Phishing Attacks South Africa
Beware: Microsoft is One of the Most Impersonated Brands in Phishing Attacks
Image sourced from NS Energy. Check Point Research for the second quarter of 2021 found that Microsoft was the most popular brand used to lure unsuspecting individuals and employees. This isn’t hard to believe because Microsoft’s Active Directory, continues to dominate the market share globally in 2021 and as a result is still the most popular target for phishing. The weight of this risk is emphasised by the fact that in 2021, phishing attacks increased by 47% in just the first quarter alone. The threats are smart, capable, and worrying – increasing in volume every year. Companies are facing an onslaught of risk that’s designed to fool employees into making mistakes that can cost the company money and reputation. “The risk is when employee credentials are stolen, this can lead to detriment...
Most SAns Would Stop Trusting Brands Involved in Phishing Attacks – Survey
Image sourced from Kaspersky. According to the global Brand Trust survey by cybersecurity company Mimecast, almost three-quarters (74%) of South African consumers would stop buying from a brand if they fell victim to a phishing attack involving that brand, with 93% of South African consumers expecting their favourite brands to ensure their services, such as websites, emails and other communication, are safe to use. Heino Gevers, cybersecurity expert at Mimecast, says brands need to do more to protect their customers from cybercriminals. “South Africans are incredibly trusting with 69% of consumers not hesitating to open an email from brands they use regularly, and 56% readily clicking on links from their favourite brands. However, with cyber threats- including impersonation attacks and phi...
5 Crucial Things You Need to Do When You Receive A Phishing Email
Image sourced from Kaspersky. You may not even notice when you receive one, most suspicious emails are automatically sorted to spam by your email service – though, a few may slip through the cracks, and one or two may even be authentic enough for you to click through their contents. The most important thing to remember about phishing emails is that unless you open any attachments or click on any links, you will not be affected by malware. Phishing emails are based on social engineering and work off bait, hence the name, and unless the bait is taken you can’t be affected by the cybercriminals holding the rod, fingers twitching at the reel. If you’re not familiar with these kinds of emails or begin to feel nervous or panicked when you receive one – this list is for you. Here are 6 crucial th...
South Africa Ranked as Most Targeted Country in Africa, Cybersecurity Research Shows
Sourced from IDG Connect Phishing is one of the oldest and most flexible types of social engineering attacks. It is used in many ways, and for different purposes, to lure unwary users to fake sites and trick them into entering personal information. The latter often includes financial credentials such as bank account passwords or payment card details, or login details for social media accounts. In the wrong hands, this opens doors to various malicious operations, such as money being stolen or corporate networks being compromised. This makes phishing a popular initial infection method. According to Kaspersky, phishing attacks are becoming increasingly more targeted. A number of new tricks have also been found – from HR dismissal emails to attacks disguised as delivery notifications. As a res...
South African Organisations Lag Behind Global Average of Cybersecurity Resilience
Email and data security company, Mimecast, unveiled its fourth-annual State of Email Security 2020 report. This report summarises details from 1,025 global IT decision-makers on the current state of cybersecurity. The findings in this year’s report demonstrate that despite high levels of confidence in respondents’ cyber resilience strategies, there is a clear need for improvement. While a large majority (77%) of respondents say they have or are actively rolling out a cyber resilience strategy, only 62% of South African organisations are doing the same. Yet an astounding 47% of local organisations – and 60% of global ones – believe it is inevitable or likely they will suffer from an email-borne attack in the coming year. South African respondents cite data loss (35%), a decrease in employee...
