Anatomy of an Attack
Why is email the #1 attack vector for cyberattacks? Because 30% of employees continue to open spear phishing emails resulting in an average of $1.6 million in stolen assets per campaign.
Phase 1
ResearchIdentify Targets
Cybercriminals leverage data from corporate breaches, a target's own website, LinkedIn or other social media sites to build their target list.
Phase 2
DevelopPrepare Attack
Prior to launching the email attack, cybercriminals develop their payloads including building fake websites of reputable brands or organizations to fool their victims.
Phase 3
DeceiveDistribute Emails
Emails touting urgency—"Security Alert," a tax-time request for employee W-2s, etc.—are delivered. Attacks are personalized, low volume, and targeted so they're unlikely to be detected.
Phase 4
RetrieveReap Rewards
Once the requested action is taken, usually involving clicking a phishing link or opening the attachment, criminals can login to the victim's account or access their system to steal confidential information.
