most email users will eventually receive an email that has been...

It’s not news that cybercrime is a constant battle—large enterprises and small businesses everywhere are susceptible to a myriad of advanced email threats and socially engineered attacks, such as executive or brand impersonation. According to IC3’s Internet Crime Report, over $44 million in losses in 2021 were a direct result of malicious phishing and advanced email scams. Despite billions having...