File-Sharing Phishing Attacks Rise 350% in a Year

Sharp Increase in Evolving Cybercriminal Tactics

In a startling development, file-sharing phishing attacks have spiked by an alarming 350% in the past year. This surge highlights the evolving strategies employed by cybercriminals to target unsuspecting individuals and organizations.

Key Findings from the Abnormal Security Report

• File-sharing phishing attacks have surged by 350% in the past year.
• Traditional BEC attacks have also increased by 50%.
• File-sharing phishing emails often appear to originate from trusted file-sharing platforms.

The report, released by Abnormal Security, a pioneer in AI-driven human behavior security, sheds light on the growing threat posed by file-sharing phishing attacks. These attacks capitalize on the popularity of file-sharing services, tricking victims into clicking on malicious links or downloading infected files.

Abnormal Security's report also emphasizes the continuing threat of BEC attacks, a type of email phishing that impersonates legitimate businesses to deceive and defraud recipients. The 50% increase in BEC attacks underscores the persistence of this malicious tactic.

Protecting Against File-Sharing Phishing Attacks

1. Be wary of emails from unfamiliar senders: Exercise caution when receiving emails from unknown individuals or organizations, especially if they request you to open or download attachments.
2. Verify the legitimacy of file-sharing links: Before clicking on any links purportedly from file-sharing platforms, hover over them to inspect the URL and ensure it aligns with the expected domain.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication: Protect your file-sharing accounts by activating multi-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional verification during login.

By adhering to these precautionary measures and staying vigilant against suspicious emails, individuals and organizations can effectively mitigate the risk of falling victim to file-sharing phishing attacks and safeguard their sensitive information and systems.

Source:

Abnormal Security H2 2024 Email Threat Report