Phishing Email Characteristics

Characteristics of Phishing Emails

• Scam emails often contain poor spelling, grammar, and formatting, either due to the scammer's lack of English fluency or intentionally to evade spam filters.

Infected Attachments

• Phishing emails may include infected attachments, disguised as documents such as invoices, reports, or receipts.
• Never open an attachment unless you're expecting it and ensure the message is from a legitimate sender.

Brand Imitation

• Cybercriminals imitate well-known brands to trick people into divulging personal information.
• Be cautious of emails that look legitimate, and closely check the contents to verify authenticity.

Fake Websites

• Phishing emails may include links to fake websites controlled by the attacker.
• Check links thoroughly before clicking, and hover your mouse over the hyperlink to preview the real URL.

Identity Impersonation

• Criminals may pose as someone in an organization, such as the CEO, to target other employees.
• Verify the legitimacy of the sender by hovering your cursor over the sender's name to display the sender's email address.

Anti-Phishing Filters

• Many organizations use anti-phishing filters that detect and block suspicious links, words, or phrases.
• Criminals may use images to evade these filters, as they are unreadable by filters.

Sense of Urgency

• Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency to encourage the recipient to respond immediately.
• Legitimate organizations are unlikely to contact you about an urgent issue via email.

Combating Phishing Threats

• Organizations must provide regular staff awareness training to combat the threat of phishing.

Characteristics of Phishing Emails

• Phishing emails often contain poor spelling, grammar, and formatting, either due to the scammer's lack of English fluency or intentionally to evade spam filters.

Infected Attachments

• Phishing emails may include infected attachments, disguised as documents such as invoices, reports, or receipts.
• Never open an attachment unless you're expecting it and ensure the message is from a legitimate sender.

Brand Imitation

• Cybercriminals imitate well-known brands to trick people into divulging personal information.
• Be cautious of emails that look legitimate, and closely check the contents to verify authenticity.

Fake Websites

• Phishing emails may include links to fake websites controlled by the attacker.
• Check links thoroughly before clicking, and hover your mouse over the hyperlink to preview the real URL.

Identity Impersonation

• Criminals may pose as someone in an organization, such as the CEO, to target other employees.
• Verify the legitimacy of the sender by hovering your cursor over the sender's name to display the sender's email address.

Anti-Phishing Filters

• Many organizations use anti-phishing filters that detect and block suspicious links, words, or phrases.
• Criminals may use images to evade these filters, as they are unreadable by filters.

Sense of Urgency

• Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency to encourage the recipient to respond immediately.
• Legitimate organizations are unlikely to contact you about an urgent issue via email.

Combating Phishing Threats

• Organizations must provide regular staff awareness training to combat the threat of phishing.

Social Engineering

• Social engineering is a manipulative tactic to influence individuals into taking actions against their own or their organization's best interest.

Network Penetration

• Hackers primarily use social engineering tactics to penetrate networks, despite strong defensive measures.

Identifying Red Flags in Emails

• Verify the sender's email address to avoid spoofing, where cybercriminals disguise emails to appear genuine or from a trusted source.
• Be cautious of emails with mismatched "from" and "reply-to" addresses.
• Be wary of emails sent outside business hours, as they may be suspicious.
• Be cautious of emails that evoke emotions, such as fear or curiosity, to provoke impulsive actions.
• Avoid taking action if an email makes you feel uncomfortable or seems illogical.
• Inspect hyperlinks by hovering over them to reveal their destination before clicking, to avoid malicious websites.
• Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments that threaten negative consequences, as they may compromise sensitive information.