Every so often, you see a report that reminds you how important awareness can be. Take Kaspersky’s latest quarterly report, for example. The cybersecurity software giant recently released its Q3 spam and phishing stats. They’re well worth a look if you’re alarmed by recent news stories and want to know what to look out for. Here’s what we took away from the latest report.
Bitcoin is a big deal
It appears scammers are taking advantage of the hype around Bitcoin. Not to mention the lack of understanding about how it works. Kaspersky reported that a typical plan is
“to get the victim to deposit a certain amount to their account, usually several hundred dollars, for the opportunity to start trading.
We should note here that we’re no longer talking about cryptocurrencies – in most cases, trading involves binary options.”
In other words, these emails try to get people to deposit real dollars in exchange for bitcoins. They may promise certain returns, or use names and logos associated with reputable institutions. Either way, always ignore and delete any unsolicited investment offers.
Phishers pay attention to the news
Phishing emails don’t follow the same old scripts year after year. Phishers try to beat filters by including timely and topical references. For example, scammers mentioned recent natural disasters in the US. Such as pleading for support as ‘hurricane victims’.
The targets aren’t where you think
Kaspersky also published a map of attack hotspots. The results might come as a surprise if you’re used to seeing headlines about cyber attacks in Europe and the US.
- Brazil saw the highest proportion of phishing attacks at nearly 20%.
- Australia was right behind on 16.5%
- Then New Zealand, on 15.6%
- The US and the UK didn’t even make the top 10.
And that’s not just because of the distribution of customers. Kaspersky is based in Russia, and has the largest market share in Europe. If the number of losses didn’t convince you already, the prevalence of attacks should.
Getting ahead of the bad guys
Having the right threat protection software in place is one step towards protecting your organisation from cybercrime. It’s also critical to manage human risk wherever possible. This means making sure your people are up to date with the basics of information security. But training doesn’t have to mean a ton of hassles with scheduling, resourcing and lost work hours. That’s what financial crimes modules are for.
We offer flexible, self-paced online learning experiences, which are deal for staff from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels. Our titles include Introduction to Information Security, a great primer on the essentials that are (or should be) covered in your security policy. Like keeping passwords secure, and physical information security. Check it out now, roll it out today, prevent a critical breach tomorrow.
