Email Phishing in 2018 – What You Need to Know

Did you know that more than 90 percent of all successful cybersecurity attacks begin with email phishing? Not surprisingly, industry reports tell us it’s only going to get worse in 2018 and beyond.

Below are five phishing-related threats you should be aware of that can impact your cybersecurity in the new year: 

1. The Cloud
A lot more of us are using the cloud these days – so we can expect an increase in cloud-based phishing attacks in 2018. Although cybercriminals will be responsible for many of these missives, industry studies predict financially-motivated nation states will likely increase the frequency of these attacks.

2. Smishing
This type of phishing attack you may not know about. These are attacks specifically targeting mobile devices that use text messaging to gather sensitive information. Hackers have plenty of potential victims considering there are more than 2 billion smart phone users worldwide sending 20 billion text messages every day.

3. Social Media Attacks
Via social media increased more than 500 percent in the last quarter of 2016, one study found. Hackers set up fraudulent accounts and pretend to be customer service reps. Phishing bots and automated technologies are also ways to grab information that can be used in targeted attacks.

4. Mailsploit
This is a term you’ll hear more about in 2018. Mailsploit lets hackers send phishing emails that look like the real thing – and there’s absolutely no way to distinguish a phishing email from a genuine one. It can spoof email addresses to both the user and the email server, rendering email filters all but obsolete. 

5. Ransomware
Malware and ransomware attacks are expected to increase this year. Industry reports estimate the global cost of ransomware damage will exceed $11.5 billion in the next two years. Based on projections, by the end of 2019 ransomware attacks will occur every 14 seconds. 

This article originally appeared here: Email Phishing in 2018 – What You Need to Know

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