For many fresh out of college, the drive to land that first professional role is a top priority. Yet, new graduates can be exposed to sophisticated scams that can jeopardize not just their finances but also their identities. Imagine receiving an email that mentions your former school dean or a professor, claiming they've personally recommended you for a fantastic job opportunity.

This blog was co-written by Javvad Malik and Erich Kron. Let’s dive into the cautionary world of phishing simulations gone wrong. You know, those attempts to train users not to fall for phishing that somehow end up setting off more alarms than a Hawaiian missile alert system. Let's explore why we need to phish our users, but more importantly, how not to phish them. We turn to two of our trusted security awareness advocates Javvad Malik (JM) and Erich Kron (EK) to shed some light on the matter.

Cyber activity by the group "The Com," which leverages (SIM) swapping, cryptocurrency theft, swatting, and corporate intrusions, is increasing. Security researchers at Intel471 have published an analysis of the threat group, “The Com” (short for “The Community”), providing details about their targets and tactics. Operating mostly from Canada, the U.S.

One of the best things you can teach yourself, your family, and your organization is how to recognize the common signs of phishing and how to mitigate and appropriately report it. Phishing messages can have many different looks, traits and narratives. What worked yesterday for the attackers eventually becomes blocked, recognized, and less profitable, and they move on to different tactics.

The US Department of Justice has indicted four Iranian nationals for allegedly launching spear phishing attacks against the US government and defense contractors. In one instance, the hackers compromised over 200,000 employee accounts at a victim organization. “In conducting their hacking campaigns, the group used spearphishing — tricking an email recipient into clicking on a malicious link — to infect victim computers with malware,” the Justice Department said.

Threat actors are increasingly using generative AI tools to improve their phishing campaigns, according to a new report from Zscaler. “AI represents a paradigm shift in the realm of cybercrime, particularly for phishing scams,” the researchers write. “With the aid of generative AI, cybercriminals can rapidly construct highly convincing phishing campaigns that surpass previous benchmarks of complexity and effectiveness.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the pressure is mounting on small and medium businesses (SMBs), as they must get their cyber preparedness correct or the next cyber attacks could prove disastrous.

New data shows phishing attacks are deviating from the traditional focus on technology and retail sectors and are opting for alternate brands with widespread appeal. I’ve covered plenty of reports about brand impersonation and it’s almost always Microsoft on top of the list. And with good reason: access to a Microsoft 365 account can give attackers a foothold and potential access to data, applications and more.

Global optics manufacturer Hoya had business operations at its headquarters and several business divisions impacted and is now facing a “No Negotiation / No Discount Policy” $10 million ransom decision to make.

A new survey of physicians details the devastating impact of the Change Healthcare cyber attack on the healthcare sector. In February, a cyber attack on Change Healthcare brought much of the U.S. healthcare system to a halt. The revenue and payment cycle management provider is central to connecting payers, providers and patients within the U.S. healthcare system to ensure payments are made.

The cybercriminal threat actor FIN7 is launching spear phishing attacks against the automotive industry in the United States, according to researchers at BlackBerry. The threat actor identifies IT employees at automotive companies and attempts to trick them into downloading a Trojanized version of a free IP scanning tool. FIN7 is a Russia-based financially motivated threat actor that carries out a variety of cybercrime activities, including ransomware attacks.

Analysis of cyber attacks targeting U.K. organizations highlights the effectiveness of social engineering attacks and the fact that businesses are missing the mark on how to stop it. The U.K. Government just released their Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 where they asked U.K. businesses and charities about their experiences with cyber attacks and breaches, their preparedness plans, response plans and the impacts of the attacks. According to the survey results, half (50%) of all U.K.

LastPass has warned that one of its employees was targeted by a social engineering attack that used an audio deepfake that impersonated the company’s CEO. Fortunately, the employee grew suspicious and avoided falling for the attack. Mike Kosak, Senior Principal Intelligence Analyst at LastPass, explained in a blog post, “In our case, an employee received a series of calls, texts, and at least one voicemail featuring an audio deepfake from a threat actor impersonating our CEO via WhatsApp.

New advancements in generative AI voice cloning come at a time when banks are looking for additional ways to authenticate their customers – and they’re choosing your voice. Banks adopted the principles of multi-factor authentication years ago. But continued cyber attacks aimed at providing SIM swapping services have increased the risk of assuming the credential owner actually possesses the mobile device. So, where do they go next to prove you’re you? Voiceprint.

We are excited to announce that KnowBe4 has been named a leader in the Spring 2024 G2 Grid Report for Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) for the PhishER platform for the 12th consecutive quarter! The latest G2 Grid Report compares Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) Software vendors based on user reviews, customer satisfaction, popularity and market presence. Based on 278 G2 customer reviews, KnowBe4’s PhishER platform is the top ranked SOAR software.

We are thrilled to announce that KnowBe4 has been named a leader in the latest G2 Grid Report that compares security awareness training (SAT) vendors based on user reviews, customer satisfaction, popularity and market presence. Have you ever wanted to peek behind the curtain of Security Awareness Training (SAT) platforms and see which one truly stands out? Well, you don't need to wonder anymore.

Microsoft and Google were the most frequently impersonated brands in phishing attacks during the first quarter of 2024, according to a report from Check Point. Microsoft-themed phishing attempts accounted for 38% of attacks in Q1 2024, while Google came in at a distant second with 11%. Notably, phishing attacks impersonating vacation rental company Airbnb have spiked over the past few weeks.

In a new report, Cisco says the cyber readiness of organizations is lacking despite having experienced multiple cyber attacks within the last year. The maturity of an organization’s state of cyber readiness may very well dictate the outcome of an attack; it’s one thing to have a bunch of solutions in place, and it’s completely another to have the right solutions, policies, practices, and plans in place to address cyber risks.

The FBI has issued an alert warning of a widespread SMS phishing (smishing) campaign targeting people in several US states with phony notices of unpaid tolls, BleepingComputer reports. The scammers are currently impersonating the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and E-ZPass services on the East Coast, but the FBI warns that the scam will likely expand to other states.

The very fabric that stitches our society together — our councils and local governing bodies — is under a silent siege from cyber attacks. The recent ransomware assault on Leicester Council is another real life cybercrime added to a growing list of attacks in the UK.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that severe cyber attacks against financial institutions could lead to major bank runs and market selloffs. While this hasn’t happened yet, the IMF has observed these effects on a smaller scale after a cyber attack hits a bank.

Researchers at BlueVoyant observed a 50% increase in large-scale malvertising campaigns in 2023 compared to 2022. “Fraudulent search engine ads appear as benign advertisements, almost indistinguishable from legitimate ones,” the researchers write. “This makes ads a highly effective distribution mechanism since users often rely on the top search result rather than directly typing in a domain.

As the April 15, 2024 filing deadline approaches, tax scammers are working overtime to take advantage of rushed or stressed taxpayers. This tax season, scammers have adopted more sophisticated techniques - particularly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to disguise their schemes. However, remaining vigilant and taking some simple precautions can help you avoid becoming a victim.

A new PhaaS service brings the power of bypassing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to the world’s most-used email platforms. At its core, Tycoon 2FA isn’t doing anything new. It uses a reverse proxy server to host a phishing web page that impersonates the legitimate email platform in question. Then it intercepts the victim's input and relays them to the legitimate service. But it’s how this platform does it that is sophisticated.

I have been in the cybersecurity industry for over 35 years and I am the author of 14 books and over 1,400 articles on cybersecurity. I regularly speak with thousands of cybersecurity practitioners each year. Nearly every day, I see (good) cybersecurity advice, but some of it is just a bit shy of what is needed…such as “Use MFA!”. That is good advice, but is not specific enough. It does not give enough detail. There is a slight adjustment needed to get the most benefit.

Social media has become an indispensable tool for communication, outreach, and engagement. From world leaders to high-profile individuals, these platforms offer an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the masses. However, as recent incidents have shown, the very same platforms can also be a double-edged sword, exposing vulnerabilities and putting sensitive information at risk.

A new campaign of StrelaStealer attacks identified by security analysts at Unit42 has been spotted targeting E.U. and U.S. organizations. This somewhat new infostealer has evolved to be even better at evading detection in a new string of campaigns aimed at stealing email credentials from well-known email clients.

The Australian Government has leveraged insight from cybersecurity experts to create a new six-part plan to combat cybersecurity over the coming decade. The cybercrime economy is booming and growing every year. What’s needed is a bold vision to not just respond to the current state of threats, but to jump years ahead of it. And that’s what we find in the Australian Government’s 2023-2030 Australian Cybe rsecurity Strategy.

New data shows that the attacks IT feels most inadequate to stop are the ones they’re experiencing the most. According to Keeper Security’s latest report, The Future of Defense: IT Leaders Brace for Unprecedented Cyber Threats, the most serious emerging types of technologies being used in modern cyber attacks lead with AI-powered attacks and deepfake technology. By itself, this information wouldn’t be that damning.

A new string of multi-factor authentication (MFA) attacks targeting the reset of Apple IDs seem to be popping up in a likely attempt to steal the victim’s digital identity and more. A recent post on Twitter/X from entrepreneur Parth Patel outlines his experience when his phone became inundated with requests to reset his Apple ID password – to the tune of over 100.

New TTP attack data covering 2023 sheds much needed light on the threat actor and user actions that are putting organizations at the most risk. In cybersecurity vendor ReliaQuest’s Annual Cyber-Threat Report: 2024, there is a ton of great detail mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK Framework outlining which threat actions are used and how organizations are most effectively fighting back and stopping attacks.

A trojanized version of the McAfee Security app is installing the Android banking Trojan “Vultur,” according to researchers at Fox-IT. The attackers are spreading links to the malicious app via text messages and phone calls. “In order to deceive unsuspecting individuals into installing malware, the threat actors employ a hybrid attack using two SMS messages and a phone call,” the researchers write.

A journalist in Pennsylvania was targeted by phishing attacks that involved thread hijacking, according to Brian Krebs at KrebsOnSecurity. The journalist for LancasterOnline, Brett Sholtis, had written a story last year about a wealthy businessman named Adam Kidan who pleaded guilty to fraud in 2005. Several months after the story was published, Sholtis received two emails from Kidan’s email account.

The UK government's third phase of research shows how well UK organizations have been improving their cybersecurity efforts but indicates that the risk from certain attacks have only been reduced marginally. As part of the UK government’s National Cyber Strategy, their Cybersecurity Longitudinal Survey has been run three times to show how well UK businesses and charities are working to improve their state of cybersecurity.