Phishing
Meaning:
Adversaries may send phishing messages to gain access to victim systems. All forms of phishing are electronically delivered social engineering. Phishing can be targeted, known as spear phishing.
In spear phishing, a specific individual, company, or industry will be targeted by the adversary. More generally, adversaries can conduct non-targeted phishing, such as in mass malware spam campaigns.
Adversaries may send victims emails containing malicious attachments or links, typically to execute malicious code on victim systems. Phishing may also be conducted via third-party services, like social media platforms.
Phishing may also involve social engineering techniques, such as posing as a trusted source.
Signs:
- Do you know the sender?
- Does the email address match the sender?
- Does the reply-to email match the sender?
- In the email body, does the email greet you personally, or is it very generic?
- Does the email contain any grammar mistakes, such as misspelled words?
- Does the email give you a sense of urgency where you need to act fast? Such as a deadline to prevent your account from being disabled.
- Does the email contain a link or a clickable button that redirects you to a website?
- Does the link match the sender, or is it a random website?
- Is there an attachment to the email?